UNIONTOWN, Pa. — W. Charles Patrick, chief academic officer and professor of engineering at Penn State Worthington Scranton, has been named chancellor and chief academic officer of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, effective June 16. Patrick succeeds Arlene Hall, director emerita of Academic Affairs and associate professor of kinesiology, who has served as interim chancellor since Aug. 1.
“Dr. Patrick brings broad experience as an academic and administrative leader. His expertise in program and curriculum development and advancing student success complement the longstanding strengths of Penn State Fayette,” said Madlyn Hanes, Penn State vice president for Commonwealth Campuses. “His knowledge of Penn State and his shared commitment to community and student engagement will serve the campus well.”
“I am excited to return to southwestern Pennsylvania to serve the faculty, staff, students and community of Penn State Fayette. I look forward to supporting its traditions of achievement and service,” Patrick said.Since arriving at Penn State Worthington Scranton in July 2012, Patrick has implemented a student learning initiative that employs “flipped” classes and tracks class-level learning outcomes, a faculty adviser development series, adviser contact and tracking of at-risk students and online scheduling of student tutoring services. Patrick was responsible for overseeing faculty recruitment and tenure-track searches, and was heavily involved in developing the enrollment, academic excellence, diversity and sustainability components of the campus strategic plan. In December 2012, he was named the first academic fellow for Data180, a Morehead, Ky.-based software developer targeting academic institutions, businesses, students and professionals.Previously, Patrick worked at Morehead State University in northeast Kentucky, where he was a faculty member and, subsequently, assistant vice president of the University College. In that role, he oversaw general education, assessment, accreditation, testing, professional development, first year programs, academic advising and retention. He also directed the university’s accreditation reaffirmation from 2008 to 2011. In 2013, he was named professor emeritus.
Patrick is a graduate of the West Virginia Institute of Technology, West Virginia University, the University of Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, where he earned his doctorate in engineering. Prior to his position at Morehead State, he spent three years on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed Morehead State University’s President's Leadership Academy in 2007, when he also was named a Kentucky Colonel, the highest honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
In 2008, he received the Exemplary Service Award from the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering. He and his wife, Martha, have three grown children: Kyle, Evan and Anne.