College appoints experienced educator, administrator as provost

Pennsylvania College of Technology has chosen Neslihan “Nesli” Alp as its vice president for academic affairs and provost, the highest-ranking academic officer at the institution, a special mission affiliate of Penn State.

The Penn College Board of Directors approved the selection of Alp at a special meeting today. Her starting date is expected to be Aug. 1. She succeeds Michael J. Reed, who is set to become the college’s new president on July 1, following the retirement of Davie Jane Gilmour, who retires June 30 after 24 years as president.

Since 2018, Alp has been at Indiana State University, where she has served as dean and professor for the 2,000-student College of Technology. In that role, she led five departments, the Flight Academy, and Air Force and Army ROTC, overseeing 80 faculty and 20 staff.

Previously, she served in a variety of administration and faculty roles at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for 19 years, most recently as associate dean of academic affairs and UC Foundation professor.

Her higher-education experience also includes developing and teaching more than 20 undergraduate and graduate courses, both in-person and online.

Alp holds a Ph.D. in engineering management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in industrial engineering and a Bachelor of Science in engineering management, both from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey. She also earned a certificate in management and leadership in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

“We are pleased to welcome someone with Dr. Alp’s extensive higher-education leadership and teaching experience to oversee Academic Affairs at Penn College,” Gilmour said. “The roles in which she has served align well with our unique mission and status as a national leader in applied technology education. She will be a wonderful asset to the institution, our new president and our ‘tomorrow maker’ students.”

“Dr. Alp’s expertise, experiences and strength-based approach align well with our mission, instructional model and academic programs,” Reed said. “She will be a tremendous asset to the college, and I look forward to her contributions as a member of our senior administration team.”

Alp has earned multiple awards for teaching, research, service and diversity areas as a female leader in STEM. She was also selected as a Fellow of the American Society of Engineering Management. She is a professional engineer and serves as a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Storbeck Search, of Media, which specializes in leadership hiring for colleges and universities, helped to coordinate the college’s provost search.

Faculty members were: Craig A. Miller, associate professor, history/political science; Tammy M. Rich, associate professor, business administration; David S. Richards, professor, physics; Tina Marie Kline, associate professor, nursing programs; Bridget E. Motel, instructor, dental hygiene; Naim N. Jabbour, assistant professor, architectural technology; James N. Colton II, assistant professor, welding; and Alicia L. McNett, assistant professor, computer information technology.

Administration members were: Hillary E. Hofstrom, vice president for people and culture; Loni N. Kline, vice president for college relations/chief philanthropy officer; Joanna K. Flynn, dean of curriculum and instruction; Anthony J. Pace, dean of academic operations; Sandra L. Richmond, dean of nursing and health sciences; Justin W. Beishline, assistant dean of diesel technology and natural resources; and Patrick Marty, chief of staff.

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education. For more, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.