Graham B. Spanier has served in higher education administration for 33 years, the past 15 as president of Penn State. He holds academic appointments as professor of human development and family studies, sociology, demography, and family and community medicine.

A distinguished researcher and scholar, he has more than 100 scholarly publications, including 10 books, and was the founding editor of the Journal of Family Issues. A family sociologist, demographer, and marriage and family therapist, he earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University, and his bachelor's and master's degrees from Iowa State University.

A national leader in higher education, he serves as chair of the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board, and is a member of the National Counterintelligence Working Group, the Board of Advisors of the Naval Postgraduate School, and the board of Junior Achievement Worldwide.

Dr Spanier has chaired the Association of American Universities and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and led the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. He is the vice-chair of the Worldwide Universities Network.