00:14 - Neeli Bendapudi president of

00:15 - penn state university this is a

00:17 - new job for you

00:18 - how's it going so far

00:19 - oh it's wonderful

00:20 - I ma in month five on the job

00:23 - so I have all the answers

00:24 - now seriously it's been.

00:26 - A delight

00:27 - to be here at penn state.

00:29 - And for those who maybe aren't

00:30 - familiar with you let's get a

00:31 - little bit of background

00:32 - and go all the way back

00:33 - where are you from.

00:35 - Ah well I was born in south

00:36 - India on the east coast.

00:38 - Ah the state where I

00:39 - grew up onto pradesh

00:40 - is actually called

00:41 - the rice bowl of India

00:42 - so very much and

00:43 - agriculture dominated a state

00:46 - and then I came to the united

00:47 - states for my doctoral degree

00:49 - and my husband and I went

00:50 - to the university of Kansas.

00:53 - And after that.

00:54 - I've had a great stint in both

00:57 - academe and in

00:58 - the private sector

00:58 - and I'm

00:59 - so glad that all of those.

01:02 - Experiences

01:03 - led me to what is clearly my

01:05 - dream job of being president at

01:07 - penn state.

01:08 - Did you always know that you

01:09 - wanted to be

01:10 - involved in academia

01:11 - I think I always knew I

01:12 - wanted to be an academe

01:13 - and that's because.

01:15 - We were talking about

01:16 - you being influenced by

01:17 - you know your mom

01:19 - what she was studying

01:20 - the same thing for me

01:21 - my father.

01:23 - When I was about five years old

01:25 - left to

01:26 - come to the United States

01:28 - for a phd

01:29 - and for four years my

01:30 - mother stayed home with US.

01:32 - Three little girls I

01:33 - was the oldest at five

01:35 - so for four years

01:36 - we didn't see him.

01:37 - Or we didn't have money

01:38 - for a telephone at home

01:40 - but I knew he had gone

01:41 - away to get an education

01:42 - and something called a

01:44 - phd I didn't know what it was

01:46 - but I think from that a John

01:48 - I was fascinated

01:49 - by higher education

01:50 - and the fact that the entire

01:52 - extended family pitched in

01:54 - for him then to go get

01:55 - an education come back

01:57 - so that it would uplift lives.

02:00 - And I read that several of your

02:01 - family members went on to get.

02:03 - Higher degrees so it sounds

02:04 - like education was really more

02:05 - important in your family

02:06 - yes because when

02:07 - you think about the

02:09 - paths out of poverty or.

02:11 - We will not the

02:12 - poorest by any means back.

02:15 - Social mobility when you think

02:16 - about what are the instruments

02:18 - of social mobility

02:19 - higher education plays such a

02:21 - key part

02:22 - and I have no question

02:23 - that when one person

02:24 - in a family gets an

02:26 - advanced degree

02:27 - it allows

02:28 - cousins and extended

02:29 - family to say well

02:31 - if that person can

02:32 - do it maybe I can't too

02:34 - so clearly my father

02:35 - has that impact on

02:36 - a lot of US.

02:38 - What did you study in school.

02:39 - I in that India have a

02:41 - liberal arts.

02:43 - Background I'm very proud of

02:44 - being a liberal arts major

02:46 - and I think it really

02:47 - teaches you critical thinking

02:49 - and prepares you for the world

02:51 - but then after I finished

02:52 - my bachelor's degree

02:53 - I was fascinated India was

02:55 - opening up to competition

02:57 - and.

02:59 - More privatization was happening

03:01 - so I wanted to study business

03:03 - and I am.

03:04 - Very much about free

03:05 - markets and competition

03:06 - because I will tell you

03:08 - that when you don't

03:09 - have a lot of resources

03:11 - it's good to have people compete

03:13 - whereas if it's a closed market.

