Curriculum Vita Dr. Wesley E. Donahue - Penn State Personal Web ...

Curriculum Vita
Dr. Wesley E. Donahue
wed105@psu.edu
814‐865‐6341
Brief bio:
http://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/workforce-ed/faculty/wesley-donahue

Wesley E. Donahue, Ph.D., MBA, PE
1388 Chestnut Ridge Drive (814) 231-0618; fax: (814) 231-0755
State College, PA 16803
e-mail: wdonahue@psu.edu
_______________________________________________________________________________________
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
25+ years of progressive leadership experience in education, international business,
technology transfer, and academic administration:
Experienced Academic Administrator
As Executive Director of Continuing and Professional Education in Outreach and
Associate Professor of Education at Penn State, I lead an interdisciplinary academic
unit that is comprised of tenured and fixed term (full and part-time) faculty
representing multiple Penn State colleges. In this role, I am directly involved in
education, technology and administering sponsored and privately funded programs.
Approximately half of the unit’s activities are through sponsored grants and
contracts with the remaining funded by private sources.
Teaching and Scholarship
I have been a full-time faculty member for nearly twenty years and have taught a
variety of business, education and technology related courses to undergraduate and
graduate students and consistently received student ratings above 6.5 on a 7 point
scale. As a faculty affiliated with Penn State’s School of Engineering Design,
Technology, and Professional Programs (SEDTAPP) I teach a variety of courses
within the Engineering Leadership and Entrepreneurship Minors aimed at preparing
students for careers and leadership positions. As a faculty affiliated with the
department of Workforce Education and Development (WFED) and member of
Penn State’s Graduate Faculty, I teach and supervise selected field-based internship
projects and oversee scholarly activities.
International Technology Manager
As International Manager of Technology for a Fortune 500 company (Brockway
Inc. / now Owens-Brockway, the largest glass container manufacturer in the world),
I traveled to over two dozen countries sharing “best practices” with licensees
worldwide. I initiated and led global corporate technical development projects
focused on industry best practices, technology transfer, and strategic globalization
initiatives. I also co-founded a spin-off specialty equipment manufacturing
company (Leffler Systems of New Jersey).
_________________________________________________________________________
EDUCATION
Ph.D.
MBA
BS
Other
Penn State (1996), Workforce Education and Development
Clarion University (1981), Finance Emphasis
Penn State (1972), Civil Engineering
Registered Professional Engineer (PE)
Registered Professional Land Surveyor (PLS)
Six-Sigma Black Belt (Allied Signal)
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)

EXPERIENCE
(Donahue p. 2)
1988 – present Penn State University
Executive Director, Continuing and Professional Education
Responsible for all aspects of leadership, planning, and operation including program
collaboration and development, recruitment and professional development of faculty and
staff, academic standards for credit and non-credit programming.
Created a variety of innovative curricula applying contemporary and emerging online
instructional technologies and promoting collaboration with academic units and faculty
members on university-wide outreach initiatives.
Oversee a technology center located at the Penn Stater Conference Center that focuses
on effective uses of technology in teaching and learning and provides support to faculty,
professional organizations, and institutes.
Director – Penn State Management Development Programs and Services
Responsible for the strategic leadership and operation of inter-disciplinary University
based academic unit that includes full-time and part-time instructors focused on helping
individuals and organizations improve performance.
Provide professional management development and process improvement service to
approximately two hundred organizations across the Commonwealth each year; in
2004, received the Penn State Continuing Education Leadership Award.
Served as Advisory Board Chair of the 2006 annual International Conference on
Management and Executive Development that is attended by hundreds of professionals
from four-year academic institutions around the world.
Faculty Member / Associate Professor
Serve as a member of Penn State’s Graduate Faculty (Department of Workplace
Learning and Performance) and actively participate on masters and doctoral committees,
supervise internship projects, provide research opportunities for both graduate and
undergraduate students, as well as sponsor annual doctoral assistantships.
Conducted extensive research in the leadership competency area, and recently coauthored
a book with Dr. William Rothwell focused on sales competencies that is
offered both in English and Chinese.
Managed numerous individual and organizational needs assessment projects ranging
from the development of a training plan for a small service organization to leading the

curriculum development for practicing design engineers of a Fortune 50 multinational
corporation.
(Donahue p.3)
1987 – 1995 Professional Associate / MGA Inc., Gloucester MA. – A worldwide
provider of Technical Management Professional Services to the packaging industry
Conducted research and strategic market intelligence for large multi-national clients
providing assessments of industry specific global technical developments.
Developed program plans and secured sponsored funding for a major customized job
training / workforce development grant from the State of New Jersey for a
manufacturer of plastic products.
Developed an innovative marketing concept, for which the sponsoring plastics
packaging company submitted a design patent application.
1987 – 1990 LEFFLER SYSTEMS of NJ - Manufacturer of plastic products and
specialized machinery with headquarters in Parsippany NJ
Executive Vice President and Co-Founder
Led entrepreneurial venture that transformed a former applied research center into a
manufacturing company, which successfully commercialized plastic containers targeted
for the emerging bottled water industry.
Raised nearly one million dollars of start-up capital, created jobs, hired and trained
staff, recruited seasoned outside sales representative organization. Responsible for comanaging
manufacturing operations, sales, finance and legal affairs.
Negotiated and consummated merger arrangement with a synergistic partner, Mar-Kay
Plastics of Kansas City, MO., one of the 50 largest plastic blow-molding companies in
North America. Board advisor; managed regional sales territory. Offered the Chief
Operating Officer position of Mar-Kay Plastics in Kansas City.
1973 – 1987 BROCKWAY INC., Brockway, PA - Now Owens-Brockway a unit of
Owens-Illinois (the world’s leading producer of glass containers and technology)
International Manager of Technology
Responsible for managing the company’s highly successful technical services, products
and training support portfolio, and developing new business. Developed benefit/cost
proposals for the company’s most profitable division, prepared contract documents,
managed license agreements, and provided customer service. Traveled in 48 states and
24 countries.

