Administration

Eight selected to receive Distinguished Alumni Awards in 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Board of Trustees on Nov. 4 selected eight Penn State alumni to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the University's highest honor presented to its alumni. The following individuals will be officially notified of their selection by the board and invited to accept the award from the University in June 2017.

  • Roland G. Fryer is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics and faculty director of the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard University. Fryer earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from the College of the Liberal Arts in 2001 and 2002, respectively. He resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • Samuel E. Hayes Jr., of Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania, is a former secretary of agriculture for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a retired state representative. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and industry in 1964 from the College of Agricultural Sciences and his master’s degree in earth sciences in 1965 from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
  • Martha B. Jordan resides in Los Angeles, California, where she is a retired partner of Latham & Watkins LLP. She earned her bachelor's degree in marketing in 1976 from the Smeal College of Business.
  • Donald R. King, of New York, New York, is the director of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” He earned his bachelor's degree in speech in 1969 from the College of Communications.
  • Mary Beth Long is the CEO of Metis Solutions, LLC. An alumna of the Schreyer Honors College, she received her bachelor's degree in communication studies in 1985 from the College of Communications. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia.
  • Nicholas J. Maiale is an attorney practicing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he resides. He attended the Penn State Abington campus, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1973 from the College of the Liberal Arts.
  • J. David Rogers resides in Darien, Connecticut, where he is the CEO of JD Capital Management. He earned his bachelor's and master’s degrees in accounting and business administration in 1978 and 1980, respectively, from the Smeal College of Business.
  • D. Brooks Smith, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, is the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for 3rd Circuit. He earned his juris doctorate degree in 1976 from Penn State Dickinson Law.

The following alumni, selected for the award in 2016 but unable to attend ceremonies with other members of their cohort, will receive their award in June 2017:

  • Kathleen Mullan Harris is the James E. Haar Distinguished Professor of Sociology and adjunct professor of public policy, Department of Sociology, and director, National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health Carolina Population Center, at the University of North Carolina. She earned her bachelor’s degree in general arts and sciences in 1972 from the College of the Liberal Arts, and resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
  • John A. Leone is the president and CEO of Bonney Forge. Leone received his bachelor's degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering in 1956 from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. He resides in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
  • Richard B. Silverman is the John Evans Professor of Chemistry and professor of molecular biosciences at Northwestern University. He received his bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1968 from the Eberly College of Science and resides in Winnetka, Illinois.
Last Updated November 15, 2016