Each member of our staff has written a short message and bio of themselves so that you can get to know them better.

Kenneth F. Lehrman, III, Vice Provost for Affirmative Action

Carmen B. Borges, Associate Director

Andrea Commaker, Senior Affirmative Action Specialist

Bill Ritzman, Coordinator, Americans with Disabilities Act Programs

Tom Gesell, Senior Applications Programmer/Analyst

Vacant, Professional Development Specialist

Annie Holmes, Diversity Educator

Cindy Harter, Administrative Support Coordinator

Tanya Pasko, Administrative Support Assistant

Rosemary Ekeada, Administrative Support Assistant

I came to Penn State after ten years as Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity at the University of Oregon. Prior to serving in that capacity, I was an Associate Professor of Political Science at Ithaca College. I have a B.A. in political science and M.A. in public administration from the University of Oklahoma and, in 1983, a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Oregon. In 1993 I earned a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law. I am a former member of the Oregon State Bar.

Ken Lehrman, III
Vice Provost for Affirmative Action
kfl2@psu.edu

TOP

Carmen B. Borges
Associate Director
cbb1@psu.edu

TOP

Hello. I handle most of the external complaints filed with state and federal agencies as well as some of the internal complaints filed with our office. I have worked at Penn State since 1986, primarily as a counselor for students of color in the Multicultural Resource Center and as an instructor teaching courses in women's studies, business law, employment law, and criminal law. My educational background is in both education and law. Throughout my professional career, I have dedicated myself to ensuring that all people are treated fairly, with dignity and respect; so each individual has the opportunity to reach her or his full potential. In order to achieve this goal, I believe that we must work together to eliminate every form of discrimination; I hope that you will join me in this endeavor. If I can assist you in any way, please contact me.

Andrea Commaker
Senior Affirmative Action Specialist
asc1@psu.edu

TOP

Bill Ritzman, ADA Coordinator

Hello and welcome. I've been with Penn State since 1986 working in various roles from counseling students and veterans with disabilities to assisting employees who were injured on the job return to work. I have been in the AAO as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Coordinator since October 1999. One of my roles is providing guidance regarding University-wide compliance related to the ADA and Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as they relate to facilities, programs, services, and employment, and to assist people who believe they have been treated differently because of disability. I thoroughly enjoy working collaboratively with others to promote Penn State's commitment to equal access for people with disabilities. Additionally, I coordinate the reasonable accommodation request process for faculty and staff.

In addition to my duties as the ADA Coordinator, I Chair the University Access Committee (UAC). I am especially proud of the work UAC does. In addition to UAC's primary mission to improve access to facilities, committee members, both collectively and individually, provide consultation and education to the University community in regard to the importance of fostering a welcoming environment at Penn State for people with disabilities.

I especially enjoy working with students and faculty in a variety of majors to provide opportunities for them to incorporate access and disability issues as a focus in their class projects when time permits. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.

Bill Ritzman
ADA Coordinator
wwr1@psu.edu

TOP

Tom Gesell, Senior Applications Programmer/Analyst
teg1@psu.edu

Vacant, Professional Development Specialist
TOP

Cindy Harter, Administrative Support Coordinator

Hi! I have been employed in the Affirmative Action Office since 1987. I provide administrative support to the Vice Provost, Associate Director, and Specialists in the office. In addition, I am responsible for making travel arrangements for staff, arranging meetings and scheduling appointments and assisting the Vice Provost with budget planning. I am responsible for monitoring all tenure track faculty searches to ensure federal affirmative action compliance. In addition, I maintain our office website so if you have suggestions for something you would like to see on our site, please contact me.

Cindy Harter
Administrative Support Coordinator
cih1@psu.edu

TOP

Tanya Pasko, Administrative Support Assistant

Hi! I joined the Affirmative Action Office in March, 2001. As Administrative Support Assistant, my responsibilities range from general clerical duties, scheduling of meetings with our specialists, and assisting our specialists in various projects, developing and maintaining AAO database, analyzing data, creating various reports; developing and designing office newsletter, forms, brochures, flyers and informational materials; creating and editing office web site. If I can be of assistance, please contact me.

Tanya V. Pasko
Administrative Support Assistant
tvp2@psu.edu

TOP

Rosemary Ekeada, Administrative Support Assistant

Hi there. I joined the Affirmative Action staff in January 2003. As Administrative Support Assistant my duties include general clerical duties, maintaining our applicant pool database, scheduling meetings and conducting legal research. Please feel free to contact me if you need any help from our office.

Rosemary Ekeada
Administrative Support Assistant
rum12@psu.edu

TOP

Affirmative Action Office
328 Boucke, University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-0471 V/TTY

Web page last modified July 17, 2009