Allegheny College Redefines Campus Engagement with Pathify

When Allegheny College’s Chief Information Officer Katrina Yeung first heard about Pathify in a professional CIO group, she wasn’t actively searching for a campus engagement solution. But after hearing rave reviews from other Pathify customers in and around Pittsburgh, curiosity compelled her to take a closer look. And what she found addressed her institution’s most pressing communication and engagement challenges.

The College lacked a student portal or mobile app at the time, leaving information scattered across various web pages, multiple scheduling tools and a variety of emails. Working alongside Penny Drexel, Allegheny’s Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, Yeung created an initiative for a unified solution to streamline communication while surfacing relevant information and tasks.

Insights from All Corners

Yeung engaged stakeholders across campus — including Marketing & Communications, Library Services, ITS and Student Affairs — to gather input in finding the best tool. After a thorough evaluation, the group zeroed in on Pathify as the ideal solution — setting the stage for a transformative partnership shaping the College’s future. “Each group had its own vision of what the new platform needed to accomplish,” recalled Yeung. “Our challenge involved ensuring it worked for everyone — not just one department or demographic.”

While departmental feedback proved valuable, student input ultimately sealed the deal. “Students told us loud and clear — they wanted social media-style updates, concise messages and mobile accessibility,” Yeung said. Students actively participated throughout the process, offering creative ideas and suggestions for the platform’s functionality. “Seeing students so involved exceeded our expectations — we wanted to choose a tool that resonated with students and kept them connected and engaged,” added Yeung.

A Solution Built for Growth

After considering other vendors — including Ellucian Experience and internally built tools — Pathify emerged as the clear winner, with its modern and adaptable capabilities. Pathify’s integrated web and mobile platform, intuitive design and customizable dashboard struck a rare balance, aligning perfectly with student and administrative feedback. This synergy empowered the College to deliver an experience exceeding campus-wide expectations, all within a controlled, role-based environment. 

“Pathify stood out for its flexibility and potential for expansion,” said Yeung. “The platform addresses our current needs for communicating with students, faculty and staff while offering the scalability to include alumni and prospective students in the future if we choose,” she explained.

In August 2024, Allegheny launched “Gator Hub” — its Pathify portal instance — to a beta group of users, marking the beginning of what Yeung described as a “shockingly organized” implementation. “As an IT professional, it’s rare to work with a vendor who delivers exactly what you need, but Pathify made it incredibly easy,” Yeung reflected. “Implementation felt like a breath of fresh air.”

Simplified & Streamlined

Since launching “Gator Hub,” Allegheny experienced significant campus-wide benefits. For Drexel in particular, Pathify transformed content delivery. “Pathify lets us tailor content by role and deliver information in ways we’ve always envisioned,” she said. “Now, everyone sees what they need — in one place.”

The new Pathify platform also simplified system consolidation. “Integrating our calendars and events into Pathify transformed how we share information,” Drexel said. “With shared calendars and events in one place, students easily access all campus happenings in real time. It’s so much easier for them to stay informed.” Yeung agreed, adding, “It’s driving engagement we missed before.”

Pathify even replaced Allegheny’s legacy student activity platform. “We’ve eliminated Engage and moved its functionality into Pathify,” Yeung noted, recognizing consolidation remains a priority as pricey contracts come up, ensuring “Gator Hub” serves as the true one-stop shop for the entire campus community.

Expanding Campus Impact

Looking ahead, Yeung and Drexel hope to expand Allegheny’s Pathify experience by integrating systems like their zero-waste dining services program and internal reporting to track utilization and engagement metrics directly within the platform. Systems tracking integral college activities including community service and cohort programs will also seamlessly integrate into Pathify. 

“‘Gator Hub’ isn’t just an IT or marketing project,” Yeung emphasized. “It’s a community-wide initiative, supported by teams across the College, working together to strengthen our digital and physical campus.” Drexel shared similar enthusiasm, “We’re excited to continue transforming Allegheny’s campus engagement, one feature at a time.”

Allegheny College officially launched “Gator Hub” to all campus users in spring 2025.

About Allegheny College

Allegheny College, founded in 1815, is one of the nation’s most historic and innovative four-year colleges. With the distinct requirement of completing a major and minor in different academic areas, students receive multidisciplinary learning that celebrates their unusual combinations of interests. This develops creative, independent thinkers with a path for educational depth and intellectual growth, preparing students for a successful launch after graduation and possibly for a future career that may not yet exist.

Located in northwestern Pennsylvania, 1.5 hours equidistant from Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo, Allegheny College is one of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives” and recently ranked #4 by The Princeton Review in its Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact. In its 2025 rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized Allegheny College as one of the country’s top 100 national liberal arts colleges, with special distinctions including one of the top 10 best for senior capstone experience and one of the top 25 best for undergraduate teaching, and research and creative activities. Learn more at allegheny.edu.

At A Glance

  • Student Headcount: 1,300
  • Institution Type: Private college
  • Location: Meadville, Pennsylvania
  • Tech Stack:
    • SIS: Ellucian Colleague 
    • LMS: Canvas
    • Productivity: Google 
    • Technology consolidated into Pathify: Employee intranet, Anthology Engage student activity platform, campus directory, RSS feed for daily email announcements