In our first week, my wife, Kristy, and our son Bryce have been warmly embraced by this amazing community of educators, students, and community members. We have experienced each community's natural inclination to provide a hearty western Pennsylvania welcome!

This week, as we traveled across each of the PennWest campuses, we experienced an up-close glimpse of what makes this region so special.  On the California, Clarion and Edinboro campuses, we experienced a palpable sense of inclusion and an instantaneous feeling of belonging.  

As I begin my time as the president of PennWest, I am honored to lead the second-largest public university in western Pennsylvania, with you. In one short week, I have begun to feel that the power of PennWest is in its people – and in this special place we now call home.

Wednesday evening, as we celebrated Independence Day alongside thousands of community members on the Edinboro campus, we quietly celebrated our family’s next chapter. We can sense that new roots are forming that are grounding us here.  

We look forward to seeing you around campus and across our social media channels. Please keep informed by following @PennWestPresident on Instagram. I am excited to continue our conversations and look forward to the work we will do together.

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Jon Anderson, Ph.D., President