Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett says Penn State's next president is "the right person for the job" and brings a strong track record from his time at Florida State.
Corbett says in an interview with The Associated Press that he thinks Eric Barron will "do a good job" at the university and says the school has "turned the page" since the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.
Barron, a former professor and dean at Penn State and president of Florida State University, was chosen Monday to lead Pennsylvania's largest university as it continues grappling with fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Corbett says early in the process he urged the school's board of trustees to act quickly in making the selection. But he says he has yet to talk to Barron about his hiring and hopes to meet with him soon.
The governor credits Barron with making Florida State more financially efficient during his four years at the university.
Penn State trustees unanimously approved the selection at a special meeting in State College after a 15-month search process in which university officials had kept the new president's identity secret, refusing to confirm whether Barron was even being considered until the meeting began.
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Barron, who worked at Penn State for 20 years, including four as dean of its College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, will succeed President Rodney Erickson, who plans to retire when his contract expires in June.
