State of State announces first round of speakers

State of State, a student-run organization focused on the affairs of Penn State, announced the first eight speakers for its 2016 annual conference on Monday. Speakers include university President Eric Barron; former Penn State ice hockey head coach Joe Battista; faculty member Jackie Edmondson; university staff member Jen Grossman-Leopard; and students Abby Kennedy, Darian Somers, John Connolly and Taylor Sweeney.

Speakers will each give a presentation based off one of four topics: student involvement; tradition and change; value of a Penn State degree; and inclusivity and identity. All speeches will reflect the State of State 2016 theme, “Explore the Glory.”

State of State 2016 will take place Feb. 13 in Alumni Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center. Registration for the conference can be found at psustateofstate.com and will be open until Feb. 8.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 11:52 PM with the headline "State of State announces first round of speakers."