Pennsylvania Sen. Elder Vogel Jr., holding his award, received the Penn State Alumni Association's 2025 Friend of Penn State Legislative Award in his office in the state Capitol. Pictured, left to right, are Mike Stefan, vice president, Penn State Government and Community Relations; Sheilah Borne, vice president, government health relations, Penn State Health, and associate vice president, Penn State Government and Community Relations; Ryan Jones, interim executive officer, Penn State Alumni Association; Vogel; Troy Ott, dean, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences; Erin Wachter, director of state relations, Penn State; Jeff Hyde, associate dean, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, and director, Penn State Extension; Tara Mondock, director, college relations and communications, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences; and Chris Houser, associate director for programs, Penn State Extension.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Sen. Elder Vogel Jr. has been awarded the Penn State Alumni Association’s 2025 Friend of Penn State Legislative Award.
The award, first given in 2006, is a continuing effort sponsored by the Alumni Association that recognizes Pennsylvania legislators who play a significant role in the further improvement of the University.
“Sen. Vogel's deep-rooted dedication to agriculture, exemplified by his leadership in the Pennsylvania Senate and his efforts to support Pennsylvania's farming community, is at the core of Penn State's mission as the state's sole land-grant university,” said Mike Stefan, Penn State vice president for Government and Community Relations. “We are greatly appreciative of his support for Penn State and commitment to advancing higher education in Pennsylvania.”
In Harrisburg, Vogel serves in various leadership roles, including majority chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee as well as the vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He also is a member of several other Senate committees, including banking and insurance; environmental resources and energy; transportation; and urban affairs and housing.
“It truly is an honor to receive the 2025 Friend of Penn State Award from the Alumni Association,” Vogel said. “Over the years, I have grown close with many in the Penn State community through our joined efforts in not only bolstering Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry but bolstering valued educational opportunities for Pennsylvania’s future workforce. This institution finds new and innovative ways to engage its students and contributes to bringing communities together — an institution I am glad to be able to continue to partner with to push forward new horizons for our commonwealth.”
Vogel, who represents Pennsylvania’s 47th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, received the award in his office in the state Capitol on June 3.
“The Friend of Penn State Award connects the foundational mission of Penn State as the commonwealth’s only land-grant university with the essential role of state support for the work we do,” said Ryan Jones, interim executive officer of the Penn State Alumni Association. “Both the University and the commonwealth are at our best when we’re working together to provide opportunities and boost economic growth for the people of Pennsylvania.”
Vogel continuously demonstrates strong support for Penn State, rural health initiatives, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, and the funding appropriated annually by the General Assembly through the Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund for agriculture research and extension services.
“As a former dairy farmer and agricultural industry leader, Sen. Vogel has a keen understanding of the challenges facing producers that can be solved only through scientific research and education,” said Troy Ott, dean of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. “During his time in the Senate, he has been a tireless advocate for the roles that the College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension play in spurring innovation, translating research into practical applications, and educating the future leaders who will keep Pennsylvania’s food and fiber system economically and environmentally sustainable. His work in Harrisburg has been invaluable in raising awareness of and support for the college among his colleagues, helping us fulfill our land-grant mission on behalf of the commonwealth.”
In 2023, Vogel worked with Penn State’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth Center in the Nese College of Nursing, along with key stakeholders, to expand access to sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) for survivors of sexual assault and promote the establishment of SANE programs in hospitals across the commonwealth.
The bill, known as the Sexual Assault Emergency Services Act (Act 59 of 2023), requires the Pennsylvania Department of Health to publish a comprehensive list of hospitals across the state that provide SANE care, as well as create a grant program to support the establishment and delivery of SANE services in Pennsylvania hospitals. The legislation was vital in addressing gaps in sexual assault service delivery and improving the quality and standard of care provided to survivors.
Vogel furthered his dedication to rural health care with his introduction and passage of telemedicine legislation (Act 42 of 2024) supported by Penn State Health, which bolsters telemedicine service expansion and access throughout the state by requiring insurance coverage for telehealth services by health care providers.
