New President and Chancellor of Colorado State University System is Larry Penley

Note to Editors:Print-quality photos of Larry Penley, video clips and broadcast-quality audio files from the announcement ceremony are available as a link from the spotlight section at www.colostate.edu.

The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System today announced that Larry Penley will become Colorado State’s 13th president and chancellor of the university system.

"In selecting Larry Penley, we’ve identified a leader whose career has been marked by the ability to create and implement a clear vision as well as the capability to build the teams needed to carry that vision forward," said Don Hamstra, president of the Board of Governors. "His leadership style is a perfect fit for Colorado State University and the university system, and we’re excited about what his leadership will bring to higher education in the state."

Hamstra made the announcement today at an afternoon ceremony on the Colorado State campus. Penley traveled to campus for the event and met with faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members.

"It is an incredible honor to be selected to lead this great institution. I am thrilled with this opportunity, excited by the challenges that are ahead and confident in the abilities of the faculty, staff and students of Colorado State," said Penley. "Yolanda and I are very pleased to be coming to Colorado and look forward to being a part of the Colorado State University community."

Penley, dean of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State since 1991, has been on the faculty of ASU’s business school since 1985, when he was hired as chair of the management department.

His crowning achievement was the naming of the W. P. Carey School of Business in January 2003, spurred by the second largest gift ever given to a U.S. business school — $50 million from New York City real estate investment banker Wm. Polk Carey.

During his tenure as dean, the W. P. Carey School emerged as a top-ranked MBA and undergraduate program led by a strong research faculty and supported with the latest in information technology. Penley developed deep collaborative ties with the business community regionally and nationally, leading to program improvements and funding resources that fueled the W. P. Carey School’s rapid rise to prominence. Under his leadership, the school added a dozen endowed chairs and 15 professorships.

"Larry Penley’s leadership brought ASU into the ranks of the leading public business schools," said Lee McPheters, associate dean for executive and professional programs at the business school. "The most notable program accomplishments were in the national recognition of the MBA program and the growth in size and quality of the Business Honors program, however, faculty research productivity also continuously improved his tenure. Dean Penley emphasized technology and this was evident in the success of the online MBA program as well as the growth in technology support for faculty, staff and students."

Penley said the opportunity to broaden his impact on higher education led him to the leadership position at Colorado State.

"As the state’s land-grant university, Colorado State is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of society by providing a top-quality education, conducting cutting-edge research that is relevant, and serving the people of the state, nation and world," Penley said. "Colorado State has a great responsibility and a great opportunity to make a difference."

Penley received his doctorate in management from the University of Georgia and his bachelor’s degree in psychology and his master’s degree in communication from Wake Forest University. Following graduate school, Penley joined the faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio as assistant professor of management and served as associate dean of the College of Business and associate professor of management at that institution.

Penley’s research has focused primarily on the skills required of effective managers, including communication and career-related behaviors. He also has investigated the relationship between organizations and their employees. Penley has published in journals such as the "Journal of Management," "Journal of Organizational Behavior," "Academy of Management Journal" and "Management Communication Quarterly." His executive training experience and his consulting have brought him in contact with industries ranging from manufacturing to banking to health care.