OIM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Investments
Ms. Sellers joined the Office of Investment Management at Penn State University in 2011. Prior to joining our office, Angelique was a Co-Chief Investment Officer at Anchor Point Capital LLC, and investment management firm providing hedge fund of funds solutions to institutional clients. Ms Sellers also worked as an Investment Officer with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Ms. Sellers holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Languages from Moscow State Linguistic University. She is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Penn State Investment Council
Barbara Doran was elected to the Board of Trustees by the Alumni in July 2013 and served through 2022. She graduated from Penn State in 1975 with a B.A. in English from the College of the Liberal Arts and later completed an MBA from Harvard Business School. She started out as a journalist here in State College, working as a newswoman for WRSC radio, writing for Penn State Sports Information and free-lancing for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Barbara was a three-sport varsity athlete at Penn State - field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse - and was the first reporter to cover women's sports for The Daily Collegian. She was the first Penn State woman to be selected to the United States Women's National Lacrosse Team and, along with two others, the first to be selected to the US Women's Field Hockey Team. She currently plays for one of the United States Masters' Teams in World Cup play.
Barbara has worked for over 35 years on Wall Street in senior positions at major Wall Street firms, including as the Research Investment Officer at Neuberger Berman, and has started and run several firms including a hedge fund. She currently runs her own wealth advisory and investment management firm in New York City called BD8 Capital Partners. She is a published writer on sports and investments and appears regularly on CNBC's Closing Bell as both guest and co-host commenting on stocks and the markets.
Barbara has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2023
Job Titles:
- Founder and President of MicroPlusPlus Investment Management
- FOUNDER and PRESIDENT, MICROPLUSPLUS
Blake Gall is the Founder and President of MicroPlusPlus Investment Management, a small hedge fund.
Prior to founding MicroPlusPlus he served as Vice Chairman of Quantitative Equities for OFI Institutional Asset Management. He was also owner, CEO, and CIO of Trinity Investment Management. Before that he was a Director of Quantitative Research at Prudential Securities in New York. He began his career as an ASE and apparel analyst at Standard & Poor's as well as being a small-cap equity analysts at E.F. Hutton.
Blake has also served in the CFA program on the Candidate Curriculum Committee and the Council of Examiners, and was on the editorial board of The Journal of Pension Plan Investing.
He was a 2006 PSU Renaissance Fund Honoree, along with his wife Linda. He is an active volunteer in Centre County including Centre Foundation; Mount Nittany Medical Center; and Mount Nittany Conservancy. At the University: in addition to the Penn State Investment Council, he has also served as a committee member for the Nittany Lion Fund
Blake earned a BSE in Engineering from Princeton University in 1974.
He has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2012.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Penn State Investment Council
Brandon Short was elected to the Board of Trustees by the Alumni effective July 1, 2018. He is Executive Director and Portfolio Manager, PGIM Real Estate, where he manages PGIM's Private REIT Fund and directs the fund's east coast investment and asset management activities. He has over 13 years of experience in real estate investment banking and investment management.
Prior to joining PGIM, he was M&A Director at Round Hill Capital. Before Round Hill, he was a member of the Cerberus European real estate investment team. Before joining Cerberus, he worked at Goldman Sachs as a real estate investment banker based both in New York and Dubai
Before his career in finance, Brandon had a 7-year career in the National Football League, with the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants.
He holds a BS in Marketing from Pennsylvania State University and received a MBA from Columbia Business School.
Brandon has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2023.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Penn State Investment Council
- Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Visa
Colleen Ostrowski is the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Visa and is also General Manager of Treasury as a Service. She is responsible for pension investments as well as global cash management, capital markets, insurance, financial risk management and settlement. Colleen serves as the Chair of the Investment Committee and Treasurer to the Visa Foundation.
Prior to her time at Visa, Colleen was a Senior Vice President, Treasurer, and Head of IR at Mylan. Prior to that she was Vice President, Corporate Finance and Treasurer at ITT Corporation. Before joining ITT she was at Pfizer Inc. leading the Pension Investments and Finance Group.
She also has previously served as: Treasurer of the Investment Committee for the Pfizer Foundation; Vice Chair of the Investment Advisory Group for the PhRMA organization; Member of the Investment Committee for the American Benefits Council.
She earned her MBA from Pennsylvania State University as well as a BS in International Business from Juniata College.
Colleen has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2010
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Senior Vice President
Dr. Sara Thorndike is the Senior Vice President for Finance and Business/Treasurer - Pennsylvania State University.
Prior to coming to Penn State, Sara served as Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance & Chief Financial Officer for East Carolina University; the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs, Chief Financial Officer, and Controller for the University of North Carolina Wilmington; as well as the Controller and Accounting Director for the Principia Corporation.
Currently Sara serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Penn State; a member of the President's Council and the Board of Directors for Penn State Corporation. She is the Chair of the Health Care Advisory Council and serves on the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County and the Centre County United Way.
