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VOLUME 133, No. 243
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Neeli Bendapudi is named the new Penn State president on Thursday.
Louisville’s Bendapudi
named Penn State president
BY JOSH MOYER
jmoyer@centredaily.com
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 Louis-
ville President Neeli Bendapu-
di, 58, was named Penn State’s
next president on Thursday,
after a unanimous vote by the
board of trustees. The appoint-
ment will make her both the
first woman and first non-white
person in the university’s 166-
year history to serve from the
4 things to know about Neeli Bendapudi
BY JOSH MOYER
jmoyer@centredaily.com
Neeli Bendapudi, 58, is offi-
cially set to become Penn
State’s 19th university presi-
dent.
After a monthslong national
search and a special board of
trustees meeting, Bendapudi
was unanimously approved
Thursday as Penn State’s next
president. She will take over
once current president Eric
Barron retires, sometime before
July 1, 2022.
Her resume, background and
term sheet have already been
publicly released (and are at-
tached at the bottom of this
online article). But here are
four things to know about the
president-in-waiting:
1. SHE IS A HISTORIC
APPOINTMENT FOR PENN
STATE.
Since Penn State’s creation in
1855, the land-grant university
has only ever selected white
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Nico Ali Walsh,
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Muhammad Ali,
is on a big fight
card Saturday in
New York.
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top post, once her predecessor
retires by the summer.
It was not immediately clear
when Bendapudi would specifi-
cally take over as Penn State’s
19th president, though it will be
sometime before Barron’s re-
tirement on July 1, 2022.
According to the term sheet,
Bendapudi will earn $1.3 mil-
lion 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 uni-
versities saw their total earn-
Neeli Bendapudi speaks during a press conference Thursday after
being named the next Penn State president.
men for the top post of presi-
dent. That means that Benda-
pudi is not only the first female
Penn State president, but she’s
also the first person of color to
earn the title. (She was also the
first such president at Louis-
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“Being president of this in-
stitution is a sacred trust, and
it’s truly the honor of a life-
time,” Bendapudi said Thurs-
day, moments after her selec-
tion was made official. “I am in
awe of Penn State’s ‘We Are’
spirit and of the transformative
power of a Penn State educa-
tion — and of the Penn State
community, which is like no
other anywhere.”
Bendapudi, who earned her
Ph.D. in 1994 from the Uni-
versity of Kansas, became
Louisville’s 18th president in
2018. Prior to that, she served
as the provost/executive vice
ABBY DREY adrey@centredaily.com
ville, on both counts.)
That puts Penn State in
unique company. Among FBS
schools, both Power Five and
Group of Five, only two schools
— Maryland and Penn State —
boast people of color at uni-
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set for clash of styles
at Wisconsin this
CDT file weekend. 1B
FRIDAY DECEMBER 10 2021
SATURDAY DECEMBER 11 2021
ABBY DREY adrey@centredaily.com
chancellor at Kansas after hav-
ing served as dean for Kansas’
School of Business. Since earn-
ing her doctorate, she has also
worked as an assistant market-
ing professor and then market-
ing professor at Texas A&M,
Ohio State and Kansas.
The native of India also jok-
ingly referred to herself as a
“recovering banker,” alluding
to a 20-month stint as exec-
utive vice president and chief
customer officer at Huntingdon
National Bank, from 2007 to
2008. She has also written a
number of scholarly articles,
SEE PENN STATE, 4A
versity president and head
football coach. The Nittany
Lions also have a female athlet-
ic director in Sandy Barbour,
the Big Ten’s lone woman at
the position.
Bendapudi acknowledged the
significance of her appointment
Thursday.
“I do recognize the appoint-
ment’s symbolic value,” she
said. “But to me, what I truly
hope it does is that it inspires
others to pursue the highest
office in their chosen field, no
matter who they are.
“And from what I have
learned, that is the ‘We Are’
spirit of Penn State — that no
matter who you are, when you
come here, you’re part of the
‘We Are’ Penn State family. But
I also know that my tenure as
president will be judged on my
vision and my ability to ad-
vance excellence for every
single Penn Stater.”
Bendapudi was born and
raised in Vizag, a city on the
SEE BENDAPUDI, 5A
Mostly cloudy
45°/ 40° See 10A
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Fauci: Delta,
not omicron,
is the bigger
winter threat
BY MICHAEL WILNER
mwilner@mcclatchydc.com
WASHINGTON
The omicron variant of the
coronavirus will likely be less
severe than the delta variant,
which remains the “real
problem” for Americans this
winter, Dr. Anthony Fauci said
Thursday.
In an interview with
McClatchy, Fauci said the coun-
try is “already seeing a resur-
gence of cases” and warned that
60 million Americans remain
unvaccinated.
“I think we have enough prob-
lems with delta,” said Fauci,
President Joe Biden’s chief med-
ical adviser and head of the
National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases.
“People keep talking about a
winter wave with omicron –
we’re still getting over 100,000
cases a day,” he said, referring
to the delta variant. “We have
around 50,000 people in the
hospital. We have close to 1,400
deaths per day. I think we really
better focus on what our real
problem is, and our real
problem is delta right now.”
Anticipating a winter surge in
COVID-19 cases, Fauci said it
was “inexplicable” that such a
large portion of the population
has not gotten vaccinated.
“It’s really unfortunate and a
sad commentary on our country
that we have a historic outbreak
that has already killed over
780,000 Americans, and at
least 5 million and maybe twice
that amount globally, and for
reasons that are inexplicable –
but may be explainable by politi-
cal ideology – that we have peo-
ple who are refusing to get vac-
cinated,” he said. “We have 60
SEE COVID, 2A
Harrisburg
man dies in
crash on
Route 322
BY HALIE KINES
hkines@centredaily.com
The driver who was killed
when his vehicle collided head-
on with a tractor-trailer on U.S.
Route 322 in Harris Township
on Monday has been identified
by the Centre County coroner.
Jonathan Kaczmar, 28, of
Harrisburg was pronounced
dead at the scene by Deputy
Coroner Domer Smeltzer, ac-
cording to a press release from
Coroner Scott Sayers.
The autopsy shows Kaczmar
died as a result of blunt force
trauma and the manner of death
was accidental, Sayers wrote.
The crash happened just be-
fore 11 a.m. Monday near the
end of the four-lane section of
Route 322 in Harris Township.
Kaczmar was driving a pas-
senger car eastbound on the
roadway and crossed into the
opposing lane of travel, accord-
SEE CRASH, 2A
6 51105 22222 6
4A ..................................................................................CENTRE DAILY TIMES FRIDAY DECEMBER 10 2021

