Ben Malczyk

WARREN — Northern Pennsylvania Regional College is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Ben Malczyk to the role of Vice President of Academics. Malczyk brings many years of experience in a collection of higher education roles to the institution.

Malczyk comes to Pennsylvania from Utah. He was previously employed by Ensign College as the Associate Academic Vice President. His time at Ensign spanned nearly three years and included a previous role as a senior director of curriculum and instruction before being promoted. He was a crucial part of helping the two-year institution grow their enrollment through online programming.

Before living in Utah, Malczyk resided in Nebraska and worked as a faculty member in the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s social work department for around seven years. Here, he earned the opportunity to serve as the faculty senate president and as program director. He was a vital part of the institution launching a fully online bachelor’s degree program in social work – helping to improve rural communities’ access to both education and social services. In addition to these roles in higher education leadership, Malczyk taught courses at Brigham Young University (BYU) – Idaho and the University at Albany.

Malczyk graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in marriage, family, and human development. He added a master’s degree in social work (MSW) and a PhD in social welfare at the University at Albany. Malczyk also served as a research assistant for Community and Public Service Program for over four years. His background and experience in accreditation, program assessment and improvement, faculty development, online teaching and learning, innovative models of teaching, administration in higher education, and experience as a faculty member, instructional designer, and program leader makes him an excellent addition to the institution.

Northern Pennsylvania Regional College President Susie Snelick shared, “I am extremely happy Ben is joining our NPRC family. His unique higher education skill set caught our attention over many exceptional candidates. His experience covers topics of interest to NPRC, including accreditation, program assessment, and continuous improvement. But what we are most excited about is his expertise in online teaching and innovative approaches to education. As we continue to define the future of higher education in our region of Pennsylvania, Ben is the right person at the right time.”

Malczyk was intrigued about joining the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College team because of the rural focus of the institution and NPRC’s ability to serve individuals where they are. He said, “I believe NPRC can be an institution unlike any in the country. The institution has a clear mission to serve individuals in 10 counties and strengthen the workforce in the area. I enjoy thinking “big picture” and trying to identify the steps towards continuous improvement. I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and how we can build even stronger and vibrant communities through education.”

In his personal time, Malczyk enjoys reading, playing sports, hiking, spending time with family, traveling, and devotion to his Christian faith.

He is the husband of his wife, Jen, and a father of five children: Robert, Monica, Marie, Lydia, and Harriet. Malczyk has also completed mission trips for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including service that took him abroad to Brazil for two years. Service above self will always be influential to him.

“I love to build, create, and serve others. I have prior experience doing so for rural communities. Working for an institution like NPRC is ideal for me because we are just getting started. I’m thankful that I will have the chance to engage with the community to determine the right programs to offer and how to design curriculum that’s both compelling and rigorous. It is exciting to continue expanding my expertise, to lead and try new things, and guide NPRC through this current accreditation process. I know the opportunities that have come my way have prepared me for this stage of my career,” he said.