With slightly more than a year under her belt at Penn State Berks, Chancellor Radha Pyati has settled into campus traditions. Here, she arrives at the Rally in the Valley, and Welcome Weekend event for first-year students to get to know one another before the semester begins.
WYOMISSING, Pa. — Statewide media organization City & State PA recently recognized Radha Pyati, chancellor of Penn State Berks, as one of its 2024 Trailblazers in Higher Education. City & State PA is a multimedia news firm that provides nonpartisan coverage of Pennsylvania’s state and local government, political, and advocacy news. In addition, Lehigh Valley Business featured Pyati in this year's Education Power List, which includes 25 area leaders across the education industry in the Lehigh Valley.
Pyati assumed the position of chancellor of Penn State Berks more than a year ago. During that time, she has made significant contributions to the college. During Pyati’s relatively short tenure, she has expanded the college’s relationship with the Hispanic / Latino community; hosted meaningful engagements with elected officials; advocated for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; proudly participated in time-honored campus traditions; celebrated the unique contributions of students, faculty and staff; and acted as a stalwart leader through changing times. And she shows no signs of slowing down.
Reaching out to Hispanic / Latino community
One of Pyati’s main priorities is ensuring that Penn State Berks is accessible and well-equipped to serve the needs of the Hispanic and Latino communities.
According to the 2020 census, the Hispanic and Latino population of the City of Reading is nearly 69%, up from 58% in 2010. To meet the needs of this growing population, Penn State Berks is expanding its efforts to engage with and support the local Hispanic and Latino communities with several new initiatives.
“Penn State Berks is located about five miles from the City of Reading, whose Hispanic and Latino population is growing and thriving, and we want to be a part of their story," Pyati explained. "We want prospective students and families to know that Penn State is possible. We have Spanish-speaking faculty and staff who are here to help students with the admissions process, financial aid, and any other challenges they may face. They are here to cheer them on and support their growth and success as well. At Penn State Berks, students will find a home away from home and a supportive environment to succeed.”
This year alone, 20% of the incoming first-year class at Penn State Berks is Hispanic / Latino. This growing population currently makes up 14% of the college’s overall enrollment, which is growing each year.
Pyati meets regularly with the college’s Latino Advisory Council, which is comprised of community leaders, and learns about their concerns — and more importantly, how the college can help. As a result of regular meetings and ongoing dialogue, Penn State Berks has developed a deeper understanding of the issues that Hispanic and Latino families face. The college has also become more engaged in the local community and expanded its participation to include additional involvement with such organizations as Centro Hispano Daniel Torres, the Berks Latino Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Berks County, and many others.
Recently, Penn State Berks wrapped up its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with its 12th annual Latino Forum, an outreach effort for local high school students. Pyati provided a warm welcome to the students in Spanish, and she reached out to both students and the greater Latino community through a Facebook Live interview on La Mega Radio Station, a Spanish-language station who was on site for the event. Pyati was also interviewed live on La Mega’s Morning Show in early October.
Penn State Berks has forged additional efforts to better communicate with the Spanish-speaking community. The college added a Spanish-language option to its phone menu for those who prefer to speak with a faculty or staff member in Spanish. Penn State Berks has a website dedicated to Spanish-speaking prospective students and their families titled “Estudiantes Latinas” and a Spanish-language brochure, and is making a concerted effort to translate more materials to Spanish.
This summer, members of the college’s Administrative Council, the senior leadership group, enrolled in a "Spanish for the Workplace" certificate program through the Penn State Berks Office of Continuing Education. The goal was for college leaders to become more fluent in Spanish so they could communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking students and families.
In addition, Pyati has appointed Latino / Hispanic community members on the college Advisory Board to represent the needs of the community. Rick Olmos, commissioner, Governor's Advisory Council on Latino Affairs, and Cory Varona-Corniel, co-founder of OCOA and Berks alumna, joined the board this fall.
Building relationships with key stakeholders
Pyati has invited elected officials to hold discussions and to advocate for Penn State Berks. The following officials have visited the college, and met with Pyati and other administrators, faculty, staff and students:
- Pennsylvania Chief Diversity Officer Norman Bristol Colón, who will be this December’s commencement speaker
- U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)
- Pa. Rep. Barry Jozwiak (5th District)
- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
- National Climate Advisor and Assistant to the President Ali Zaidi
- Pennsylvania State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding
Connecting with elected officials important to Chancellor Pyati's vision for the college. In September 2023, Chancellor Pyati, left, met with U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), right, to discuss Penn State Berks' strengths and opportunities.
Chancellor Pyati has had fun with social media, posing as Chancellor Barbie while the blockbuster film dominated box offices shortly after her tenure began at the college.
Penn State Berks Chancellor Radha Pyati crowns Matthew Kauffman, one of two homecoming royalty, at her first homecoming ceremony in October 2023.
