Penn State Forever...
"Fight for her honoR"
“We Are” reminds us that our Alma Mater can only rise as high as her truest stakeholders, her students, alumni and friends, will lift her. It is inclusive, and should remind us every day that we are the ones to state our University’s case; to show the world what Penn State is all about. It requires us to accept differing viewpoints, to listen to each other.” –From a Column Written 11/28/2013
2026 Vision: The Challenges Ahead
Proven Leadership​
Penn State-ments:
​
Fighting to Make Penn State Affordable:
"Across the years I visited high schools in almost 30 states and saw the magic that was sparked by "Penn State" two simple words in one uncommon name. I know that Penn State is a dream for many. Over the years I’ve spent time in low-income schools from coast to coast and I’ve been approached by students who would love to go to Penn State but cannot overcome the hurdles of expense.”
​
Penn State's Vision-To Stand Apart:
“It is time to return to that vision, it is time to stop comparing ourselves to “peer institutions”….the leaders I grew up knowing at Penn State would never have uttered the words “peer institutions” because they wanted to stand apart, to be fearless in the pursuit to be peerless."
​
Penn State Mission-Truth:
"Thomas Jefferson, while founding the University of Virginia, wrote to British Historian William Roscoe describing his goals: “For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”
In an era where many people want to censor history or limit research or ban books, we have an obligation to ensure academic freedom. We have an obligation on our campus to defend the 1st and 4th amendments no matter how the political winds may blow."
​
Penn State's Funding Challenges:
"We must prepare for a future where we continue to accomplish more with less, where we find ever more efficient systems to educate the people of this Commonwealth. What we do here will echo beyond our campus beyond our commonwealth beyond our country and across the globe."
​
Penn State's Role in The Future of Pennsylvania and America:
“Schools like Penn State are the furnaces where we will forge American competitiveness and leadership for the future that we wait—as a state and as a nation. Where we once supplied strength and energy for the industrial might of this country, now we will also provide the brain power and innovations of the future."
​
On Civility at Penn State:
"Squelching dissent by condemning those with opinions unlike our own has no place here. Luckily we have reason to combat the errors of the past."
2026 Issues:
​
1. Foundations: Penn State is Pennsylvania's flagship Land Grant institution. That must be our guiding light as we navigate the future, to serve all the people of the Commonwealth.
​
2. Our Stakeholders: The Board's first obligation is to serve Penn State, the Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff and Friends of this University. WE are here to SERVE THEM--not the other way around.
​
3. Affordability: We've fought to freeze in-state tuition. Now we want to seek a way to freeze and reduce tuition for all students. We can't always use external factors as an excuse to raise tuition. We have the resources to control our own destiny. Our challenge is to find ways to lower the overall cost of earning a Penn State Degree.
​
4. Student Success and Achievement Gaps: From student safety, to housing and food insecurity to mental health services, the challenges facing students in 2026 may seem daunting. Those challenges often create achievement gaps that result in lower graduation rates for some students. From the Lion Pantry to increased financial support for counseling services and other initiatives, we've taken steps to give everyone their best chance at success. We remain committed to continuing progress.
​
5. The Future is Now: With the explosion of AI and other technology, the future is now. Penn State can be innovative in our use of AI to be a national leader. But that alone is not enough. Experiential learning, collaborative learning, internships and team building learning must be part of our students' education. Employers are telling us how vital those programs are, and we intend to be the best place for students to develop those skills.
​
6. Athletics Oversight: College athletics both here and around the country faces a financial crisis. From transfers, to NIL, to revenues sharing we are in a lawless period with no one in charge. Expenses have been rapidly outpacing gains in revenue and that trend is accelerating. Title IX compliance for female athletes is also under threat. As one of the nation's first consultants on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and a sought-after national voice on the future of college athletics, I bring national expertise to the Board and to the University in this rapidly changing system. This Board should be engaged in real and meaningful oversight to help Penn State emerge as a national leader through this uncertain future.
​
​
​
2026 Issues:
​
7. Sustainability: Over the past few years Penn State has made great strides towards reducing our carbon footprint and towards sustainability in a number of areas. We will continue to advance those efforts. But we will also commit to research and creating programs that make us a global leader in a field where we compete to win the future.
​
8. Alumni Legacy Affordabilty: Let's expand affordability programs for the children of our out-of-state Alumni. They are family and they belong here.
​
9. Freedom of All Speech: We must safeguard the rights to Free Speech and expression for members of the University community and for guest speakers. Penn State must encourage the exchange and expression of all viewpoints--not just the viewpoints we like. While the University may condemn offensive speech, our policy should not be one of censorship.​
​
10. A True Community: I've championed this cause all my life. Penn State has been and must remain a place where all people have an equal seat at the table of education. This approach must also extend to faculty and staff at the University. I have drafted a complex generational plan to do that in a way that creates a lasting legacy of real commitment to transform education at Penn State and across the Commonwealth. These issues have been part of my life for decades and we look forward to continuing that work.
​
11. Big Future/Big Legacy: There are major transformative projects ahead for our University Park campus from the Hammond Building site to the Engineering Campus to Dorm Renovations. These are Big Legacy Projects to propel us to a Big Future.
​
​
​