Matt Barone
Director, Undergraduate Student Engagement
My journey to the Leonhard Center:
I started working in the Leonhard Center in June 2019. As an undergraduate student at the State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland, I majored in communication studies, but also found myself getting heavily involved outside of the classroom. As the President of the Student Government Association and co-founder of the LEAD@Cortland leadership program, I found my passion for helping my peers become engaged in their campus community. I earned my Masters in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and have been involved in student engagement, leadership development and community service ever since. I worked as the Coordinator for Student Organizations at James Madison University, Assistant Director for Student Union and Activities at SUNY Brockport, and most recently before joining the Leonhard Center, as the Assistant Director for Service and Leadership here at Penn State.
Matt is passionate about:
- Student leadership/team development
- Social change/community development
- Student engagement and involvement
- Mountain Biking/Hiking/Camping
- Coaching youth sports
Proud moments:
- Development and launch of 1st ever Penn State Leadership Institute (2018, 2019)
- Association of College Unions International (ACUI):
2012, 2013, 2014 Conference Presenter
2013 Region 2 Conference Planning Chair - Graduate Student of the Year Award, Bowling Green State University (2007)
Favorite Leonhard Center Halloween costume:
Saloon Barkeep (2019)
What to contact Matt for:
Email Matt for questions about current and prospective student engagement as well as questions related to the Engineering Orientation Network (EON), Impact Scholars, and the Engineering Undergraduate Council (EUC).
