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Penn State Alumni Association News
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11/15/04—"Huddle" to focus on modern day imperialism
11/12/04—Students will "Ring in the Tradition"
11/04/04—"Huddle" to focus on Lady Florence Baker
11/03/04—National Symposium hosted by Penn State
10/27/04—Alumni Assocaiton Blood Drive
10/25/04—Lion Ambassadors recruiting
10/15/04—Homecoming "Huddle"
10 /13/04—Lantern Light Tonight
10 /04/04—“The Last Guard Standing”
09/14/04—“Huddle” to focus on “Medical Miracles”
09/14/04—“Science that Works” is focus of this week’s Huddle
09/08/04—Alumni Association announces Alumni Fellow recipients
09/08/04—Homecoming tailgate competition begins this month
09/08/04—Philadelphia Zoo unveils plans for mountain lion exhibit
09/08/04—Nittany Lion Inn memory book deadline extended
09/02/04—Student groups claim national awards
08/25/04—Civil War Battlefield Tour follows the "Gray Ghost"
08/24/04—Parents and Families Day set for fall 2004
08/24/04—Blue & White Bash welcomes students back to campus
08/18/04—FastStart Nation's Best
07/19/04—Alumni Association announces election results
07/16/04—Alumni Association to host blood drive on August 11
07/13/04—Association Surpasses 152,000 Member Mark

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Dr. Sinah will challenge some of the popular myths surrounding empires and imperialism, particularly ideas about tradition and modernity. She will also address the legacy of empire in the India-Kashmir dispute and its broader implications for contemporary global order. Additionally, there will be a discussion that centers on the question of whether America is entering a new imperial era in the post-9/11 world.

Professor Sinha is a historian who specializes in British imperial and colonial Indian history. Her research and teaching interests include gender studies and world history. She has received honors and awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, the American Institute of Indian Studies, the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, the American Historical Association, and the American Philosophical Society.

“Huddle with the Faculty” is free and open to the public, with free parking in the Nittany Deck, adjacent to The Nittany Lion Inn. Attendees will also be treated to a complimentary continental breakfast, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Mary Jane Stout at 800-548-5466, option 5, or by e-mail at mvs4@psu.edu .

“Huddle with the Faculty” is sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State Outreach, the Penn State Bookstore, Penn State Press and The Nittany Lion Inn . For more information visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events/ .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Nov. 12, 2004—The Penn State Alumni Association has announced that a special reception will be held on Sunday, Nov. 14, for students who have ordered the official Penn State Ring. The event, beginning at 6 p.m., in Heritage Hall of the HUB-Robeson Center, is a semiannual tradition during which the ring is formally presented to students.

The Penn State Ring was unveiled last fall and continues to grow in popularity at all Penn State locations. The ring represents dedication, achievement, perseverance, and Penn State pride, while reflecting the heritage and tradition of the University. As the only Penn State class ring, it serves as a unifying symbol for all Penn Staters.

The evening will feature light refreshments and a brief ring ceremony. Local personality Jeff Brown will serve as emcee and Roger Williams, executive director of the Alumni Association, will give brief remarks. The ceremony is co-sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and Jostens.

For more information about the ring ceremony, please contact Lucille Guinta-Bates at 863-8932 or lxg33@psu.edu , or visit the Alumni Association's Web site at http://www.alumni.psu.edu .

Shipman is a paleoanthropologist and an award-winning author. “The New York Times” hailed her as “among the best writers who…describe science to popular audiences.” Her work has been featured by Nova, National Geographic, the BBC, and Dutch television. Saturday's “Huddle” lecture is entitled “To the Heart of the Nile: White Slavery, Black Slavery, and the Remarkable Lady Florence Baker.”

“Huddle with the Faculty” is free and open to the public, with free parking in the Nittany Deck, adjacent to The Nittany Lion Inn. Attendees will also be treated to a complimentary continental breakfast, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Mary Jane Stout at 800-548-5466, option 5, or by e-mail at mvs4@psu.edu .

