Penn State Chancellor named UF Distinguished Alumnus

Madlyn Hanes, who earned her Ph.D. at the University of Florida’s College of Education and went on to become chancellor at one of the nation’s most-respected public universities, has been awarded one of UF’s highest alumni honors.

Hanes, who has served as chancellor of Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg since 2000, will receive the UF Distinguished Alumnus Award at the College of Education’s baccalaureate commencement May 3 at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

A “triple Gator,” Hanes holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in speech-language pathology from UF, and completed her Ph.D. with a major in curriculum and instruction at the College of Education.

She went on to become a respected member of the Penn State education faculty, with more than 40 articles to her credit, as well as 60 reports on funded research and more than 300 papers presented at meetings of professional organizations. Her research interests include research and clinical practice in speech and language disorders, teacher preparation and the teaching of reading.

Hanes has served in a number of high-level administrative positions, including three years as chief executive officer of Penn State Great Valley, School of Graduate Professional Studies and almost a decade as chief academic officer on the university’s Delaware County campus.

Along the way she served as consultant on higher education issues to the governments of Ecuador, Israel and Korea, and spent two years as the Prime Minister’s appointee to the University Council of Jamaica.

Active at the national level in professional organizations, Hanes currently chairs the executive board of the Office of Women in Higher Education of the American Council on Education.