After developing an accomplished record of teaching and scholarly work and becoming a respected colleague, Rachael Brown, associate professor of math education, was selected as the new director of faculty development at Penn State Abington.
ABINGTON, Pa. — Penn State Abington Chancellor Margo DelliCarpini appointed Rachael Brown, associate professor of math education and program chair for the Elementary and Early Childhood Education major, as the campus’ new director of faculty development. Brown replaces founding director Karen Weekes, associate professor of English and women’s studies, who retired recently, in the role.
“Our strategic plan calls for investing in faculty support and development, which ultimately impacts our ability to create transformative academic experiences for our students. I am pleased that Rachael accepted this role as it represents a significant step toward achieving our institutional goals,” DelliCarpini said.
Brown is charged with supporting faculty across the lifespan of their careers at Abington including managing orientation for new hires, expanding and reconceptualizing mentoring and professional development, and guiding faculty through the complex promotion and tenure process.
"My experience leading professional development and my ongoing engagement in building community with faculty makes me an asset to our faculty development efforts. My knowledge and deep thinking about systems like hiring and retention put me in a good spot, and my service as a local school board member helps me think at the systems level,” she said.
Brown will collaborate with the directors of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusive Excellence, and Belonging and the Center for Intercultural Leadership and Communication to integrate their work into faculty success and retention initiatives.
Our strategic plan calls for investing in faculty support and development, which ultimately impacts our ability to create transformative academic experiences for our students. I am pleased that Rachael accepted this role as it represents a significant step toward achieving our institutional goals.—Margo DelliCarpini , chancellor, Penn State Abington
During nearly a decade of service at Abington, Brown successfully led the post-pandemic resurgence of the education major while serving as a faculty mentor and securing grants and awards for her scholarly work. She is a Faculty Fellow, a one- to two-year commitment for select faculty to explore pedagogical practices and foster an engaged teaching community using contemporary, research-tested best practices. She was also honored with the Outstanding Teacher Award (tenure-line) and served on multiple faculty search committees.
Her scholarly work includes publishing journal articles and book chapters along with earning multiple grants and fellowships. Brown was awarded a $185,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for her study titled "Collaborative Research: Rational Numbers Playground: Applying and Refining a Model for Dynamic, Discussion-Based PD for Fractions, Ratios, and Proportions." She was a STaR Fellow with the national Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, and is a peer reviewer for 10 academic journals.
Prior to arriving at Abington, Brown spent five years as a program officer at the Knowles Teacher Initiative, leading professional development for early-career high school STEM teachers in public education across the country. She also served as a math teaching coach.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Siena College, her master’s in the natural sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and her doctorate from the University of Georgia in mathematics education with an emphasis on education leadership. She is a member of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With more than 3,100 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 25 majors, undergraduate research, the Schreyer Honors College, NCAA Division III athletics and more.
