Tonya L. Peeples

Harold and Inge Marcus Dean in the College of Engineering

Tonya L. Peeples became the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering on January 1, 2024. She joined Penn State in 2018 a professor of chemical engineering and as the inaugural associate dean for equity and inclusion in the College of Engineering. In 2023, prior to being named interim dean, she was appointed senior associate dean.

Among her responsibilities and accomplishments, Peeples has led the Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion, developed the college’s equity action plan, and helped to establish the A. James Clark Scholars Program at Penn State for promising engineering undergraduate students with significant financial need. 

As dean, Peeples oversees all aspects of the college, including: 

• Pursuit of excellence and innovation in engineering education and research
• Initiatives to attract students, faculty and staff and support their development
• Ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
• Stewardship of the college’s financial resources
• Continuation of a major campus facilities modernization 

Previously, Peeples served as the associate dean for diversity and outreach, and professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. She earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. 

Peeples is a member of the American Society of Engineering Educators, the Society of Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, the National Association for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Chemical Society. She also is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.