Office of Development and Alumni Relations welcomes new team members
The Penn State Eberly College of Science Office of Development and Alumni Relations is pleased to welcome three new team members: Tanner Nickell, Kelly Praskovich, and Alan Schaffranek.
Tanner Nickell
Tanner Nickell began his role as an associate director of development with the college on April 7. Prior to joining Penn State, Nickell was the director of business development for the Department of Defense and Aerospace for RunSafe Security Inc. and earlier in his career, held the role of regional sales manager and strategic account manager for Synopsis Inc.
In 2016, he graduated from the Penn State Smeal College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in management information systems.
Kelly Praskovich
Kelly Praskovich has been named the new director of alumni relations with the college, effective May 27, after serving as interim director since November 2024. Prior to her role with Eberly, she was the director of alumni relations for the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Praskovich began her Penn State career as a graduate enrollment assistant in the J. Jeffery and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School and held numerous leadership roles in undergraduate admissions, including director of admissions and enrollment.
Praskovich is a Penn State alumna who earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts and her master’s degree from the College of Education.
Alan Schaffranek
Alan Schaffranek began his role as associate director of development on April 28. Before joining the Eberly College of Science, Schaffranek was the associate director of alumni relations for the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. He has served in similar roles for different Penn State colleges — the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Smeal College of Business, and the College of Information Sciences and Technology. Schaffranek brings experience from outside Penn State through positions at TASSL, C. Barton McCann School of Art, and Best Event Rental.
In 2024, Schaffranek received an associate degree from Penn State and is heavily involved in the State College community through volunteering.