Margo DelliCarpini, Ph.D., has assumed the position of Chancellor and Dean of Penn State Abington, which oversees approximately 3,700 students, more than 320 faculty, 22 bachelor’s degree programs, an MBA partnership with Penn State Great Valley, the NCAA Division III athletics program, and numerous outreach initiatives and partnerships that benefit the region and beyond.

“My own experience as a nontraditional college student really shaped the way that I approach higher education administration and solidified for me the obligation we have as institutions of higher education to be a public good,” said DelliCarpini.

“We must provide opportunities for students and faculty and help break down barriers – both academic and non-academic – to success. We are positioned to not only provide students an education toward a job or career, but also to help students find purpose and passion that will sustain them throughout their personal and professional lives.” 

During her career, Dr. DelliCarpini has compiled an accomplished record of strategic leadership and a demonstrated commitment to student access and success, academic scholarship, community outreach, and diversity, equity and inclusion.  

“Penn State’s mission as a whole, and Abington’s in particular, align perfectly with my professional passions and my own core values. I see so many opportunities to support all of our faculty, staff and students, and to enhance the strong community engagement and collaboration that already exists,” she said. 

Prior to arriving at Abington, Dr. DelliCarpini was vice provost for strategic educational partnerships and dean of the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

As Dean, she grew the full-time faculty complement, oversaw the development of new degree programs including a doctoral program in school psychology; and led the launch of the Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Under her leadership, COEHD introduced high-impact university/district teacher residency programs and partnered with another organization to develop innovative magnet high schools. She conceptualized the Urban Education Institute as an education incubator and social mobility driver to research and scale best practices in K-12 education.

During her tenure, the college increased annual revenue from fundraising and increased its annual research expenditures from $3.5 million to more than $10 million. 

In 2019, Dr. DelliCarpini was appointed Vice Provost for strategic educational partnerships to increase college admissions and advance access to higher education in the San Antonio area. She led the development of the division of Strategic Education Partnerships. 

Previously, she served as professor and Dean of the College of Education at Morehead State University in Kentucky. She started her academic career at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York, as an assistant professor in 2005, was promoted to associate professor in 2010, and full professor in 2013. She served as the chair of the Department of Middle and High School Education for the last three of those years. 

As professor, she served as editor of the TESOL Journal from 2009 to 2015 and has authored numerous book chapters and refereed articles on English language acquisition, focusing on teacher preparation and development in English language arts. She served as journal editor for the award-winning, 14-volume reference series the “TESOL Encyclopedia of English” (Wiley, 2018). 

As a first generation, nontraditional student, Dr. DelliCarpini experienced firsthand the opportunity that higher education provides for students, the role institutions of higher education play as cultural and intellectual hubs in their communities, and the impact of higher education on the economic mobility of graduates. 

Dr. DelliCarpini earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics, master’s degree in TESOL, and doctorate in linguistics all from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

She is a licensed English as a Second Language educator and school district administrator through the New York State Education Department. 

To read more about Penn State Abington, click here.