Penn State alumni trustee election is underway. What to know about the candidates
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Four candidates qualified for the final alumni ballot for three trustee seats.
- Alumni voting opened April 20 and ends at 9 a.m. on May 7.
- Candidates reached the ballot after nomination gathering and subcommittee review.
Voting is underway in the Penn State board of trustees’ alumni trustee election, with four candidates — including two incumbents — vying for three open seats.
To end up on the ballot, candidates first needed to gather sufficient alumni nominations and then pass review by a trustee nominating subcommittee screening process, which determines eligibility under recently-revised bylaws.
Voting for the alumni trustees election began April 20 and ends at 9 a.m. May 7, with election results to be announced during the May 8 trustees meeting. In the 2025 trustee election, when there were 17 total candidates, 17,720 alumni voted out of the 743,852 total eligible votes.
According to the official Penn State Board of Trustees election page, all graduates of Penn State, as well as former students who successfully completed at least one semester in a degree program, are eligible to vote. Alumni do not need to be members of the Penn State Alumni Association to participate.
Due to the recent revisions to board bylaws, write-in candidates are no longer allowed.
Eligible voters receive a ballot to the email address on file with the university. Alumni can also access the ballot at pennstatevotes.com. If they can’t access the ballot there, they can contact YesElections at PennStateVotes@yeselections.com or call 855-224-0832.
Below is an overview of the four candidates on the ballot, along with information from their submitted position statements. Additional information about each candidate can be found at trustees.psu.edu/alumni-trustees/.
Dr. Joseph S. DeRenzo MD ‘98
A Penn State BS/MD graduate and Schreyer Scholar, Dr. Joseph DeRenzo completed his anesthesiology training and began his career at the University of Pittsburgh. He now holds senior leadership positions at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.
As an associate professor he teaches anesthesiology trainees, directs a fellowship program, and contributes to academic and scholarly work.
DeRenzo’s position statement describes improving Penn State’s standing in “critical areas” such as strategic planning, financial health, student and alumni advocacy, and educational oversight, he wrote. He emphasized how healthcare professionals are underrepresented on the board, which he said highlights the need to strengthen the healthcare-related programs.
“My experience leading multidisciplinary teams in clinical care and operations positions me to support these programs and drive innovation. My background working on integrative committees over the past 20 years, endeavoring to achieve consensus in establishing protocols for patient care and clinical operations, translates well to the necessary group dynamics needed within the Penn State Board of Trustees,” he wrote in his position statement. If elected, he will make sure all voices are heard and respected, and will use his leadership experience to collaborate and bring diverse perspectives together, he stated.
DeRenzo unsuccessfully ran in the 2025 alumni trustee election, coming in fifth in the voting.
Karen Keller ‘00
Karen Keller is a Penn State graduate in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology who also earned a law degree from Temple University. She co-founded an IP and commercial litigation firm, where she serves as managing partner.
She is a current Penn State parent, and volunteer with extensive leadership in alumni and university service, including roles on alumni councils, governance and strategic planning committees, and multiple Eberly College advisory and engagement boards. She has also supported student programs, guest lecturing, and philanthropy, including establishing a family endowment for science-related alumni experiences.
Through her leadership, Keller stated in her position statement that she would bring “careful judgment, fiscal responsibility and unwavering commitment to Penn State’s core values.”
She outlined three key priorities: student success and well-being, world-class research and faculty development and cultivating future leaders. She emphasized the university’s responsibility to provide support systems and educational resources for students grappling with “unprecedented challenges.”
Additionally, Keller noted that higher education is grappling with faculty burnout and attrition.
“Researchers are dealing with fewer funding opportunities and the lack of new faculty positions are leading to a reduction in innovative additions to departments. Cross- collaboration in teaching and research as well as proper stewardship of intellectual property is paramount to being efficient and effective,” Keller stated.
Keller also ran in the 2025 alumni trustee election, coming in seventh in the voting.
Alexandra (Ali) Krieger ‘07
As a current board member, Ali Krieger stated four policy focus areas in her position statement that are in: Educational Equity, Workers’ Rights, Transparent and Democratic Governance and Climate Action.
Krieger is determined to preserve “critical programs amidst federal attacks,” she wrote in her position statement. She emphasizes protecting “immigrant and LGBTQ+ students from those who seek to make universities serve their own political ends over our ‘We Are’ values.”
She advocates for an agenda of workplace protections, which encompasses policies promoting labor union recognition, living wages, and vigorous action to combat power-based discrimination.
She emphasizes inclusive governance, stronger representation across communities, and greater engagement of diverse voices in decision-making. She also supports expanding climate and renewable energy initiatives to strengthen Penn State’s academic leadership and future relevance.
Krieger is a Penn State alum, former professional soccer player, and entrepreneur who advocates for gender equality and fair workplaces.
She graduated in 2007 in Advertising and Public Relations, served as captain of the women’s soccer team and was a three-time Big Ten Academic Honors recipient. Despite a serious injury in college, she achieved All-American status at two positions and helped lead Penn State to a Big Ten championship.
After retiring from professional football in 2023, she started working as an ESPN analyst and invests in and advises women’s sports and media companies. She also launched a nonprofit fund that supports birth mothers post-placement and continues her advocacy for LGBTQI+ equality as an Athlete Ally Ambassador.
Joseph (Jay) V Paterno ‘91
Seeking re-election to the board, Jay Paterno has committed to tackling major issues facing higher education. These challenges include declining enrollment, concerns about affordability and accessibility, the excesses of the college sports system, and the increasing politicization of both curriculum and research.
“Our times require watch dogs not lap dogs. As your Trustee, my votes speak for themselves. I’ve been an independent voice for our ideals, raising hard questions about complex problems. I’m a national voice helping forge the future for college sports. That advocacy benefits Penn State,” he stated in his position statement.
He added that the university would ignore distractions and implement new ideas for “reputational academic excellence.”
“What must Penn State stand for? We are committed to our Land Grant mission of service to the Commonwealth and beyond,” he wrote in his position statement. “We are unflinchingly tough ‘solution people’ with a tradition of problem solving. We must welcome all, united as defenders of common cause: affordability, accessibility, academic excellence, academic freedom, free speech, fiscal sustainability, mental health and integrity.”
Paterno is a Penn State graduate and former Nittany Lions football player and coach and president of the consulting business Blue Line 409 LLC.
After his coaching career, Paterno has worked in consulting across philanthropy, sports, media, publishing, private equity, and writing, and was an early consultant in college Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). He has become a commentator on college athletics, authored many books and continues writing for national outlets and producing media, including Nittany Game Week.
