Rodney Erickson
Encyclopedia
Rodney A. Erickson, Ph.D.
is the president of Pennsylvania State University
. Formerly executive vice president and provost
(chief academic officer), he was named interim president of Penn State on November 9, 2011 after previous president Graham Spanier
was forced to resign in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal
. Initial plans called for Erickson to stay on as president until a permanent successor could be found. However, on November 17, the Board of Trustees removed the "interim" tag from Erickson's title and formally named him as Penn State's 17th president. This was thought to be an unusual move for a university of Penn State's stature. However, several trustees felt that given the gravity of the sex abuse scandal, Erickson would provide a measure of stability.
Erickson graduated from the University of Minnesota
, where he also earned his master's degree. He earned a Ph.D.
in geography
from the University of Washington
in 1973. After a brief tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he came to Penn State as an assistant professor of geography and business administration. He was promoted to full professor in 1984. He has been part of the university's administration since 1995, when he became dean of Penn State's graduate school. He was promoted to provost in 1999.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
is the president of Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Formerly executive vice president and provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
(chief academic officer), he was named interim president of Penn State on November 9, 2011 after previous president Graham Spanier
Graham Spanier
Graham B. Spanier is an American academic, who served as the 16th president of the Pennsylvania State University from September 1, 1995, until he was forced to resign on November 9, 2011, in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal...
was forced to resign in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal
Penn State sex abuse scandal
The Penn State sex abuse scandal refers to allegations that former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property...
. Initial plans called for Erickson to stay on as president until a permanent successor could be found. However, on November 17, the Board of Trustees removed the "interim" tag from Erickson's title and formally named him as Penn State's 17th president. This was thought to be an unusual move for a university of Penn State's stature. However, several trustees felt that given the gravity of the sex abuse scandal, Erickson would provide a measure of stability.
Erickson graduated from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, where he also earned his master's degree. He earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1973. After a brief tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he came to Penn State as an assistant professor of geography and business administration. He was promoted to full professor in 1984. He has been part of the university's administration since 1995, when he became dean of Penn State's graduate school. He was promoted to provost in 1999.