Chancellor Fiorentino's Blog

What do you get when you combine academic excellence with a drive to make a difference? You get the recipients of PASSHE’s Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award. Previous winners have gone on to become educators, engineers, lawyers, and leaders in global non-profits and community healthcare — proving that this award is an early indicator of real-world impact. This past week, we had the honor of recognizing Slippery Rock’s Abby Becker , the 2026 winner. Before celebrating her and the other talented finalists, it is important to reflect on the meaning behind this prestigious honor — the highest student award in the State System. Founded by Dr. Syed R. Ali-Zaidi, a charter member of our Board of Governors, the award looks beyond a transcript. It evaluates candidates on three essential pillars: academic mastery, extracurricular leadership, and a clear vision for how their university experience has prepared them to lead. These scholars represent the thousands of PASSHE students who take pride in their c...

March Madness is the perfect name for this time of year. As the seasons shift, everything in the sports world seems to take off at once — from spring training and NCAA tournaments to local championships. It’s an exciting time, and I want to share a little about how our alumni are redefining the sports industry. Before I do that, let me take a little detour and share how we’ve been working together in Harrisburg to ensure our universities have a winning game plan for the future. Earlier this month, East Stroudsburg President Ken Long, IUP President Mike Driscoll, Millersville President Daniel Wubah and West Chester President Laurie Bernotsky represented PASSHE in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee. They spoke about the hard work our faculty and staff are doing to prepare students for the future. They discussed how we are working together to expand PA’s talent pipelines, modernize our institutions, and meet the needs of our students in a changing world. The following week...

Traveling to every PASSHE campus this past fall reminded me why we do this work. Seeing our mission in action through the eyes of our students, faculty and staff reinforced just how essential this system is to all of Pennsylvania. That’s why we are so committed to ensuring a PASSHE university experience is not just high-quality but also affordable. Because we have regained our affordability advantage, this year alone our universities saw an increase in first-generation students, transfer students, and Pell students. On top of that, we saw record high student retention. Because PASSHE universities are affordable, more students can start and finish their degree. While it would be enough to protect affordability simply because it’s the right thing to do — allowing more Pennsylvanians to pursue their personal higher education goals — affordability matters for a broader reason. You see, our commonwealth is facing a talent supply crisis. There are not enough equipped, qualified ...

Even with a fresh blanket of snow, the energy at our universities is electric as the spring semester begins. Students are energized and eager, and faculty and staff have been hard at work to ensure a smooth return. At the same time, we know all too well how quickly the next 16 weeks will go, so getting off to a good start makes the difference. Our people make the difference. You make the difference. And this year, we will lift up stories of how people are the true power and promise of PASSHE. Here are just a few: Dr. Randilyn Lewis , an assistant professor at PennWest University who helps nursing students build their confidence so they can positively influence their communities. Dr. Sherri Bergsten , a professor at Shippensburg University who conducts cancer research alongside her students and enjoys witnessing their growth.  People are at the heart of everything we do. Whether it's engaging our students, faculty, and staff, collaborating with the local community, or leveragin...