Treasure hunter still in thorities trying to find

those coins, according to
court records, federal

jail with his secret

prosecutors and the judge
who found Thompson in
contempt.
Thompson says he’s
already said everything he
wreck. the Ship of Gold, in 1988. knows about the coins.
Associated Press Research scientist Tom- The gold rush-era ship sank Thompson pleaded guilty
my Thompson has been in a hurricane off South in April 2015 for his failure
COLUMBUS, OHIO held in contempt of court Carolina in 1857 with thou- to appear for a 2012 hear-
A former deep-sea trea- since Dec. 15, 2015, for sands of pounds of gold ing and was sentenced to
sure hunter is preparing to that refusal. He is also aboard, contributing to an two years in prison and a
mark his sixth year in jail incurring a daily fine of economic panic. $250,000 fine. But LON HORWEDEL AP

for refusing to disclose the $1,000. Despite an investors Thompson’s criminal In 1989, Tommy Thompson holds a coin retrieved from
whereabouts of 500 mis- Thompson’s case dates to lawsuit and a federal court sentence has been delayed the S.S. Central America, which sank in a hurricane off
sing coins made from gold his discovery of the S.S. order, Thompson, 69, still until the issue of the gold South Carolina in 1857 with thousands of pounds of gold
found in an historic ship- Central America, known as won’t cooperate with au- coins is resolved. aboard.