03:15 - The reality is

03:17 - it becomes so much a seller's

03:18 - market and only the people who

03:20 - have a great deal of resources

03:23 - are able to get to

03:24 - the products and

03:25 - services in the marketplace

03:27 - so I went into business and

03:29 - that's.

03:29 - That's my background.

03:31 - And thinking of the the role of

03:32 - the president of the university

03:33 - does that business background

03:34 - help you in any way your day to

03:36 - day

03:36 - I think it helps tremendously

03:38 - I love the fact that I'm equally

03:40 - at ease inside the classroom

03:41 - and the boardroom.

03:43 - When you think about

03:44 - penn state university

03:46 - we are an eight

03:46 - point four billion dollar

03:48 - organization

03:49 - and so it is important

03:50 - to understand

03:52 - and it's.

03:52 - Particularly important

03:53 - to understand because.

03:55 - We are our mission-driven

03:57 - we are the

03:58 - only land Grant university

04:00 - in Pennsylvania

04:01 - so for everybody listening

04:03 - to this or watching this

04:04 - wherever you went to

04:05 - school that's fantastic

04:07 - but remember you

04:08 - can always claim US

04:09 - because we are the

04:10 - only land Grant

04:11 - university in Pennsylvania

04:13 - meaning the only mission we have

04:15 - the re reason we will founded

04:17 - is to help the

04:18 - citizens of the commonwealth

04:19 - of Pennsylvania.

04:21 - And what about tj I know you've

04:22 - you've been in the

04:24 - professor in classrooms what

04:25 - did you like about teaching

04:26 - and.

04:27 - I love teaching.

04:28 - Because

04:29 - when you think about teaching.

04:31 - Ai.

04:32 - People typically think of the

04:34 - professor having all the answers

04:36 - you go in

04:37 - are the sage on stage and

04:38 - you're there to impart wisdom

04:40 - that has not been my experience

04:42 - especially in higher education.

04:44 - Every time I interact

04:45 - with the students

04:47 - I know I bring knowledge to them

04:49 - but they question they

04:50 - push back and they teach me

04:53 - so teaching

04:54 - is a.

04:56 - Coke created activity

04:57 - and I love that

04:58 - and I am happy to say that for

05:00 - the first time in twelve years

05:03 - I'm actually teaching

05:04 - a course here

05:05 - it's called the president's

05:06 - leadership academy.

05:07 - I love the students

05:09 - in this group and

05:10 - it's been a treat to

05:12 - to interact with them.

05:14 - I was going to ask if you miss

05:15 - teaching but now I know that

05:16 - that you

05:16 - the opportunity to do it now

05:18 - even as president though talk

05:19 - about some of your experiences

05:20 - just interacting with

05:21 - the students here

05:22 - I am.

05:23 - Of course I'm I confess

05:25 - I'm a tiny bit biased

05:26 - but I am.

05:28 - Truly in awe of the

05:29 - students at penn state

05:30 - and when I say penn state

05:32 - I'm talking about all of our

05:34 - commonwealth campus as well

05:36 - as you know ninety six percent

05:38 - of the citizens of

05:39 - this commonwealth

05:41 - live within thirty miles of

05:42 - one of our our locations

05:44 - so we truly are for.

05:46 - The state of Pennsylvania

05:48 - penn state is for the state of

05:49 - Pennsylvania

05:50 - so every place I've been.

05:52 - I've noticed that our

05:54 - students are hardworking.

05:55 - They are smart

05:57 - they are humble

05:58 - they are a joy to be around

06:00 - something I've noticed is

06:02 - the students here

06:03 - seem to be wired not just

06:05 - to bring you a complaint

06:07 - but to bring you a

06:08 - potential solution.

06:09 - Now the solution may

06:10 - not be the one that's

06:12 - the perfect answer or they've

06:13 - thought through everything

06:15 - but I don't know if it's in the

06:17 - water or what waters

06:18 - of Pennsylvania

06:18 - or if it's just penn state magic

06:20 - but I will tell you I've

06:21 - been so impressed

06:23 - that they want to be

06:24 - part of the solution

06:26 - and I think that's going to be

06:27 - such a wonderful trait for them.

