Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Dale Jones has announced the addition of a new staff member and new campus advisory board members to Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
Joseph Natale joins Student Support Services (SSS) at Penn State Wilkes-Barre as an academic/career counselor. A TRiO federal grant program, SSS aims to increase college retention, graduation rates and career options for first-generation college students, those from low-income families, the physically challenged, and students with learning disabilities. A Penn State alumnus, with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education – social studies, Natale earned his master’s degree in higher education administration from Marywood University. His professional career path has always involved working with students on several different levels including high school, online education, admissions-recruiting, and club development. Most recently, he worked at Penn State Hazleton as a member of the admissions team and co-adviser of Lion Ambassadors. As the new academic/career counselor, Natale is looking forward to understanding what motivates students to push themselves to their full potential and is excited to help guide them on a path of self-discovery while studying at Wilkes-Barre, University Park, and beyond. Natale and his wife Megan are currently raising a Penn State Class of 2036 member, their daughter Adeline.
Amy Marie Feldman, director of development at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association For The Blind, joins the campus advisory board this fall. Feldman is a graduate of Penn State, earning a bachelor of arts in advertising and public relations. She also holds a master of science in organizational management from Misericordia University. Feldman is an active member at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce and a recent graduate of Leadership Wilkes-Barre.
Joseph Oprendick begins his term on the campus advisory board this fall. Oprendick is a retired educator who served for 35 years in the Pittston Area School District and the Wilkes-Barre Career and Technical Center. A graduate of Mansfield University, Oprendick earned his bachelor of science in elementary education and attended the University of Scranton for a master of science in education administration.
James Regan, president of Phasor Corporation in Kingston, has joined the campus advisory board. With 27 years of engineering experience, Regan is looking forward to mentoring students and encouraging them on their career paths. He is a Penn State Wilkes-Barre alumnus and has participated in educational opportunities at King’s College, Mercyhurst University and the United States Navy.
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