Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA State College
Penn State Investigative ReporterMassey investigates how Penn State University operates, including its influence in the region and state. The university receives more than $300 million in funding from the state but evades most transparency measures under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. Massey scrutinizes the main University Park campus as well as the university’s 19 additional branch campuses.
A native of rural Wisconsin, Massey previously covered faith and religion for the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Southeast Tennessee.
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Transparency advocates are questioning the Penn State Board of Trustees’ use of closed-door meetings for discussion of potential campus closures that would affect thousands of employees and students. -
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi has proposed closing the DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York campuses. University trustees still need to vote on the plan. -
The Penn State Board of Trustees plans to gather in a virtual-only meeting in May to decide the fate of 12 commonwealth campuses. University President Neeli Bendapudi will propose which of the campuses to close. -
Since Penn State announced its multimillion-dollar budget deficit in 2022, the university has deeply cut the budgets to its graduate school and engineering college, a Spotlight PA analysis found. -
Penn State could close up to 12 of its 20 commonwealth campuses. It’s unclear what authority the Board of Trustees has in approving the university president’s plan. -
Penn State’s commonwealth campuses enroll a more racially diverse group of people, a greater percentage of Pennsylvania residents, and more first-generation college students, than its flagship at University Park.
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Penn State kept its pledge to reduce the meeting costs of its 36-member board, but each gathering still totals tens of thousands of dollars. -
When Penn State University’s administration brings a proposal to its governing board, the item is all but assured to pass, a Spotlight PA analysis found. -
An agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says Penn State is a “responsible person” for releasing PFAS at its airport. -
Some items before the Penn State Board of Trustees — such as the $9.9 billion budget or building projects — often pass with no or limited discussion, a Spotlight PA analysis found.
