Chancellor's Commissions on Equity by Design
The purpose of the Chancellor’s Commissions on Equity by Design is to tap into national universities and campus organizations and partners to explore current issues, insights, research, best practices, and resources to create and sustain change to foster an equitable environment on our campus, with a focus on increasing student success and professional fulfillment. Each Commission is also focused on implementing objectives and action items in our Strategic Plan as well as new opportunities. Anticipated plans for each Commission for the 2023-2024 academic year, according to each, are:
Commission on Disability & Advancing Accessibility
For 2023-2024, this Commission is looking forward to implementing the findings from the campus accessibility audit of physical spaces conducted in summer 2022 and providing offices with a guide for infusing an accessibility framework into their processes and services.
Members
Michael Sturm – Faculty, Co-Chair
Elizabeth Parrett – Staff, Co-Chair
Kari Berton – Staff
Megann Hedgecock – Faculty
Colleen Houseman – Staff
Janeen Madison – Faculty
Chris Olear – Faculty
Lisa Rand – Faculty
Shawn Riley – Staff
Peggy Signorella – Faculty
Eliel Acosta Solalinde – Staff
Kathy Yanoshak – Faculty
Commission on Empowering Women
For 2023-2024, the work of this Commission must continue to be aimed at cultivating meaningful relationships between members of our community who create a sense of belonging, shared identity, and well-being to promote the empowerment of women.
Members
Andrea Randolph-Krisova – Faculty, Chair
Angel Asomugha – Student
Christina Billie – Staff
Tina Brackett-Wood – Staff
Nicola Difronzo-Heitzer – Administrator
Nannette D'Imperio – Faculty
George Eleftherakis – Faculty
Falesha Ghee – Staff
Alyssa Hamm – Staff
Megann Hedgecock – Faculty
Maryam Khan – Staff
Lisa Krol – Staff
Jon Manteau – Faculty
Dana Martin – Faculty
Lusine Mueller – Faculty
Alison Murphy – Faculty
Zoia Pavlovskaia – Faculty
Sam Pezzimenti – Faculty
Rachel Skinner – Faculty
Marina Skyers – Faculty
Eliel Acosta Solalinde – Staff
Nasibeh Zohrabi – Faculty
Commission On Interfaith & Spiritual Inclusion
For 2023-2024, this Commission will explore and identify topics and areas of focus to promote interfaith and spiritual inclusion on campus.
Members
Jasmaine Price-Thornton – Staff, Chair
Evan Bradley – Faculty
Pammy Coghlan – Staff
Stephanie Fitzgerald – Staff (part-time)
Falesha Ghee – Staff
Paul Greene – Faculty
Janeen Madison – Faculty
Kimberly Schultz – Faculty
Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Equity
This Commission anticipates working with Student Affairs to strategize any number of issues including gender neutral bathrooms and updating the campus website to include local resources. The Commission also looks to organizing to provide more visibility and resources for the LGBTQ+ population, and to create spaces so that this population could express itself and meet each other with in a safe and accepting environment.
Members
Teresa Slobuski – Faculty, Co-Chair
Donald Brennan – Staff, Co-Chair
Evan Bradley – Faculty
Edward Dixon – Staff
Laura Evans – Faculty
Jane Homan – Staff
Kristen Schaubhut – Faculty (part-time)
Shane Sternberg – Staff
Patton Vo – Staff
Terrie Wong – Faculty
Kathleen Yanoshak – Faculty
Commission on Racial & Ethnic Justice
For 2023-2024, the Chancellor’s Commission on Racial & Ethnic Justice will focus on equity and student success, specifically ideas and initiatives to create connections and belonging, and build a sense of identity for students, with a focus on students from historically and currently underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, which are vital to growing enrollment, retention, persistence, graduation, and meaningful lives and careers.
Members
Myeisha Matos – Staff, Co-Chair
Eliel Acosta Solalinde – Staff, Co-Chair
James Berkey – Faculty
Christine Brown – Faculty
Laura Evans – Faculty
Megann Hedgecock – Faculty
Sandra Lawrence – Faculty
Danielle Osborne – Staff
Elizabeth Parrett – Staff
Patton Vo – Staff
Commission on Veteran & Military Success
For 2023-2024, this Commission anticipates providing the opportunity for veteran and military students and their family members to attend the 2023 Military Appreciation Game at University Park; to planning Veteran’s Day activities for Brandywine; to recruiting students to apply for the new scholarships at Brandywine with a first preference for veteran and military students and their family members; and to overall, growing the population of veteran students, increasing their visibility on campus, and ensuring that they have the best experience possible at Brandywine; new ideas and strategic initiatives to growing the recruitment, enrollment, engagement, and graduation of veteran and military students and alumni.
Members
Earl Catagnus – Faculty, Co-Chair
Andy Landmesser – Faculty, Co-Chair
Pammy Coghlan – Staff
Maureen Fielding – Faculty
Maryam Khan – Staff
Lisa Krol – Staff
Dennis Mejias – Staff
Gary Miller – Staff
Shruti Shrestha – Faculty
Pauline Thompson – Faculty
Commission on Sustainability
The focus of the Chancellor’s Commission on Sustainability for 2023-2024 will be to recommend, promote, and support sustainability initiatives across campus that uphold the value of Sustainability, as defined in our Strategic Plan 2020-2025: New Opportunities, New Stories. Specifically, “Sustainability – We strive to be good stewards of our economy, our people, and our environment – (people, planet, prosperity) – to promote health, resilient, and inclusive communities.” The Commission will also promote and support the vision, goals, and activities of Penn State’s Sustainability Institute.
Members
Rachel Skinner – Faculty, Chair
Margaret Buban – Staff
Lynn Hartle – Faculty
Megann Hedgecock – Faculty
Timothy Lawlor – Faculty
Zoia Pavlovskaia – Faculty
Samantha Pezzimenti – Faculty
Marina Skyers – Faculty
Julie Stanton – Faculty
Tim Swierczek – Staff
Pauline Thompson – Faculty
Kathy Thorley – Staff