UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State President Rodney Erickson's National Press Club speech in Washington, D.C., previously slated for Oct. 31, has been rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 2, because of ongoing issues and effects related to Hurricane Sandy.
The National Press Club was closed on Monday, Oct. 29, and its Tuesday Newsmaker event on Oct. 30 was canceled, also because of storm-related concerns.
Erickson will give a status report on the state of the University in a major speech as part of the club’s Speakers Luncheon Series. Erickson will discuss what the University has learned from the child sex abuse scandal, reforms it has put in place, and its ongoing commitment to its core mission of teaching, research and service.
Erickson’s remarks on Nov. 2 will underscore some of the University’s outstanding accomplishments this year: Penn State’s ranking as one of the top 50 world universities; the University’s student-athlete 88 percent graduation rate that tops the NCAA Division I average; the robust growth of Penn State’s research enterprise with more than $807 million in research expenditures; and the $10.7 million Penn State students raised last year for THON -- the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, which annually raises funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer.
“In the face of the challenging times we’ve experienced, it’s important that the world knows Penn State is and always will be a world-class university with a mission of teaching, research and service,” said Erickson. “Penn State is defined not by the actions of a few, but by the deeds of hundreds of thousands committed to making our world a better place -- leaders in our communities, academia, business, research, athletics and philanthropy.”
Following the University’s Oct. 29-30 conference on child sexual abuse, Erickson also will discuss Penn State’s commitment to making child sexual abuse prevention part of the University’s mission.
“Penn State is adamant about focusing our energy in a positive way to help identify, prevent and treat child sexual abuse -- a challenge that, as we have learned in the most personal of ways, knows no bounds.”
The National Press Club is one of the nation’s premier speaking venues and boasts more than 3,500 members. Luncheon speakers are selected by a committee under the direction of the club president.
For more information about President Erickson’s speech, please visit www.press.org. To reserve tickets, e-mail reservations@press.org or call 202-662-7501.