Security Magazine, a publication for those who manage enterprise risk and security, has recognized Penn State President Graham B. Spanier as Security Executive of the Year.
The magazine recognized Spanier for his work to open doors of communication and understanding among academia, industry and many government agencies. In 1995 he began to work with the FBI and CIA to establish cooperative approaches to link higher education and national security, which led in 2004 to creation of the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board with Spanier as its chairman since inception. Consisting of presidents and chancellors of prominent U.S. universities, the advisory board fosters outreach and promotes understanding between higher education and the FBI. Spanier also serves on the National Counterintelligence Working Group and on the Board of Advisors of the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval War College.
Spanier oversees the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State, the advanced research arm of the University that does about $200 million a year in defense-related research, which ranks Penn State as second in the nation in defense-related research. Spanier has consulted with the secretary of Defense, the chief of Naval Operations, military personnel leaders and others on policy matters related to defense research, personnel and other topics. He has been a keynote speaker for the FBI at seminars, speaking about national security and higher education and on topics of counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cyber security.
Among others who were recognized this year are Randy Harrison, director of corporate security for Delta Airlines; Mike Howard, general manager for global security of Microsoft; Melissa Hathaway, former cyber coordination executive for the director of National Intelligence; Shawn Henry, executive assistant director of the FBI; Theresa Payton, former CIO at the White House; Gregory Starr, United Nations under secretary general for safety and security; Charles Allen, former under secretary for intelligence and analysis in the Department of Homeland Security; William Bratton, former commissioner of the New York City Police Department and chief of the City of Los Angeles Police Department; and Cathy Lanier, chief of the Metropolitan Police of Washington, DC.