Dean's Executive Team
Mary Beth Williams
Acting Dean of the Eberly College of Science
517 Thomas Building
Email: mew17@psu.edu
(814) 865-9591
Mary Beth Williams, professor of chemistry, is the senior associate dean for science education. This position is responsible for initiatives to ensure teaching and learning meets the college’s mission to educate future generations of scientists. Williams’s major focus is to adopt evidence-based teaching methodologies like active learning and inquiry-based instruction.
In this role, Williams oversees curricular development and innovation in collaboration with the Center for Science Excellence in Education, the Office of Digital Learning, the college's departments, and the University. She also provides leadership in the planning, design, curricular development, implementation, and evaluation of undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning initiatives. Additionally, she collaborates with the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses to promote faculty collaboration and encourage curricular development and innovation across the Penn State campuses.
Williams earned her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina. Her thesis work under the direction of Royce Murray focused on the electron and mass transport dynamics in hybrid redox polyether melts. Following a postdoctoral research assistantship at Northwestern University with Joe Hupp, Williams joined the Penn State faculty in the Department of Chemistry in 2001. In addition to her research program, Williams has taught thousands of students in the introductory chemistry course sequence and served as the chemistry department's graduate admissions and recruiting chair, and she directs the Chemistry Undergraduate Summer Research Program. She led Penn State's General Education Task Force from 2013 to 2015, which was integral in launching the college's Evidence-Based Teaching Academy in 2018, and currently is principal investigator for the college's Science Dean's Scholars Program and the University's Millennium Scholars Program. Williams also served as the acting associate dean for administration and planning from 2009 to 2010 and as the senior associate dean for undergraduate education from 2011 to 2019.
Alba Congiu
Financial Officer
albacongiu@psu.edu
(814) 863-1955
Alba comes to us from the Penn State College of Education, where she served as financial officer, following seven years at the University’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.
Teresa Diehl
Associate Dean of Administration
520 Thomas Building
tad6@psu.edu
(814) 865-9487
Teresa Diehl is the associate dean of administration. In this role, she oversees information technology, facilities, communications, outreach, and a number of budget- and leadership- related processes for the college. Areas of focus include planning for renovations on our instructional laboratories, restructuring and re-visioning the outreach efforts of the college, and a number of budget reduction– and process improvement–related initiatives.
Teresa came to Penn State in 1996 to serve as the director of the Department of Transportation Services. Previous to that, she performed similar duties at the United States Military Academy, where she served as the Provost Marshal’s Office plans officer. As director of the Department of Transportation Services, Teresa managed the transportation and parking resources for 41,000 students and 16,000 employees across 17,000 parking spaces, including four parking structures. Teresa also served as an Administrative Fellow, mentored by Craig Weidemann, vice president of outreach, in 2008. Her fellowship was followed by two special projects for the University: a review of the Commonwealth Campus Housing Study and the creation of an RFP for a feasibility study and project coordinator position for the Pegula Ice Arena project. She is also a graduate of Leadership Centre County, class of 2014.
Today, Teresa uses her extensive experience in evaluating, planning, organizing, and directing operational processes on behalf of the Eberly College of Science. She earned her doctorate in Workforce Education and Development from Penn State and a master’s in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She earned her bachelor of science from the State University of New York at Albany.
Jennelle Malcos
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
158 Frear North Building
jlh608@psu.edu
(814) 867-3338
Jennelle Malcos is associate dean for undergraduate education in the Eberly College of Science, teaching professor in the Department of Biology, and associate director of the Center for Excellence in Science Education.
Malcos has served on the University Faculty Senate for several years, oversaw the biology undergraduate student Living Learning Community, the BIOME, and has active research focused on student self-regulated learning in science courses. She has led the college’s Learning Assistant (LA) Program—one of the largest efforts in the country. Since its launch in 2012, the program has grown from 81 LA positions in 5 courses to 839 positions in more than 44 courses spanning the Eberly college’s seven departments in the 2022-23 academic year.
In the assistant dean role, Malcos leads efforts to support and engage undergraduate students in the college. She is establishing a comprehensive, visible, and synergistic suite of programming and interventions to welcome and support science students—especially in the critical first two years of their development—and be a visible leader to welcome prospective students to the college.
Heather Robbins
Director, Office of Communications
428D Thomas Building
hmh5009@psu.edu
(814) 867-5830
As director of communications, Heather Robbins oversees the strategic direction of the Eberly College of Science by creating and executing marketing and public relations communications strategies and functions that focus on building Eberly’s brand and national reputation. She leads a talented communications team in identifying compelling stories that align with both the college’s and University’s strategic plans and fundraising campaigns.
Prior to joining the Eberly College of Science, Robbins managed Penn State's media strategy for almost seven years in the University's Office of Strategic Communications. She has experience in media relations, science writing, strategic planning, issues and crisis communications, internal communications and social media management. For nearly a decade, Robbins has also served as an adjunct lecturer in the Penn State Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, teaching public relations methods as well as editing and introductory journalism and communications courses.
Robbins began her career in journalism at the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa., and joined Penn State in 2013 as a writer/editor in the University's News and Media Relations office. She also directed a high school digital journalism summer camp with the Bellisario college for eight years.
Her honors include being recognized by Penn State's strategic communications office with two employee achievement awards, as well as several awards and honors from industry associations, including the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association's Keystone Press Award and Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s Golden Quill Award. A three-time Penn State graduate, Robbins has a masters in media studies -- where she focused on science communication for her thesis -- and bachelors degrees in journalism and international relations.
Kristen Robinson
Executive Assistant to the Dean
517 Thomas Building
kjg17@psu.edu
(814) 865-9592
Kristen joined Penn State in 2009 as an administrative assistant in the College of Engineering and shortly transferred to the Engineering Deans Financial office before joining the Eberly College of Science in 2013. Kristen joined the Eberly College of Science as the assistant to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and the Associate Dean for Research before transitioning into her current role.
