Academic Affairs Leadership

As Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Salka is the Chief Academic Officer at Westfield State University. He is responsible for all of the Academic Departments and Academic Support Offices. Dr. Salka came to Westfield in 2024 after serving as Provost at Eastern Connecticut State University for six years and as a professor of Political Science for 18 years. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. His research interests include voting behavior, state politics, and environmental politics.

Dr. Jennings, Associate Provost at Westfield State University, oversees the implementation of an academic affairs assessment program supporting the university’s mission. With expertise in applied mathematics and mathematical physics, he manages offices including Accreditation, High Impact Practices, Grants and Sponsored Programs, and Institutional Research. Since joining in 2010, Dr. Jennings has served in various leadership roles, including department chair and on university-wide committees. His contributions enhance teaching, learning, and student development, aligning with strategic initiatives aimed at continual improvement.

Dr. Sackett-Taylor, Assistant Provost for Educational Excellence and Retention at Westfield State University, provides strategic leadership for eight key academic student support units: Academic Advising and Transfer Transition, Course Achievement and Tutoring Center, Student Accessibility Services and Learning Disabilities Program, FACES Program for Basic Needs Support, LEAD Scholars Program, TRIO Programs, Veterans and Military Services, and Student Success Analytics (WSU 360). She also serves as the institutional lead for the State University SUCCESS grant. Since joining the faculty in 2012, Dr. Sackett-Taylor has served in various leadership roles, including Economics Department Chair and Director of the Commonwealth Honors Program. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Mathematics and Statistics from Smith College. As a scholar, she brings a deep ethical and spiritual commitment to questions of economic design. She believes the future of economics must be grounded in compassion, relationality, and care for the planet and one another.

Dr. M.K. Balasubramanya (‘Bala’) is a professor of physics with decades of experience in academic administration, having served previously as chair of multidisciplinary STEM departments, dean of arts and sciences, and director of innovation and industry partnerships at regional comprehensive state universities. His experience has provided him opportunities to reflect, plan collaboratively, and implement new academic programs that offer support structures for students to succeed academically, sharpening their intellectual skills, and domain knowledge. He has advocated for STEM education to be braced by the humanities and the social sciences, and for the latter to be informed by the insights of the sciences.

Bala has taught physics across the curriculum, including mathematics for engineering and physics majors, and has collaboratively taught professional ethics in science, engineering, and technology. He has contributed to research in quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics simulations, and more recently, on improving the Stirling engine for benign-biofuel based transportation.

Bala earned an integrated master’s degree in physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a Ph.D. in physics from Iowa State University.

Photo and bio coming soon!

Dr. Padykula serves as Dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education at Westfield State University, overseeing early college experiences, part-time studies, online degree completion, post-baccalaureate licensure programs, graduate programs, certificates, and professional development. Joining the faculty in 2005, she directed the Bachelor of Social Work Program for almost a decade, contributed to launching the Master of Social Work program, and chaired the university’s largest graduate department. With extensive experience in accreditation and program leadership, Dr. Padykula has led and co-led teams that have secured over $5.5 million in workforce development grants that have supported paid internships for students, the development of innovative MSW concentrations, and identified pathways for non-credit to credit advancement. Her research focuses on substance use, integrated behavioral healthcare, and online pedagogy. A first-generation WSU college graduate from western MA, she earned her MSW at Springfield College and her Ph.D. from Smith College School for Social Work.