2025-26 Graduate Council

Elected Members (Voting)

College of Agricultural Sciences

• Elizabeth Boyer, Professor of Water Resources (2023-2026)
• Kathy Brasier, Professor of Rural Sociology (2025-2028) - Chair-Elect
• Edward Dudley, Professor of Food Science (2025-2027)
• Tara Felix, Associate Professor of Animal Science (2024-2027)

College of Arts and Architecture

• Andy Cole, Professor of Landscape Architecture (2025-2028)
• Taylor Greer, Associate Professor of Music (2025-2027)
• Marcus Shaffer, Associate Professor of Architecture (2025-2026)

Smeal College of Business

• Sam Bonsall, Professor of Accounting (2025-2028)
• Suresh Muthulingam, Professor of Supply Chain Management (2023-2026)

Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

• Christopher Skurka, Assistant Professor of Media Studies (2025-2028)

College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

• Nasim Alem, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (2023-2026)
• Bronwen Powell, Associate Professor of Geography, African Studies, and Anthropology (bxp15@psu.edu)
• Arash Dahi Taleghani, Professor of Petroleum Engineering (2024-2027)
  

College of Education

• Wilson Okello, Assistant Professor of Education (2025-2027)
• Amber O'Shea, Assisant Professor of Education (2023-2026)

College of Engineering

• Christine Kirchhoff, Associate Professor of Law, Policy, and Engineering (2024-2027)
  
• Reuben Kraft, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2023-2026)
• Anne Martin, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2023-2026)
• Susan Stewart, Teaching Professor of Aerospace Engineering (2022-2025)
• Ming Xiao, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering (2022-2025)

College of Health and Human Development

• Seoki Lee, Professor of Hospitality Management (2023-2026)
• Aarthi Madhavan, Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders (2025-2028)
• David Vanness, Professor of Health Policy and Administration (2022-2025) - Chair
• Heyao "Chandler" Yu, Elizabeth M. King Early Career Professor of Hospitality Management (2025-2026)

College of Information Sciences and Technology

• Kelley Cotter, Assistant Professor (2023-2026)
• Xinning Gui, Assistant Professor (2024-2027)
  

College of the Liberal Arts

• Jyoti Gulati Balachandran, Associate Professor of History (2025-2027)
• Amanda Scott, Associate Professor of History and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (2024-2027)
• Mary Shenk, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Demography, and Asian Studies - Immediate Past Chair
  
• Sarah Townsend, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese (2025-2028)
• Nicolai Volland, Associate Professor of Asian Stuides and Comparative Literature (2025-2028)
• Chris Witko, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science (2023-2026)

College of Medicine

• Shilpi Paul, Richard J. Santen Department of Medicine Early Career Professorship in Endocrinology (2025-2026)
• Nuno Raimundo, Associate Professor, Cell and Biological Systems (2025-2027)
• Douglas Stairs, Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (2025-2028)

College of Nursing

• Susan Loeb, Professor of Nursing (2023-2026)

Eberly College of Science

• Michael Axtell, Professor of Biology (2024-2027)
  
• Paul Babitzke, Stanley R. Person Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2025-2028)
• E. Christopher Byrne, Teaching Professor (2024-2026)
• Natasha Tirko, Associate Teaching Professor of Biotechnology (2025-2028)

Penn State Behrend

• Timothy Krause, Associate Professor of Finance (2025-2027)

Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate and Professional Studies

• Adrian Barb, Associate Professor of Data Analytics and Information Science (2025-2028)

Penn State Harrisburg, Capital College

• Renee Flasher, Assistant Professor of Accounting (2024-2027)
• Ovgu Kaynak, Assistant Professor of Psychology (2023-2026)

School of International Affairs

• Johannes Fedderke, Professor of International Affairs and African Studies (2023-2026)

University College

• Ramakrishnan Rajagopalan, Associate Professor of Engineering (2023-2026)

Additional Members and Participants in the Council

Dean of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School (voting)

• Levon Esters, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Fox Graduate School

Senior Associate Dean (voting)

• Michael Verderame, Senior Associate Dean
  

Associate Dean (voting)

• William Clark, Associate Dean

Associate Dean (voting)

• Stephanie Preston, Associate Dean for Graduate Educational Equity

Assistant Dean (voting)

• Michelle Corby, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services

Senior Vice President for Research (non-voting)

• Andrew Read, Senior Vice President for Research

Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Strategic Initiatives (non-voting)

• Douglas Wolfe, Vice President for Research and Director of Strategic Initiatives

World Campus Liaison (non-voting)

• Dawn Coder, Acting Associate Vice Provost for Online Education, Student Engagement

Dickinson School of Law Member (non-voting)

• William Butler, John Edward Fowler Distinguished Professor of Law

Penn State Law Member (non-voting)

• Dara Purvis, Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships, Professor of Law

University Faculty Senate Council Liaison (voting)

• Christopher Zorn, Liberal Arts Professor of Political Science and Sociology
  

University Registrar (non-voting)

• Robert Kubat, University Registrar

Graduate and Professional Student Association Members (voting)

• Sumant Dilip
• Julia Kossowska
• Thomas Lichtenberg
• Musa Mohammed
• Emma Steely

Participants from the Fox Graduate School (non-voting non-members)

• Robert Bannon, Director of Graduate Council Administration and Secretary to Graduate Council
• Erika Bowser, Director of Graduate Enterprise Resource Planning Solutions
• Lorraine Donahue, Executive Director of Graduate Education Operations and Administration
• Jon Hartzler, Financial Officer, Fox Graduate School, Undergraduate Education & Millennium Scholars Program
• Lori Hawn, Director of Graduate Admissions
• Fawn Hosterman, Director of Graduate Records
• Liam Jackson, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications
• Cathy Murgas, Executive Assistant to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Fox Graduate School
• Michael Shanafelt, Director of Network Operations and Data Systems
• Brooke Snider, Director of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration
• Jennifer Theiss, Director of Alumni and External Relations

Administrative Support to Graduate Council (non-voting non-members)

• Jessica Aguilar, Graduate Education Curriculum and Assessment Specialist
• Tina Santacroce, Administrative Support Coordinator