UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Rodney Erickson University President Rodney A. Erickson assumed responsibilities as the 17th President of The Pennsylvania State University on November 9, 2011. Previously, Erickson served as Penn State’s executive vice president and provost since July 1, 1999. As provost, he
Dr. David Joyner Acting Director of Athletics David M. Joyner was named Penn State’s Acting Director of Athletics on November 16, 2011. A two-sport All-American and Academic All-American at Penn State, Joyner is a physician and health care and business consultant who provides a strong background in department budget, facilities, fundraising and personnel management. “Dave Joyner has served the board with integrity, and he is internationally known for his work with the U.S. Olympic Committee. I am confident that he will bring that same
200 ˜ PENN STATE BASKETBALL
was chief academic officer of the University, responsible for administration of the University’s resident instruction, research and continuing education, and for the general welfare of the faculty and students. As executive vice president, Erickson served as the chief executive officer in the president’s absence and was centrally involved in most aspects of University operations. Erickson is deeply committed to Penn State and to fulfilling the University’s mission of excellence in education, groundbreaking research, creative activity and service to those in Pennsylvania, the nation and the world. Throughout his career, he has worked at the intersection of academia, business, and government to advance education and create new knowledge to benefit the community at large. He is a highly respected academic leader, and he has chaired numerous task forces and special committees, including the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, which is the academic arm of the Big Ten universities. Erickson is a former Fulbright Research Scholar in the United Kingdom
and a Simon Senior Fellow at the University of Manchester. His research has focused on the spatial dimensions of urban and regional economies, international trade, and economic development policies. Erickson holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota, and was awarded a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Washington in 1973. He began his academic career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before joining the faculty at Penn State in 1977. He was promoted to professor in both geography and business administration in 1984. He was named dean of the Graduate School in July 1995 and, in March 1997, he assumed the additional responsibilities of vice president for research. Among his other administrative assignments at Penn State, Erickson served as head of the Department of Geography in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and as director of the Center for Regional Business Analysis and associate director of the Division of Research in the Smeal College of Business.
Erickson formerly chaired the meetings of the Academic Leadership Council, which provides advice and counsel to the president on academic matters. He also chaired the Facilities Resources Committee, and was a member of the President’s Council, as well as an ex-officio member of the University Faculty Senate and Senate Council. He has been the leader of many University task forces in recent years, including the Task Force on Tuition, the University Cost Savings Task Force, the University Strategic Planning Council, and the Academic Program and Administrative Services Review Core Council, which was the group charged with identifying millions of dollars in permanent cost savings and nontuition revenue sources for the University for the coming years. President Erickson was named an Honorary Alumnus by the Penn State Alumni Association in 2010 for his contributions to improving the academic stature of the University and enhancing the success of students.
integrity to his new role,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson at the time of Joyner’s appointment. Founder, Chairman and CEO of Joyner Sports Medicine Institute (JSI) from 199298, he developed and managed 19 physical therapy centers and 350 employees in eight states to deliver state-of-the-art training and rehabilitation services honed by U.S. Olympic and Elite Medical Team experience and leadership. Closely involved with numerous campus initiatives, Joyner has served as a member of the Penn State Libraries Development Advisory Board, co-chairman of the Paterno Libraries Endowment, chairman of the external advisory board for the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Schreyer Honors College. In 2003, as chairman of the Penn State Athletic Campaign Committee, he led a five-year effort to raise $130 million for the athletic department, far surpassing the campaign’s $100 million goal. During the same period, as a member of the Executive Committee of the University’s Leadership Gifts Committee, he helped achieve the University’s goal to raise $745 million. He also has been a member of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center Capital Campaign Committee. A member of the Penn State Board of Trustees from 2000 until the date of his appointment with Intercollegiate
Athletics, Joyner was honored in 1992 as a Distinguished Alumnus of Penn State. He is currently a member of the board of directors of The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Joyner’s work with the U.S. Olympic Committee includes service as head physician to the United States’ teams at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games, the 1991 World University Games and the 1989 United States Olympic Festival. He is a past chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Society. Joyner served as the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Committee and the vice-chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Anti-Doping Committee. He currently is a member of the medical commission of the Pan American Sports Organization. Joyner served on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and has served as Chairman of USA Football’s Football and Wellness Committee and has been an emeritus member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. A Penn State offensive tackle from 196971, Joyner earned first-team All-America honors in his senior season and was a team co-captain. He was instrumental in helping the Nittany Lions compile a cumulative 29-4 record, including an 11-0 mark in 1969, with victories in the 1970 Orange and 1972
Cotton bowls. Joyner also was a standout wrestler from 1970-72, gaining All-America honors by finishing as the NCAA runner-up at heavyweight in 1971. Joyner was named a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1971 and is one of a select group of individuals who have been inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame, which honors “those with the highest standards in college academics, athletics and in life beyond athletics.” Joyner also received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship as a Penn State student-athlete and was selected for the prestigious NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 1997. Joyner was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1993. He earned his bachelor’s degree in science in 1972 and his M.D. from Penn State’s College of Medicine in 1976. Following residencies in general and orthopedic surgery at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and a stint in the World Football League, Joyner began a medical career with a sports medicine emphasis. Joyner’s sons, Andy and Matt, also played football at Penn State and are graduates of the University.