About us
Mission
Community Impact and External Affairs optimizes student success and community impact by cultivating partnerships, stewarding relationships, and creating robust engagement and experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to succeed throughout college and beyond.
Strategic Priorities
- Enhance community relationships and streamline connecting points for entities interested in establishing university partnerships.
- Promote and provide equitable access for all students to participate in experiential learning opportunities (e.g., high-impact practices such as service learning and internships) to prepare them personally and professionally to contribute to the common good.
- Engage in advocacy and steward meaningful relationships with public officials, employers, and community partners to support the success of WCU students and the University toward fulfilling its public mission.
- Increase funding opportunities by expanding alumni engagement, annual/planned giving, and philanthropy by connecting donor intent to institutional priorities.
Values
ADVOCACY: UAEA promotes and supports student success and community impact through understanding, empowerment, and informed action.
COLLABORATION: UAEA prioritizes trust and unity in every interaction through intentional outreach, building rapport, and sustaining relationships that are mutually beneficial.
EQUITY: UAEA embodies fairness, impartiality, and justice for all community members through robust and responsible engagement.
INNOVATION: UAEA commits to the creative leveraging of resources, continuous learning, adaptability, and strategic risk-taking by building on what was and imagining what could be.
Annual Reports
Staff
Zebulun R. Davenport
Vice President for Community Impact and External Affairs
Dr. Zebulun Davenport is the Vice President for Community Impact and External Affairs at West Chester University. Davenport earned a Doctorate in Higher Education and Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Education in College Student Personnel Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Public Relations with a minor in Human Services from James Madison University. Davenport also received a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He serves on the university advisory board for the Moonshot for Equity Mission and the PASSHE DEI advisory board. Davenport is active within the Chester County community serving as a board member to the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry and the Chester County Community Foundation where he is also the Vice Chair, on the Governance and Nominating Committee, and a member of the Grant Awarding subcommittee. Dr. Davenport will serve a two-year term as Chair from 2023-2025.
Davenport’s primary goal is student success. His contributions have advanced campus culture, organizational structure, and student achievement. Davenport is a leader and strategist who demonstrates care and concern while maximizing opportunities for all involved. His expertise includes the areas of fundraising, student retention; student learning outcomes; assessment; strategic planning; and strategies for assisting first generation college students.
Davenport’s publications include co-editing two books entitled; Student Affairs Assessment, Evaluation, and Research: A Guidebook for Graduate Students and New Professionals and Developing Leadership Skills and Abilities for Student Affairs Administrators: “Lesson Letters to and from our Colleagues”. He also co-authored the following publication: First-Generation College Students – Understanding and Improving the Experience from Recruitment to Commencement. He also authored and or co-authored three chapters in edited volumes entitled Recruiting, Selecting, Supervising, and Retaining Staff, in McClellan, G. H., Stringer, J. and Associates (Eds.) The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration, The Student Success Conundrum, in B. Bontrager (Ed.) Strategic Enrollment Management: Transforming Higher Education; a chapter entitled Future Direction in Akens, Wright-Mair, and Stevenson’s edited book the College Students and their Environments: Understanding the Role Student Affairs Educators Play in Shaping Campus Environments; and a chapter in an edited monograph entitled Creating Collaborative Conditions for Student Success in S. Whalen (Ed.) Proceedings of the 8th National Symposium on Student Retention 2012.
He has presented at workshops for numerous public agencies; educational institutions; state, regional, and national conferences; as well as to thousands of college students and professionals throughout his career.
Diane D’Arcangelo
Assistant Vice President
Dr. Diane D'Arcangelo has been a member of the West Chester community since 2010. As the Assistant Vice President for Community Impact & External Affairs (CIEA). She manages the day to day operations of the division and provides the vice president with the logistical component of leading the division. Diane has been at the university since 2012 where she began in Exploratory Studies. Before joining CIEA in 2022, Diane was a member of the Division of Student Affairs for seven years as a member of the leadership team and the Twardowski Career Development Center.
Diane is a triple graduate of the PASSHE system. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Kutztown University and a Master's in Counseling and College Student Personnel from Shippensburg University. Recently, Diane earned a Doctorate of Education in Policy, Planning, and Administration in May 2022 from West Chester University.
Julie L. Dietrich
Executive Director for External Relations
Dr. Julie Dietrich currently serves as the Executive Director for External Relations at West Chester University (WCU). In this role, she serves as the institution’s primary government relations officer, cultivating and sustaining relationships with local, state, and federal elected officials and their offices, and a leading liaison with the community. She advises and counsels the institution’s president on public policy and legislation and leads and manages priority projects that support the institution’s mission and strategic plan. She is also the Director of the Center for Community Solutions housed within her office. Prior to coming to WCU, Dr. Dietrich served as the Director of Government Relations at Widener University. She also served as a full-time adjunct professor within WCU’s Department of Philosophy. Philosophy represents the foundation for her pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership toward serving a public purpose within higher education. She possesses great passion to help educate and develop students of sound character prepared to contribute to and serve as leaders within community.
Mary Beth Kurimay
Director of Commencement & Conference Services
Dr. Rita Patel Eng
Senior Director of Community Engagement and Social Impact
Dr. Rita Patel Eng (she/her pronouns) supports the day-to-day operations of the Center for Community Engagement and Social Impact (CCESI). She also provides strategic leadership and planning, program and policy development, and compliance assessment for CCESI. Rita is a proud Golden Ram and holds a doctoral degree in Policy, Planning, and Administration in Higher Education and a Certificate in Higher Education and Student Affairs Policy (HEPSA) from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She received her MS in Technological Systems Management and BS in Biology and Secondary Science Teaching Certification at Stony Brook University in New York. Rita has been involved in K-16 education for over 30 years. Her career includes time at Immaculata University, teaching FYE which integrated service learning through the Chester County Food Bank and the College of New Jersey, managing several grant-funded projects. Rita joined WCU in 2016 and has worked in various student support roles on campus working with undergraduate and graduate student populations, faculty, and staff, and campus partners to coordinate student success initiatives.
Josh Browns
Director of Venue Management