UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — David M. Callejo Pérez has been named interim vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, effective July 10.
Callejo Pérez takes on this role following the departure from Penn State of Kelly Austin, which was announced last month. Austin is leaving to assume the role of senior vice president and provost at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, his alma mater. A national search will begin shortly to identify Austin’s permanent successor.
Callejo Pérez joined Penn State in 2019 when he was selected as associate vice president and senior associate dean for academic programs for the Commonwealth Campuses.
“David has been a key member and leader in the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and I’m confident he has the expertise and experience to help us strategically navigate through this transitional period,” said Penn State Provost Justin Schwartz. “Our Commonwealth Campuses are a vital part of what makes Penn State unique and I’m certain David will diligently work to continue our mission of excellence in teaching, research and outreach across Pennsylvania.”
In his interim role, Callejo Pérez will oversee Penn State’s 20 Commonwealth Campuses, which enroll approximately 25,000 students in associate, baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. As interim senior vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, he will provide oversight for each campus’ academic and administrative programs and operations. Callejo Pérez also will manage strategic planning; facilities; student recruitment and retention; curriculum development and integration for campuses, along with the selection of future campus leaders, such as chancellors and deans.
Callejo Pérez’s work as interim vice president also will include overseeing the budget for the Commonwealth Campuses. The Penn State campuses included under Callejo Pérez’s portfolio as interim vice president are Abington, Altoona, Beaver, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, DuBois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, Great Valley, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Scranton, Shenango, Schuylkill, Wilkes-Barre and York.
In Callejo Pérez’s current role as associate vice president, he has demonstrated proven leadership skills by supervising administrative areas of strategic planning, budget planning, human resources, marketing, intercollegiate athletics at campuses, and information technology. He was appointed to the role in 2019 and has assisted the vice president for Commonwealth Campuses with day-to-day tasks as well as with management and policy integration.
Before coming to Penn State, Callejo Pérez served as the associate provost of academic affairs at Saginaw Valley State University from 2014 to 2018. This role held responsibility for the assessment of academic programs, the administration of online education, and management of several campus centers and services. In 2018, Callejo Pérez was named interim dean of the College of Education at Saginaw Valley State University shortly before joining the Penn State community.
During his time at Saginaw Valley State University, Callejo Pérez held the Carl A. Gerstacker Endowed Chair in Education, founded the Consortium for Policy, Evaluation and Research, and chaired the university’s institutional review board for the protection of human research subjects. He has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed articles and refereed multiple academic papers. Callejo Pérez has served on several national advisory and journal boards and is a member of numerous national societies and professional organizations.
Callejo Pérez received his bachelor’s degree in history from Florida International University, his master’s degree in history from the University of Mississippi, and his doctorate in instructional leadership from Florida International University.