Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry first came to Penn State Altoona in 1985 when she was working on her Ph.D. Originally from Martinsburg, Pa., she had never been to Penn State Altoona until she arrived to teach and fell in love with the campus immediately. In 1997, Bechtel-Wherry was one of the inaugural division heads when Penn State Altoona became a four-year, degree-granting institution. She later served as associate dean for academic affairs, before being named Chancellor and Dean in 2005.