06:30 - Going forward

06:31 - and that's probably why

06:32 - when you look at how we rate

06:34 - a penn state

06:35 - so well with imp lawyers.

06:38 - They love recruiting

06:39 - our students

06:40 - and they speak to some

06:41 - of these characteristics.

06:43 - Do you have a

06:44 - student interaction

06:45 - that sticks out at all or one

06:46 - that you remember fondly sure.

06:48 - I

06:49 - I didn't even expected to ask

06:52 - this but I have

06:52 - an answer for you.

06:53 - At one of the campuses and

06:54 - I have to look up where it is.

06:56 - I was on my way way

06:57 - every time I visit anywhere

06:59 - I meet with faculty.

07:00 - With staff

07:01 - with students with alumni

07:03 - and leaders in the community

07:05 - so as we were walking in

07:07 - for one of the

07:08 - groups that I was meeting with

07:10 - noticed that there was a

07:12 - kind of a career fair

07:13 - preparation going on.

07:15 - Not a career fair

07:16 - something that's student

07:17 - affairs was putting on

07:19 - and they were the students

07:20 - with the.

07:23 - Inspiration boards

07:24 - they were all asked to write

07:25 - up something and put it up

07:27 - and there was this young person

07:29 - that

07:29 - really impressed me

07:31 - because he was

07:32 - the first to go to.

07:33 - College

07:34 - and

07:35 - his family did not think he

07:36 - could succeed

07:37 - seat in the area he

07:38 - was going to going to

07:39 - which I believe was finance

07:41 - but his board inspiration board

07:44 - of what you can do.

07:45 - I'm trying to remember.

07:47 - Oh yes he put on there

07:49 - one day or day one you decide

07:52 - and I asked

07:53 - him to explain what

07:54 - it was about he said

07:56 - you could always say

07:57 - why one day I will do it

07:59 - or you can make a determination

08:01 - that today's day one

08:02 - towards whatever dream I have

08:04 - it just stood out to me has.

08:06 - I.

08:07 - The obstacles that

08:08 - he had to overcome

08:09 - to Be what he wanted to be

08:12 - because certainly in

08:13 - the world of high finance

08:15 - there not a whole lot of

08:16 - people that looked like him

08:17 - but I just was

08:18 - very moved by that.

08:19 - Similarly

08:21 - a second interaction if I may.

08:23 - I Was here.

08:25 - With our current

08:25 - student body president

08:27 - at and.

08:28 - We weren't on a.

08:30 - Call

08:31 - with our board

08:32 - chair vice chair me

08:34 - we all talk about issues

08:36 - and Sydney stood out to me

08:38 - because she was

08:38 - bringing up an issue

08:40 - but again as I said

08:41 - said here's what I

08:42 - research we can chocolate

08:44 - a b c d

08:46 - and that's when I thought

08:47 - the this is a pretty special.

08:49 - Group of students.

08:51 - Now I want to get into.

08:52 - Some some of your goals here

08:53 - at penn state but first I know

08:54 - that you served as president

08:55 - of the university of louisville

08:56 - for a period of time

08:57 - talk about that experience and

08:58 - some things that you learned

09:00 - that might help you

09:00 - in this position here are

09:02 - everywhere I've been I've been

09:03 - so fortunate I love my students

09:05 - wherever I've been

09:06 - and university of la louisville

09:08 - is No exception

09:10 - it was a tremendous

09:11 - experience for me.

09:12 - I Frustrate students

09:15 - what stood out to me about

09:16 - the university of louisville

09:17 - is it's about forty percent

09:19 - pell Grant students

09:20 - and.

09:22 - A bragging point for them

09:23 - that's what drew me there

09:24 - is their commitment to

09:26 - serving a very diverse

09:27 - group students so

09:29 - really.

