Huck Deans Council

Laurie Badzek is Dean of the College of Nursing. As a nurse, attorney and educator, Badzek specializes in genomics, health care ethics and law, nursing practice, and end-of-life care and decision making.

Badzek received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from West Virginia University and master’s degree in nursing from DePaul University. She also earned a juris doctor from West Virginia University and a postgraduate law degree with a focus on health law, policy and ethics from DePaul University.

Kevin Black is the Vice Dean of the College of Medicine’s University Park Regional Medical Campus, and currently serves as the interim dean of the College of Medicine.

Dr. Black received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His training includes an orthopaedic residency at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and a fellowship in sports medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Kathryn Drager is Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education and Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is currently serving as Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Interim Dean of the Graduate School.

She received her PhD from the University of Minnesota.

Tracy Langkilde is the Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College of Science. She heads a team of students and faculty who take an integrative approach incorporating field and lab observations and manipulations, with a focus on reptiles and amphibians

Langkilde received her bachelor's degree in tropical biology at James Cook University in 1999 and doctoral degree in biology at the University of Sydney in 2005. She was a Gaylord Donnelley postdoctoral fellow at Yale University from 2005 to 2007.

Lee Kump is the John Leone Dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. His research interests include biogeochemical cycles, environmental biogeochemistry, and atmosphere/ocean evolution.

Dr. Kump holds a PhD from the University of South Florida.

Clarence Lang is the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts.

Dean Lang received his bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in black studies from the University of Missouri, his master’s degree in history from Southern Illinois University, and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Illinois.

Craig Newschaffer is dean of the College of Health and Human Development. Previously, he was associate dean for research in the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University.

An epidemiologist with a primary research focus on the discovery of modifiable autism risk factors, Newschaffer’s research interests include environmental determinants of autism spectrum disorders, gene-environment interactions, neurological disorders, and chronic disease comorbidity.

Leslie Parent is the Vice Dean of Research at the College of Medicine.

Dr. Parent started in the Division of Infectious Disease as a fellow, completed a post-doctoral fellowship in retrovirology, and started her own NIH-funded laboratory in 1998. She was named chief of the Division of Infectious Disease in 2007 and was later asked to co-lead the college’s M.D./Ph.D. program, helping train future physician scientists.

Rick Roush is the dean of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. He responsible for the administration of all the College’s educational, research, government, alumni, industry relations, and Penn State Extension programs. He has particularly focused on key issues facing agriculture and rural communities in Pennsylvania, including water quality, job development, drug addiction, and pest management.

Dr. Michael Vererdame is Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Penn State. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Verderame was a respected educator, mentor and leader at Penn State’s College of Medicine.

Dr. Verderame received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Columbia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, before joining the faculty at Penn State’s College of Medicine.

Ruth Weber is the Assistant Vice President for Research Operations at Penn State. She holds a B.S. in Labor and Industrial Relations and an M.S. in Workforce Development.