Rob Frieden is former Pioneers Chair and retired Professor of Telecommunications and Law at Penn State University in the United States. Frieden holds a B.A., with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania (1977) and a J.D. from the University of Virginia (1980). Before accepting an academic appointment, Frieden practiced law in Washington, D.C., and served as Assistant General Counsel at PTAT Systems, Inc. where he handled corporate, transactional and regulatory issues for the nation's first private undersea fiber optic cable company. He continues to provide legal, management and market forecasting consultancy services. He has held senior policy making positions in international telecommunications at the United States Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.