Graham B. Spanier is president of The Pennsylvania State University that has 22 campus locations in Pennsylvania, succeeding Bryce Jordan with his inaugural address on January 15,1995.

Education

Graham B. Spanier earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Iowa State University, where he was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Citation . He earned his Ph.D.. in sociology from Northwestern University, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.

Early Career

Graham Spanier served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Oregon State University, and vice provost for undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He was a faculty member and administrator from 1973-1982 in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development.

Internet and Copyright Issues

Dr. Spanier has always had an interest in the Internet and technology, and was a founding member of the Internet2 board. More recently, Dr. Spanier has become an outspoken critic of unmonitored online file sharing, and testified before Congress in 2002 about the issue. He was the first University president to collaborate with music companies in an effort to halt this practice among students when Penn State signed a contract with Napster that provided all students access to Napster's music catalog. He currently serves as co-chair of the Committee on Higher Education and the Entertainment Industry .

Hobbies

In his free time, Dr. Spanier is a washboard player of the Deacons of Dixieland, a jazz band. He also serves as advisor for the Penn State Performing Magicians. In addition, he hosts a radio show called "To the Best of My Knowledge", where he discusses current social issues.