The Penn State Board of Trustees recently selected eight new Penn State alumni to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor provided to alumni by the University. Eligibility for the award includes all living Penn State Alumni who received either a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree, as well as former students who have attended full-time as a degree seeking student and passed a minimum of one semester. Excluded from eligibility are those alumni currently on the Board of Trustees, current employees of Penn State, and current officers and members of the Executive Board of the Alumni Association.

This year’s recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award are:

Ronald G. Fryer: Fryer is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics and faculty director of the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard University. He earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees here at Penn State in 2001 and 2002 respectively.

Samuel E. Hayes Jr.: Hayes is a former secretary of agriculture for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is now a retired state representative. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and industry from the College of Agricultural Sciences in 1964, and then earned his master’s degree in earth sciences from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences in 1965.

Martha B. Jordan: Jordan is a retired partner of Latham & Watkins LLP. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the Smeal College of Business in 1976.

Donald R. King: King is currently the director of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” He earned his bachelor’s degree in speech from the College of Communications in 1969.

Mary Beth Long: Long is the current CEO of Mettis Solutions, LLC. Also an alumna of the Schreyer Honors College, she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the College of Communications in 1985.

Nicholas J. Maiale: Maiale is an attorney who practices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Liberal Arts at the Penn State Abington Campus in 1973.

J. David Rogers: Rogers is the current CEO of JD Capital Management. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and business administration from the Smeal College of Business in 1978 and 1980, respectively.

D. Brooks Smith: Smith is currently the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. He earned his juris doctorate degree from the Penn State Dickinson Law in 1976.

Although the Board of Trustees selected these eight individuals to receive this prestigious award on Nov. 4, they do not officially accept their awards until June of next year.