Scott Showalter
Assistant Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs
106 Chemistry Building
sas76@psu.edu
814-865-2318
Scott Showalter, professor of chemistry and of biochemistry and molecular biology, is the assistant dean for graduate and postdoctoral affairs. In this role, he leads college-level initiatives in support of graduate students’ educational experiences, as well as postdoctoral scholars’ professional development. He oversees graduate program and policy reviews, leads college efforts for graduate student and postdoc recruitment and retention, and works with graduate students and faculty in the college to improve mentoring and training. He also works collaboratively with the associate dean for research, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and college departments to ensure alignment of programming with college and University strategic goals and to foster a positive climate for all members of the college.
Showalter was honored with the Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching at Penn State in 2024. He was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2021 and received the Eberly College of Science Distinguished Faculty Mentoring Award in 2019. Showalter has previously been honored with the EAS New Faculty Award in NMR Spectroscopy in 2012 and the U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2010.
Before joining the faculty at Penn State in 2008, Showalter was a U.S. National Institutes of Health NRSA postdoctoral fellow at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida, from 2005 to 2008. He earned a doctoral degree as an NSF predoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis in 2004 and a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University in 1999.
David Simpson
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
120 Ritenour Building
dls6748@psu.edu
(814) 863-8900
David Simpson is the associate dean for diversity and inclusion. In this role, he oversees the Eberly College of Science’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which supports students, faculty, and staff through initiatives and programs to promote inclusive excellence. David works closely with many offices within the college, including human resources, undergraduate and graduate education, academic advising, science engagement, and more, to increase equity and a sense of belonging across the college.
Prior to joining Penn State, David was the special assistant to the provost for faculty success, provost initiatives coordinator for inclusive excellence, and an assistant professor in the Biological Engineering program at Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT). During this time, David created multiple initiatives to engage students, faculty, and staff in DEI programs, including the GROW Framework (an equity-minded approach to support development) and the Equity in Learning initiative (a data-informed strategy to remove equity gaps in teaching and learning).
Before coming to WIT, he was the associate director for the Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures, director of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, and an assistant adjunct professor at the University of California, Davis. While at UC Davis, David helped to build a stem cell program at the School of Veterinary Medicine and taught classes in regenerative medicine. Prior to UC Davis, he was a senior scientist with Capricor Therapeutics and assisted in leading research and development strategies for the company’s therapeutic pipeline.
David earned his doctorate from the joint Biomedical Engineering program at Georgia Tech and Emory University. His thesis work focused on the development of tissue-engineering strategies to enhance cell delivery to cardiac tissue. His current research interests include the development and deployment of equity-minded teaching and learning strategies to support student success.
Aleksandra Slavković
Associate Dean for Research
421A Thomas Building
sesa@stat.psu.edu
(814) 863-4918
Aleksandra Slavković, professor of statistics, is the associate dean for research. In this role, Aleksandra supervises the college’s Research Administration Office, which is responsible for grant administration and funding opportunities for faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. She also oversees the college’s Office for Innovation, which works together with the University’s Office of Technology Management, Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, and Corporate Engagement Center, as well as the college’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations, to assist researchers in capturing intellectual property, providing resources and support to entrepreneurs, and connecting with industrial networks to increase societal impact of innovations developed in the college.
Aleksandra joined Penn State in 2004. She has served in various positions in the statistics department, including associate head for diversity and equity and associate head for graduate studies. Aleksandra has affiliated appointments in the Institute for CyberScience, the Department of Public Health Sciences, and the Penn State College of Medicine, and she serves on Penn State’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Director’s Council. She has also held visiting scholar positions at Cornell University, the University of Minnesota, and Utrecht University.
Aleksandra received masters degrees in human-computer interaction and in statistics and a doctoral degree in statistics from Carnegie Mellon University. Her current research interests include statistical data privacy with applications across different domains, algebraic statistics, causal inference, and more broadly the application of statistics to information sciences and social sciences.
Adrian Weaver
Human Resources Strategic Partner, Human Resources Consultant
512 Thomas Building
aun3@psu.edu
(814) 863-6216
Adrian joined Penn State in 2003 as an administrative assistant in the Department of Chemistry Undergraduate Programs Office. Shortly thereafter she was promoted to a Research Staff Assistant within the department. In this role, she supported nine faculty members and their research groups. In 2009, Adrian transition to a new role as an Associate Coordinator of Grants & Contracts within the College of Science. She held this position until she was hired as a Human Resource Consultant in 2011, the role she currently holds. In June 2022, Adrian took on the Interim HR Strategic Partner role in addition to her role as an HR Consultant. Adrian is an active volunteer in her local community and is a certified instructor of Tang Soo Do, for which she currently holds a first-degree black belt.
Mike Weyandt
Senior Director, Development and Alumni Relations
430 Thomas Building
mjw134@psu.edu
(814) 863-1247
As senior director of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, Mike Weyandt oversees a staff that focuses on alumni relations and fundraising campaigns for the Eberly College of Science that meet strategic priorities for the dean and relate to student and faculty support, programmatic development, and research advancement and align with the University’s objectives.
Weyandt has a longstanding relationship with the college, where he previously served in multiple roles with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, including associate director of development and director of major gifts. Within these positions, Weyandt has engaged the college’s alumni and matched their interests with opportunities for giving.
Prior to this role, Weyandt was the director of development for the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, and under his direction, the college surpassed their fundraising goals during the “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence” campaign.
Weyandt began his career with Penn State as an assistant director of development at the Bellisario College of Communications. While he was there, he secured the college’s largest Trustee Matching Scholarship at the time.
Department Leadership
