DUNMORE, Pa. — Penn State Scranton Chancellor Marwan Wafa announced the promotion of Dharti Ray to assistant director of student services and engagement.
Ray graduated from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and is currently working toward her Masters in Human Resources and Labor Relations at Penn State World Campus.
Ray has worked at Penn State Scranton full-time since 2019, when she took over as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator. In this role, she advised four multicultural student organizations, organized and planned diversity circles for the campus community, hosted a university-wide diversity forum for Penn State employees, and coordinated and executed a themed monthly programming to educate the campus community, among other functions.
Most recently, she served as the After-School Programs Coordinator for Penn State Scranton. His responsibilities in this position include overseeing student senate and major meetings, advising Penn State Scranton Peer Mentors for Freshman Seminary (FYS) courses, co-advising the Student Government Association (SGA ) and the campus THON chapter and the facilitation of professional resource workshops. for specific student populations, among others.
In her new role as Assistant Director of Student Services and Engagement, Ray will oversee the SGA, Clubs and Organizations and advise on student leadership programs, community engagement and service, as well as oversee the Activities Coordinator. female students and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, as well as many student employees. Through this role, she will be able to develop and maintain community partnerships, serve as the primary point of contact for special populations and relocation/transition programs, and serve as the student conduct lead. on the campus.
Ray says the prospect of continuing to work with students, faculty and staff was pivotal in his decision to move forward with his professional career at Penn State Scranton.
“I thrive on relationships with my peers and the campus community,” Ray said. “I look forward to having a greater impact on the lives of our students in order to deepen their university experiences in general. My background working in student affairs led me to this role.
When asked about some of her goals for her new position, Ray said she hopes to create a pathway for students to be successful in their studies and as leaders in the campus community.
“Student engagement opportunities cultivate student leadership and facilitate a healthy college experience,” Ray said. “I aspire to increase student participation in hands-on leadership experiences and other skill-building opportunities. I am happy to work with other departments and faculties to run programs such as NSO, FYS, etc.
Outside of her work at Penn State Scranton, Ray is active on the board of Leadership Lackawanna. As a board member, Ray represents Penn State Scranton to strengthen community partnership, collaborates with other board members to develop Leadership Lackawanna’s programs and fundraising efforts, and reviews Core and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program budgets, activities and fundraising. She is also a teacher and volunteer at the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, where she teaches young girls the basics of Hinduism, coordinates cultural events and activities, trains teenage girls to continue their leadership around the temple, attends center conferences at regional and national levels, and collects data and reports to regional BAPS youth activities. Ray resides in Scranton, PA with his family, which includes his parents. She enjoys spending time with her friends and loved ones when she is not working and doing homework for graduate courses.