Photo by Associated Press

(Philadelphia) -- An aide to former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she was approached by a firm helping Penn State look for a new president but she wasn't interested.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Rice's chief of staff Georgia Godfrey confirmed the overture.

Godfrey tells the paper Rice's office declined on her behalf because she plans to remain at Stanford University.

Penn State is looking for someone to succeed Rodney Erickson, who plans to leave the job at the end of June.

An email message from The Associated Press seeking details from Godfrey wasn't immediately returned late today.

Rice is a political science professor and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers says the search firm ``is reaching out pretty broadly.''