Penn State Brandywine appointed Eliel Acosta-Solalinde as assistant director of student engagement and leader of the Center for Social Impact, effective Jan. 30.
MEDIA, Pa. — Penn State Brandywine appointed Eliel Acosta-Solalinde as assistant director of student engagement and leader of the Center for Social Impact, effective Jan. 30. He succeeds Christine Brown, who served as the interim Rosenberg director of the center since Nov. 1, 2022.
The center manages a variety of campus and community engagement programs, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day observance and social justice fair, the campus garden and community service opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
“Having this position is an opportunity for me to engage with students in a different way than I have in previous roles. I get to think about how I can plug students into civic engagement and community service opportunities,” Acosta-Solalinde said. “I’m looking forward to working with the center interns. I know they have a lot of great ideas about branding their initiatives, like the Career Closet and the food pantry. I helped organize a community service event during MLK week where we put together care packages for unhoused folks, and it had a great turnout. A lot of the students were very expressive in that they wanted to see more community service events, so I’m looking forward to making that happen.”
In his role at the Center for Social Impact, Acosta-Solalinde will work to advance the campus’s efforts in civic and community engagement, overseeing Brandywine’s food pantry and nurturing the growth of the campus garden.
Eliel joined Brandywine in 2022 as the assistant director of student equity and inclusion programming in student affairs. In this role, he planned and executed diversity, equity and inclusion events to raise awareness of different cultures and social justice initiatives. His dedication to Brandywine also includes service on many committees as well as advising several student organizations.
“It’s with great excitement that we welcome Eliel to his new role as the assistant director of student engagement and leader of our Center for Social Impact,” said Stephanie Jones, director of student affairs. “I’m confident that Eliel’s passion and experience will greatly contribute to the success and positive impact of the center’s initiatives on our students, community and beyond.”
Acosta-Solalinde earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish from Mount St. Mary’s University and a master’s degree in community and economic development from Penn State.