Huddle with the Faculty is sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State Outreach, the Penn State Bookstore, Penn State Press and The Nittany Lion Inn . The lecture series will continue every home football Saturday at 9 a.m., at The Nittany Lion Inn. Presentation start time will be 10 a.m., if the football game kicks off after 3 p.m. For information on future “Huddle” topics, please visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events/ .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., November 3, 2004—Penn State will hold a national symposium Feb. 25–26, 2005, to examine the future of one of America's most precious assets—its public research universities.

“Public research universities play a major role in educating America's future leaders and in producing new discoveries,” said Penn State President Graham B. Spanier. “Yet state investment in public higher education is faltering. Through this symposium, we hope to tap the insights of leading scholars to explore the challenges and opportunities facing these institutions.”

The symposium will address substantive issues about the future of public research universities with respect to new social, political, and economic realities. Main topics such as teaching and learning, service and outreach, students, roles and structure, financing, and academic research will be addressed in six sessions over two days by a distinguished panel of speakers uniquely qualified to address current and future challenges facing public research universities.

The two-day event will feature presentations by Richard T. Ingram, president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges; Stanley Ikenberry, regent professor and president emeritus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and former president of the American Council on Education; and Nils Hasselmo, president of the Association of American Universities and former president of the University of Minnesota.

In addition to the keynote addresses, invited speakers include Steven Brint of the University of California, Riverside; David Dill of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Sylvia Hurtado of the University of California, Los Angeles; D. Bruce Johnstone of the State University of New York at Buffalo; Judith Ramaley of the National Science Foundation; Gary Rhoades of the University of Arizona; and Jeremy Cohen, Carol Colbeck, Irwin Feller, Roger Geiger, Donald E. Heller, Lisa Lattuca, Robert Reason, and Patrick Terenzini, all from Penn State.

Penn State President Graham Spanier will provide opening remarks.

The symposium, entitled “Future of the American Public Research University,” is part of Penn State's Sesquicentennial celebration. Sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and Penn State's Center for the Study of Higher Education, the event will take place at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus.

For more information, or to register for the symposium, please visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/symposium , or call 800-548-5466.

All presenting donors receive a Student Book Store challenge pin, a coupon for Appalachian Outdoors, and are entered in donor appreciation raffle for a chance to win great gifts, including T-shirts from Old State Clothing Co.

Blood inventories continue to linger at critical levels, and the American Red Cross has issued a nationwide emergency appeal for blood donors. Additional blood drives will be held Nov. 3–18 throughout the University Park campus. Information on those drives is available on the Student Red Cross Club Web site at http://www.psuredcross.org .

Individuals who are at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 105 lbs., and are in generally good health may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Donors should eat three to four hours before donating.

Appointments are not needed but are encouraged. Online scheduling is now available. To schedule an appointment, please visit http://www.psuredcross.org . For additional information, please contact Megan Miller at the Alumni Association by calling 814-863-1134.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., October 25, 2004—Lion Ambassadors, the Penn State Student Alumni Corps, are inviting all students to attend a recruitment session for the organization on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m., in 22 Deike or on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., in the Hintz Family Alumni Center. Those who attend will learn about the organization and its membership process.

Joining Lion Ambassadors is a great way to show dedication to, and pride for, Penn State. Ambassadors serve the University with excellence by communicating its history and personality; strengthening its traditions; and instilling Penn State pride in current and future students, alumni, and friends. For more information, please contact Christina Magdits at cmm355@psu.edu . Information is also available online at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/ambassadors .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., October 15, 2004—“Huddle with the Faculty,” a popular series of free lectures, will continue its eleventh season on Saturday, Oct. 23, with a presentation by Dr. Kent Vrana, Elliot S. Vesell Professor and chair of pharmacology at Penn State. The lecture, which will focus on some of the controversies in biomedical science regarding cloning and stem cells, will begin at 9 a.m., in the Faculty Staff Club of The Nittany Lion Inn, and is entitled “To Clone or Not to Clone: The Future of Stem Cells.”

Vrana is a molecular neurobiologist with research interests in neurodegeneration, substance abuse, and stem cell biology. An accomplished scientist and educator, Vrana's lecture will explore both sides of the stem cell debate with an emphasis on understanding the underlying scientific issues.

“Huddle with the Faculty” is free and open to the public, with free parking in the Nittany Deck, adjacent to The Nittany Lion Inn. Attendees will also be treated to a complimentary continental breakfast, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Mary Jane Stout at 800-548-5466, option 5, or by e-mail at mvs4@psu.edu .

