Faculty and Staff

Interim chancellor named to lead Penn State Fayette

Following the unexpected death Tuesday (March 9) of Penn State Fayette's chancellor, Emmanuel I. Osagie, University officials have moved quickly to provide the southwestern Pennsylvania campus with leadership until a search for a new chancellor can be conducted.

Tapping into the expertise of its other campuses, Penn State has named Francis Achampong, chief academic officer at Penn State Mont Alto, as interim chancellor for Penn State Fayette, effective March 22. The search for a permanent replacement will begin in late spring with hopes of having someone in place by fall.
"Dr. Achampong is a proven leader in all areas of campus organization and has been part of Penn State and the Commonwealth Campuses for the past 8 years, so he is extremely familiar with our operations," said John Romano, vice president for the Commonwealth Campuses. "During this transition period for Penn State Fayette, he will provide the stability and direction needed and will be a strong force to keep the campus on track."
Hired in 2002 as director of academic affairs for Penn State Mont Alto, Achampong has led the campus in adopting a vision and core values statement; introduced new degree programs, mentored faculty; and provided fiscal leadership in times of budgetary constraints.  He is responsible for all academic functions of the campus, including planning, developing, administering and evaluating academic programs.
An expert in sexual harassment, workplace harassment and risk management, Achampong holds a Ph.D. in law from the University of London; a master of laws degree from both Georgetown University Law Center and the University of London, Kings College, where his primary area of study was insurance law, credit and security; and a bachelor of laws degree magna cum laude from the University of Ghana. He is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990.
Before his appointment at Mont Alto, Achampong served as interim dean of the AACSB-accredited School of Business at Norfolk State University; from 1998 through 2001, he was head of the Department of Entrepreneurship, Finance and Marketing at Norfolk State University, and also a professor of business law and insurance from 1992 through 2002, and associate professor from 1985 to 1992.
Achampong served as a Fellow of the American Council on Education from 2008-2009 and holds a Certificate in Management and Leadership Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the author of several publications, including a book, "Workplace Sexual Harassment Law: Principles, Landmark Developments, and Framework for Effective Risk Management," published in 1999. His latest work, "Integrating Risk Management and Strategic Planning" was published in Winter 2010 in Planning for Higher Education.  

 

Penn State has named Francis Achampong, chief academic officer at Penn State Mont Alto, as interim chancellor for Penn State Fayette, effective March 22. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated November 18, 2010

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