‘A historic appointment’: Louisville’s Neeli Bendapudi named Penn State’s next president
Less than a year after Penn State President Eric Barron announced his intent to retire, the university has already found his replacement.
Former University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi, 58, was named Penn State’s next president on Thursday, after a unanimous vote by the board of trustees. The appointment will make her both the first woman and first non-white person in the university’s 166-year history to serve from the top post, once her predecessor retires by the summer.
It was not immediately clear when Bendapudi would specifically take over as Penn State’s 19th president, though it will be sometime before Barron’s retirement on July 1, 2022. According to the term sheet, Bendapudi will earn $1.3 million annually over the next five years, which includes a $950,000 base salary and $350,000 in supplemental retirement contributions. (Last year, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 presidents at public universities saw their total earnings top $1 million.)
“Being president of this institution is a sacred trust, and it’s truly the honor of a lifetime,” Bendapudi said Thursday, moments after her selection was made official. “I am in awe of Penn State’s ‘We Are’ spirit and of the transformative power of a Penn State education — and of the Penn State community, which is like no other anywhere.”
Bendapudi, who earned her Ph.D. in 1994 from the University of Kansas, became Louisville’s 18th president in 2018. Prior to that, she served as the provost/executive vice chancellor at Kansas after having served as dean for Kansas’ School of Business. Since earning her doctorate, she has also worked as an assistant marketing professor and then marketing professor at Texas A&M, Ohio State and Kansas.
The native of India also jokingly referred to herself as a “recovering banker,” alluding to a 20-month stint as executive vice president and chief customer officer at Huntingdon National Bank, from 2007 to 2008. She has also written a number of scholarly articles, served as Ohio State’s founding director of the Institute for Managing Services in the Fisher School of Business and boasts significant experience with both the armed services and in health care.
“In Dr. Bendapudi, we have found a values-driven leader who will help realize the very best of this institution, and will successfully lead Penn State into the future,” said David Kleppinger, vice chair of PSU’s trustees and co-chair of the presidential recruitment and selection committee. “Through my discussions with Dr. Bendapudi, it was clear that she is an authentic person of the highest integrity. She has strong academic values; she is deeply committed to students, faculty and staff; she’s dynamic and accessible; she is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion; and she is a savvy business and financial manager.
“Furthermore, this is a historic appointment for Penn State. In addition to her stellar credentials, Dr. Bendapudi is the first woman and the first person of color to serve as Penn State’s president.”
According to officials, about 80 presidential candidates were selected for meetings and conversations — with about 50 target prospects evaluated by the appropriate trustees committee. The field was then narrowed to 11 candidates, and the top candidates moved through additional rounds until Bendapudi was eventually selected.
Bendapudi had some detractors at Louisville — the local newspaper there questioned her as recently as Wednesday on transparency — but she was also widely heralded as an effective leader. In August, she earned a substantial raise from Louisville over a new five-year contract with an $875,000 base salary and a $200,000 annual retention bonus.
She was known for setting a record $170 million in research funding there, attaining the highest Louisville enrollment in decades (in the fall 2020 semester) and ordering Papa John’s name be taken off the football stadium after the pizza founder admitted to using the n-word.
Louisville trustee chairperson Mary Nixon referred to Bendapudi as a “superb leader” over the summer. Penn State trustee chair Matthew Schuyler appeared to agree with that sentiment Thursday when he said she “truly embodies the commitment to Penn State’s land-grant mission.”
Bendapudi even appeared to ease some past fears about Penn State’s presidential selection process. University faculty expressed concerns in May over their lack of a role in the search process, worrying the new president might boast a big business background with little familiarity in academia.
Instead, faculty senate president Bonj Szczygiel said in an email she was “over the moon” with the selection.
“Neeli Bendapudi represents all the things that will make Penn State a truly great institution moving forward,” Szczygiel said in a written statement. “She will be a representative figure of a more inclusive, diverse community of the 21st century; epitomizing strong female leadership, a recognition of importance and value of unity through diversity, with the noted attributes of compassion and energy. Added to that, she has expressed a keen interest in maintaining and further building economic and community allies throughout the state.
“Today is a day full of promise and hope at Penn State University and beyond. Penn State, and all universities, must be leaders in the building of a better nation — they are the future. Neeli will bring us closer to our full realization.”
Bendapudi, who earned her MBA and Bachelor’s degree from India’s Andrha University, also received high praise from Erin Boas, the president of the University Park Undergraduate Association. Boas met personally with Bendapudi and said the academic would do anything for the community, “especially when student interests are on the line.” That was echoed by several other officials, who took turns praising Bendapudi for her track record, experience and values.
For her part, Bendapudi repeatedly thanked the university. She fielded questions for about 20 minutes Thursday, bouncing from topic to topic. She agreed with other presidents who have said that athletics is the university’s “front porch.” She said she could not yet comment, when asked, on the potential consolidation of commonwealth campuses. And she acknowledged the details of her transition are not yet known, though she plans to take this early point to listen and have greater conversations about the university’s pressing issues.
“This is an amazing institution with a long and storied history. But like every institution of higher education, I know we will face significant challenges ahead,” she said. “Whether it’s the shifting demographics, the challenge of access and affordability, different delivery modes or what public attitudes are toward higher education. The good news is Penn State is better prepared to weather those challenges than most institutions — and I’m grateful to President Barron, for putting us in such a good spot.
“We must continue to innovate, though. We can never be complacent. We need to move forward. And we need to do that work together as one Penn State community.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 9:42 AM with the headline "‘A historic appointment’: Louisville’s Neeli Bendapudi named Penn State’s next president."