Huddle with the Faculty is sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State Outreach, the Penn State Bookstore, Penn State Press and The Nittany Lion Inn . The lecture series will continue every home football Saturday at 9 a.m., at The Nittany Lion Inn. Presentation start time will be 10 a.m., if the football game kicks off after 3 p.m. For information on future “Huddle” topics, please visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events/ .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., October 13, 2004—The Penn State Lion Ambassadors will hold their annual Lantern Tours on Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tours will depart from Old Main every 15 minutes as characters from Penn State's past bring to life the history and traditions of the University.

Reenacting the stories of Penn State's past, Lion Ambassadors will provide a glimpse into the people, traditions, and nostalgia that give Penn State its mystical appeal. Each tour group will be comprised of approximately 20 people and will last about 40 minutes.

Guests are welcome to participate in games inside Old Main following their tour. Refreshments, including hot chocolate and the famous Grilled Stickies, will be provided. All are welcome to attend free of charge.

For additional information, please contact Lauren Kerr at lek140@psu.edu . Information is also available by contacting the Lion Ambassadors at 814-863-3752 or by visiting www.alumni.psu.edu/ambassadors .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., October 5, 2004—“Huddle with the Faculty,” a popular series of free lectures, will continue its eleventh season on Saturday, Oct. 9, with a presentation by Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the Penn State College of Medicine. The lecture, which will focus on recent medical breakthroughs and rising medical costs, will begin at 10 a.m., at The Nittany Lion Inn, and is entitled “Medical Miracles and Your Personal Financial Health: the Promise and Threat of Medicine in the Future.”

Kirch, who is also CEO of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, will evaluate the current era of extraordinary medical discoveries that is yielding new drugs and devices that save and extend lives. His talk will also confront the question of how to afford future health care.

A clinician and researcher on the biological basis of and treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, Kirch has been awarded the Commendation and Outstanding Service medals of the United States Public Health Service for his work at the National Institute of Mental Health.

“Huddle with the Faculty” is free and open to the public, with free parking in the Nittany Deck, adjacent to The Nittany Lion Inn. Attendees will also be treated to a complimentary continental breakfast, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Mary Jane Stout at 800-548-5466, option 5, or by e-mail at mvs4@psu.edu .

Huddle with the Faculty is sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State Outreach, the Penn State Bookstore, Penn State Press and The Nittany Lion Inn . The lecture series will continue every home football Saturday at 9 a.m., at The Nittany Lion Inn. Presentation start time will be 10 a.m., if the football game kicks off after 3 p.m. For information on future “Huddle” topics, please visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events/ .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., October 4, 2004—Many Penn Staters have braved the elements each year on Homecoming weekend to guard the Lion Shrine in a tradition that dates back to 1966 when a group of Syracuse fans doused the landmark in orange paint. This year, the Penn State Lion Ambassadors are inviting students to join in the annual Homecoming tradition by competing in “The Last Guard Standing.”

“The Last Guard Standing”—a new activity that will be held as part of the Ambassadors' annual “Guard the Lion Shrine” event—will test participants' endurance, knowledge, skill, pride, and honor through various physical activities, brainteasers, and games. All competitors will receive a free T-shirt, and the grand prize winner will take home field passes for the Homecoming football game against Iowa.

Registration forms for can be found in the Lion Ambassador office at the Hintz Family Alumni Center or online at www.alumni.psu.edu/ambassadors/gtls.html . Registration forms must be returned to the Hintz Family Alumni Center by noon on October 8. Seventy competitors will be chosen by raffle to represent their organization or to compete independently.

Sponsored by the Lion Ambassadors, this year's “Guard the Lion Shrine” will follow the Homecoming parade on Friday, October 22, and will be held from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Students, alumni, faculty, and all Penn State fans are invited to attend the festivities. The event will feature a live performance by local artists J.R. and Katie, as well as food, games and prizes, and a guest speaker who will explain the history and importance of guarding one of Penn State's most beloved landmarks.

For more information please contact the Lion Ambassadors at 814-863-3752 or visit www.alumni.psu.edu/ambassadors .

