Penn State President Graham B. Spanier has received the "Wings of Law" award for his contributions to national security. Spanier is the first academic to receive this award, which normally is reserved for senior officials in government, the courts, the military and the media. The award was presented to Spanier in New York at an event hosted by the Respect for Law Alliance.
Spanier was cited for his work to bridge the gap between U.S. agencies working on national security matters and academe. Spanier serves as chair of the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board and is a member of the National Counterintelligence Working Group.
The citation for Spanier was presented by Jay Manning, former chief of the FBI's Domain Section and current chief of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Section. Spanier was recognized for his efforts to make the nation more secure.
Since Penn State's inception more than 150 years ago, the University has taken its commitment to serving the nation very seriously. Penn State has provided training and support of U.S. Armed Forces, conducted intensive research into issues related to defense and national security, and fostered both student and faculty researchers who have been recognized for contributions to defense-related fields in the social, biological and physical sciences.
Under Spanier's leadership, the University has implemented several national defense-related programs and initiatives. Examples include:
-- Utilizing lessons learned and interviews of Marine teams sent to and returning from combat operations principally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Penn State researchers have provided a number of recommendations and options to better integrate, streamline and facilitate the Marine Corps' Lesson Learned System.
-- The International Center for the Study of Terrorism (ICST), housed at Penn State, was formed to bring together experts from both sides of the Atlantic and from other countries to investigate the root causes of the global threat of terrorism, understand its long-term effects on society and identify new ways of safeguarding individuals, organizations and communities.
-- Ali Demirci, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been working to develop nonthermal ways to kill food pathogens.
-- The Penn State World Campus joined the U.S. Marine Corps education service in March.
For many more examples, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/18055 online.
Other recipients of the "Wings of Law" award this year included Michael Mershon, assistant director of the FBI, New York office; and Eugene Corcoran, director of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Eastern Region.