09:30 - Loved it

09:30 - and of course everywhere

09:32 - I am I learned something.

09:33 - So.

09:35 - Students have taught

09:36 - me everything from

09:37 - Facebook to

09:39 - Instagram to tick tock

09:40 - and how to reach them and

09:42 - you know it's

09:43 - always it's always fun.

09:45 - Now coming to penn state.

09:47 - Of course it's a very very large

09:48 - school does that present any

09:50 - unique challenges you mentioned

09:51 - the commonwealth campus.

09:53 - Yeah it is

09:54 - and there is truly

09:56 - no other university like

09:57 - penn state in the country

09:59 - now no president

10:00 - that you interview will

10:01 - sit in front of you and say.

10:03 - Our university is mediocre

10:05 - so this is not hype at all

10:07 - it's factual it's an.

10:09 - Oh

10:09 - And

10:10 - there's not another university

10:12 - that covers an entire

10:13 - state the way we do

10:14 - certainly California new

10:16 - York that are systems

10:18 - but to have one university

10:19 - so that's the beauty of it

10:21 - we have twenty four different.

10:24 - Units right twenty campuses

10:27 - and that definitely provide.

10:29 - Poses

10:30 - huge challenges but provides

10:33 - tremendous opportunities.

10:35 - So I'm very committed

10:36 - to all of them because.

10:38 - Having travel to these

10:39 - campuses I can tell you.

10:41 - That they are.

10:43 - The social economic cultural

10:46 - centers of the

10:47 - communities they serve.

10:50 - And that's part of the

10:51 - land Grant mission.

10:52 - And I want to get into some of

10:55 - the priorities

10:55 - that you listed for

10:56 - your time here at penn state I

10:57 - I read that you have the a b

10:59 - cs and academic preparedness

11:00 - belonging and cost a can you

11:01 - just describe what

11:02 - those all mean

11:03 - I will

11:04 - I was smiling because I can't

11:05 - resist anywhere I've taught

11:07 - I want to make it simple so

11:09 - I know it's so corny

11:10 - but I did go to school

11:12 - in Kansas ha ha ha

11:13 - never mind never mind.

11:15 - But seriously the ab c to me

11:18 - is anyone who gets a paycheck

11:20 - from penn state.

11:22 - It's a faculty member staff

11:23 - member it doesn't matter

11:24 - if you're getting a paycheck

11:26 - from penn state.

11:27 - Every day you

11:28 - better be contributing

11:29 - to the a b c's or asking

11:31 - yourself what have I done today.

11:33 - So if you think about what

11:35 - makes for student success.

11:37 - My definition of student success

11:40 - land Grant universities that

11:41 - about access and affordability

11:43 - so my definition is

11:45 - not just that you get a degree

11:46 - even though it's

11:47 - incredibly important

11:48 - but does it lie lead to

11:50 - a meaningful job a

11:51 - meaningful career

11:53 - are you better off for

11:54 - having gone to college here.

11:56 - So what is it that

11:57 - derails student success.

11:59 - And.

12:00 - The worst of all possible

12:02 - worlds is when a student starts

12:04 - college and then drops out.

12:05 - Because now you have

12:06 - debt and nothing to show for it.

12:08 - So if we examine then

12:10 - why do students drop out

12:11 - and how do we prevent it

12:13 - it's the a b c.

12:15 - Academic preparedness

12:16 - so preparing our students

12:18 - for success

12:19 - not just to graduate but for a

12:21 - job so you asked lessons learned

12:23 - elsewhere.

12:24 - The university of louisville

12:25 - we started a program

12:26 - whereby every student

12:27 - who graduates with a degree

12:29 - weather it's in

12:30 - poetry or philosophy

12:31 - or physics or metaphysics.

12:33 - They automatically

12:34 - have some digital.

12:36 - Certificates embedded

12:37 - so that they're more employable.

