Q&A with Distinguished Alumnus and APLU President Mark Becker
Eberly College of Science alumnus Mark Becker began his tenure as the president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in September 2022. Becker, a 1985 Ph.D. graduate in statistics, served as president at Georgia State University for 12 years and was one of two alumni in the college to be recognized with the 2023 Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award, the University's highest honor presented to its alumni.
Verne M. Willaman Dean Tracy Langkilde sat down with Becker to talk about themes from the book, “Won’t Lose This Dream: How an Upstart University Rewrote the Rules of a Broken System” — including macro-level initiatives Becker spearheaded at Georgia State toward achieving the twin ambitions of being a top tier research institution while championing student access and affordability — as well as his fond memories of Penn State. Watch the conversation below.