(Donahue p.4)
Negotiated on-site with the Chinese Ministry to build five glass manufacturing plants in
Mainland China costing nearly $ 100 million; all projects included on-going training
and technical support.
Directly responsible for managing and maintaining client relationships and technology
transfer activities in the Philippines, Argentina and Denmark. Awarded special
recognition by Division President for outstanding performance.
Manager of Corporate Technical Development
Served as chair of the corporation’s R&D committee; conducted annual visioning
sessions, technical gap analysis, and tactical planning. Responsible for developing new
intellectual capital and managing the corporation’s strategic technical development and
implementation plans.
Facilitated the development of an annual New Business Development and Ventures
Program; managed internal collaborations, outsourcing activities and spearheaded
partnership programs. Given special stock award by the company’s board in
recognition of outstanding accomplishments related to advanced manufacturing
initiatives.
Part of a strategic team of four that was recognized for growing the company’s three
plastics packaging businesses from $50 million sales to $250 million over a five year
period.
Department Head - Glass Furnace Engineering Department
In-charge of annual multi-million dollar budget and projects from conception to
production.
Responsible for an energy conservation program that saved the company millions of
dollars annually.
Performed complete engineering cycle assignments: design, detail drawings, bills of
material, selection of vendors, purchase negotiations, installation and start-up.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS / PRESENTATIONS / SERVICE
(Donahue p. 5)
Publications Sampling
Co-author: Leadership competency inventory: A comprehensive approach for developing and
validating measurement. (2010). Academy of Human Resource Development.
Co-author: The 5-S Consultative Approach to Sales. (2004). Community College Press.
Co-author: Building In-House Sales Development Programs (2003). Quorum Books.
Project Management (2001. Study Guides. Department of Distance Education – World
Campus, Penn State University.
Customer Service, Its Everyone’s Job (2000). Booklet. Management Development
Publication, Penn State University
The Penn State Model for Management Development. (1998, January). Marketing Contract
Training, 5 (1), 5-6, The LERN Organization.
Structured Goal Setting as a Self-Directed Activity. (1999). Book Chapter. The Sourcebook
for Self-Directed Learning, HRD Press.
Organizational Understanding. (1999). Book Chapter. The Sourcebook for Self-Directed
Learning, HRD Press.
Race and Culture: A World Review. (1996, July). Book Review. International Journal of
Vocational Education and Training. Glasgow Scotland.
A descriptive analysis of the perceived importance of leadership competencies to practicing
engineers. (1996). Doctoral dissertation, Penn State University.
Managing editor and co-author of numerous Penn State Management Development Programs
and Services proprietary education and training course materials.
Presentations Sampling
Presenter, eLearning - State of the Practice. Twenty-fifth Annul Conference on Management
and Executive Education.
Contributing presenter and planner – The Leadership Summit, Pennsylvania Chamber of
Business and Industry Annual Statewide Conference.
Presenter, The Factors for Success: 80 years of Service to Business and Industry, Penn State
Outreach Symposium.
Presenter, Contract Training and Partnerships, Penn State Statewide Outreach Conference.
Invited Expert Panelist (Cut Scores): Chauncey – Educational Testing Service (ETS), Trainer
Certification Program.
Barrier plastics packaging systems. Proceedings of Plasticos Conference. U.S. Department of
Commerce, Mexico City.
New developments in glass containers. Proceeding of 12th Annual Conference. Asean
Federation of Glass Manufacturers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Service Sampling
Chair, Ferguson Township Industrial & Commercial Development Authority.
Advisory Board Chair, 2006 Conference on Management and Executive Development (CMED).
Past Chair, Keller Scholarship Committee, Penn State University.
Member, The Global Associates, International Division of University Continuing Education
Association (UCEA).
Member Nittany Valley Chapter American Society of Training and Development (ASTD).
Member, Design Team, Leadership and Management Excellence - Department Heads,
Directors, and Managers, Penn State University.
Board member, numerous organizations.

(Donahue p. 6)
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I believe that understanding of content or knowledge of a particular discipline is not transmitted
from professor to student, but rather is constructed by the student in a supportive context in which
the professor raises questions, problems and issues surrounding the content and then supports the
student as he seeks answers and solutions.
I have found that students become highly motivated to learn when they are confronted with
authentic tasks that challenge them to wrestle with new ideas presented. I generally begin my
teaching by laying down the foundational concepts, elaborating and simplifying, demonstrating,
and posing scenarios. Then, I encourage the students to join in the process. Once they take an
active role in the learning process and they are given honest, yet positive feedback about their
efforts they begin to exhibit a sense of control over or responsibility for their learning. Throughout
this course of action, I express my genuine belief in each student’s ability to learn, set high
standards and expectations and do my best to communicate my own passion for the topic and
learning.