12:39 - So things like that

12:40 - academic preparedness

12:42 - sense of belonging.

12:44 - In college

12:45 - everybody needs to be challenged

12:47 - I don't want you to be

12:48 - comfortable the entire time you

12:49 - in college

12:50 - but.

12:51 - If you never feel

12:52 - like you belong

12:53 - that's a toy

12:54 - terrible place to be.

12:55 - No one can succeed if you think

12:57 - people don't believe in you

12:58 - and people don't want you

13:00 - so that sense of

13:01 - belonging matters

13:02 - and how do we create

13:03 - that every single person

13:05 - it might be a veteran who's

13:06 - coming back together decree

13:08 - it might be an adult learner

13:10 - it might be.

13:11 - A fourth generation

13:12 - penn state student

13:13 - who whoever they are

13:14 - that's going to be important

13:16 - and see as the cost we've

13:18 - got to figure out.

13:19 - How to keep.

13:20 - A.

13:21 - Penn state education affordable.

13:25 - Sports is also a massively

13:26 - important part of

13:27 - life here at penn

13:28 - state what was.

13:29 - Your approach to sort of working

13:30 - with the athletic wing of of

13:32 - the university here.

13:33 - I think that.

13:34 - Athletics is

13:36 - phenomenal.

13:37 - Because a

13:38 - for the student athletes

13:39 - themselves it creates the apc

13:41 - right

13:42 - and you automatically get the

13:45 - the

13:46 - coaching and tutoring

13:47 - the sense of belonging

13:49 - it helps you control costs

13:51 - but much beyond that

13:52 - it creates a sense

13:53 - of pride and identity

13:55 - so I've always.

13:56 - Looked for universities that

13:57 - have very strong athletics

13:59 - programs

13:59 - because that's part and parcel

14:01 - of a phenomenal

14:02 - college education.

14:04 - Some very happy.

14:05 - I attended my first home game.

14:08 - Football.

14:09 - At Penn state

14:11 - I've been at strong athletics.

14:13 - Programs as you know

14:14 - Texas a and m and Kansas

14:15 - and Ohio state and louisville

14:17 - my my goodness

14:19 - there's nothing quite

14:20 - like beaver stadium

14:21 - so I loved it

14:23 - and I do have a good background

14:24 - in Athens addicts from where

14:25 - I've been

14:26 - I was vice chair of the ac c.

14:29 - Before I came here

14:30 - and so I feel very excited

14:33 - had a chance to hire a

14:35 - new r a d as you know

14:37 - so doctor pack craft.

14:39 - The thing that's unique

14:40 - about penn state.

14:41 - Is How we make sure

14:44 - our students act Leeds

14:45 - are successful.

14:47 - Beyond the buzzer at

14:48 - some point for every athlete.

14:51 - Your career comes to an end.

14:52 - Our

14:53 - student athlete

14:54 - graduation rate is

14:56 - something like

14:56 - ninety two percent

14:57 - and so I'm very

14:58 - proud of that legacy

14:59 - and I'm committed

15:00 - to continuing that.

15:02 - Now you listed some priorities

15:03 - for the students as well what

15:05 - about for the

15:05 - faculty and stuff but

15:06 - what does supporting faculty and

15:07 - staff here look like for you.

15:09 - You know it's.

15:10 - Kind of similar

15:11 - we need to invest

15:12 - in their professional

15:13 - development

15:13 - for our faculty and staff.

15:15 - When we talk about

15:17 - cove it.

15:18 - Everybody's aware of

15:19 - what people in healthcare did

15:21 - I don't know if every

15:22 - one fully appreciates

15:24 - the pressure said put on

15:25 - educators at every level.

15:27 - Not just the school levels

15:29 - but at the college levels

15:30 - so we've had faculty and staff

15:33 - go the extra mile

15:34 - to invest in our student success

15:36 - so to me

15:37 - I want to make sure that they

15:39 - know we're supporting them.

