MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg has announced the appointment of two new school directors. Raffy Luquis will lead the college’s School of Behavioral Sciences and Education (BSED), and Amber Stephenson will head the School of Business Administration (SBA). The two were selected following national searches.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Raffy and Amber to these roles. They bring exceptional vision, scholarship and leadership to Penn State Harrisburg and the schools they lead,” said Chancellor David Callejo Pérez. “As we continue to elevate the student experience, expand our academic impact and broaden our community engagement, the expertise of these leaders will be critical. I am confident they will lead their schools with distinction and drive innovation in their fields.”
Luquis, who began his appointment on July 1, has served as interim director for BSED since August 2023. He comes with over 20 years of experience as a faculty member, program chair and principal investigator at Penn State Harrisburg, bringing an extensive familiarity with Penn State and external exposure due to his ongoing professional activities.
Luquis is a professor of biobehavioral health and serves as the director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDI-B) for the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute. He earned his doctoral degree in health science at the University of Arkansas, his master of science in health education, and his bachelor of science in science at Penn State. Luquis has a broad background in health education and health promotion. His primary research and teaching interests include cultural competency and multicultural health, public health education and health promotion.
He earned the master certified health education specialist credential from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing in 2011. He is the co-editor of the book “Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion,” published by Jossey-Bass-Wiley, and he has numerous publications and national presentations at conferences in his areas of expertise. He has served in leadership roles as part of the Society for Public Health Education, the Latino Hispanic Professional Association, the PA Family Support Alliance and the Latino Hispanic American Community Center. In 2023, he was appointed to the Governor’s Advisory Commission of Latino Affairs, on which he served as co-chair of the health, human services and safety committee until 2025. Over the years, he has received several recognitions, including the 2025 Distinguished Fellow Award from the Society for Public Health Education.
Stephenson, who began her appointment on Aug. 1, joins the college from Clarkson University’s David D. Reh School of Business, where she served as a tenured professor of management and on the leadership team as director of healthcare management programs. She brings more than a decade of experience in business and healthcare management education, with a strong background in budget oversight, graduate studies, and academic collaboration.
Her research focuses on the healthcare workforce and gender bias among women leaders. She has authored more than 50 publications in leading journals such as Harvard Business Review, Personnel Review, Health Care Management Review and the American Journal of Managed Care. Her work has been featured by major media outlets including CBS News, CNBC, Business Insider, Financial Times and Fortune, and has informed policy at the European Health Parliament.
Stephenson has earned several honors, including the 2024 Herbert Vaughan Distinguished Lectureship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She has also shared her expertise at international events, including the UCL Global Business School for Health and the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. She is on the executive committee for the Health Care Management Division of Academy of Management and an engaged member of AACSB’s Women Advancing Management Education (WAME) affinity group.
Stephenson holds a doctoral degree in leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in public health from West Chester University, and a bachelor of science degree from Ursinus College.
