Penn State Abington Chancellor Margo DelliCarpini
ABINGTON, Pa. — The statewide media organization City & State PA recognized Penn State Abington Chancellor Margo DelliCarpini as one of its Higher Education Power 100 for redefining what it means to be a leader in the field. City & State PA is a multimedia news firm that provides nonpartisan coverage of Pennsylvania’s state and local government, political, and advocacy news.
DelliCarpini assumed the position of chancellor and dean at Abington in 2021. She has compiled an accomplished record of strategic leadership and a demonstrated commitment to student access and success, academic scholarship, community outreach, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
During a previous interview, DelliCarpini discussed the campus-wide commitment to equity, access, and inclusive excellence especially since more than 50% of Abington students identify as people of color and 40% are — like DelliCarpini — first-generation college students.
"Our work has to be carried out intentionally, institutionally and systemically. ... It’s imperative that we invest our efforts and energy around creating equitable and inclusive campuses, so we have the right supports for our students to keep them enrolled, to keep them successful, and to connect them to the professions they are going to go into once they leave us,” she said.
As chancellor, she oversees more than 3,000 students, more than 320 faculty, 23 bachelor's degree programs, an MBA partnership with Penn State Great Valley, the NCAA Division III athletics program, and numerous outreach initiatives and partnerships that benefit the region and beyond.
Prior to arriving at Abington, 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. As dean, she grew the full-time faculty complement, oversaw the development of new degree programs, and led the launch of the Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
As a first generation, nontraditional student, DelliCarpini experienced firsthand the opportunity that higher education provides for students, the role institutions of higher education play as cultural and intellectual hubs in their communities, and the impact of higher education on the economic mobility of graduates.
DelliCarpini earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics, master’s degree in TESOL, and doctorate in linguistics all from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a licensed English as a Second Language educator and school district administrator through the New York State Education Department.
