Sara ThorndikeSVP for Finance and Business/Treasurer and CFO
Prior to serving at Penn State, Dr. Thorndike served as the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance/CFO at East Carolina University and Chief Financial Officer at UNC Wilmington. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Ohio and Pennsylvania and has served in higher education for more than 19 years. Prior to entering academia, she worked in non-profit healthcare and corporate finance. In addition to her role at Penn State, Dr. Thorndike serves on the Boards of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers, PA Chamber of Business and Industry, Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County, and Centre County United Way. She also serves on the FM Global Advisory Board. Dr. Thorndike holds an Ed.D. in higher education leadership from UNC Wilmington, an MBA from The Ohio State University, and a BS in accounting from Franklin University. |
Dr. Sara Thorndike serves as the Senior Vice President for Finance and Business/Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer at The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Thorndike reports to the President and serves on the Penn State Health Board and President’s Council. Dr. Thorndike is responsible for management and strategic planning for Finance and Business, including University Budget and Finance, Auxiliary & Business Services (Housing, Food Services, Catering, Parking, Transportation Services, Airport, Bookstore, Multimedia & Print, Surplus, and General Stores), Commonwealth Campuses Finance and Business Services, Athletics Finance & Business, College of Medicine Finance & Business, Real Estate, Procurement Services, Internal Audit, Investment Management, Physical Plant, Sustainability, Information Technology, and University Police and Public Safety.