Penn State's Board of Trustees meets; President Spanier's remarks

Graham B. Spanier's Remarks

Friday, Nov. 2, 2007

This fall has been particularly rich in terms of student engagement, research recognition and international involvement of faculty and students. This morning I want to share some of the highlights.

First, on a sad but proud note, since the onset of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, hundreds of Penn State students, faculty, staff and alumni have been called to active duty. Two weeks ago, Penn State alumnus Lt. Michael P. Murphy was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, in recognition of his heroism while leading a mission behind enemy lines in Afghanistan.

Lt. Murphy was a Navy SEAL who gave his life to help his team.

In a ceremony before the Penn State-Ohio State game, we presented Daniel and Maureen Murphy with a special certificate honoring their son. We then dedicated the playing of the National Anthem to his memory.

On a happier note, five Penn State faculty members recently garnered international attention as part of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This panel, comprised primarily of university scientists, was the co-winner (with Al Gore) of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel's efforts were hailed for providing comprehensive and objective information to better understand the scientific basis of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation. Penn State's professors contributed substantial portions to the final report.

Those honored include: Richard Alley, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences; Michael Mann, associate professor of meteorology; Anne Thompson, professor of meteorology; Klaus Keller, assistant professor of geosciences; and Bill Easterling, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

In another project related to our expertise in energy and the environment, Penn State launched a research alliance with one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Chevron. The joint research initiative will focus on coal chemistry and conversion technology, advanced fuels, and CO2/greenhouse gas management and conversion. Under the alliance, Chevron will provide $17.5 million over the next five years to Penn State. This funding will make possible significant opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students, and for postdoctoral fellows, as they develop skills needed to solve global energy problems. The alliance with Chevron will also open new doors for our students seeking career opportunities in the energy industry.

Penn State has also been investigating solar power as an alternative energy source, and this fall, Penn State competed in the Solar Decathlon sponsored by the Department of Energy. In this international competition, 20 leading universities were challenged with the task of designing, building and operating the most attractive and energy efficient solar home. The houses were then assembled in a solar village on the mall in Washington, D.C. for testing and judging.

I'm proud to report that Penn State's entry, MorningStar, placed fourth in the overall competition, an impressive showing.

In addition, Penn State will receive a $560,000 grant toward the MorningStar house from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of their investment into alternative and renewable energy projects. MorningStar has returned to University Park and is located at the Center for Sustainability, where it will be used as a research laboratory and outreach facility.

Penn State's commitment to environmentally sustainable construction, clean energy purchases and other green practices has been recognized by leading environmental organizations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranked Penn State third on their list of College and University Green Power Partners.
And Sierra Magazine ranked Penn State eighth on their list of America's top 10 “Coolest” eco-friendly schools. Penn State received high marks for sustainable new building construction, our investment in retrofitting and efficiency, and our efforts to decrease greenhouse-gas emissions.
   

We've also had some high profile appointments this fall.
 

Michael Adewumi, a professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has been named vice provost for international programs. Michael will provide leadership for the University's education abroad programs and support services for international students and scholars, and will work to internationalize Penn State's curriculum. Michael assumed his new responsibilities on October 1st.

Michael is here today and I'll ask that he stand so he can be acknowledged.

Thank you, Michael.

Today is only the second day on the job for the new head of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism. John Horgan, formerly on the faculty of University of St. Andrews in Scotland, is one of the world's leading experts on terrorism. John will help the center build on its already strong record of international collaboration and extend its mission to top researchers in the field of terrorism research.

John, can you stand and be acknowledged.

Thank you, John, and welcome to Penn State.

On the national security front, Penn State's Institute for Non-Lethal Defense Technologies has just been awarded a $3.2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Justice to create a national Weapons and Protection Systems Technologies Center of Excellence. This new Center will focus on the areas of less-lethal munitions and devices, school safety and pursuit management. The research, which has both military and civilian applications, will be conducted primarily through the Applied Research Lab and Penn State Fayette's Center for Community and Public Safety in Western Pennsylvania.

