Penn State hires first woman, person of color to head school

By MARK SCOLFORO
Associated Press

The Penn State trustees on Thursday named the University of Louisville’s president Neeli Bendapudi to succeed Eric Barron as the school’s top administrator. That makes her the first woman and first person of color to serve as president of Penn State. The 58-year-old Bendapudi is a marketing professor whose research involves consumer behavior. She became Louisville’s president three years ago. Barron came to head up Penn State from Florida State University in 2014 while fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal was still a major problem for campus leaders in State College. He is retiring in June.