Chancellor Pyati has presided over three commencement ceremonies in her short time at Penn State Berks, with a fourth on the horizon.
Penn State Berks proudly hosts the Big Cheese each year, an event organized by the United Way of Berks County and Helping Harvest Food Bank that helps bring more than 250,000 meals to food insecure children in the region. Here, Chancellor Pyati welcomed hundreds of volunteers for the 2024 event.
In July 2024, Penn State Berks had the honor of hosting U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, National Climate Advisor and Assistant to the President Ali Zaidi, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding as they held a roundtable at the campus focused on major investments in climate-smart agriculture and conservation. Here, Chancellor Pyati welcomes attendees to the gathering.
Move-in day is a big deal for our first-year students, but Chancellor Pyati has made it a point to help first-year students feel at ease and at home in Penn State Berks' living and learning community.
At the start of each semester, Chancellor Pyati has been serving students dinner at Tully's dining hall. This year, she served noodles from Tully's newly renovated kitchen and pasta bar!
For two years now, Chancellor Pyati has thrown out the ceremonial first pitch at Penn State Berks Night at the Reading Fightin' Phils. Here she is posing with Blooper the Hound Dog after her pitch in September 2024.
For over a decade, Penn State Berks has hosted a Latino Forum in support of Spanish-speaking high school students. Since last year, La Mega, a local Spanish-speaking radio station, has organized a live remote broadcast from the college that coincides with this event. Chancellor Pyati interviewed this September.
For Halloween, Chancellor Pyati dressed as the Nittany Lion, delighting guests at this year's Fall Fest community event.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Penn State Berks has always been a welcoming hub of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), serving as home to international students from 29 different countries and many different cultures. The college offers numerous clubs and organizations that create a community for students of various backgrounds and identities and events that celebrate the many cultures of its community.
This fall, under Pyati’s leadership, the college announced the newly established Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE). The OIE was established to encourage the development of cultural identity among students through events and education programming. These events are meant to connect students to their cultures and promote a more diverse and inclusive environment at the college, led by a philosophy of learning.
Exploring Innovation
As a dedicated science educator, Pyati knows the value of innovation. Under her leadership, the college recently announced the new Manufacturing Innovation & Learning Lab (MILL) at Penn State Berks. The mission of the MILL is revolutionizing industry in Greater Berks County by expanding advanced robotics, smart technology and AI, transforming manufacturing operations for the factory of the future.
Pyati explained that the college’s state-of-the-art facilities provide a collaborative environment where industry partners, community members, students and faculty can work together to innovate and solve real-world manufacturing challenges. Through hands-on learning and cutting-edge research, the MILL is driving advancements that enhance efficiency, productivity and sustainability in manufacturing operations.
Participating in time-honored traditions
Since joining Penn State Berks, Pyati has immersed herself in several campus traditions, including homecoming, commencement ceremonies and many others. These events have been a highlight of her tenure, celebrating the achievements of Penn State Berks graduates.
For two consecutive years, Pyati has thrown out a ceremonial first pitch at Penn State Berks night at the Reading Fightin’ Phils. These events provided an opportunity to enjoy a picnic buffet and baseball game with students, colleagues, alumni and friends, but also deepen her connections with community members and institutions including the Latino Chamber of Commerce and Latin Fusion Baseball.
This year, Pyati participated in her second Family and Homecoming Weekend. She explained that she relishes the opportunity to speak with students’ families as well as alumni. She has also strengthened her relationship with students by supporting Berks Benefitting THON, attending their dancer sendoffs and two “Inspire the Night” banquets and even participating in their “Pie in the Face” event. In addition, she can often be found cheering on Berks student-athletes at their games.
Penn State Berks actively supports the surrounding community, and Pyati has jumped right into events that have become customary at the college. She has been part of the eighth and ninth Big Cheese events, where volunteers package 250,000 meals for food-insecure children in partnership with Helping Harvest Food Bank and Berks County United Way.
Pyati also stays up to date with trends, embracing social media and having fun with campaigns like #ChancellorBarbie and #SelfieSunday, connecting with the campus community in a lighthearted and engaging manner.
She stated that she has loved every moment of immersing herself in the campus community, from having lunch with students, to serving them dinner in the newly renovated Tully’s dining center and the Rolling Lion food truck, to enjoying Berkey Creamery ice cream with them at the Cyber Café.
Pyati’s dedication and active involvement in the Penn State Berks community have made a significant impact. Her efforts in fostering community engagement; supporting students, faculty and staff; and building relationships with key stakeholders have been instrumental in advancing the college’s mission of access and advocacy.
Looking ahead, Pyati envisions a future where Penn State Berks continues to thrive as a hub of innovation and inclusivity. She is committed to expanding opportunities for students, enhancing academic programs, and strengthening community partnerships. Penn State Berks looks forward to another year of growth and success under her visionary leadership.