The recipient of every College of Earth and Mineral Sciences teaching award, Furlong finds topics that make leaning about how science works exciting—an elusive goal of education for eons. His lecture will bring attendees into the modern classroom by focusing on a series of Penn State courses built on case studies of hazards—and exploiting some great television shows and movies—which is helping to redefine how science is taught.

Huddle with the Faculty is free and open to the public, with free parking in the Nittany Deck, adjacent to the Nittany Lion Inn. Attendees will also be treated to a complimentary continental breakfast, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Mary Jane Stout at 800-548-5466, option 5, or by e-mail at mvs4@psu.edu.

Huddle with the Faculty is sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State Outreach, the Penn State Bookstore, Penn State Press and the Nittany Lion Inn. The lecture series will continue every home football Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Nittany Lion Inn. Presentation start time will be 10 a.m. if the football game kicks off after 3 p.m. For information on future Huddle topics, please visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/events/.

Since 1973, in cooperation with the University’s academic colleges and the office of the President, the Alumni Fellow award has been given to select alumni. As leaders in their professional fields, alumni are nominated by an academic college and accept an invitation from the President of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators.

"Alumni are the University's most valuable resource," said Roger Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association. "The Alumni Fellow program gives us the opportunity to showcase to the world the incredible contributions Penn Staters make to the betterment of the human condition."

This year’s Alumni Fellow recipients are:

• Donald Abbey ’70, chairman and CEO, The Abbey Company (awarded in 2003)
• George Allen ’72, ’73g, partner, Sahara International
• Robert Arbuckle ’66g, ’72g, president emeritus, Lake Superior State University
• John Arnold ’87g, chairman, CEO, and owner, Petroleum Products Corporation
• Jeffrey Beard ’69, ’72g, ’80g, secretary of corrections, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
• Alec Beliasov ’55, executive vice president, retired, Bar Processing Corporation
• Charles Berents, Jr., ’62, senior vice president and chief investment officer, North American Management Corporation
• William Castle ’66, founder, president, and owner, The CASTLE Group
• Terence Dwyer ’70g, chief technology office and executive vice president, retired, BEA Systems
• Robert Fenza ’80, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Liberty Property Trust
• Charles Figley ’71g, ’74g, director of Traumatology Institute and professor, School of Social Work, Florida State University
• R. William Happel ’69, vice president and general manager, Electro-Motive Division, General Motors Corporation
• Robert Jubelirer ’59, ’62g, state senator and president pro tempore, Pennsylvania Senate, 30th district
• Chip Kidd ’86, graphic designer and editor-at-large, Alfred A. Knopf
• Patrick Malloy III ’65, president and CEO, Malloy Enterprises and Malloy Real Estate Inc.
• Bruce Miller ’71, founder, Employee Benefits Corporation of America
• Nancy Mohn ’73, director of marketing strategy, Alstom’s Global Utility Boiler Business
• Grayson Noley ’75g, ’79g, chair and associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Oklahoma
• Wendy Owen ’85, vice president for communications, Lockheed Martin Information and Technology Services
• Katharine Perry ’74, ’76g, ’79g, senior vice provost for academic affairs, North Carolina State University
• Alan J. Quinlan ’76, president, Greenberg, Quinlan, and Rosner Research, Inc.
• Peter Shih ’67, executive vice president of marketing and communication, American Advertising Federation
• Kathleen Smarilli ’71, president, central Pennsylvania region, Wachovia
• Joseph Speroni ’79g, ’82g, director of agricultural, food, and quality sciences, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
• Agnes Watanabe-Muraoka ’80g, professor, head of counseling division, Graduate School of Counseling, University of Tsukuba
• Wayne White ’71, ’73g, deputy director, Office of Analysis for the Near East and South Asia, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State

Each Alumni Fellow will be awarded a commemorative medal commissioned by the Alumni Association in 1971, and designed by artist John Cook, a professor of art and fellow of the Institute for Arts and Humanistic Studies at Penn State. The current edition of the medal, dating to 1986, depicts one of the relief capitals found on the rear façade of Old Main.

The Alumni Fellow award, presented by the Penn State Alumni Association, is administered in cooperation with the academic units. The Board of Trustees has designated the title of Alumni Fellow as permanent and lifelong.

