UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — David M. Callejo Pérez has been named chancellor and dean of Penn State Harrisburg, effective May 1. He has served as interim chancellor and dean at the college since October of 2023.
“Having worked with Penn State Harrisburg throughout my tenure at the University and in my short time serving in an interim role at the college, I have seen firsthand the significant impact that the college — the faculty and staff — have on students and the region we serve,” Callejo Pérez said. “I look forward to continuing to work with faculty and staff colleagues, students, our dedicated alumni base, and friends and partners of the college to advance our mission of educating the next generation of leaders while also actively engaging in the betterment of the broader community.”
Callejo Pérez has a distinguished academic record as well as significant, progressively responsible experience in academic administration at a variety of institutions. He joined Penn State in 2019 as associate vice president and senior associate dean for academic programs for the Commonwealth Campuses and served as interim vice president for Commonwealth Campuses from July 2023 until the interim chancellor and dean appointment at Harrisburg last fall.
“Dave’s tenure as interim chancellor, as well as his previous role at Penn State and his experience as a successful academic administrator at other institutions clearly demonstrate the breadth of his leadership abilities and capacity to lead Penn State Harrisburg into the future,” said Margo DelliCarpini, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor. “His commitment to the mission of public higher education, as well as his deep understanding of the complexities facing Penn State and many other institutions of higher learning today underscore our confidence in the strengths that Dave brings to the role of chancellor.”
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.
Beginning in 2009, 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 at Saginaw Valley State. He has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed articles, seven books and served as principal investigator or evaluator on more than $10 million in grants. 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.
He and his wife, Emily, are the proud parents of three daughters.