Marilyn J. Wells, Ph.D. began her tenure as Regional Chancellor for Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Mont Alto, and Penn State York on July 1, 2024. She is a strategic and visionary leader who is bold and centered on people — with a sense of humor.
Prior to her appointment as Regional Chancellor, Dr. Wells served as Chancellor at Penn State Brandywine from 2020 to 2024 where she led the campus to achieve numerous accomplishments in strategic planning; academic and research excellence; faculty and staff development; student engagement and success; community and corporate relations; and philanthropy with impact.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging have been a core value in Dr. Wells’ life and leadership. A top priority in Brandywine’s Strategic Plan, she introduced new Chancellor’s Commissions on Equity by Design, leading to progress and change.
With students, faculty, and staff the heart of any campus, Dr. Wells initiated new ways of connecting and communicating — walking campus, attending events, hosting open-door hours, and her “marilyn’s messages.” She inspired the creation of a new Brandywine Staff Advisory Council and invested in enhancing a world-class and diverse faculty across disciplines, leading to growth in academic and research excellence.
Dr. Wells is active in the community, increasing visibility and impact by expanding strategic partnerships with business and industry, community and civic, and higher education and K-12 partners. She was elected to the Board of Directors for Family Support Line Child Advocacy Center and the Board of Trustees for Tyler Arboretum. At the national level, Dr. Wells serves as a peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Dr. Wells’ distinguished career in higher education has spanned executive leadership and faculty positions in land-grant, regional-comprehensive, and private universities, including a historically Black university, and community colleges. She is unique in that she has also held posts in private-sector businesses in the healthcare and hospitality industries, as well as in state government in public health in Pennsylvania and Alabama.
Throughout her career, Dr. Wells has received more than $2 million in external grants and sponsorships to support research and projects to advance health policy and promotion. Her research and demonstration projects have resulted in numerous professional publications, presentations, and awards. Most recently, Dr. Wells was selected to receive The Educational Policy and Leadership Center’s 2024 Alumni Award for outstanding achievements and service to education.
In her personal life, Dr. Wells’ pride and joy are her young adult son and daughter, Thomas and Michelle, and her partner, Roy. She enjoys museums, the theatre, and creative pursuits in her free time. One fun fact: she once went skydiving with the US Army’s Golden Knights.
Dr. Wells earned her B.S. in Home Economics Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, her Master of Public Health and a M.S. in Health Education from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, and her Ph.D. in Health Education with a cognate in Statistics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
