Penn State President Named Chair-Elect Of NASULGC
December 14, 2000
University Park, Pa. -- Penn State President Graham B. Spanier was named chair-elect of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, effective Jan. 1, at the association’s recent annual meeting.

Gregory M. O’Brien, chancellor of the University of New Orleans, was named chair. NASULGC is the nation’s oldest higher education association with a membership of 212 public research universities, land-grant institutions and state university systems.

"In this era of increased focus on the information superhighway, Graham Spanier served as the guiding force behind the creation of the Penn State World Campus and the School of Information Sciences and Technology. He is also a founding member of the Board of Directors of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development. He has earned enormous respect for The Pennsylvania State University in his years as president there," said C. Peter Magrath, president of NASULGC.

Spanier has been president of Penn State since 1995. Under his leadership, the university has embarked on a $1 billion capital campaign and increased support for Penn State Cooperative Extension, to allow it to expand outreach to citizens and local communities. He also has promoted a new general education curriculum, which includes an increased emphasis on internationalization.

Spanier previously has served NASULGC as chair of its Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities and led the association’s Commission on Information Technologies. He also has spearheaded its initiatives to reduce excessive student drinking on campus. Among other leadership activities, he has served as chair of the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors and co-chair of the Council on Health Sciences and the University at the Association of Academic Health Centers.

"NASULGC is exceedingly fortunate to have Dr. O’Brien and Dr. Spanier — and the broad and varied experience they bring — to lead our organization in the coming year," said Magrath.

Member institutions of NASULGC enroll more than 3.2 million students, award approximately a half-million degrees annually, and have an estimated 20 million alumni.

For more information on NASULGC, go to http://www.nasulgc.org.

Contact: Christy Rambeau or Bill Mahon at 814-865-7517