Sara holds an Ed D in Higher Education Leadership from the University of North Carolina Wilmington as well as an MBA from Ohio State and a BS in Accounting from Franklin University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Penn State Investment Council
- President of Hintz Capital Management
Edward Hintz is currently the President of Hintz Capital Management. Prior to that he was the President and Founder of Hintz, Holman, and Robillard, Inc., a private investment firm in New York.
He is a member of the National Board of the Smithsonian Institution; the Board of the New York Historical Society; Chair of the Penn State National Development Council, and at Penn State he served as Vice Chair, and Chair of The Campaign for Penn State, and A Grand Destiny: The Penn State Campaign respectively. Edward has also been a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees since 1994, at times serving as Chair and Vice Chair.
In 1982 he was named Alumni Fellow by the College of Business Administration; and honored in 1987 as a Distinguished Alumnus of Penn State.
Edward holds an MBA from Harvard University, and a BS in Business Administration from Penn State.
Edward has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2004.
Job Titles:
- Analyst, Operations
- Office of Investment Management in 2022 As an Analyst
Mr. Smith joined the Office of Investment Management in 2022 as an Analyst for the Operations team. Prior to this role, he worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant and Resident Assistant for Penn State University. Haven holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Eberly College of Science at Penn State University.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Managing Partner
- Board Member of Microvest Capital Management of Bethesda
- MANAGING PARTNER and FOUNDER, WCI PARTNERS, LP
- Member of the Penn State Investment Council
J. Alex Hartzler is a Managing Partner and Founder of WCI Partners, LP, a real estate development company.
Prior to founding WCI, Alex was a Partner and Executive Vice President of Webclients.net.
Alex is a board member of Microvest Capital Management of Bethesda, MD, where he also currently serves on the executive committee; he is also the Chairman of the Board of Sarona Asset Management. Previously he served on the board of Praxis Mutual Funds.
In 2016 he was appointed to the Board of Trustees by the Governor of Pennsylvania and served in that capacity through 2022.
Alex earned a BA in Economics from Penn State then went on to study as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cologne, Germany. Following this he earned his JD from The George Washington University Law School.
Alex has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2017.
Job Titles:
- CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, J.D. CAPITAL MANAGMENT
- Member of the Penn State Investment Council
J. David Rogers is the CEO of J. D. Capital Management, a private investment firm, Greenwich, CT. Prior to that he was a Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co, and a Financial Analyst at the Mobil Oil Corporation.
David holds both an MBA in Finance, as well as a BS in Accounting from Penn State. He was instrumental in establishing the Smeal College Trading Room at Penn State.
David has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2003.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Is
- MANAGING DIRECTOR, WILLIAM BLAIR
James Brandau, Managing Director, is a wealth advisor at William Blair. He and his team manage assets for private business owners, business executives, endowments, foundations, and high-net-worth investors.
He has spent almost 20 years advising clients in the private wealth management space. Before joining William Blair, he was a managing director at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. from 2014 to 2022, where he helped expand the Philadelphia practice.
James currently serves as a director on multiple boards: Philadelphia Orchestra (Investment Committee); Philadelphia Academy of Music; Penn State Smeal School of Business, Board of Visitors; Nittany Lion Fund, Penn State; and Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill, Alumni Council.
He earned his MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
James has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2020.
Job Titles:
- Senior Analyst, Operations
Job Titles:
- Director of Investments
- Office of Investment Management As the Director of Investments
Ms. Reed joined the Office of Investment Management as the Director of Investments in 2023. Prior to joining the team, Jocelin served as an institutional portfolio manager for firms such as The Swarthmore Group, AJO Partners and Mellon Capital Management, accumulating over 25 years in the investment industry. She has earned her BS in Finance from the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA in Finance from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Jocelin teaches portfolio management as an Adjunct Professor at the Villanova School of Business and is a CFA charterholder.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director and Senior Banker for the Tri - State Region of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- MANAGING DIRECTOR and SENIOR BANKER, TRI - STATE REGION, J.P. MORGAN PRIVATE BANK
Joseph Markovich is a Managing Director and Senior Banker for the Tri-State Region of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank.
Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Private Bank, he was at J.P. Morgan's Securities Trust & Information Services; prior to that he spent several years with Bankers Trust Company in a similar role.
He earned his MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and a BS in Accounting from The Pennsylvania State University.
Joseph has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2013.
Job Titles:
- Chief Investment Officer of the Office of Investment Management
- CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, OFFICE of INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, the PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
- Office of Investment Management As the Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Cullen joined the Office of Investment Management as the Chief Investment Officer in 2019. Prior to joining Penn State, Joe was the Chief Investment Officer at the Montana Board of Investments. Joe has also held investment positions at Fidelity Investments, Amherst College, and Lucent Technologies, accumulating over 25 years of experience in the investment industry. He earned his BA at Ripon College and his MBA at Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Joe is a CFA charterholder, CAIA charterholder, and a Financial Risk Manager - Certified by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
Joseph Cullen is the Chief Investment Officer of the Office of Investment Management at the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to coming to Penn State he served as the Chief Investment Officer at the Montana Board of Investments.
