HARRISBURG, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg has announced the appointment of Holly Angelique as the assistant dean for academic affairs, effective July 1.
A professor of community psychology, Angelique joined Penn State Harrisburg in 1996 and has served the college in a number of roles, as a faculty member and an academic administrator, including as coordinator of the master’s program in community psychology and social change, and the chair of programs in social sciences and psychology. Angelique currently serves as the interim director of the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, a position she held since 2017. Prior to joining Penn State Harrisburg, Angelique held administrative, advising, and teaching roles at Michigan State University and California State University, Long Beach.
“Dr. Angelique has been significantly engaged in a broad range of activities at Penn State Harrisburg for more than two decades as a faculty member and an administrator,” said Chancellor John M. Mason Jr. “We have relied on her academic and administrative expertise in the area of behavioral sciences and education. I am pleased to have her join our senior administrative team and lend her knowledge and experience to the entire college in key academic and outreach areas.”
As the assistant dean, Angelique will oversee areas including academic advising, learning centers, continuing education, the Center for Teaching Excellence, honors programs, international programs, the registrar, and activities related to World Campus.
“For over two decades, Penn State Harrisburg has provided me with the opportunity and organizational structure and support to conduct research and educate students. Now, I feel fortunate to have a new opportunity to serve the college in additional ways, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the college's success,” Angelique said.
Angelique’s research focuses on two substantive areas of inquiry, community decision-making around environmental issues, and feminist psychology. Her environmental research has focused primarily on anti-nuclear grassroots organizing at Three Mile Island in Middletown, Pennsylvania, the site of the worst commercial nuclear accident in the U.S. in 1979.
Angelique has published work on gendered experiences, community narratives, citizen participation, media framing of dissent, and historical memory at Three Mile Island. Her recent work focuses on social power dynamics regarding environmental regulations involving nuclear power. She has also analyzed children’s responses to environmental disasters and studied barriers and catalysts to fostering pro-environmental behavior.
Her research has been published in such journals as American Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Community Psychology, Community Mental Health Journal, Gender and Society and Humanity and Society. Angelique gained an international reputation when she co-authored the chapter on community psychology in the U.S. for the first textbook on international community psychology. Her work has been published in international journals, including the Australian Community Psychologist, Pratiques Psychologiques, Antropologi Indonesia and the International Journal of Lifelong Education.
Angelique holds professional membership in the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association), where she has held many leadership roles, including secretary of the Executive Council, a founding member of SCRA’s Council of Education Programs, and two three-year terms as chair of the Standing Committee on Women.
Angelique holds a doctoral degree in ecological-community psychology from Michigan State University, with a concentration in developmental psychology and women’s studies; a master of arts in psychology from California State University, Long Beach; and a bachelor of arts from California State University, Long Beach.