Aníbal Torres Bernal, Ph.D.

Chief Academic Officer

Penn State Lehigh Valley

Aníbal Torres Bernal, PhD, is a mission-driven academic leader dedicated to the transformative power of higher education. As Chief Academic Officer at Penn State Lehigh Valley, he provides strategic leadership on academic and faculty affairs, ensuring institutional excellence, fiscal sustainability, and student success.

His academic career spans over two decades, with appointments at SUNY Morrisville, Regis University, IUPUC, Fairfield University, Empire State College, Drake University, and UNLV. Across these institutions, he has led efforts to expand academic offerings, elevate faculty engagement, and strengthen institutional effectiveness. He has launched new programs, guided faculty through restructuring and curricular redesigns, and fostered interdisciplinary collaborations that create lasting opportunities for students. His expertise in governance, strategic planning, and high-impact practices has helped institutions navigate complexity and turn challenges into catalysts for innovation and long-term sustainability.

At the core of his leadership is an unwavering commitment to social justice—ensuring that higher education expands access, fosters opportunity, and empowers individuals to thrive. He champions academic freedom, systemic excellence, open collaboration, impactful philanthropy, and shared governance as the foundation of resilient institutions. He believes in the core mission of higher education: to create and disseminate knowledge, cultivate critical inquiry, and create meaningful pathways for individual and societal advancement. Over two decades, he has refined his leadership across diverse institutional settings, integrating the best practices from multiple sectors to drive sustainable impact.

A clinical fellow and approved supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, he has held national and international leadership roles within the field, shaping the profession through advocacy, education, and mentorship. He believes that institutions should not only educate but inspire, not only sustain but evolve. His leadership is driven by the conviction that higher education must prepare individuals to lead, serve, and shape the future with wisdom and purpose.