UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Graduate Council, the faculty-led governing body that establishes graduate education policies for the University, has completed elections for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year. The group has added several college representative leaders to serve on the council along with continuing the transition to new leadership for the upcoming year.
On June 1, Jan Reimann, associate professor of mathematics, will assume the role of chair for the 2023-24 academic year, a position he was appointed to when he was voted chair-elect in 2022. Reimann will replace Ken Davis, professor of atmospheric and climate science, who served as the first-ever faculty member to chair the council. Previously, the council was chaired by the dean of the Graduate School. Mary Shenk, associate professor of anthropology, demography, and Asian studies, was elected chair for 2024-25; she will serve as chair-elect for 2023-24.
For Reimann, this role will help him continue to support graduate students in a meaningful way.
“I consider working with graduate students one of the best parts of my job,” Reimann said. “Nowhere else do I find the spirit of curiosity and scholarly exploration alive in such pure form. I have had great mentors throughout my time as a graduate student, and I try to follow their example as a teacher and mentor myself now.”
Along with the chair positions, three new members of the Committee on Committees and Procedures were elected to a two-year term (2023-2025): Kathy Brasier, professor of rural sociology; Xun Cao, professor of political science and public policy; and Susan Stewart, associate teaching professor of aerospace engineering.
At Penn State, the Graduate Council, which represents more than 3,000 graduate faculty members, establishes academic policies pertaining to graduate programs and graduate research within the University. The council is composed of 10 standing committees that have various graduate education focuses, such as academic standards, fellowships and awards, research, and program review and evaluation, along with multiple ad hoc committees.
More information about the Graduate Council is available on the Graduate School website.