The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education approved Dr. Laurie Bernotsky as interim president for PennWest University.

She will officially take office on July 1st, following Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrson's departure on Tuesday.

As PennWest president, Bernotsky will be in charge of the Edinboro campus, the Clarion campus, and the California campus.

Bernotsky will mark the sixth president of Edinboro since 2016.

Some alumni see the changes at PennWest Edinboro as a sign of changes in higher education nationwide.

"I see it as a period of transition and a period of flux," said Joe Pfadt, a teacher and Edinboro alumni. "And hopefully, what will happen at the end is there will be some stability that gets returned. But again, I see it as that larger picture, that higher education across the country is experiencing similar kinds of things with leadership changes."