UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Yvonne Gaudelius has been named vice president and dean for Undergraduate Education, effective March 15, 2021. Gaudelius brings nearly 30 years of experience in higher education from her various leadership roles related to student success. She joined Penn State as a faculty member in 1993. 

Gaudelius, who fills this role following the December retirement of former Vice President and Dean Robert Pangborn, will be transitioning to this role after serving as the interim vice president and dean for Undergraduate Education. She held her previous role as associate vice president and senior associate dean for Undergraduate Education since 2007.  

“Yvonne has been deeply involved in promoting student success, and this position plays a central role in that effort,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “She has proven herself to be an exceptional leader, an innovator, and a wonderful colleague. I’m delighted she is part of the University’s leadership team.”

In her previous role, Gaudelius provided leadership for the Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education and the Digital Learning Academic Council. She also provided direct oversight for Student Orientation and Transition Programs, the Office for Summer Session, the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center, academic integrity, residential online learning, ROTC, and the Provost’s Emeritus Teaching Fund.  

Gaudelius has worked on various university-wide initiatives, including One Penn State 2025 and a range of initiatives related to student success, access and affordability. Recently, she is serving as co-chair of a COVID-19 task group focused on continuity of instruction and enrollment at Penn State. 

Additionally, Gaudelius holds the rank of professor of art education and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. In the past, she served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Architecture from 2006 to 2007, and from 2003 to 2006 was the college’s associate dean for undergraduate studies and outreach. She is a well-published researcher in subjects pertaining to pedagogy, women’s studies and the fine arts. 

“Yvonne’s longtime service to the University and experience in higher education make her an outstanding choice to lead our Office of Undergraduate Education,” said Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost Nick Jones. “Innovative efforts that support undergraduate teaching and learning across the University will be especially important as we emerge from the pandemic, as will short- and long-term enrollment management and planning. Yvonne’s exemplary leadership skills will be a tremendous asset as we move forward.”

As vice president and dean for Undergraduate Education, Gaudelius will cover a broad range of responsibilities spanning the interrelated areas of undergraduate education and enrollment management, and serve as a member of the President’s Council, the Academic Leadership Council and Provost’s staff. The vice president and dean also serves as a liaison to the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee of the University Board of Trustees.  

In her new role, Gaudelius is also responsible for coordinating enrollment management and planning across the 20 campuses offering undergraduate programs, as well as registrar and student aid services for undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in law and medicine University-wide, with a total enrollment of nearly 100,000 students receiving over $1 billion in federal, state and institutional financial aid. The enrollment management units comprise the Undergraduate Admissions Office, the University Registrar and the Office of Student Aid. 

Gaudelius also will lead University-wide programming and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State, including orientation and transition programs; undergraduate research experiences; internships, fellowships and engaged scholarship; cross-campus curricular coherence and integration; general education and learning support services; prior learning assessment; summer sessions; and student advising and success. 

In addition to administrative units addressing these areas, the Office of Undergraduate Education encompasses the Division of Undergraduate Studies, the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, the Morgan Academic Center for student-athletes, the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center and Penn State’s ROTC programs.  

“I am excited by this opportunity to lead Undergraduate Education,” said Gaudelius. “We are committed to student success and we are looking forward to collaborating with our colleagues across the university to support these efforts and our critical work related to access and affordability.” 

Gaudelius holds a doctorate in art education from Penn State; a bachelor of fine arts in art education and fine arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and a bachelor of arts in art history from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  

Gaudelius is a member of the National Art Education Association (former co-president women's caucus), and has been a member of the American Educational Research Association, College Art Association and National Women's Studies Association. Additionally, she formerly served as an editorial board member for various journals including: International Journal of Education and the Arts (2010-14); Visual Arts Research (2002-13); Studies in Art Education (2002-06); and the Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (2002-04).