Kurt Torell has joined the administrative staff of Penn State Greater Allegheny as its chief academic officer.  Torell came to Greater Allegheny from his position as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Marywood University in Scranton.

Torell earned his doctoral degree in philosophy from Duquesne University. He also holds two master of arts  degrees in philosophy, one from Duquesne and the other from the University of Pittsburgh. His undergraduate work was completed at Boston University.

His administrative experience includes the position of assistant dean of arts and sciences, Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences, Roger Williams University, Bristol, R.I.; interim xhair, Division of Social Sciences, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho, and director of the Honors Program at Lewis-Clark.

Torell, who currently holds the faculty rank of associate professor of philosophy, has taught at numerous institutions of higher education including Lewis-Clark, De Anza College in Cupertino, Calif.; Diablo Valley Community College in San Ramone, Calif.; and Cogswell College, Cupertino, Calif. Locally, he has taught at Carlow College, Carnegie-Mellon University, Washington and Jefferson College, Wheeling Jesuit College, West Virginia University, the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University. Excellence in teaching awards include the Eugene Baldeck Award and the School of Arts and Sciences Award for Teaching, both at Lewis-Clark State College.

Torell has several publications in the areas of modern philosophy, ethics, Plato and Native American philosophy, and epistemology.