For the past few years, one man in southwestern Pennsylvania challenged others to connect with the world around them.
Emmanuel I. Osagie may have served as chancellor of Penn State Fayette for only three years before his sudden passing on Tuesday afternoon, but "he really made a mark," colleague Susan Brimo-Cox said.
From working with a nursing school in India to sponsoring an international food sampling event last fall, Osagie shared his broad vision with his students and the community.
"He brought a lot of energy, enthusiasm and wonderful initiatives to this campus," said Brimo-Cox, public affairs coordinator for Penn State Fayette. "He challenged everyone on campus to not only do their best but to excel. It was invigorating."
Osagie, a 58-year-old Nigerian native, died on Tuesday after complications from an illness. Francis Achampong, chief academic officer at Penn State Mont Alto, will become interim chancellor at Penn State Fayette on March 22.
Osagie is survived by his wife and two children.
"He will be sadly missed," said John Romano, vice president for the Commonwealth Campuses, who helped with the decision to hire Osagie in 2007. "Dr. Osagie was a man of great vision and passion, rooted in making Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, a campus committed to excellence in all areas, including building connections with the greater community of southwestern Pennsylvania."
Osagie received his bachelor of science degree from Southern University from and completed his Ph.D. and master of science degrees in agricultural economics at Louisiana State University. Before joining the Penn State community, Osagie worked as a professor, dean of The College of New Jersey's School of Business and presenter of regional grant-writing workshops for NASA.
Roger Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, remembers Osagie's enthusiastic and energetic personality, saying Osagie struck the Alumni Association members as the kind of person "who just fills a room with his presence."
Williams said the group members left their visit to the campus thinking, "Wow, this guy really has the vision and the energy to move the Penn State Fayette campus forward."
Some examples of Osagie's initiatives include the Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival, the CEO Conversations Speakers Series and the annual Blues and White Gala -- an event that raises money for student scholarships. In addition, he pioneered Science Forensics, which helps underachieving students in 8th and 9th grades with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Brimo-Cox said Penn State Fayette is looking forward to continuing the signature events Osagie helped create to make the campus a "premier student-centered institution."