Tailgates will be registered in the competition at the three home football games before Homecoming weekend, where members of the Alumni Relations committee will take pictures of the tailgates. All alumni tailgates will be invited to participate in the categories of “Largest Tailgate,” “Most Penn State Spirit,” and “Best Themed Tailgate.” The photos will be displayed at the Alumni/Student Ice Cream Social at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on October 22, where visitors will be invited to vote on the tailgate entries.

An additional category of “Best Food” will be judged on the morning of the Homecoming football game. The winning tailgates will receive prizes and will be recognized during halftime of the Homecoming game.

For more information, or to enter the Homecoming tailgate competition, please visit http://homecoming.psu.edu/2004/events/ .

Philadelphia Zoo unveils plans for mountain lion exhibit [top]
Joe Paterno joined Penn State alumni and friends at the Philadelphia Zoo earlier this summer to help unveil the zoo's plan for a new mountain lion exhibit. The new exhibit is part of Big Cat Falls, the first project of the zoo's $80 million capital campaign, Our Wildest Dreams .

Please send items to:

Ben Bronstein
2465 Circleville Rd., #130
State College, PA 16803
bennstate@aol.com
814-238-6158

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., September 2, 2004—The Blue & White Society—the Penn State Alumni Association's student membership organization—has been named one of the three best student organizations in the country by the Association of Student Advancement Programs (ASAP). The Lion Ambassadors, Penn State's student alumni corps, and Casey Keiber, adviser to both groups, also were recognized with national awards.

The Blue & White Society was named an “Outstanding Organization” at the ASAP national convention in Portland, Ore., earlier this month. The organization was one of three groups to receive the national award. This is just the latest in a series of awards claimed by the Society. In May, Undergraduate Student Government (USG) named the Society Penn State's “Most Active Large Student Organization” for the second year in a row.

The Lion Ambassadors, Penn State's student alumni corps, also took home a national award. The organization, which is sponsored by the Alumni Association, received an “Outstanding Newsletter” award for its alumni publication, Lion Pause .

Casey Keiber, assistant director of student involvement for the Alumni Association and adviser to both student organizations, was one of three recipients of the “Outstanding Adviser” award. Keiber was previously named Penn State's “Adviser of the Year” for 2003–04 by USG.

The trio of awards is just the latest evidence of the Penn State Alumni Association's continued effort to enhance the campus experience for all Penn State students. For more information about the Alumni Association's programs and services for students and families, or to join, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu .

###

USAGE NOTE: The ampersand (&) is part of the official name of the Blue & White Society and should be used in all references to the organization.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., August 25, 2004—Civil War buffs will have an opportunity to follow the path of legendary Confederate colonel John Singleton Mosby this fall as part of the 12th Annual Penn State Alumni Civil War Battlefield Tour, October 14–17 in Dulles, Virginia.

Nationally-known military historian Carol Reardon will lead the battlefield tour. Reardon is a Penn State George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center scholar-in-residence, and the award-winning author of Pickett's Charge in History and Memory . Reardon will be joined on the faculty by cavalry and Mosby historians and authors Horace Mewborn, Robert O'Neill, Jr., and Jeffry Wert.

The extensive three-day tour of “Mosby's Confederacy” will visit the sites of many of the greatest exploits of the Confederate colonel, known as the “Gray Ghost.” As an added feature, the tour will also explore three traditional cavalry battles about which Mosby wrote—Upperville, Aldie, and Middleburg, which were fought in June 1863 as Robert E. Lee moved north into Pennsylvania.

Although small in stature and frail of frame, Mosby's tactical brilliance and audacity drew to him a band of partisan rangers that became a force with which to be reckoned.  So successful were his daring raids on Union supply lines and communications in northern Virginia that the entire region came to be called “Mosby's Confederacy.”

The battlefield tour will also feature a partner program for those accompanying a tour participant but not partaking in the battlefield tour. Highlights of the partner program include a visit to historic Oatlands plantation in the center of Virginia's horse country, a wine tasting and tour at the Naked Mountain Winery, a spa visit, and optional horseback riding at the Marriott Ranch.

Any person interested in participating in the battlefield tour is encouraged to register. Discounted prices are available for members of the Penn State Alumni Association.