FROM PAGE 1A Louisville trustee chair- in maintaining and further she acknowledged the modes or what public

PENN STATE
person Mary Nixon re- building economic and details of her transition are attitudes are toward high-
ferred to Bendapudi as a community allies through- not yet known, though she er education. The good
“superb leader” over the out the state. plans to take this early news is Penn State is bet-
summer. Penn State trust- “Today is a day full of point to listen and have ter prepared to weather
served as Ohio State’s Penn State’s president.” ee chair Matthew Schuyler promise and hope at Penn greater conversations about those challenges than
founding director of the According to officials, appeared to agree with State University and be- the university’s pressing most institutions — and
Institute for Managing about 80 presidential that sentiment Thursday yond. Penn State, and all issues. I’m grateful to President
Services in the Fisher candidates were selected when he said she “truly universities, must be lead- “This is an amazing Barron, for putting us in
School of Business and for meetings and con- embodies the commit- ers in the building of a institution with a long and such a good spot.
boasts significant experi- versations — with about ment to Penn State’s land- better nation — they are storied history. But like “We must continue to
ence with both the armed 50 target prospects eval- grant mission.” the future. Neeli will bring every institution of higher innovate, though. We can
services and in health uated by the appropriate Bendapudi even ap- us closer to our full real- education, I know we will never be complacent. We
care. trustees committee. The peared to ease some past ization.” face significant challenges need to move forward.
“In Dr. Bendapudi, we field was then narrowed to fears about Penn State’s Bendapudi, who earned ahead,” she said. “Wheth- And we need to do that
have found a values-dri- 11 candidates, and the top presidential selection pro- her MBA and Bachelor’s er it’s the shifting de- work together as one Penn
ven leader who will help candidates moved through cess. University faculty degree from India’s Andr- mographics, the challenge State community.”
realize the very best of this additional rounds until expressed concerns in May ha University, also re- of access and affordabil-
institution, and will suc- Bendapudi was eventually over their lack of a role in ceived high praise from ity, different delivery Josh Moyer: @byjoshmoyer
cessfully lead Penn State selected. the search process, worry- Erin Boas, the president of
into the future,” said Da- Bendapudi had some ing the new president the University Park Un-
vid Kleppinger, vice chair detractors at Louisville — might boast a big business dergraduate Association.
of PSU’s trustees and the local newspaper there background with little Boas met personally with
co-chair of the presiden- questioned her as recently familiarity in academia. Bendapudi and said the
tial recruitment and selec- as Wednesday on trans- Instead, faculty senate academic would do any-
tion committee. “Through parency — but she was president Bonj Szczygiel thing for the community,
my discussions with Dr. also widely heralded as an said in an email she was “especially when student
Bendapudi, it was clear effective leader. In Au- “over the moon” with the interests are on the line.”
that she is an authentic gust, she earned a sub- selection. That was echoed by sever-
person of the highest in- stantial raise from Louis- “Neeli Bendapudi repre- al other officials, who took
tegrity. She has strong ville over a new five-year sents all the things that turns praising Bendapudi
academic values; she is contract with an $875,000 will make Penn State a for her track record, expe-
deeply committed to stu- base salary and a truly great institution rience and values.
dents, faculty and staff; $200,000 annual reten- moving forward,” Szczy- For her part, Bendapudi
she’s dynamic and acces- tion bonus. giel said in a written state- repeatedly thanked the
sible; she is committed to She was known for set- ment. “She will be a repre- university. She fielded
diversity, equity and in- ting a record $170 million sentative figure of a more questions for about 20
clusion; and she is a savvy in research funding there, inclusive, diverse commu- minutes Thursday, bounc-
business and financial attaining the highest nity of the 21st century; ing from topic to topic. She
manager. Louisville enrollment in epitomizing strong female agreed with other presi-
“Furthermore, this is a decades (in the fall 2020 leadership, a recognition dents who have said that
historic appointment for semester) and ordering of importance and value athletics is the university’s
Penn State. In addition to Papa John’s name be tak- of unity through diversity, “front porch.” She said she
her stellar credentials, Dr. en off the football stadium with the noted attributes could not yet comment,
Bendapudi is the first after the pizza founder of compassion and energy. when asked, on the poten-
woman and the first per- admitted to using the Added to that, she has tial consolidation of com-
son of color to serve as n-word. expressed a keen interest monwealth campuses. And