Congratulations to Jennifer Kerns, our newly elected Councilor at Large member from our December elections. We received a wonderful group of candidates for this position and you can find the full results of the election here.
We also want to welcome back Karlyn Adams-Wiggins, continuing to serve as VP for Legislative and Political Action while out on family leave this fall, and a huge thank you to Colleen Carroll, who served as Interim VP for LEG, in Karlyn’s time away.
You can find all of our elected Executive Council and staff members here.
Candidate Statement:
Jennifer Kerns
Teaching Associate Professor, History; Affiliate Faculty, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Non Tenure Track Faculty
Past AAUP Experience: President and VP for Membership and Organizing, Unit Representative
I am running for the PSU-AAUP Executive Council because I believe deeply in the power of collective advocacy to defend our work and our university. Having served in AAUP leadership and worked closely with members across units, I bring extensive experience within our union and the kind of institutional knowledge that comes from years of navigating PSU’s systems. I’ve also seen what we can accomplish when we organize with purpose—from advancing teaching professor ranks, to increasing pay for academic professionals, to securing policy that supports caregivers and strengthens equity across campus. These successes were possible because members stood together and insisted on real progress.
Today, PSU is facing serious challenges. Administrative decisions are increasingly out of step with the university’s mission and with the needs of the people who make it run. As a board member, I will help strengthen our collective capacity, support transparent decision-making, and ensure that member concerns across ranks and units are genuinely heard and acted on.
[This statement was submitted by the nominee]