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About Ryan Bagwell

Ryan Bagwell is a former newspaper reporter who’s spent the last year fighting to obtain records that show how university officials acted in the wake of the Sandusky scandal.

A software developer who sits on the board of the Madison, WI chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, Ryan wants a full accounting of the decisions of university leaders. He’s suing to force the release of documents that would reveal the roles officials played in Louis Freeh’s investigation, while simultaneously battling a separate state attempt to overturn an order to release even more public records.

After graduating in 2002 with degrees in music and journalism, Ryan worked as a watchdog news reporter in Pennsylvania and Maryland before creating his own news Web site devoted to holding public officials accountable. Today he’s a Senior Web Developer with the Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group, an advertising and marketing agency near Washington, D.C. He also manages Madworks Coworking, a cooperative that offers shared office space for freelancers, independent contractors and remote employees.

Ryan is an experienced budget analyst, having spent countless hours reviewing public spending plans and writing about their potential impacts. His journalism career also helped him develop an in-depth knowledge of the deliberative process and how proposals come to fruition.

He’s a proud lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association and a football season ticket holder.

Position Statement

As a member of the Board of Trustees, I will fight for a full accounting of the actions of university leaders and seek the release of records that reveal the decisions they made. Full disclosure is the only way the Penn State family can truly begin to heal.

In addition, I support the reform recommendations of former Auditor General Jack Wagner, particularly:

  • making Penn State fully subject to the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law;
  • reducing trustee term limits to no more than two consecutive three-year terms;
  • requiring all trustees to file annual financial disclosure reports;
  • preventing trustees from taking lucrative university jobs;
  • freezing tuition rates during the course of students’ undergraduate careers, so families aren’t burdened with unexpected costs, and;
  • developing a comprehensive plan to substantially reduce tuition over the next 10 years.