Penn State alumni are now able to vote for candidates vying for a spot on the Penn State Board of Trustees, which reviews and approves the university's budget and policies at its meetings that take place six times each year.

This year, eight candidates will battle for three open spots on the board, and the winners will serve a three-year term beginning July 1.

All three trustees whose terms are set to expire -- David Jones, Anne Riley and David Joyner -- are running for re-election.

Penn State students will not be able to vote in the election. Of the entire board's voting membership -- 32 people -- the governor of Pennsylvania appoints six positions, one of which has traditionally been a student.

Former Undergraduate Student Government President Galen Foulke is currently the sole student trustee, having been appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell in July 2005. He will serve until 2008.

Ballots were mailed Monday to members of the Alumni Association, those whose memberships have expired within the last two years and those who have contributed to the university within the last two years. Additionally, any alumni wishing to vote can request a ballot by sending an e-mail message to bot@psu.edu.

All ballots must be received by May 11 at 9 a.m., and the results of the election will be announced at the board's meeting the following day at University Park.

Daniel Ward Byrd

Background: Byrd, 39, of Gibsonia, currently works as a payroll manager. He is involved in the Allegheny County chapter of the Alumni Association and the Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce. He earned his associate degree from the New Kensington Campus in 1987 and his bachelor's degree in business logistics from University Park in 1989.

Priorities: Byrd said he would advocate for more fundraising and more control on spending -- things he believes will keep tuition down. Also, he said he wants to see the Commonwealth Campuses become more integral to the university, adding that he would advocate for getting more alumni from those campuses involved.

Arthur Glenn

Background: Glenn, 72, of Newtown Square, currently does consulting for Burdeshaw Associates. Glenn, who was born in State College, is a member of the Schreyer Honors College External Advisory Board and the Leonard Center for Innovation and Enhancement of Undergraduate Engineering, and he serves as a mentor to honors students. Glenn graduated from Penn State in 1956 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Priorities: Glenn said he would focus on improving education by working with the provost and the trustees. Holding down costs so that Penn State can offer an affordable education is also important, he added.

David Jones

Background: Born in Commellsville in 1932, Jones went on to graduate from Penn State in 1954 with a degree in journalism. He was the editor of The Daily Collegian and worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, as well as a correspondent and later assistant managing editor of The New York Times. Jones has served as a trustee since 1997.

Priorities: Jones said he will use his experience as a trustee and journalistic background to help the university achieve the highest-quality educational opportunities it can for students, adding that he would search for creative ways to tackle problems such as declining state funding for higher education.

Anne Riley

Background: Riley, born in Bellefonte in 1942, served as president of the Penn State Alumni Association from 1997-99. She earned her bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Penn State in 1964 and a master's degree from Penn State in English in 1975. She has served as a trustee since 1997.

Priorities: Riley said she wanted to be sure that the board keeps its role as a visionary body for the future of the school and works in the best interest of the students and the people of Pennsylvania.

Raymond Mastre

Background: Mastre, the youngest candidate on the ballot, was born in Monroeville in 1981. He earned his bachelor's degree in 2004 from the New Kensington Campus, studying information sciences and technology. He currently works for PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.

Priorities: Mastre said he has two main goals as a prospective trustee: to keep education affordable and to ensure that student support programs remain intact, even in the face of a hard-pressed budget. He also said he would like to see more outreach by the university to make sure that the state government is aware of what Penn State students are doing and how important Penn State is to the economy.

Bill Jaffe

Background: Jaffe, who has resided in State College since 1995, is co-chairman of the All-Sports Museum Advisory Board and president of the College of Communications Alumni Society Board. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism in 1960 and earned his master's in management from the University of Illinois in 1962.

Priorities: Jaffe said he would like to see more money coming in to the university through research grants. This way, Penn State would spend less money on research and free up funding for education. He also said he wants Penn State to continue to update its physical facilities.

David Joyner

Background: According to the Web site www.psu.edu/trustees/joyner.html, Joyner received a bachelor's degree in science from Penn State in 1972 and a master's degree in 1976 from Penn State's College of Medicine. He is currently the chairman of the board and CEO for Müshin, Inc. He has served as a trustee since July 2000.

Priorities: Joyner could not be reached by press time yesterday for information regarding his priorities.

Todd Simmens

Background: Simmens, 36, of East Brunswick, N.J., completed his undergraduate education at Drexel University with a bachelor's degree in business administration after transferring from Penn State. He went on to earn his law degree from the Dickinson School of Law in 1994. Since 2004, he has worked for Ernst & Young, a national tax department.

Priorities: Simmens said he would look for alternative sources of funding for the university, work to attract and maintain top faculty, and make sure Penn State has the most modern and state-of-the-art facilities.