UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Berks Chancellor George Grant Jr. was named the next president of Saginaw Valley State University today (Aug. 9). Grant will begin his tenure at Saginaw Valley State on Dec. 1.
At Penn State Berks, Grant oversaw all aspects of the campus administration, including strategic planning; budgeting; enrollment and financial aid; quality of academic programs; student affairs; faculty and staff development; research; philanthropy; outreach; and community and alumni relations.
“It’s a very bittersweet moment for me — the Penn State Berks community is nothing short of amazing, and I’ve immensely enjoyed working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni and local community during my time at the campus,” Grant said. “While I sincerely wish the timing was different, I’m proud of what we’ve collectively accomplished and look forward to continuing that work through the remainder of my time at Berks.”
Kelly Austin, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor, said, “We greatly appreciate George’s contributions to Penn State Berks and the University. His efforts have been valuable in supporting and promoting Berks’ mission and we wish him the best as he takes the helm at Saginaw Valley State University.”
For Grant, the appointment as president of Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan, will serve as a homecoming. Grant, a Detroit native, was a professor and dean of the College of Community and Public Service at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, before joining Penn State Berks.
He was named Berks’ fifth chancellor in September 2020 and began his appointment in January 2021.
Under Grant’s leadership, Berks campus developed new strategies to boost enrollment and focused on efforts to bolster financial support for students through endowments.
The campus also increased its engagement with the community and Grant was involved in numerous area boards, community groups and programs, including the boards of Penn State Health St. Joseph, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance and the United Way of Berks County, and membership in the Berks Alliance.
This past April, Grant was named to the Lehigh Valley Business Power 30 for Higher Education, a list of individuals who hold positions that give them the ability to shape communities in the Lehigh Valley and influence the area’s quality of life through education.
Grant holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Marygrove College, a master’s from Grand Valley State and doctorate in sociology from Western Michigan University.
Located in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region among the cities of Saginaw, Bay City and Midland, Saginaw Valley State University is the youngest of Michigan’s public universities, having been founded in 1963. SVSU currently enrolls some 7,500 students across more than 100 programs of study.
Additional details about the leadership transition for Penn State Berks will be shared soon.