On my first day at Harrisburg University, I stood in front of our community and made three promises:
I will listen before I lead.
I will communicate openly and honestly, especially during difficult moments.
I will always strive to make decisions guided by our mission, our students, and the long-term success of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
That was approximately 100 days ago. I’d like to talk to you today about how it’s been going.
Listening as the Work Itself
I said in June that I aspire to be a servant leader and that a servant leader’s primary goal is to “serve and empower those they lead and support, rather than exercise control.” I also said I would assess my own effectiveness “by how the HU family feels I am supporting the collective good of our University and its people in service of our mission.”
That standard has kept listening at the center of my first 100 days at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Since June 30, I have held monthly Town Hall meetings open to students, faculty, staff, and trustees. I have met one-on-one with a majority of our trustees. I have carried a listening tour into small groups across the University and the region. And I have spent time with students over coffee and pizza, which remains the most reliable – and maybe the most fun – way for me to learn what’s happening at our University.
I am hearing many consistent themes in these conversations, and when the listening tour concludes in several months I will share my full observations with the University community. Some themes that are already especially prominent include a strong belief in and commitment to our students and our mission across the University; a desire to grow our enrollment and financial stability in service of our mission; a belief in and commitment to growing our engagement with students and creating an increasingly vibrant on-campus environment; pride in the strong impact and outcomes of inspirational partnerships across the University, region, Commonwealth, and beyond; and a desire to contribute strongly to the revitalization of Harrisburg and service to Southcentral Pennsylvania. I am consistently hearing from you that we do not want to continue being the region’s “best-kept secret.”
Another theme surfacing frequently is that folks here want to feel more connected to one another and to the larger mission. That message is what prompted the launch of our Culture and Engagement Council: a faculty- and staff-led effort built around professional development, engagement and recognition, and health and wellness. Trust is built through action, and the strongest cultures are built by a community. It has been gratifying to see our staff and faculty kick off these culture-focused initiatives with such conviction and enthusiasm.
I am looking forward to more conversations on my listening tour in the days and weeks ahead.
What We’ve Accomplished Together in 100 Days
Much has happened in 100 days! Let me take a moment to celebrate a few notable events and milestones since I began my presidency:
- We welcomed a larger incoming class: The Class of 2030 arrived in August with 137 new undergraduates from 11 states and 464 new graduate students, exceeding our enrollment goal. Our Doctor of Physical Therapy program recently reached 99 students across both cohorts.
- We began a new tradition: On August 30, we held the first Convocation in HU’s history to open the new academic year.
- Our students honored us: HU was named to the inaugural EdSights Student Voice Score Honors List, one of only two Pennsylvania institutions named. The recognition is built entirely from direct student feedback.
- We filled downtown Harrisburg: PA TechCon drew more than 800 attendees in August, an all-time record, and J-DAMMIT brought defense, manufacturing, government, and academic partners to campus for three days of live demonstrations. Our advanced manufacturing degree program and research center continue to draw national attention to what our students and faculty can build.
- We opened new doors into careers: Sixteen students graduated from the Hamilton Health Center Medical Assistant Training Program, hosted here in partnership with Harrisburg School District and Steelton-Highspire School District. SE&M Solutions LLC, a veteran-owned Harrisburg firm, established an endowed scholarship for HU students pursuing quantum-adjacent fields. We also received state approval to offer a Cybersecurity Registered Apprenticeship.
Where We Are Going Next
I have been candid from the beginning that we face real challenges, many of them attributable to forces outside our control. With that in mind, three efforts will define the year ahead, focused squarely on the elements we can directly influence:
- We have begun developing a new Strategic Plan: a living document with specific goals, timelines, accountabilities, and metrics, built with the entire University community providing input. With additional broad input, I recently completed a Presidential Work Plan for my first year as your president that will inform the three-year Strategic Plan.
- Dr. David Clickner joined us as chief strategy officer to lead that work alongside our preparation for reaffirmation of accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- We are pressing forward on enrollment diversification, student retention, and expanding pathways for the more than 1,600 high school students who already take HU courses through Dual Enrollment and College in High School.
On December 12, 2026, Harrisburg University turns 25! Twenty-five years ago, HU began as a bet that our region could build its own future. It is an honor and a privilege to arrive on the cusp of this most inspiring milestone. The next 25 years will see us further lean into our founding mission as we develop new programs, new services, new partnerships, and new ways to serve the learners who call Pennsylvania home.
The Door Is Always Open
Working with this community and visiting with our students, I see clearly why HU has persisted and how essential its mission is – now more than ever – in our very backyard and even across the globe. As our slogan says, We do things differently. What a powerful message that is at a time when potential university students are once again debating the value of a college education. Our mission makes us almost uniquely capable of meeting this moment, with demand-driven programs and close ties to employers and innovators in the region.
One hundred days in, the novelty of being your new president still hasn’t worn off. I don’t think it will. I am proud to be here and excited to bring what I’ve learned about higher education to this aspirational and distinctive institution. So please keep telling me what you see. Send me an email or come to the next Town Hall meeting. Together, we can do more than any of us might believe possible. I also know that what you do can feel like a labor of love. It’s not lost on me how much of yourselves each one of you gives to this institution. Your efforts are seen and so deeply appreciated. Thank you for giving our community so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.
