Penn State President Rodney Erickson is a former geography professor, not a medical doctor.

But he sees his greatest legacy in his presidency as that of a healer.

In many ways I think we are continuing to heal, and thats one of the things that I want to help us do over the course of the next two years while Im in office, Erickson said during a one-hour interview with The Patriot-News Editorial Board on Thursday.

Erickson said he wants to make sure Penn State continues to move ahead after the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

It is too early to tell what kind of a lasting mark the Sandusky scandal will leave on Penn State.

Prosecutors say Sandusky allegedly sexually abused 10 boys between 1994 and 2008. Sandusky, the former Penn State football defensive coordinator, maintains his innocence.

Sanduskys trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Centre County, and it is sure to put Penn State back in the crosshairs of the media microscope.

Other ongoing investigations might result in additional criminal charges. In addition, independent investigations by outside entities such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association could rain unprecedented sanctions on a school that once had a pristine image.

And there is still the internal civil war playing out among alumni and fans of legendary head football coach Joe Paterno who are angry with the current board of trustees.

Many alumni blast Paternos firing in November as unfair. Paterno died of lung cancer Jan. 22.

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Penn State President Rodney Erickson sets out to heal university