Penn State names woman to lead system’s 20 branch campuses

The linguist and administrator who will oversee Penn State University’s 20 branch campuses starting Oct. 1 has talked about their importance as educational game-changers for students and economic anchors for the communities in which they’re located.

Margo DelliCarpini also has seen how competitive the higher-education market can be when it comes to attracting students.

Named vice president for commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor, DelliCarpini’s duties likely will include spearheading efforts to boost enrollment at branch campuses, including the Southwestern Pennsylvania campuses of Penn State New Kensington in Upper Burrell, Penn State Greater Allegheny on the border of McKeesport and White Oak, Penn State Fayette and Penn State Beaver.

Penn State Abington, the Philadelphia-area branch where she has been chancellor since 2021, saw an 11% enrollment drop over the past 12 years. It’s far from alone.

Nearly all other Penn State branches have seen declines since 2010 — some far worse — as have other regional public campuses in the Northeast and Midwest, including the University of Pittsburgh branches and 10 state-owned universities.

DelliCarpini, named to the post Thursday, was not available for an interview Friday. In a statement provided by the university as part of the announcement, she hinted at the stakes.

“The commonwealth campuses truly fulfill the land-grant mission of Penn State. They are the cultural and intellectual hubs of their communities and serve as engines of economic development, bringing Penn State to communities across Pennsylvania,” she said.

“I believe that we are at an inflection point as an institution of higher education and that we have the opportunity to redefine how commonwealth campuses support the overall land-grant mission of Penn State,” she added.

DelliCarpini succeeds Kelly Austin, who left the university in July for a position elsewhere.

University officials pointed to DelliCarpini record of strategic leadership and a commitment to student access and success, academic scholarship, community outreach and diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Dr. DelliCarpini understands the mission and unique needs of a commonwealth campus, the priorities of the university and how to effectively blend the two for the benefit of students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Justin Schwartz, executive vice president and provost. “She brings great energy and excitement to her role as chancellor.”

In June, the Tribune-Review reported that Penn State branches had lost 30% of their enrollment since 2010. As of last fall, it stood at 23,838 compared to 33,977 a dozen years ago.

Since 2010, enrollment at Penn State New Kensington in Upper Burrell fell by 47%, to 460 students, according to data examined by the Trib. Penn State Greater Allegheny has 363 students, down 53% from 2010. Penn State Fayette, The Eberly campus, saw a drop of 59% from 1,037 to 424 students.

A 61% enrollment drop has left Penn State Shenango in Sharon, Mercer County, with 281 students, smaller than many high schools.

Contributing to the declines has been a drop in the number of traditional, 18-to-22-year-old students, worries about cost and student debt, and a favorable job market for students right out of higher school.

In all, the branch campuses’ enrollment of nearly 24,000 represents nearly a third of Penn State’s 88,000 students.

Prior to her arrival at Penn State, DelliCarpini was vice provost for strategic educational partnerships and dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio, according to Penn State. She was a professor and dean of the College of Education at Morehead State University in Kentucky and a professor at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York, where she worked as chair of the Department of Middle and High School Education.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in linguistics, a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and a doctorate in linguistics from Stony Brook University, officials said.