Petrescu to lead graduate education at Kansas State University
MANHATTAN — Claudia A. Petrescu, a chief strategic planning officer and professor of public administration from Michigan, will become Kansas State University's first vice provost for graduate education and serve as dean of the university's Graduate School.
Petrescu's appointment was made by K-State Provost and Executive Vice President Charles Taber following a national search. Petrescu will start her new duties on Jan. 10, 2021. She replaces Carol Shanklin, who is retiring, as dean of the Graduate School.
"I am excited to have Dr. Petrescu join us in this newly defined leadership role of vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School at Kansas State University," Taber said. "She joins K-State at an exciting time as we engage in new and innovative graduate programming and strategic enrollment efforts. She will bring a fresh and relevant perspective to our graduate programs and will be a strong advocate for graduate students."
In her new role, Petrescu will provide strategic leadership and vision to help advance graduate education in directions consistent with K-State's goals and priorities and the evolving role of graduate education in the 21st century. She will oversee operations of the Graduate School and will work collaboratively with partners — including the college deans, faculty, students, program coordinators, administration and more — to develop fresh approaches to graduate program enrollment.
"I am truly honored for being chosen to serve as the inaugural vice provost for graduate education and dean of the graduate school at K-State," Petrescu said. "I am looking forward to working with Provost Taber and with K-State's leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members in supporting the university's mission by advancing graduate education in strategic and innovative ways."
Since 2019, Petrescu has served as chief strategy officer at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Reporting to the university president, she works with leaders from across all divisions to lead and coordinate implementation of the university's strategic plan, develop data-driven decision-making, identify strategic opportunities that support organizational innovation and adaptation, student success, impactful research and community engagement, and creating a diverse and inclusive campus.
Petrescu served as Oakland University's dean of graduate education from 2015-2019 and is a professor of public administration and nonprofit management. Before joining Oakland, Petrescu was at Eastern Michigan University where she was a professor of public administration and nonprofit management; faculty associate for policy and procedure at the Graduate School from 2014-2015; assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for strategic planning from 2009-2015; program director of the university's National Leadership Alliance from 2004-2014; and interim head of the political science department from 2005-2007.
Among Petrescu's honors are serving as an American Council of Education, or ACE, fellow from May 2018 to June 2019. She has 14 peer-reviewed publications in a variety of journals, including the International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, International Leadership Journal, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and more, and has presented her work across the world.
Petrescu earned her doctorate from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned a master's degree in social and public policy from Duquesne University and a master's in economics from Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. She also completed post-graduate studies in international affairs at the National School of Public Administration and International Relations, also in Romania. Petrescu is fluent in Romanian and Hungarian.
