SHARON, Pa. — Andy Puleo, interim regional director of student affairs at Penn State Beaver and Penn State Shenango, has been named to the Under 40 Distinguished Impact Awards list by the Homegrown Initiative’s Future Leaders, along with the Shenango Valley, Grove City Area, Greenville Area, and Mercer Area Chambers of Commerce. The Homegrown Initiative is a program sponsored by the Penn-Northwest Development Corporation.
Puleo will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Thursday, May 29, at Grove City College, along with 15 other honorees who are being celebrated for their contributions to Mercer County.
As the director of student affairs at the Shenango campus, Puleo has overseen student clubs, organizations and engagement, as well as student-community outreach and Shenango Athletics. Under Puleo’s leadership, Penn State Shenango has partnered with local and regional organizations to provide practice and competition spaces for Shenango student-athletes. In February 2025, Puleo began his tenure as the interim regional director of student affairs at both the Beaver and Shenango campuses, a position which has allowed for inter-campus collaboration and shared resources.
“Andy is deeply passionate about student success and treats every student interaction with the utmost care and respect. Our students truly feel a sense of belonging when visiting the student affairs office on campus,” said Carey McDougall, regional chancellor of Penn State Beaver and Penn State Shenango. “As a regional leader, he is always working to make connections that strengthen both the campus and the local community, which is an inspiring quality.”
Puleo is a 2006 graduate of Kennedy Catholic High School and earned a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education from Saint Vincent College. He later completed his master’s degree in student affairs and higher education from Slippery Rock University in 2014.
