PSU President Bendapudi Deserves the Chance to Lead
The New Year will usher in change in Pennsylvania.
As I prepare to enter my first full year as president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the commonwealth’s largest business advocacy organization, I am not alone in this regard. As 2023 dawns, Pennsylvania will have new faces in many critically important roles that will shape our future.
Josh Shapiro will move from the attorney general’s office to the governor’s office. In the state capitol building, a remarkable 25% of state House members will be sworn in to their first terms. Kim Ward, the first female pro tempore in state Senate history, will take the reins with a new Senate leadership team.
And, an hour and a half up US-22 West, in State College, Dr. Neeli Bendapudi will begin her first full year as president of Penn State.
Few leadership positions are as high-profile or subject to scrutiny as the head of Pennsylvania’s largest university. But few people possess Dr. Bendapudi’s qualifications to assume this important role at such a pivotal moment for the university and our Commonwealth.
Dr. Bendapudi’s life story exemplifies how education provides a pathway for upward mobility. Growing up in India, she watched as her father went to the University of Kansas to earn his doctoral degree. After graduating from Andhra University in India, she followed in his footsteps and earned her own doctorate in marketing from Kansas.
Her research focused on how companies and organizations can best serve their customers, and she has lived up to her findings throughout her career. She built an impressive business resume, advising some of the world’s largest companies and serving as an executive at a top-30 U.S. bank, before returning to academia in leadership roles at several major universities.
These experiences, spanning multiple continents and disciplines, would eventually lead her to Happy Valley as Penn State’s 19th president. The first woman and first nonwhite person to lead the university, she began her tenure last May, as Penn State was confronting several challenges.
For starters, she inherited a $100 million budget deficit. Dr. Bendapudi has taken several steps to drive revenue while reining in costs, all while ensuring the university stays true to its mission of serving students. For instance, Penn State has implemented a corporate sponsorship program that is driving revenue while creating networking opportunities for students and staff. And, under the leadership of Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Sara Thorndike, the university is working to revamp its budgeting process to streamline efficiencies and prioritize funding that puts the emphasis on students.
When Dr. Bendapudi arrived on campus, Penn State, like the rest of the country, was grappling with issues of racial justice and equity. Acknowledging that addressing these issues requires a comprehensive review of Penn State’s approach to diversity, Dr. Bendapudi has made commitments to improve trust on this front between the college and the broader community. The Penn State Board of Trustees recently approved several goals she has put forth, such as closing graduation rates for students and prioritizing faculty and staff recruitment and retention efforts.
These challenges are not unique to Penn State. Every organization – from Pennsylvania’s businesses to state government – is working to balance budgets, achieve equity, and better serve their customers or constituents.
Penn State is one of the commonwealth’s key assets, and we are lucky to have such a dynamic and energic leader at its helm. But advancing change at an institution as massive and entrenched as Penn State can be like trying to steer an ocean liner. Any major reform requires a big turn of the wheel. Dr. Bendapudi has been in her role for only six months, and I am encouraged by her fortitude and plans for tackling challenging issues.
Leaders deserve the opportunity to lead. As we enter the New Year, with many new faces in Harrisburg tasked with working together to move Pennsylvania forward, I encourage leaders across the commonwealth, from the public and private sectors, to get to know and work with Dr. Bendapudi.
With a $11.6 billion impact on Pennsylvania’s economy, and with world-class, large-scale research, Penn State is more than an educational institution – it is an economic driver that can boost the commonwealth’s economic vitality to new levels.
Regardless of our collegiate loyalties, Penn State’s success is Pennsylvania’s success. As we enter a season of change, we should all be rooting for this great university – and one another.
