UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business recently launched the Professional Graduate Programs Advisory Board, harnessing the unique blend of expertise among its board members to enhance the college’s lifelong learning opportunities.
Brian Cameron, associate dean for Professional Graduate Programs (PGP) and Executive Education in Smeal, participates in a number of boards among peer institutions. Through his involvement with these organizations, Cameron perceived that Penn State’s Professional Graduate Programs stood out from the crowd.
“We were pleased that our programs were positioned ahead of the pack, but we recognized that retaining and growing our leading position would require outside perspective.”
To gain this perspective, Cameron sought to develop its own panel to provide a “critical review of PGP’s direction.”
Cameron stressed the importance of selecting members with leadership experience in various industries and functions.
“It will help us understand our differences in the eyes of an array of mid- and senior-level executives so that we may design our curriculum and learning environment to best match their wants and needs,” he said.
The board has two major initiatives: to provide insight into the needs for content, delivery methods and pedagogy for programs, and to examine the strategy of postgraduate programs relating to lifelong learning.
To inform its decisions, the board will engage with a research firm to collect data from key stakeholder groups. The board will review collected data through a real-world lens and can offer feedback on how to make research insights actionable.
Cameron said the board will work closely with the instructional design team to ensure that insights gained are reflected in ways that align with audience preferences.
The board relies on the insight and knowledge of its skilled members to identify the most effective ways for PGP to respond to shifts in the education space and anticipate how to best serve students in the future.
Cameron said the most important factor in the selection of board members was their insight into the needs and desires of mid- and senior-level executives.
“Our board members bring a global perspective,” Cameron said. “They share a wealth of experience with organizations not only in the U.S., but abroad.”
In addition to Cameron, the board currently consists of three internal and six external members and is expected to grow in the near future.
Janet Duck is a professor of management and organization and director of excellence in teaching and learning at the Smeal College of Business. She serves as the faculty chair for Smeal’s Online MBA program and the academic lead for Professional Graduate Programs. Duck has been awarded outstanding faculty repeatedly since 2007 and was featured in The New York Times for her early work in the future of online classrooms.
Al Vicere is a professor of strategic leadership at Smeal and holds bachelor's, master’s and doctoral degrees from Penn State, where he served for 12 years as Smeal’s associate dean for executive education. He was the founding director of Penn State's Institute for the Study of Organizational Effectiveness and has earned several MBA "Excellence in Teaching" awards. He is president of Vicere Associates Inc., a global consulting firm that works to address challenges in strategy and leadership development.
Mark Capone is an accomplished life sciences CEO with more than 35 years of experience in molecular diagnostics, genetics, biotechnology, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni from Penn State. He is CEO of Pioneering Precision Medicine, which has received awards for Utah Top Workplaces, Ohio Top Workplaces, Forbes Best Midsize Employer, Women Tech “Shatter” Award, and for record employee engagement scores for a purpose-driven culture.
Andrew Cole is the chief human resources officer for six companies and advises executive leadership teams, investors and boards of directors of public and private sector companies on corporate talent strategy, organizational design, and transformation to achieve business results and value.
David Dinwoodie has held senior management positions with pan-European and global responsibilities in Ernst & Young, BICC General Cable, Planeta de Agostini and Bristol-Myers Squibb. He is an expert in leadership development and strategic management and brings more than 25 years of executive experience within the realm of international business.
Scott Faris an entrepreneur with more than two decades of operating, venture-financing and commercialization experience, involving emerging-growth technology companies. He is the CEO of ColdQuanta, a global leader in the quantum information and sensing industry. He also serves as a venture partner in IDEA Fund, a venture capital fund focused on providing early-stage investment capital to technology companies in the southeastern United States.
John Strackhouse is a partner in the Board & CEO Practice for Caldwell Partners. He has been quoted in leading publications including Financial Times on topics ranging from global talent management and board effectiveness to C-suite leadership. He received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State and serves on Smeal’s Board of Visitors.
Laurie Waligurski is the senior vice president for Mastercard, leading program support for strategic planning, cross-functional project management and resource analysis. She is the first U.S. recipient of Mastercard’s Ozlem Imece Leadership Award and received the Women in Payment’s Industry Award for Women’s Advocacy for launching the company’s first women’s leadership network.
While in its beginning stages, the board will meet about every eight weeks. Once established, it will meet quarterly.
To learn more about the Smeal College of Business’s Professional Graduate Programs, visit Smeal’s website.