Penn State Vice President to Leave University, Join the Smithsonian

A top Penn State administrator has been named under secretary for finance and administration and chief financial officer at the Smithsonian, in Washington, D.C., the university announced Tuesday.

Albert G. Horvath, the university’s senior vice president for finance and business, will assume his Smithsonian position effective Sept. 26, according to a Penn State report. At the Smithsonian, he will succeed Alison McNally, who will remain with the museum-and-research organization in another capacity.

‘This is a prestigious, important and exciting opportunity for Al, yet all of us at Penn State will deeply miss his contributions, expertise, collegiality and devotion to the university,’ Penn State President Graham Spanier said in a news release. ‘Al has been a critical member of our leadership team for several years, and we will always be grateful for the part of his career that he committed to Penn State.’

Horvath, a Penn State alumnus, joined the university administration in 2007 and doubled as the university treasurer. He arrived in Old Main from Columbia University, where he was executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer.

At Penn State, Horvath has been responsible for financial, endowment, business and administrative activities at all the university’s campuses, according to the news release. At the Smithsonian, it says, he will oversee numerous Smithsonian offices, including those for facilities and maintenance, human resources, security and financial operations.

‘I am excited and humbled at the prospect of becoming a part of the Smithsonian’s leadership team,’ Horvath said in the release. ‘The decision to leave Penn State was a difficult one, but I look forward to contributing to an institution that has a broad national and international research.’

Spanier, in the news release, said Penn State will soon launch a national search to find Horvath’s successor at the university.