Dean’s Welcome
It is my honor to welcome you to the newly focused and structured University College at Penn State University! The University College encompasses campuses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to form a broad and dynamic regional network, each uniquely positioned to shape the future of the Commonwealth. We collaborate with the stand-alone college campuses and with Colleges based at University Park.
WE ARE unified by a shared purpose to make Penn State accessible, relevant, and present where people live and learn. The University College functions as an integrated regional network, bringing the University’s reach, research, and resources directly into the communities we serve. Together, we extend Penn State’s impact across Pennsylvania and beyond through local presence and collective strength.
WE ARE where Penn State becomes local through action. Students learn by doing, working with regional partners to solve problems and build skills. This applied learning connects academic experience with workforce solutions, entrepreneurship, and opportunity pathways. We connect individuals to networks that include local partners, regional employers, and a global alumni community, expanding opportunities and strengthening futures.
WE ARE where discovery becomes action. Our campuses serve as the bridge between new knowledge and the communities we serve, translating research into applied learning that strengthens communities and improves lives.
Together WE ARE how and where Penn State shows up across the Commonwealth. WE ARE locally and regionally rooted with meaningful impact to shape the future of our communities, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond. Together, these interconnected relationships create a comprehensive ecosystem where education, research, innovation, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and community engagement reinforce one another. These partners do not operate in parallel—they work together to generate opportunity and regional impact.
Our students leave prepared not only for successful careers, but also to lead organizations, strengthen communities, and contribute meaningfully throughout their lives. That comprehensive foundation is intentionally connected to the needs of the region. The Penn State University College advances vital regionally essential work in academic and professional fields that matter to the Commonwealth. Our programs prepare students for the future of work while helping communities, employers, schools, agencies, health systems, and industries respond to complex challenges.
Our students participate in meaningful discovery, creative activity, applied problem-solving, and innovation. Across laboratories, clinics, studios, community partnerships, data projects, field experiences, and faculty-led research, undergraduates work alongside faculty and graduate students to ask real questions, test ideas, and contribute to creating impact with real outcomes for our communities and regions.
WE ARE one college operating across Pennsylvania delivering our great Penn State University and degree opportunities where you are!
John Nauright, PhD
Dean, University College
Penn State University