Joe holds a BA in Economics from Ripon College and an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
Ms. Hammel joined the Office of Investment Management in 2008.
Karen is instrumental in the day-to-day accounting and reconciliation of investment fund data. She and her team constantly monitor and update multiple data systems which are vital to several Finance & Business unit offices. Karen is also the Green Team leader for our office and advises our staff on various recycling policies at Penn State.
Karen holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration - Accounting from Saint Francis University.
Job Titles:
- Associate, Operations
- Office of Investment Management As Senior Accountant
Ms. Schiavi joined the Office of Investment Management as Senior Accountant in 2018. Katie previously held positions at Penn State in Accounting Operations and Internal Audit and served as the Financial Officer for Student Affairs and Educational Equity. Prior to working at Penn State, Katie worked for a small accounting firm specializing in not for profit and governmental entities. Katie holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Penn State and CPA certification.
Job Titles:
- Office of Investment Management As Senior Investment Associate
- Senior Analyst, Investments
Mr. Spotts joined the Office of Investment Management as Senior Investment Associate in 2018. He previously worked in the Office of the Corporate Controller at Penn State. Prior to coming to Penn State, he worked as an accountant for various local corporations. Kevin specializes in critical theory and challenging status quos.
Kevin holds a Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Statistics from The Pennsylvania State University, and received his MBA from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He is a certified bartender, ordained minister, and amateur carpenter.
Mary Lee Schneider was elected to the Board of Trustees effective July 2015 representing business and industry. She earned a B.A. from Penn State University, an M.S. from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1991, and an MBA and an M.S. from Northwestern University. Mary Lee is a member of the Mount Nittany Society and was also named an Alumni Fellow in 2006.
Mary Lee was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of SG360°, a $300 million Chicago-area provider of integrated direct marketing solutions to retailers, advertising agencies, financial services companies, insurers and telecommunication providers. Prior to her role at SG360°, Mary Lee was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Follett Corp., a $3 billion provider of education-related products, services and technology.
Prior to Follett, Mary Lee was President, Digital Solutions and Chief Technology Officer for Chicago-based RR Donnelley, where she spent 20 years in a number of senior management roles. She started her career in publishing in New York city working for Conde Nast Publications, Time Warner and McGraw Hill.
Mary Lee serves on the Board of Directors of Utah-based Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, New York-based Active International, and Illinois-based Old World Industries.
Her Chicago community service includes the Chicago Public Library Foundation Board, and the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Leader Council. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago Network, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Matthew Schuyler was elected to the Board of Trustees effective July 2015 as an at-large trustee. He was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Board in 2017 and as Chair of the Board in 2020.
The Chief Brand Officer at Hilton earned his B.S. in Accounting from Penn State in 1987 and an MBA in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management from the University of Michigan in 1995. Matthew's Penn State volunteer service has included membership on the Board of Visitors of the Smeal College of Business, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and on the School of Hospitality Management Advisory Board. The Penn State Alumni Association honored him with an Alumni Fellow Award in 2013.
Mr. Nguyen joined the Office of Investment Management in 2022. Prior to joining Penn State, Michael spent more than 10 years across various investment research roles. Most recently, he was the Director of Private Investments at the Montana Board of Investments. Michael earned his BS in Finance and MBA from Portland State University.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Operations
- Office of Investment Management As the Managing Director, Operations
Mr. Pettit joined the Office of Investment Management as the Managing Director, Operations in 2020. Prior to joining Penn State, Mike was the Director of Investment Operations and Cash Management at the Montana Board of Investments. Mike has also held leadership positions within the custody banking industry at Bankers Trust, Deutsche Bank, Northern Trust and State Street in roles covering accounting, operations and relationship management, accumulating over 29 years of industry experience. He earned his BS at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Director, Operations
- Office of Investment Management As Director, Operations
Ms. Battaglia joined the Office of Investment Management as Director, Operations in 2021. Tricia previously held positions at Pen State in the Treasury, SIMBA project, and Research Accounting. Prior to joining Penn State, Tricia worked for State Street and Brown Brothers Harriman, in roles covering fund accounting and securities lending, respectively. Tricia earned a BS from Penn State and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Randall "Randy" E. Black was elected to the Board of Trustees by delegates from Agricultural Societies in 2020. An alumnus of Bloomsburg University, he has more than three decades of business and accounting experience and has been with First Citizens Community Bank since 1993. He has over forty years of hands-on farm experience and he still breeds and exhibits dairy cattle today. Randy is a lifetime 4-H member and a program leader, and he is also a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, a member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, and the Tioga/Potter Farm Bureau.
Randy has been a member of the Penn State Investment Council since 2023.
Job Titles:
- Analyst for the Office of Investment Management
- Analyst, Operations
Ms. Lucas is an Analyst for the Office of Investment Management at Penn State University, she joined our office in 2003. Sharon holds an Associates degree in Computer Information Systems. She manages a wide range of projects and serves as administrator of multiple internal and external databases, websites, and specialized software packages. Sharon is also heading up various projects revolving around record preservation and disaster recovery planning for our office.