UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College has promoted Lynette Yarger to full-time associate dean of equity and inclusion as of July 1. Prior to that date, she had filled the role on a part-time basis.
A professor of information sciences and technology with the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), Yarger joined Schreyer in 2019 as the assistant dean for equity and inclusion.
"Lynette and her work are critical facets of the honors college’s living-learning community,” said Patrick Mather, dean of Schreyer Honors College. “It’s an honor to work alongside her in our efforts to enhance belonging and support the success of Schreyer Scholars from a multitude of backgrounds.”
In four years with Schreyer Honors College, Yarger has taken on several initiatives to benefit minoritized and underrepresented Schreyer Scholars. She guided the founders of Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schreyer and the International and Multicultural Association of Schreyer Scholars. She leads Schreyer’s Summer Excelerator, which provides programming to underrepresented Scholars that helps them acclimate to the Honors College and Penn State. She is also available for one-on-one conversations to advise Scholars on issues that they are facing.
In this new role, Yarger will lead the college’s efforts around Schreyer Scholar success and career development with oversight of the director of student programs and director of career development.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue my work at Schreyer Honors College on a full-time basis,” Yarger said. “I’m eager to take on more projects that put all of our Scholars in the best possible position to reach their potential.”
Since joining Penn State’s faculty in 2002, Yarger has received numerous accolades. She served as an administrative fellow in the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer during the 2018-19 academic year. She received the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, the College of IST George J. McMurtry Teaching and Learning Award in 2013 and the Penn State Teaching Fellow Award in 2014. She also received the University of Pittsburgh’s iSchool Inclusion Institute Mentoring Award in 2018 for her outstanding mentorship of undergraduate scholars from underrepresented populations.
Before coming to Penn State, Yarger worked as an information technology professional at AT&T, Lucent Technologies and Avaya Communications. She holds a bachelor of science degree in computer information systems from Mercy College, as well as master of science and doctoral degrees in computer information systems from Georgia State University.