People

Tineka has dedicated the majority of her 2-decade career in higher education to mentoring students and helping them reach their academic and personal goals. She started her career in higher education at Franklin and Marshall College coordinating extracurricular programs in the arts and has worked in Georgetown University's Office in International Programs, at the Institute of International Education with the Boren Awards and for AMIDEAST a non-profit that focuses on exchange with the Arab world. She joined Penn State in 2017 where she was serving as the Assistant Director for Advising in Education Abroad until she joined the URFM team in April 2023. She holds a bachelor's from New York University and a master's from Queen Mary College, University of London.

Chelsey has been with Penn State for more than a decade, proudly assisting students in achieving their goals both in and out of the classroom. She joined the Student Success Center in March 2022 as a Student Success Advocate before moving into the Assistant Director role, supporting both the SSC and URFM. Prior to joining Undergraduate Education, she was with the Penn State Alumni Association as the Assistant Director of Student & Young Alumni Programs, serving as the Blue & White Society's advisor and the Association's student membership expert. Chelsey earned her M.Ed in Higher Education with a focus in student engagement from Penn State and a B.A. in English from Marietta College. Chelsey was the first person in her family to obtain a college degree and is passionate about helping other first-generation students find success.

Dr. Rieck joined Penn State’s Office of Undergraduate Education in 2016 from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he served as the chair of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts and professor of choral music and music education. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Music Education), as well as master's and bachelor's degrees in Music Education, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As associate vice president and associate dean for Undergraduate Education, Dr. Rieck leads undergraduate research initiatives offered through the Office of Undergraduate Education, including the University’s annual Undergraduate Exhibition and leadership for the Student Engagement Network.

Caylie joined the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office in September 2022. Originally from the Du Bois area, Caylie and her husband moved closer to State College. She has her license in Cosmetology where she specialized in chemical and color services. After 7 years in the cosmetology field, she realized she was more interested in an office environment. Caylie enjoys being able to solve puzzles and making an office move smoothly for the staff. Caylie will be your first line of contact with URFM for all your questions and scheduling needs.

Natalie is a PhD student in the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences whose research focuses on the rhetoric of public memory. She holds an MA in Communication from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC and a BA in Communication from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. Natalie was a Fulbright scholar to Germany and was named a Rhodes Finalist in 2016.

Sam is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Education Theory and Policy with a dual degree in Comparative and International Education. Her research interests include students' well-being, student-parent relationships, and academic success. She received her B.A. in Chemistry from SUNY Binghamton and an M.A. in TESOL from New York University. Sam can answer questions regarding fellowships and undergraduate research opportunities as well as provide feedback on application materials, such as CVs, research proposals, and personal statements.

Dr. LaDage joined Penn State Altoona as an assistant professor of Biology in the Fall of 2013. Her research focuses on the relationship between naturally-selected behaviors and the underlying neural architecture that support those behaviors. Dr. LaDage has mentored over 30 Penn State undergraduates in her research laboratory and strongly believes that undergraduate research is a high-impact educational practice that contributes to academic success. As the Undergraduate Research Faculty Fellow, she intends to understand the undergraduate research models at the Penn State campuses, streamline access to undergraduate research information for students and mentors across Penn State, track student participation in undergraduate research, and assess learning gains from participating in an undergraduate research experience.