Elizabeth Wright knows Interstate 81 well. The route connects Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses in the Northeast — Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton.
As the new regional chancellor, she hopes to strengthen connections between campuses — and the community.
“All of Penn State is passionate about our land grant mission. We think very strongly every day about who are our communities, how do we understand their needs, and how do we meet them,” Wright said. “As a regional chancellor, I am just so proud to be part of the Northeast and to think about how we can work together to improve our communities and get to where we all want to go.”
"As a regional chancellor, I am just so proud to be part of the Northeast and to think about how we can work together to improve our communities and get to where we all want to go.”Elizabeth Wright
Wright had served as chancellor in Hazleton since 2022. Scranton Chancellor Marwan Wafa retired in June. Wilkes-Barre Chancellor Lynda Goldstein will remain in her position through June 2025 and is assisting with the transition.
“We'll continue to work as three campuses very collaboratively to understand our individual communities and to think about how we can leverage our individual strengths to benefit the larger whole,” she said.
The restructuring and the creation of a regional chancellor came after Penn State offered buyouts to staff earlier this year to reduce expenses. The buyouts resulted in a 10% reduction in employees. Across the Commonwealth Campuses, enrollment has declined by about 24% over the last 10 years, according to the university.
As higher education faces challenges nationwide, the regional campuses saw positive growth this fall, Wright said. Total enrollment is up in Hazleton and Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre had an increase in first-year students.
The three campuses have approximately 1,700 students combined.
“We think that as we align our portfolio and make sure we have the right degrees in the region that we'll continue to see growth in that area,” she said.
Career started in Hazleton
Wright’s career with Penn State started in Hazleton in 2000 when she accepted a job as an English instructor.
She later became assistant professor, associate professor and director of academic affairs. By 2019, she added the role of associate dean of academic affairs within the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses. The mother of two grew up outside Rochester, New York, and now lives in Stroudsburg.
Wright holds doctoral and master’s degrees in English language and literature from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of New Hampshire.
Before studying English, she had four other majors: animal science, education, anthropology, and women’s studies. She enjoyed writing and reading and then thinking about how others saw the world.
While she loved teaching English, she also found herself deeply interested in what professors in other fields were studying.
“To be able to learn and think with other faculty at all three campuses is just incredibly rewarding,” she said.
Listening to students
With fewer students attending college nationwide, Wright said schools must work with students to reach their educational goals.
“We know, quite honestly, that those students are asking something different of us when they do come to college, and so that means doing a lot of listening and thinking about what they're asking us.”
Since beginning her new role in July, Wright has met with students across the region and made connections within the communities the campuses serve.
“Getting to know these three campuses and thinking with the faculty, the staff and their students about who they are and who they would like to be, is incredibly rewarding,” she said.
