Diana Leach

Undergraduate Studies Adviser
Pronouns: 
she/her/hers
Hometown: 
Pittsburgh, PA
Education: 
B.A. in English, University of Pittsburgh
M.A. in English Literature & Criticism, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. in English Literature & Criticism (ABD), Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Penn Stater since: 
August 2018

To echo Robert Frost’s sentiment, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” There is nothing more rewarding than watching students build castles with the tools that advisers and teachers provide them.

I have the following pets: My beloved feline child, Penny Lane.

My favorite place I have traveled is Nepal. It was always on my bucket list to see Mount Everest, but I never expected that Nepal would ultimately become one of my favorite places in the world. The air, the mountains, the food, the people, the sense of peace that seems to fill every corner. That place has an inexplicable magic. It is certainly hard to forget.  

I am afraid of Spiders and heights. Sounds like a good recipe for a Michael Bay movie.

Something someone told me that I still live by today: “Always have a Plan A, B, and C”. This one comes from a particularly special set of Penn State alumni, my parents Kim and Marianne. It is something they always told me that has certainly saved my life (and sanity) in several scenarios. In fact, I always find myself sharing this sentiment with my students! Go, Mom and Dad!

If I could only have one book to read, it would be Jane Eyre.

My hidden talent is I can yodel on rare occasion.


Academic Adviser Diana Leach