Titles are capitalized when they immediately precede names and are used as part of the names.

  • "Associate Dean Peter Hopsicker said …"
  • "Associate Professor of Biology Laura Palmer said …"

Titles are lowercased if they follow names or are used to help describe or identify people further.

  • "Ed Levri, professor of biology, …"

If the person holds a named professorship or chair, such as an endowed professorship, capitalize the title whether it precedes or follows the name:

  • "Rebecca Strzelec, Distinguished Professor of Visual Arts…"

Also:

  • Instructor in, not instructor of
  • Professor of, not professor in

When the title includes the specific name of an academic or administrative unit, the name of the unit is capitalized.

  • "Jonathan O’Harrow, director of the Office of Strategic Communications, …"
  • "Sean Kelly, senior director of the Division of Student Affairs, …"

The word president is capped whenever it is used to refer to current and former Penn State Presidents, whether it’s before or after the name. This policy is designed to make it easy for readers to quickly determine that a printed piece refers to the University President as opposed to any other president.

  • "Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and John Smith, president of Smith Financial, …"

In most cases, use the last name only in subsequent references.

  • “In addition to her role as Chancellor and Dean, Bechtel-Wherry also serves on the board of directors for ...”

For more information, visit the University's Editorial Standards site.