The Andrea Adolph era has begun as the new director of academic affairs arrived on campus Aug. 1. Adolph replaces Arlene Hall who retired in June.
Adolph joins the campus community after serving as associate professor of English and coordinator of service-learning at Kent State. Her duties involved academic planning and program development.
“So many aspects of the job really speak to the things I like to do so much,” Adolph said. “What makes it really interesting to me is that it is a lot of different kinds of work. It’s an eclectic mix of skills and tasks.”
In her new role on the campus’s senior management team, Adolph will be responsible for areas such as faculty recruitment, academic planning and program development. She will lead faculty in community outreach and efforts to secure funding to support academic programs. Student opportunities such as study abroad, internships and service-learning, will also fall under her purview.
Service-learning is a form of experiential education which takes the lessons of the classroom out into the community to give students hands-on learning experience. This complements the existing fellowship and internship programs initiated by Chancellor Snider to provide students with opportunities to gain “on-the-job” experiences that are rarely found at the undergraduate level. Under the fellowship program, students collaborate with faculty and staff on specific campus and community projects. Under the internship program, students work with Electro-Optics Center professionals on technology systems for government and commercial sectors.
Adolph holds a doctorate in English literature from Louisiana State University. She and her daughter, Ella, 7, will reside in the Natrona Heights section of Harrison Township.
The campus community will officially welcome Adolph to New Kensington at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, with an afternoon tea in the Art Gallery.