UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Daniel Newhart has been appointed as Penn State’s new assistant vice provost for planning, effective Aug. 13, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in higher education leadership.
Newhart joins Penn State from Oregon State, where he served as assistant vice provost in the Division of Student Affairs, director of student affairs research, evaluation and planning, and an assistant professor of practice in the College of Liberal Arts.
“We are very excited to have Daniel join Penn State,” said Lance Kennedy-Phillips, vice provost for Planning and Assessment. “I am confident that Daniel will provide thoughtful, energized and forward-thinking leadership to the University’s planning process.”
As assistant vice provost for Student Affairs at Oregon State, Newhart worked closely with more than 30 departments across Student Affairs to better measure student success and improve student retention through strategic planning and data-driven benchmarking. By introducing additional metrics that measure student engagement outside of the classroom, Newhart was a pivotal figure in improving how Oregon State identifies students in need of early intervention to improve academic success, retention and graduation rates, and student involvement with extracurricular activities.
“I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve only worked for land-grant institutions, and I was instantly drawn to Penn State’s land-grant mission,” Newhart said. “Frankly, I was inspired when I read the Penn State Strategic Plan. This is a position where I can continue to help amplify the good work the University does, and that’s very exciting to me.”
In addition to his experience in student affairs and strategic planning, Newhart also served as an assistant professor of practice at Oregon State, teaching in the College Student Services Administration (CSSA) program and advising master’s students in the CSSA program. He has also worked as an adjunct faculty member in the College Student Services Administration and Graduate Certificate in College and University Teach programs at Oregon State, among other research and administration positions.
“When I was interviewing for this position, people would speak about how their work connects to the Penn State values and land-grant mission; It was clear to me that people take the Strategic Plan and University values and mission seriously,” Newhart said. “I’m looking forward to continuing conversations about how the work this University does connects to our larger planning mechanisms and how we can always be looking to improve the work we’re doing for the sake of our students.”
Newhart holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and psychology from Purdue University, as well as a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs and a doctorate in social and cultural foundations of education from Ohio State. He has also been certified in graduate teaching and online course development.
“When I visited campus as part of the interview process, I immediately just felt connected to Penn State,” Newhart said. “I don’t know how else to describe it but to say that it felt like home. I can’t wait to get started.