Dr. Carubia’s university-level academic career spans the learning environment from classroom to dorm room, from freshman composition to negotiating agreements among medical entities.  At Penn State’s flagship campus, she was a member of the English and Women’s Studies departments before joining the newly endowed Schreyer Honors College to supervise co-curricular and service learning for 1800 students. In this role, she created new courses involving students in service learning in India and in leadership development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS) in Washington, D.C..  She served as the College liaison with the Office of Housing and Residence Life, supervised the Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Program, and served on Penn State’s Coordinating Council for Outreach and Cooperative Extension.  Several years later, she was awarded a year-long administrative fellowship with Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, Penn State’s Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, Dean of the College of Medicine, and CEO of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.  Subsequently, she served as Chief Academic Liaison Officer for the medical campus and was promoted to Associate Professor of Medical Humanities.  In the inspiring and demanding environment of the medical campus, she became a member of the Academic Leadership Team, helping to allocate funds from grants and assure the quality of medical education. She managed a University-wide commission on the future of health sciences, assisted with agreements among medical practices, and was a member of the Dean’s Council on Diversity.

In the wider community, Jo Carubia was a long-standing member of the Board of Directors of Global Connections, a United Way organization affiliated with the University to promote intercultural understanding.  She served several terms as Board President, wrote grant proposals, developed and delivered cultural competency programs, and managed fund-raising campaigns and events.  She received the 2010 Rose Cologne Volunteer of the Year Award from the Centre County Council for Human Services.

Dr. Carubia is the author or editor of books and articles on literature, semiotics, and organizational leadership.  She received an NEH Summer Grant, completed the Harvard University Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, and was honored with the Achieving Woman Award by the Penn State Commission for Women.  Since July, 2006, she has been collaborating with potential authors to shape their book projects. In addition, she has created materials and offered instructional workshops for personal and professional development, leadership, and wellness for community and non-profit organizations. .  Dr. Carubia currently works independently and in collaboration with clients on a variety of projects.  

“I feel that I’ve lived many lives while seeking out opportunities to keep learning new skills in new environments, within education and in the business world.  Along the way my own deepest questions have motivated me to collect and share strategies for living a more reflective life open to fruitful change and development.”

In an informal setting, Jo will share stories with you about working on a family farm, surviving a storm at sea in a small sailboat (with the help of the Coast Guard), being lost in cities on four continents, training lawyers to use software and other adventures.