15:41 - That we are investing in them

15:42 - that we want them to be here and

15:44 - succeed

15:45 - and create that belonging

15:46 - for our faculty

15:47 - and staff as well.

15:49 - Now that there are sports

15:50 - that people can participate in

15:51 - there's

15:52 - academic clubs are there any

15:53 - cultural events that you've been

15:54 - to there's there's

15:55 - arts fest there's lots of

15:56 - theatrical performances so many

15:59 - and that's what I

16:00 - love about penn state.

16:01 - I always tell stewie Odin's

16:03 - you can come to

16:04 - a large university

16:05 - and you can immediately fake

16:06 - make it feel small

16:08 - but you cannot go to a small

16:09 - university and make it big

16:10 - so in the time I've been here

16:12 - certainly arts fest I was.

16:15 - So positively impressed

16:18 - because everybody told

16:19 - me oh it'll be a huge event

16:21 - and I was like yeah yeah it's

16:22 - a college town it's incredible

16:24 - how many vendors were here

16:26 - how many people came to attend

16:28 - and musical theatre

16:29 - it's such a point of pride for

16:30 - US you probably know this

16:32 - that we admit I think.

16:34 - Twelve to fourteen

16:35 - students a year

16:36 - and we get about fifteen hundred

16:38 - applications I understand

16:39 - so it's a highly competitive

16:41 - and already

16:43 - I've been able to

16:43 - take advantage of

16:44 - several.

16:46 - Performances I

16:47 - was able to attend

16:48 - our Palmer museum

16:50 - there's so much going on.

16:52 - If I may I want to go back to

16:53 - a question you asked earlier

16:55 - about supper courting

16:56 - our faculty and staff

16:57 - and I was thinking

16:58 - about student success

17:00 - and something that I

17:01 - really need to bring up.

17:03 - Is the research enterprise

17:05 - supporting the research

17:06 - that happens at penn state.

17:08 - We have about a

17:09 - billion dollars of research

17:11 - that funding that comes to

17:13 - the the commonwealth

17:14 - because of the

17:15 - research that our

17:16 - faculty and staff do.

17:18 - That's a huge area

17:19 - that we need to support

17:21 - because when students come here

17:23 - they're being

17:23 - taught by professors

17:25 - and being taught material.

17:27 - That won't appear in

17:28 - textbooks for a few years

17:30 - so gives them a real advantage

17:32 - and that's true wherever they go

17:34 - it's one penn state

17:35 - so whether yours studying

17:36 - close to home

17:38 - or whether you're here make in

17:39 - a university park where you and

17:41 - I are today it doesn't matter

17:42 - they have access to

17:43 - that level of knowledge.

17:46 - Now this isn't the first time

17:47 - that you've been

17:47 - president of the

17:48 - university about you coming

17:49 - here is kind of a first for penn

17:50 - state you're the first woman

17:51 - and the first person of color

17:53 - to hold this position what

17:54 - does that mean to you.

17:56 - Well I've had to.

17:57 - Add the.

17:59 - Dubious distinction

18:00 - of being first woman

18:01 - first person of color.

18:02 - In pretty much

18:03 - every role I've held

18:05 - and so.

18:06 - Initially.

18:07 - I.

18:09 - Candidly.

18:10 - When I was younger I

18:10 - would really bristle at that

18:12 - I suddenly being in business I

18:14 - was executive vice president and

18:15 - someone.

18:16 - I use to be thinking.

18:17 - Oh

18:18 - I want to make sure everyone

18:19 - knows I got picked

18:20 - because I'm the

18:20 - very best at this

18:22 - and don't try to say

18:23 - put all of these

18:24 - other labels on me.

18:25 - Now though candidly

18:27 - the number of people

18:28 - who come up to me

18:29 - and say it means so much to me.

18:32 - So I learned to take it.

