After departing Penn State, Michael Gilbert, former associate vice president for Student Affairs, admits a Nittany Lion would turn his new mascot, the Fightin' Blue Hen, into a chicken salad sandwich.

However, he said his former colleague and associate vice president, Felicia McGinty, who will leave Penn State for the University of California-Santa Cruz on Aug. 31, has no room to poke fun at his new feathered friend, the mascot of University of Delaware.

"She can't tease me about being a Blue Hen," he said. "I'd rather be a hen than a banana slug. That's the mascot at UC-Santa Cruz."

Mascot debates aside -- both were hired at their respective schools as vice president for Student Affairs, the highest level job in their field.

With the loss of two associate vice presidents at the beginning of the fall semester, Student
Affairs is working to delegate responsibilities and to find replacements.

"We are tentatively looking for a December time frame to get the word out for a national search," said Bob Orndorff, special assistant to the vice president for Student Affairs.

Orndorff, Gilbert's interim replacement, said that new hires probably won't start until next summer. In the meantime, Barry Bram, director of the Center for Student Engagement, will advise Thon and Orndorff will take UPUA under his wing.

McGinty, an Arizona native, said she is pleased to trade State College rainstorms for a view of the Monterey Bay, but both she and Gilbert said they will miss the traditions of blue and white.

"It's raining in Delaware today," Gilbert said last week. "I pulled an umbrella out of my trunk. It's a huge Penn State golf umbrella. I am walking across campus, and I fully expect that if I keep walking around with this umbrella someone is going to scream 'we are,' but it hasn't happened yet."

After two years at Penn State, McGinty said she treasures the opportunities she had to interact with students. She served as the adviser of Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (Thon) and University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA), the new student government.

The enthusiasm of such students, she said, is what first drew her to Happy Valley two years ago.

"When I interviewed here in mid-July, I thought that because it was such a big university, the atmosphere would be very cold," she said. "But when I came for my interview, I was so impressed with the students here and their dedication."

Jerry Livingston, former president of the Council for Commonwealth Student Governments, said McGinty only improved that dedication in her time here.

"One of the biggest things I picked up was compassion from Dr. McGinty," he said. "She taught me that without compassion, a job is just a 9-to-5 thing you do to get a paycheck."

Vicky Triponey, the vice president of Student Affairs, agreed.

"Felicia McGinty is clearly one of the most talented Student Affairs administrators I have ever had the privilege of working with," she said.

Livingston added that Gilbert also had a profound impact.

"He made me realize that no matter what kind of position you might obtain in the professional world, whatever conflicts arise, you can always talk to the person, human-to-human," he said. "It's not about titles and positions."

Robert Loomis, chairman of the Funding Allocation Board (FAB), said Gilbert's work in getting FAB on its feet will leave an impression.

"He opened up his home on more than one occasion for socials," Loomis said. "Sometimes we wouldn't leave the HUB until 1 or 2 in the morning, and he was there. His day started at 8."

Livingston said he worries about how this restructuring will affect Student Affairs.

"It has to be a tremendous shake up for them," he said. "I would imagine Dr. Triponey is going to end up taking on a more active role to pick up some of the extra burdens."

Orndorff said responsibilities are in the process of being assigned, and these departures should make the university proud.