University Park, Pa. -- Mukund Kulkarni, senior associate dean for academic affairs at Penn State Harrisburg, has been named interim chancellor at Penn State Harrisburg, effective July 1. He replaces Madlyn Hanes, who will take over July 1 for the retiring John Romano as vice president for Commonwealth Campuses.
Kulkarni joined Penn State Harrisburg as a member of the business faculty in 1985, and currently holds the rank of professor of finance. From 1996-2006 he served as director of the School of Business Administration at the campus. Under his leadership, the school experienced significant growth and received its initial AACSB accreditation. Kulkarni also was part of the inter-college leadership team that developed the iMBA, which has realized significant growth on behalf of the broader University.
Presently Kulkarni serves as senior associate dean for academic affairs, a position he has held since 2006. During his tenure as senior associate dean, Penn State Harrisburg has experienced substantial growth in its student population.
"In support of enrollment growth, Dr. Kulkarni has overseen the successful introduction of new degree programs, expanded teaching and learning support to faculty, and developed and executed plans to upgrade instructional technology and improvements to classroom facilities," said Romano. "His leadership and experience will enable him to continue moving the campus forward."
“Dr. Kulkarni has provided 25 years of outstanding service to Penn State Harrisburg," Hanes said of the appointment. “He is an accomplished academic administrator, a thoughtful and gracious colleague and an exceptional individual. The college will continue to prosper under his leadership.”
Kulkarni has served the University in a variety of roles that included membership on the Administrative Council of Undergraduate Education (ACUE), Graduate Council and other various University-wide committees. Most recently he co-chaired the committee on India Global Engagement Node of the University Office of the Global Programs.
Kulkarni earned bachelor's and master's degrees in his native India, an M.B.A. from Marshall University, and a doctorate from the University of Kentucky. His research interests are in the areas of capital budgeting, banking operations, and information content of stock prices.
An accomplished teacher and scholar, Kulkarni is widely published in academic journals and has presented papers at several scholarly conferences. He brought valuable corporate experience from the commercial banking industry to Penn State Harrisburg and often is an invited lecturer and consultant to other academic institutions in the U.S. and abroad, in addition to state government and nonprofit organizations.