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 Summer
1999 |
Corbin to Lead Children, Youth, and Family Programs
What have your first steps been since arriving at Penn State? My first steps have been to learn about the University, what's going on in extension at the county level, and how state programs support county programs. I'm looking for opportunities for collaboration, where the University can partner with other agencies, organizations, and colleges. I plan to establish task forces on special programmatic issues. I'm also creating opportunities for extension educators to express their ideas about research needs for outreach and extension programming. The University's Outreach Partnership Fund and grants from the new Children, Youth, and Families Consortium are excellent funding sources, so faculty and staff can develop programs on issues affecting youth and families in the Commonwealth. Ultimately, we hope to secure additional funding for more agent positions, state specialists, and researchers. I am sure the state's foundations will be interested in what Penn State is establishing for children, youth, and families, and they'll be interested in investing in our programs. How do you see yourself in the larger vision of Penn State outreach?I'm thrilled that Penn State's philosophy and vision is to extend our resources and intellectual expertise in a greater fashion to the people in the Commonwealth, nation, and world. My position addresses both outreach and cooperative extension, which allows for access to every college in some fashion. And there are so many new ways to approach outreach! Penn State's initiative for children, youth, and families is just one exciting, interdisciplinary opportunity. When you can bring together more than 250 faculty from different colleges and from across the state to concentrate on a program area, it's really thrilling. What's your leadership style?I'm taking a shared leadership approach. By working with faculty and county educators, we will develop the vision of where our programs should go and what we should be about. That vision should capture our imaginations, engage our spirits, and inspire performance. Then we can take the actions necessary to change or realign our organizational forces to incorporate new opportunities. My leadership philosophy also involves having the responsibility and courage in my heart to talk with passion, excitement, and spirit about what I believe in. I feel I can do that when I talk about the importance and resiliency of families and the family unit, whatever form or shape it takes. Families have changed dramatically in the last 20 years, so extension is developing new programming techniques to support them. How will information technology affect your position?I'm a strong supporter of technology because I believe it really does make our lives more productive. When I did my dissertation, I had to keypunch cards for my research. Thank goodness that approach has been updated with faster computers and powerful databases! I'm also a proponent of distance education using satellite delivery systems so more professionals can receive in- service education. But you have to find a balance, too -- some situations really require face-to-face contact. What do you do when you're not working?My mother and two brothers are still in Kansas, and I stay in close touch with them. They've been very supportive and my brothers are thrilled about me becoming a Nittany Lion -- Penn State's athletic programs have a lot of visibility. State College is like Manhattan, Kansas, in that the city is very much a college town, so the parallels are very comfortable for me. In my free time, I enjoy reading, travel, visiting museums and historical spots, and seeing new places. And I try to work in a good walk every day. -- Gary Abdullah
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Penn State | College of Agricultural Sciences | ICT Copyright - Alternative
Media - Affirmative
Action |
Marilyn Corbin was
named state program leader for children, youth, and families with Penn
State Cooperative
Extension and Outreach in October
1998. As state program leader, she leads and supports statewide education
programs, including 4-H, aimed at youth and families. She also serves
on the steering committee of the University's new Children, Youth, and
Families Consortium, which seeks to engage the resources of the entire
University in providing programs and services for Pennsylvania families.
Before coming to Penn State, Corbin was professor and assistant to the
director of the Cooperative Extension Service at North Carolina State
University. She previously served as acting associate director of the
Kansas Cooperative Extension Service and held academic and extension
positions at Kansas State University and Texas A&M University. Corbin
earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and home economics
from Southwestern College in 1970, and a master's degree in textiles
and interior design and a doctorate in family life education from Kansas
State University in 1972 and 1982, respectively. Penn State Agriculture recently
spoke with her about her new position.