Commonwealth University names dean of Zeigler College of Business, appoints 5 interim deans

Commonwealth University has announced the appointment of a new dean for the Zeigler College of Business and five interim deans to provide leadership for the university's six colleges.

Professor Peter Campbell has been named dean of the Zeigler College of Business, effective June 27. The interim deans, who assume their roles on July 1, include, Dr. Angela Boswell, College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities; Dr. Heather Schugar, College of Education; Dr. Vanessa Kahen, College of Health Sciences and Dr. John Polhill, College of Science and Technology. Dr. Chris Podeschi, interim dean of the Eileen G. Jones. Honors College, will continue in his role.

"The appointment of these six academic leaders marks an important step forward for our university as we complete the transition to a six-college model," said Dr. Jeff Osgood, president of Commonwealth University. "Professor Campbell and Drs. Boswell, Schugar, Kahen, Polhill and Podeschi have all demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout their careers. Their unwavering commitment to both academic excellence and student success will be vital for Commonwealth University's future growth. It is clear that they each possess the vision, integrity and experience necessary to lead their respective colleges during a very important time for CU."

"We are excited to welcome these individuals to their new and continuing roles as deans," said Michelle Kiec, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Each brings a strong record of academic achievement, innovative leadership and a deep commitment to both faculty excellence and student achievement. We look forward to the vision, energy and leadership they will bring as they begin the important work ahead."

Campbell, who has served as interim dean of the Zeigler College of Business since January, has a versatile background in legal expertise, athletic administration, faculty leadership and academic governance.

Within the Zeigler College of Business, Campbell has served as department lead, assistant department chair, program coordinator for sport management and, most recently, interim dean. He joined Lock Haven University in 1999 as the head women's soccer coach and served the department of athletics for over a decade, including serving as interim director of athletics. Campbell transitioned to full-time faculty in 2013 in the department of sport studies at Lock Haven, where he was elected department chair in 2020.

Boswell currently serves as interim of the College of Arts, Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences at CU and previously

served as dean of the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences at Henderson State University, where she taught U.S. history for 25 years. She holds a Ph.D. in history from Rice University and an executive certificate in higher education leadership from Harvard University.

Schugar currently serves West Chester University as Director of the Ed.D program and is a former faculty senate president at West Chester University. She holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Maryland and brings extensive experience in shared governance, accreditation and strategic planning. Her research on technology and education has been featured in The New York Times and on NPR.

Kahen serves as interim dean of the College of Health, Science and Technology at CU and brings more than 25 years of experience in public higher education. Previously at West Chester University, she served as interim dean of the Graduate School and founded the Community Mental Health Services clinic. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from UC Berkeley.

Polhill has been a member of the mathematics faculty at CU for 27 years and previously served as assistant dean of the College of Science and Technology. His research in algebraic combinatorics has applications in radar technology and communications. During his 2022-23 sabbatical, he was the Robert Edwin Gaines chair in mathematics at the University of Richmond.

Podeschi currently serves as interim dean of the Eileen G. Jones Honors College and will continue in this role. A sociology professor and former department chair at the Bloomsburg campus, his research focuses on environmental issues in American culture, including the social impacts of the energy industry in Pennsylvania. In this role, he will lead honors and interdisciplinary programming across all campuses.

National searches for permanent deans of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, College of Education, College of Health Sciences and College of Science and Technology will be launched in the coming months.