Academic Advising and Student Disability Services Team

The World Campus Academic Advising and Student Disability Services team supports and advocates for students to help them pursue their educational goals and connect them with Penn State resources and opportunities.

Our team includes academic advisers, advising assistants, and specialist academic advisers who work with military students and students who have been admitted in conditional status, as well as the Student Disability Services team. These teams work together to provide students with equal access and support them in participating fully as World Campus students.

Undergraduate students can find the name and contact information for their academic adviser in LionPATH or Starfish and can make an appointment with their academic adviser through Starfish.

If you do not see an academic adviser assigned in your Starfish network, please contact Academic Advising and Student Disability Services for assistance.

Academic Advisers and Advising Assistants

Academic advisers work closely with students to develop and follow an educational plan that fits their academic needs and goals. Your academic adviser can help you with course planning for your degree and your individual circumstances, finding support resources to help you succeed, connecting with other World Campus offices, and other needs you may have as a student.  

Special Advising Situations

Not all academic programs are advised by the World Campus advising staff. The following programs are advised by the academic department that offers the programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) 
    Email [email protected] or call 814-863-2229.

Academic Advisers and Advising Assistants

  • Richard Akers

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-4509

  • Andrea Albert

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

  • Mandy Biddle

    Student Success Specialist

    Phone: 814-867-3669

  • Alma Bieckert

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-9743

  • Ricky Bohn

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6765

  • Andrea Buffone

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-3670

  • Shawnee Burns

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-6423

  • Andrew Call

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-0085

  • Stephanie Cardona

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6794

  • John Carter

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-4711

  • Dawn Coder

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-3667

  • Michael Cohenour

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-4022

  • Melissa Coles

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-9659

  • Ana Covarrubias

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-2957

  • Shawna Culp

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-8300

  • Jennifer DeCecco

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-8253

  • Deb Dworsky

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-4138

  • Carrie Egnosak

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-6608

  • Maggie Eimers

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-1146

  • Kate Elias

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-3706

  • Wade Endress

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-0677

  • Tricia Filer

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-1633

  • Julian Fung

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-5164

  • Katie Gaines

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-4027

  • Amanda Holdren

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-0918

  • Cliff Holmes

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-3402

  • Billie Jean Horvath

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-0388

  • Mandy Hudson

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

  • Ryan Kataoka

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6759

  • John Kryst

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6230

  • Todd Lawton

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-2576

  • Dina Liberatore

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6542

  • Joanne Loebig

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

  • Michelle McConnell

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

  • Barbra McDill

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6713

  • Cheryl Miller

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-1177

  • John Mills

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-8301

  • Michael Mucci

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6706

  • Steve Navarra

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-6713

  • Sarah Peacock

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6782

  • Terah Richardson

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-4712

  • Karen Sankey

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

  • Malinda Sawyer

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6880

  • Leslie Shively

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-5736

  • Kyle Smith

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

  • Michael Sparkman

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-4564

  • Yana Thal Irwin

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-0167

  • Jorge Trevino

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-4714

  • Richard Villasenor

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-3323

  • Stephanie Vlajic

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-9752

  • Sandy Weller

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-6247

  • Victoria White

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-5179

  • Andrea Woerman

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6843

  • Jackie Yingling

    Advising Assistant

    Phone: 814-863-3283

Military Academic Advisers 

Undergraduate military students are advised by trained military academic advisers. You’ll work with your academic adviser to plan your academic program, stay on track to graduate, choose courses, and manage the impact of deployments, trainings, and relocations. You may be concerned that your obligations will stand in the way of your academic studies. Your academic adviser understands the strains and constraints that you face and is here to help you in any circumstance that might arise.

Undergraduate students can find the name and contact information for their academic adviser in LionPATH or Starfish and can make an appointment with their academic adviser through Starfish.

If you do not see an adviser assigned in your Starfish network, please contact Academic Advising & Student Disability Services for assistance.

Military Academic Advisers 

  • Alma Bieckert

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-9743

  • Mandy Biddle

    Student Success Specialist

    Phone: 814-867-3669

  • John Carter

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-4711

  • Melissa Coles

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-9659

  • Julian Fung

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-5164

  • Barbra McDill

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6713

  • Michael Sparkman

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-4564

  • Jorge Trevino

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-867-4714

  • Richard Villasenor

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-865-3323

  • Andrea Woerman

    Academic Adviser

    Phone: 814-863-6843

Student Disability Services

Penn State World Campus Student Disability Services is here to help you receive any disability-related accommodations or support you may need to succeed in your courses.

Please contact us with any questions you may have about disability services and accommodations. Currently enrolled students can register to work with our team.

More information about eligibility, requesting accommodations, and common types of accommodations is available on our Disabilities and Accommodations page.

Student Disability Services Team

  • Emily Clapper

    Student Disability Specialist

    Phone: 814-863-6469

  • Jenn Gurwitz

    Student Disability Specialist

    Phone: 814-863-0753

  • Maggie Kwok

    Student Disability Specialist

    Phone: 814-863-5375

  • Shannon Singer

    Student Disability Specialist

    Phone: 814-863-6458

  • Terry Watson

    Assistant Director of Student Disability Services

    Phone: 814-863-3070