UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- When Rob Pangborn was named interim executive vice president and provost in November, Administrative Fellow Careen Yarnal transitioned with him to the Provost's Office from the Office of Undergraduate Education, and experienced her Fellowship from two perspectives.
This year, two of the Fellows will have a similar opportunity, this time by design. Abigail Diehl, assistant dean for Alumni and College Relations and Leadership Initiatives in the College of Health and Human Development, and Annemarie Mountz, assistant director of Public Information, will split their Fellowships between mentors Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs, and Craig Weidemann, vice president for Outreach. Kathy Bieschke, professor of education, will be the Administrative Fellow for Pangborn in the Provost's Office.
"Splitting a Fellowship between two vice presidents is something we have not done since 1994-95, and this is the first time it has happened with two Fellows. We had two candidates who both were very good fits for two of the Administrative Fellowships, so it made sense to split their time between the two areas," said Blannie Bowen, vice provost for Academic Affairs, who oversees the Administrative Fellowship program.
Faculty and staff in the Administrative Fellows Program strengthen their administrative talents and qualifications by working with Penn State administrators in a mentoring relationship. Their understanding of the contexts within which decisions are made increases, along with their understanding of various units across the University. The length of the program is one academic year.
"I'm delighted to have this opportunity to work with Dr. Pangborn. Working in the Provost's Office will provide me with the rare opportunity to learn more about the breadth of academic programs and support services at Penn State," Bieschke said. "I'm particularly interested in learning more about how to facilitate the academic priorities of the University given the numerous challenges facing higher education."
Bieschke joined Penn State's faculty in 1991. She is a professor in the College of Education and serves as the program coordinator for the counseling psychology doctoral program. She is a contributing member of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health and her research focuses on college students who identify as sexual and gender minorities. Bieschke is an active contributor to the training and education community in professional psychology and currently serves as a member of the American Psychological Association's Commission on Accreditation.
Mountz will begin her year in Outreach and switch to Student Affairs in January. "Working with two mentors during the course of the year is such an extraordinary opportunity. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to learn about two very different areas of the University through one Fellowship," she said.
Mountz has been in the Public Information Office in University Relations for 17 years and has been in her current role since 2006. In addition to overseeing the Penn State Live website and the Newswires, Mountz runs the PSUTXT emergency text-messaging system, is on the University's emergency communications team and is one of the main spokespeople for the University.
Diehl will begin her Fellowship in Student Affairs, and switch to Outreach in January. “I am honored to have been selected for a Fellowship, and excited about the unique opportunity to serve with both Craig Weidemann and Damon Sims,” she said.
Diehl has worked in the College of Health and Human Development for 12 years and has been in her current role since 2008. In addition to overseeing the alumni and college relations functions of the college, she directs the Women’s Leadership Initiative, a yearlong leadership development program for junior women in the College of Health and Human Development and the School of Nursing. Prior to joining the college she served as assistant director for event management at the Penn State Alumni Association.
For more information about the program, visit http://www.psu.edu/vpaa and click on the link to the Administrative Fellows Program.