Later today you'll hear a full enrollment report, but this morning I want to note that we are again enjoying record enrollment at Penn State. Including World Campus, enrollment is over 90,600 students, with 42,000 on our University Park campus. Enrollment is up in the colleges of agricultural sciences, business, communications, health and human development, information sciences and technology, and the Dickinson School of Law. Rob Pangborn will provide a more complete picture of this year's enrollment later.
As many of you know, I have an annual tradition of spending a night in a residence hall at the beginning of the fall semester. This year, first and foremost, I received phenomenal feedback about the desire of our students to be at Penn State. Students said that they "loved" Penn State; they praised the Rec Hall fitness center; they even loved the food. Imagine that. You'll hear the results of the Student Satisfaction Survey in the session on Campus Environment.
   

That said, we're continuing to work to enhance the student residential experience. At University Park, we have renovated the three North Hall buildings to provide specialized living environments and multi-purpose areas for arts and architecture majors, business majors and students interested in environmental and agricultural issues. These new buildings provide suite-style residences that allow for interaction with faculty, visiting lecturers and scholars in their area of interest.

The buildings also feature specialized facilities, such as an art studio with art tables and a utility sink, and music practice rooms furnished with a piano. There are now 18 special living options residence halls on the University Park campus.

Penn State's Newspaper Readership Program celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. This program originated from our belief that reading a newspaper is the single most important thing a person can do to become an informed and educated citizen. It was our goal to give students the opportunity to read a newspaper every day, and we teamed up with USA Today, The New York Times, and local and regional newspapers throughout Pennsylvania to provide papers.

When we started the Newspaper Readership Program a decade ago, only 15 percent of Penn State students read a newspaper. Today, 90 percent of University Park students report at least weekly use of the program. The Penn State Student Newspaper Readership Program was the first of its kind in the nation, and is the foundation of over 500 collegiate readership programs. This program also has an innovative recycling component that reduces landfill waste and generates student scholarship funds through donations from the recycling company and our newspaper partners. To date, the Recycling Program has generated $84,000 in scholarship funds, and has led to the creation of a $50,000 endowed Trustee Scholarship.

Improving Penn State's campus environment sometimes involves addressing difficult issues, such as excessive alcohol consumption, domestic violence and academic dishonesty. This year, we're focusing on all three with proactive measures.

To promote awareness of the physical and mental effects of excessive alcohol consumption, Penn State has applied for a grant to implement an interactive, computer-based program for students. This program has a proven record of success at other institutions.

Penn State recently received a $300,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to develop domestic violence educational training modules that will be used to build awareness and provide resources for employees and students at all Penn State campuses. Penn State will work in conjunction with the Centre County Women's Resource Center and Penn State Public Broadcasting on this multi-media project, which includes an interactive Web site, online training and a DVD.

To discourage cheating, Penn State's University Park campus has opened a new high-tech, high-security test center. This new testing center represents one of the most comprehensive efforts nationwide to prevent cheating, and it will also benefit professors and students by providing flexibility in the timing of exams. The Penn State Center has 160 new computers with a security center that rivals getting into FBI Headquarters.

We may well have a chance to get a professional opinion on that last claim, because this Tuesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller III will be on campus to discuss Cyber Security. He'll be here as part of our Faculty Forum speakers series, and will be speaking to a sold-out lunchtime crowd.

On the sports front, Penn State's women's volleyball team has had a stellar season so far. They are now ranked number 1 in the country, for the first time since 1999. And you can see them play this weekend. Tonight the team squares off with Purdue at 7 at Rec Hall, and tomorrow they host the Indiana Hoosiers, also at 7.

Finally, I'll end with some news that will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever spent time in Happy Valley. U.S. News and World Report recently named State College as one of America's 10 Best Places to Retire. Also notably, State College earned the designation of the top-rated college town in the country by the 2007-2008 College Destinations Index.

Apparently, retired adults and college students have found common ground in State College.

That concludes my report. At this time, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.