Speeches

$40 million from public improvement fund to go toward new facility at Penn State

Welcome to this exciting step into the future.

Today, is an important day for the University, as well as the Commonwealth, as we celebrate a bold move that is expected to spur technology-based economic development, create quality jobs for the region, and perpetuate Pennsylvania as a leader in materials science--an area that has the potential to be a key foundation for Pennsylvania's economy.

Here on campus, we plan to construct a new materials science facility that will create the space and environment needed for Penn State to remain pre-eminent in materials science research and education. Materials science is a broad and interdisciplinary field that is the basis for innovation in all manufacturing industries. By creating a home for materials science at University Park, we can bring together researchers from across the University to collaborate on new technology that holds enormous potential for revolutionizing industries as diverse as computing, medicine, transportation, and energy, as well as space exploration. It also will be the focal point for a partnership with the state that is expected to reap many benefits for Pennsylvania.

Penn State is home to one of the largest concentrations of advanced materials scientists in the world, and we are by far the top University in the nation for research expenditures in materials science. With $65 million worth of materials science research being conducted here, our total expenditures surpass the COMBINED research totals of the second and third ranked universities (Ohio State and the University of Washington).  We are ahead of the curve and recognized worldwide for our leadership and expertise. We want to stay on the leading edge and plan to leverage that leadership and expertise for the benefit of Pennsylvania.

Currently, materials research and education are being conducted in nearly 40 separate and dispersed locations on campus. The new state-of-the-art facility that we have planned will bring together under one roof faculty and students from chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, physics, and other areas. It also will expand our current capabilities, make it easier for industry to access our expertise, allow us to more readily spin out new ventures, and help make Pennsylvania a world center for industries using nanotechnology, a core area of materials science.

Nanotechnology--the science involving the manipulation of matter that is about one one-thousandth of a human hair in size--is an area where Penn State researchers and students excel. It bridges many disciplines, bringing together more than 200 faculty members and hundreds of students.

To date, Penn State has created a portfolio of patents that have led to 72 materials-based nanotechnologies, and 50 of these have been licensed to industries in Pennsylvania.

This is only the beginning.

On behalf of the entire University community and our region, I would like to thank the Commonwealth, Gov. Rendell, and our legislators for this generous and thoughtful investment of $40 million in Penn State. Every element of this remarkable plan to boost technology in our region is now falling into place. Our University had an obstacle to overcome--a lack of facilities--but the Commonwealth has helped remove that obstacle with this substantial financial support.

As president of Penn State, I am excited about the University's growing role as a major intellectual and economic force for the Commonwealth.