18:34 - Much more graciously I hope

18:36 - because because it's not true

18:38 - that you cannot be

18:39 - what you cannot see

18:41 - otherwise you would

18:42 - never have first of any kind

18:43 - but it's definitely true

18:45 - that it's a lot harder

18:46 - to be something you cannot see

18:48 - so having those

18:49 - role models matters

18:51 - but the reality is I also know

18:53 - that I will be judged

18:55 - and I will judge myself so

18:57 - by whether I have

18:58 - made life better

18:59 - for every single student.

19:01 - Every single faculty member

19:03 - staff member alumni.

19:06 - Whether they shared

19:07 - my identities or not.

19:09 - And having worked in the

19:10 - academic world for a long time

19:12 - is this a sign that there's

19:13 - a lot of growth as far as

19:14 - representation for women and

19:15 - people of color in it in higher

19:17 - positions or do

19:17 - you think there's

19:18 - a lot more work to do there's

19:19 - a lot more work to do

19:21 - and people in higher education

19:23 - I tell people outside

19:24 - higher education

19:25 - some of the people tuning in

19:27 - my tear the rhetoric

19:28 - of some people and say oh

19:30 - those are universities

19:32 - they're bastions of.

19:34 - Liberalism and surely

19:35 - there's great equity

19:37 - that is not true

19:38 - as someone who

19:39 - has proudly served on

19:40 - public and private

19:41 - company boards for

19:43 - a couple of decades

19:44 - and have worked with.

19:46 - I Saw many many businesses

19:48 - I can confidently tell you

19:50 - that academe talks a good game

19:53 - but we rarely live up

19:54 - to providing.

19:56 - The same sort of opportunities.

19:59 - So here just an

20:00 - offense that actually is.

20:02 - I'm proud

20:03 - you know is taking

20:04 - these stances and saying

20:06 - we want to be at the forefront

20:07 - and I want to acknowledge

20:08 - the legacy of penn state.

20:10 - Because at penn state

20:11 - it's not I am

20:13 - it's we are.

20:14 - An understanding

20:15 - that each of US is only as.

20:18 - As the teams and

20:18 - the families we've built

20:20 - so I want people to know

20:22 - that penn state has a

20:23 - rich legacy of being

20:25 - open and inclusive.

20:27 - The spiritual center here

20:29 - which is for all faiths

20:31 - I mean think

20:31 - they started this way back

20:33 - and of course the

20:35 - the story of we are which

20:36 - you know pretty well.

20:37 - These these things matter.

20:40 - So just in your day to day what

20:41 - does a typical day look like if

20:42 - you have such a thing.

20:44 - The beauty of it is there's

20:45 - no such thing as a typical day

20:47 - and that's not unusual for a ceo

20:48 - of any institution candidly or

20:50 - when you're in leadership

20:51 - but.

20:53 - I try to be mindful of my time

20:54 - people think it's funny

20:56 - but I know this is week

20:57 - nineteen for exam apple.

20:59 - Why is that it's not that

21:00 - I'm counting down the days

21:01 - it is that the days are

21:03 - long but the years are short

21:04 - six you don't

21:05 - really pay attention

21:06 - you could go through a

21:07 - year and say what did I really

21:09 - accomplish here

21:10 - so every given day.

21:13 - We have some scheduled

21:14 - and I have an incredible

21:16 - incredible colleague.

21:18 - My executive assistant

21:20 - had the Wilson

21:21 - I do too I do not know how

21:22 - she does what she does

21:23 - because constantly this

21:24 - change that comes up

21:26 - but what I tried to do.

21:27 - Is make sure that every day

21:29 - I'm spending time on the ab cs

21:31 - for example

21:32 - so I look back and say

21:34 - how much time am I spending

21:35 - with external constituencies

21:37 - because I need them to know no

21:38 - what can say it is all about

21:40 - how much time I'm spending

21:41 - with internal constituencies

21:43 - and in a week it

21:44 - rarely happens in a day

21:46 - but I try to.

