YORK, Pa. — In her first report to the Board of Trustees, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi discussed the University’s broad economic impact and its commitment to provide accessible educational opportunities to individuals during the group’s meeting today (July 22) at Penn State York.
Bendapudi, who began her tenure as Penn State president in May, discussed a range of topics — from Penn State’s land-grant mission and student success to access and economic development — as part of a broad update focused on the future.
“What makes us so great? To me, it’s built on the greatness of our mission as a land-grant university,” Bendapudi said. “We are one of only 57 land grants that were created as part of the original 1862 passage of the Morrill Act. If you think about that number, that’s an even more elite number than the AAU [American Association of Universities], which has 65 members.”
Bendapudi said being a land-grant university involves two key components: Promoting social mobility for individuals and supporting economic development.
The president said the opportunity to earn a degree from Penn State allows individuals to better their lives. “To me, social mobility has a generational impact — not only on the lives of the students, but on families and their communities.”
She reiterated during the meeting that 96% of the citizens of the commonwealth live within 30 miles of a Penn State campus, and said a main priority for her is students and enabling their success. Bendapudi discussed academic preparedness, belonging, cost, and access and affordability as the foundations of her framework to support students and enable their success in and outside the classroom.
In discussing the University’s mission to support economic development in the state, Bendapudi talked about Penn State’s practical research and its efforts to disseminate knowledge. “We have the infrastructure to have an impact on the entire commonwealth. We are the economic engine of Pennsylvania.”
During her report, Bendapudi acknowledged the financial challenges the University faces: “We will be bold in how we address them, so we don’t lose sight of the social mobility and the economic impact we have to have,” and added, “The truth is, none of those challenges really worry me because of the strengths of Penn State.”
Bendapudi lauded the University’s staff and praised the groundbreaking research conducted by faculty.
“What makes education at Penn State different is our students are being taught by faculty who are bringing their own research into the classroom,” she said. “Students are learning things that won’t appear in textbooks for a few years.”
Research that Bendapudi highlighted in her remarks included efforts to tackle diseases of despair and improve rural health, and the advances in energy to address global climate change.
“Their innovations and ingenuity are what make us a top research university, developing impactful solutions for our global society,” the president said.
As she highlighted the transformative power of Penn State, Bendapudi said the University will continue to invest in those areas that make Penn State great and help fulfill its commitments to affordable education and economic impact.
“Together, we will keep that promise,” she said. “We will make a difference in the commonwealth, the country and beyond.”