Darren explained, “There has always been a strong professional development aspect within HPA, and it positions the program even better to embrace what the executive in residence can offer, helping our faculty and students to build bridges within the industry.”
Ellen added, “We saw a need and an area where the program could improve even further. These connections will be something tangible that can help current students.”
While the HPA program is already recognized as one of the top undergraduate programs in the world, Department Head Christopher S. Hollenbeak said, “The Lehrichs’ gift will help us to elevate the program to even greater heights. We really appreciate that we have such fantastic alumni that continually give back and help us provide even better programs for our students.”
Hollenbeak explained that the endowment will help build bridges in new and developing areas across the healthcare sector. “The program has strong ties to providers and payers and many of our students pursue internships and full-time jobs with hospitals and health systems, outpatient and post-acute care facilities, managed care companies, and consulting firms,” Hollenbeak said. “The Executive in Residence will expand the program into other emerging areas, such as value-based care, digital health and other vectors in the healthcare economy outside the traditional HPA career paths. We want to broaden both our students’ perceptions as to what the possibilities are, as well as actually creating more inroads and connections to these other fields.”
Darren was raised in Allentown and attended Emmaus High School in the Lehigh Valley, while Ellen grew up in Philadelphia and attended George Washington High School. The two met at University Park when they were both seniors in the HPA program. They each graduated with a bachelor’s degree in HPA in 1993. Darren received a master of business administration from Purdue University.
Ellen has worked throughout the healthcare industry in a variety of roles, focusing on market and digital strategy for companies such as Mount Sinai Hospital, Medscape.com, Oncology.com and Pfizer. Since 2009, Ellen has served as associate principal for Evolution Road LLC, a boutique digital strategy consulting firm serving clients in the pharmaceutical industry.
Darren’s work experience in the health sector has been equally varied. He began his career at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and then after business school transitioned to Wall Street where he worked as a healthcare equity research analyst for more than 15 years. Since 2015, Darren has served as a healthcare executive specializing in finance, strategy and investor relations for companies such as American Renal Associates and Magellan Health. Darren currently serves as senior vice president of investor relations and finance for Help at Home, a national home care provider.
Ellen and Darren explained that their experience has made them realize there is a demand for exceptional graduates in several areas across the healthcare sector that often go unnoticed. They hope that this fund will afford students new opportunities.
“We think it’s really important to have training grounds for leaders in our healthcare system, and Penn State has a unique program in HPA that is able to offer just that," said Darren. "We want to continue to sustain the program and better connect the industry back to the University. Having executives and leaders from the healthcare sector on campus will expose students and faculty to different aspects of the industry.”
Ellen said, “For the students, we would love for them to take a step back from their everyday classes to understand the applicability of what they are learning to the world around them. They will then be able to take that perspective back to their classes and have a better context as they are learning.”
Inaugural Darren and Ellen Lehrich HPA Executive in Residence
Each year, the department will select a new leader in the industry to serve as the Darren and Ellen Lehrich HPA Executive in Residence. The inaugural holder of the position will be Kenneth Fasola, an executive vice president with Centene Corporation, one of the largest managed care companies in the United States with more than 30 years of experience operating government sponsored healthcare programs. Fasola graduated from the College of Health and Human Development in 1981 and has held several leadership roles in the healthcare sector. He has already dedicated time to the University, volunteering on several committees and serving on the external advisory board for Schreyers Honors College.
“Ken is a wonderful leader and has a rich resume in healthcare. And he is also very passionate about Penn State. He is really the perfect inaugural executive from our perspective," said Darren.
In addition to visiting campus to interact with students, the Lehrich HPA Executive in Residence will also engage with faculty, serving as a resource for new research avenues, curriculum development and leadership topics.
“We hope the executives really have the opportunity to interact with faculty, to share perspectives from within the industry, help them to think about their curriculum and how their syllabi could be more relevant to what is happening in the real world, and ultimately help better prepare our students for their careers,” said Darren. “It will give them an idea of how contemporary leaders in the industry are thinking about relevant topics and problems that need to be solved with fresh ideas from students that are coming out of programs like HPA.”
Ellen said, “Hopefully, through the executive in residence, the industry will gain a better understanding of the students and the program and ultimately be able to make recommendations that will work to better both.”
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s tradition of education, research and service to communities across the Commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable our institution to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows our students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help us to serve and impact the world we share. To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, please visit raise.psu.edu.