21:48 - You know somehow

21:49 - get a little bit of time

21:50 - when I'm not caught

21:51 - up in the day-to-day.

21:52 - So one way I put it to people is

21:55 - you need to look at.

21:57 - Week ten and your ten

21:58 - if that makes sense

21:59 - so what am I working on for now

22:01 - and what am I working

22:02 - on for the long term

22:03 - for penn state.

22:05 - And at any free time you

22:06 - have what do you like to do

22:07 - and.

22:08 - Well.

22:09 - There's the

22:10 - best thing for me with free time

22:12 - and for my husband we've been

22:13 - married thirty eight years is

22:15 - that our

22:16 - baby grandson is in town a

22:17 - daughter and son

22:18 - in law moved here

22:19 - he's eighteen months old so

22:21 - Any time I have.

22:23 - I will play grandma

22:25 - because being with him

22:26 - just.

22:27 - Reminds me of the

22:28 - promise of every single child

22:30 - and that he has so much now

22:33 - and what can I do

22:34 - to provide those

22:35 - opportunities to

22:37 - other kids so I love doing that.

22:38 - I'm an avid puzzler.

22:39 - Very competitive haha.

22:41 - New York times

22:42 - sudoku I love to paint

22:44 - and I love to write.

22:46 - So I don't share the latter two

22:48 - with anyone except my husband

22:49 - he doesn't get a choice

22:50 - he has to say everything

22:51 - I write is fabulous

22:53 - and that all my artist great

22:54 - so he's not really

22:55 - public consumption

22:57 - that those are some things

22:58 - that keep me grounded.

23:00 - And now that both you and and

23:01 - your fan only now are part of

23:02 - this penn state community and

23:04 - can you talk more about that

23:05 - we are story that you mentioned

23:06 - earlier I would love to

23:08 - I find it inspiring

23:10 - so when you look

23:11 - at this institution

23:13 - and the we are spirit.

23:15 - I.

23:16 - Think it's a nineteen forty six

23:17 - football team

23:19 - where they were

23:19 - to travel to Miami

23:21 - and at the time as you know

23:23 - segregation and they were told

23:25 - of course penn state

23:26 - football you'd be welcome

23:27 - but we don't want you to bring

23:29 - your African American players

23:30 - and my understanding

23:32 - is that the team

23:33 - meets

23:34 - and they discuss

23:35 - and they say no.

23:36 - It's all or nothing

23:37 - we're all teammates

23:38 - we're just not going to go

23:40 - if you want let US bring.

23:41 - Our wallets triplet

23:43 - and so.

23:44 - That's when they

23:45 - said we are one team

23:46 - and.

23:48 - We're not going to go those are

23:49 - things I look to for inspiration

23:51 - so in here in our spirit

23:54 - that's there

23:54 - you know the better angels

23:56 - of our nature they are there

23:57 - and we need to continue

23:58 - to build upon that.

24:00 - And with that spirit in mind

24:01 - and the many priorities that you

24:03 - listed earlier.

24:04 - Just to wrap up our whole

24:06 - conversation what

24:06 - is your vision for

24:07 - the future of penn

24:08 - state while you're here.

24:09 - I want

24:10 - penn state to truly live up

24:12 - to our land Grant mission

24:13 - I want everybody in Pennsylvania

24:15 - wherever they went to school

24:17 - realize that we truly are

24:19 - as the land Grant university

24:20 - the economic engine

24:21 - for the state and so

24:23 - access and affordability.

24:25 - Economic impact

24:26 - that because of as the

24:27 - commonwealth does better

24:29 - and research that

24:30 - changes the world

24:31 - so That's that's really the goal

24:35 - and student success

24:36 - lies at the heart of it all.

24:38 - Alright nearly been deputy

24:39 - president of penn

24:40 - state university

24:41 - thank you very

24:42 - much for your time

24:42 - thank you yoga.

24:44 - I I.