Our Staff
Beth Shepard-Rabadam
Senior Associate Provost
Beth came to Philadelphia University in November 2012 as the senior associate provost. In this position, she plays a pivotal role in managing the academic growth plan and the development and implementation of new academic programs. She is responsible for overseeing the alignment of academic resource management with strategic planning, working closely with faculty and University administrative offices and support services to develop timelines, budget plans and allocations for new curricular initiatives. In addition, Beth works with each of the academic units to ensure effective budget practices based on established policies.
Beth comes to Philadelphia University with 13 years of experience in higher education administration. Since 2008, she has served as assistant provost for administration at Bryn Mawr College, where she worked on faculty and academic affairs, financial and program administration, and special projects.
Prior to her time at Bryn Mawr, Beth served as assistant dean for planning and assessment at the University of Southern Maine’s College of Education and Human Development. Previously, Beth spent five years at Harvard University, where she worked on strategic planning for shared university resources, such as student and faculty housing, parking and transportation. She also worked on the community planning process for the new Harvard campus in the Alston neighborhood of Boston.
Beth has a bachelor’s degree in history from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree in historic preservation from Boston University. She lives in Havertown with her husband Frank and their two boys, Nathan and Owen.
215.951.0353
Lloyd Russow, Ph.D.
Special Advisor to the Provost
Lloyd Russow has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in international business and marketing since he joined Philadelphia University in 1992. Dr. Russow has articles published in Journal of Global Marketing, Journal of Teaching in International Business, International Marketing Review, Journal of Studies in International Education, and other journals. Lloyd is on the review board of numerous publishing houses and journals, as well as special editor for digital technology for the Journal of Teaching in International Business. Lloyd has served as external evaluator for Title IV grants for the University of Toledo and Temple University; as external evaluator to the state of New Hampshire for international business programs; and as consultant for the international baccalaureate program in the Philadelphia Public School system. He is the recipient of many teaching, service, and research awards.
Dr. Russow’s books include International Dimensions of Marketing, a text he coauthored with Dr. Vern Terpstra which was later translated into Spanish. Other texts include a book of readings: Digital Technology in Teaching International Business, as well as two textbooks: Global Business Environment, and International Marketing.
215.951.2819
http://faculty.philau.edu/russowl/russow.html
Gwynne Keathley
Vice Provost
Gwynne Keathley, an expert in design and curriculum development, joined the University in July 2010 as vice provost. In addition to overseeing the academic curriculum for all programs, her responsibilities include the development and implementation for the University’s College of Design, Engineering and Commerce.
“I am drawn to the momentum and energy on campus related to change and the Strategic Plan,” Keathley said. “I thoroughly enjoy getting to know the faculty and look forward to partnering on innovative curricular initiatives that better prepare our students to be broad-minded, insightful and informed leaders in their fields.”
Prior to joining Philadelphia University, Keathley was the associate provost at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, where she oversaw the community-engagement programs, undergraduate core programs and new initiatives such as Making Sustainability Visible. Prior to joining Otis, she was an associate professor at Parsons The New School for Design, where she taught project-based courses in design research and theory in the Integrated Design Curriculum (IDC) and Foundation programs.
As director of IDC and then chair of Core Studies at Parsons, Keathley developed a number of community-based projects such as a community garden with New York Restoration Project, a street fair for emerging businesses in the Dominican Republic and products with local artisans in Kosovo with Women for Women International. She has also developed Design & Controversy, a public lecture series. With a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Arch. from Harvard University, Keathley has worked as a designer, researcher and curator on exhibitions with Diller + Scofidio and Lyn Rice Architects.
215.951.0151
Patricia Thatcher
Associate Provost for Assessment
Patricia Thatcher has enjoyed supporting and learning
from undergraduate and graduate students in higher education for nearly 20
years. First as a TRiO Program director, faculty developer, and Learning Instructor
at the University of Delaware and subsequently as the Associate Director of the
Weingarten Learning Resources Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Pat
committed to advancing academic support and resource departments to the center
of applied and theoretical academic discourse surrounding teaching and learning
on these campuses. Since arriving at Philadelphia University in 2007, she has
directed the Learning and Advising Center and worked steadily to promote
developmental approaches to academic advising and support best practices to
increase student learning and attainment.
Working with faculty to improve student success and then documenting the
results, a process commonly and unfortunately labeled Assessment, developed
directly from Pat’s efforts to engage all Philadelphia University stakeholders
in work to promote student learning. She enjoys working with university faculty
to make assessment meaningful to them, to students, and to the institution.
Pat earned her B.A and M.A from the University of
Pennsylvania’s interdisciplinary American Civilization Program and her Ph.D
from the equally interdisciplinary Winterthur Museum-University of Delaware
Program in the History of American Civilization. Previously, she served as Curator of 18th
Century Life, at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American
History among other curatorial appointments, and still keeps current within
material culture studies.
215.951.2730
Maryellen E. Woltman
Manager of Academic Operations
Maryellen Woltman joined Philadelphia University in 1996 in what was then the Advising & Counseling Center. She moved into the Office of Academic Affairs in 1999 and has held most of the administrative positions within the office where she has garnered a breadth of knowledge about the inner-workings of academic affairs at Philadelphia University. She was promoted to Manager of Academic Operations in 2009 where she provides operational management for the Office of the Provost, working closely with the schools and academic support offices to provide administrative staff professional development, management of the operational budgets, coordination of the collegiate process for promotion, tenure and contract renewals, coordination of the hiring process for adjunct faculty and administrative staff, and serves as the coordinator of academic events, such as Convocation and Commencement.
Maryellen earned her A.S. degree in Business Administration in 2005 and B.S. in 2008 in Pre-M.B.A. Studies from Philadelphia University.
215.951.2706
Lilly Krupsha
Executive Administrative Assistant
Lilly Krupsha joined Philadelphia University in 2006 working in the Public Relations Department and moved to the Office of Academic Affairs in 2008. In the Office of the Provost, she is responsible for managing requisitions from all of the schools, faculty grants, and the Provost Office budget. She also assists in the planning of Commencement and Convocation. Additionally, Lilly supports the Graduate Dean on assistantships and theses, and assists in the planning of various graduate student workshops.
Lilly brings to Philadelphia University her prior experience working in a hospital, an architectural firm, and in the corporate office of Pier 1 imports.
215.951.2917
Mary Clare Venuto
Executive Administrative Assistant to the Provost
Mary Clare Venuto joined Philadelphia University on August 17, 2009 as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Provost. Mary Clare provides administrative support by managing the day-to-day schedule of the Provost, serving as liaison between internal and external constituents and the Provost, and assisting in the coordination of office operations. Mary Clare is also responsible for maintaining the website for the Office of the Provost, and composing and distributing the minutes for the Full Faculty Meetings and the Provost’s Council.
Before Mary Clare’s arrival at Philadelphia University, she worked as the Administrative Assistant of the Honors College at Rutgers University in Camden. Mary Clare earned both her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Rutgers University-Camden.
215.951.2796
For more info or to schedule a visit, call 215-951-2700 or email admissions@philau.edu
