Margo DelliCarpini named chancellor of Penn State Abington

ABINGTON, Pa. — Margo DelliCarpini, vice provost for strategic educational partnerships and dean of the College of Education and Human Development at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), has been named chancellor of Penn State Abington, after a national search. DelliCarpini will start in her new role Jan. 4, 2021.

Margo DelliCarpini

Margo DelliCarpini

Credit: Provided

DelliCarpini takes the reins from Penn State Abington Interim Chancellor and Dean Andrew G. August, who stepped into the role when previous Chancellor Damian Fernandez departed the University at the end of June to join Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, as its president. August, professor of history, will remain associate dean for academic affairs at Abington, a position he has held since 2016.

As chancellor, DelliCarpini will be responsible for the quality of academic programs in teaching, research and service; strategic planning; budgeting; philanthropy; faculty and staff development; outreach; and community and alumni relations. Located near Philadelphia, Penn State Abington has more than 3,700 students, 320 faculty, and 22 bachelor’s degree programs, and is one of Penn State’s most diverse campuses, with 50% of students identifying as being from underrepresented groups, more than 40% as first-generation college students, and 25% as adult learners.

“Dr. DelliCarpini brings with her an accomplished record of strategic leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to student access and success, academic scholarship, community outreach, and diversity, equity and inclusion.  She recognizes the distinctive mission of our Commonwealth Campuses,” said Madlyn Hanes, Penn State’s senior vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor, “and shares the central values of the University — values that have distinguished her as an academic leader. I am pleased to welcome Dr. DelliCarpini to the University, and confident that Penn State Abington will continue to thrive under her leadership.”

As a first generation, nontraditional student and product of the SUNY system, DelliCarpini has experienced first-hand 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. 

“My own experience as a nontraditional college student really shaped the way that I approach higher education administration, and solidified for me the obligation we have as institutions of higher education to be a public good,” said DelliCarpini. “We must provide opportunities for students and faculty and help break down barriers – both academic and non-academic – to success. We are positioned to not only provide students an education toward a job or career, but also to help students find purpose and passion that will sustain them throughout their personal and professional lives.

“Penn State’s mission as a whole and Abington’s in particular align perfectly with my professional passions and my own core values. I see so many opportunities to support all of our faculty, staff and students, and to enhance the strong community engagement and collaboration that already exists,” she said. “I’m honored and excited to serve as Penn State Abington’s next chancellor, and I can’t wait to get started.”

At UTSA, DelliCarpini has served as dean of the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) since 2016. As dean, she grew the full-time faculty complement, including tenure/tenure-track and clinical faculty; oversaw the development of new degree programs, including a doctoral program in school psychology; and led the launch of the Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Under her leadership, COEHD introduced high-impact university/district teacher residency programs and partnered with the CAST Network to develop innovative magnet high schools. She conceptualized the Urban Education Institute as an education incubator and social mobility driver to research and scale best practices in K-12 education. During her tenure, the college increased annual revenue from fundraising and increased its annual research expenditures from $3.5 million to more than $10 million.

In 2019, DelliCarpini was appointed vice provost for strategic educational partnerships to increase college admission and advance access to higher education in the San Antonio area. She led the development of the division of Strategic Educational Partnerships, which comprises pipeline programs including UTSA Ready, Prefreshman Engineering Programs, TriO Upward Bound, TRiO Education Talent Search and the nationally accredited child-development center.

Prior to UTSA, she served as professor and dean of the College of Education at Morehead State University in Kentucky. She started at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York, as an assistant professor in 2005, was promoted to associate professor in 2010 and full professor in 2013. She served as the chair of the Department of Middle and High School Education for the last three of those years.

As professor, she served as editor of the TESOL Journal from 2009 to 2015 and has authored numerous book chapters and refereed articles on English language acquisition, focusing on teacher preparation and development in English language arts. Among her many projects, she served as journal editor for an award-winning, 14-volume reference series, the “TESOL Encyclopedia of English” (Wiley, 2018).

DelliCarpini earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics, master’s degree in TESOL, and doctorate in linguistics from Stony Brook University in New York. She is a licensed English as a Second Language educator and school district administrator through the New York State Education Department.