Bio

Dr. Kyle C. Kopko is the executive director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. He joined the Center in July 2020. Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Kopko served as Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning, and Associate Professor of Political Science at Elizabethtown College. Dr. Kopko holds a law degree from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, a Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from The Ohio State University, and a B.A. in political science from Elizabethtown College. Dr. Kopko has authored or co-authored more than 50 publications, including two university press books. His research has received national and international media attention in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Fox News Channel.

Laura R. Dimino, Ph.D., is the assistant director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. She joined the Center in December 2022. Dr. Dimino oversees the Center's Research Grants Program, and coordinates and develops external projects and Center initiatives. Before joining the Center, Dr. Dimino was the associate provost at Central Penn College, where she also served as director of Institutional Assessment and Accreditation. In addition, Laura previously served as a public affairs program analyst at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, and as assistant director of academic programs at Temple University. Dr. Dimino holds a doctorate and master's degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester, and a bachelor's degree from Clark University.

Michaela is the Center's Quantitative Data Analyst. She joined the Center in 2024, and provides data and analysis on rural policy issues, helps organize workshops on rural community development issues, reviews grant proposals for the Center and for state and federal agencies and nonprofit organizations, contributes to the Center's bimonthly newsletter and other statewide publications, and maintains and expands the Center's rural database. Michaela also represents the Center on various boards and commissions. Formerly, Michaela worked in state government as a Fiscal Analyst for the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office. Michaela has a bachelor's degree in Public Policy with a minor in Applied Economics from The Pennsylvania State University.

Katie is the Communications Manager at the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. She joined the Center in August of 2023. Katie oversees all of the Center's written and digital communication platforms, including its bimonthly newsletter, research reports, website, and social media. She also works with the media, supervises the Center's participation in trade shows and conferences, organizes special events, reviews grant proposals, and represents the Center on various boards and commissions. Formerly, Katie worked in state government as a Communications Coordinator for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Additionally, she served as a Multimedia Journalist in Charleston, West Virginia. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism with minors in Spanish and Global and International Studies from The Pennsylvania State University.

Linda primarily attends to the fiscal needs of the Center, including payroll, expense processing, and employee benefits. She also handles board meeting logistics, assists with conferences and special events planning, and manages the distribution of the Center's bimonthly newsletter and research reports. Linda joined the Center in December 2020. Before she joined the Center, Linda worked in higher education as a Program Assistant in several programs, including the Honors Program at Elizabethtown College. She has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College.

Kaitlyn is the Center's Data Visualization Specialist. She joined the Center in 2024, and provides data and analysis on rural policy issues, contributes to the Center's bimonthly newsletter and other statewide publications, and maintains and expands the Center's rural database and dashboards. Kaitlyn was born and raised in a small town in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, and she is happy to be able to provide support to communities all across rural Pennsylvania. Formerly, Kaitlyn worked as a STEM Educator for the Community Education Center of Elk and Cameron Counties, and she worked part-time as an Independent GIS Consultant. Kaitlyn holds a bachelor's degree in Meteorology and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Hazards/Emergency Management from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and she has her master's degree in Geographic Information Systems from The Pennsylvania State University.