For additional information or to register, please contact Mary Jane Stout by e-mail at mvs4@psu.edu, or call 800-548-5466, option 5.

Alumni Outreach links alumni to the many continuing education products and services of the University, including advanced degrees, career development, conferences, online education, professional training, and study tours. A collaborative effort of the Penn State Alumni Association and Penn State Outreach, Alumni Outreach can be found online at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/alumni_ed .

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., August 24, 2004—Parents and families of Penn State students attending the University Park campus will be in State College during the weekend of October 1–3 for Parents and Families Day. The Penn State Alumni Association and the Division of Student Affairs sponsor the annual event.

The weekend’s schedule includes campus tours, open houses, ice cream socials, Old Main bell tower tours, and the Melissa Heydenreich 5K Moxie-thon. Synergy, the Penn State Student Talent Show, will also take place that weekend.

Information, including a schedule of events and campus map, will be available at the welcome desk in the main lobby of the HUB–Robeson Center on October 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Additional information is available on the Alumni Association’s Web site at http://alumni.psu.edu/events/pfday/.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., August 24, 2004—The Blue & White Society will kick off the fall semester with the inaugural Blue & White Bash on the lawn of the Hintz Family Alumni Center on Thursday, Sept. 2. The free event, which is slated to begin at 4 p.m., will feature games, refreshments, live performances, and prize drawings. All University Park students are welcome to attend.

A drawing for a first class Eurail pass contributed by STA Travel will highlight the day’s activities. Lawn games at the event will include bocce ball, wiffle ball, and croquet. Local artists J.R. Mangon and James Miller will provide live entertainment. Blue root beer floats and light appetizers will also be available.

Current Blue & White Society members will be able to pick up their free member T-shirt at the event. Non-members will have an opportunity to learn about the organization and can join at the event.

The Blue & White Society is the student membership of the Penn State Alumni Association. The Society organizes many large-scale campus events each year, including AfterFest and Rally in the Valley. Society members also participate in campus events such as THON and Homecoming, and are actively involved in numerous community service programs. Last spring, Undergraduate Student Government tabbed the Society as University Park’s Most Active Large Student Organization for the second year in a row.

For more information about the Blue & White Society, or to join one of University Park’s best student organizations, stop by the Blue & White Bash on Sept. 2, or visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/GoBW.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., August 17, 2004—FastStart, a mentoring program for first-year students of color at Penn State, has been recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) as one of the top alumni relations programs in the country.

FastStart was awarded a silver medal in the Volunteer Engagement and Leadership category. The award was part of the CASE 2004 Circle of Excellence Awards Program that attracted more than 3,100 entries in 40 categories.

Sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Division of Student Affairs, FastStart is a diversity program that creates a mentoring triad between a student, Penn State alum, and faculty or staff member. The program has experienced a nearly-300-percent increase in its participation numbers since its inception in 1996. More than 800 students have participated in FastStart, and the program's 89 percent graduation and retention rate is consistently higher than the University Park average for students of color.

While the program is designed to assist underrepresented students, it is open to all students new to University Park wishing to take advantage of the mentoring triad, and all interested faculty, staff, and alumni are encouraged to register as mentors.

For more information or to volunteer as a mentor with the FastStart program, please visit the Alumni Association's Web site at http://www.alumni.psu.edu or contact the FastStart office at 814-863-6386. Applications are also available at the FastStart office located at 17 HUB- Robeson Center .

Headquartered in Washington , D.C. , CASE is the professional organization for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, and development. With a membership that includes more than 3,000 colleges, universities, and independent elementary and secondary schools in the United States , Mexico , Canada , and 42 other countries, CASE is the world's largest nonprofit education association.

Founded in 1870, the Penn State Alumni Association is committed to a mission of connecting alumni to the University and to each other; providing valued services to members; and supporting the University's mission of teaching, research, and service. For more information, or to join America 's largest dues-paying alumni association, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu or call 800-548-5466.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., July 19, 2004—The Penn State Alumni Association recently completed its annual Alumni Council election. Eight new members and two incumbents have been elected to serve on the Association’s governing board. In addition, Association President Marianne E. Alexander has appointed three alumni to serve three-year terms.

The 84-member Alumni Council is made up of alumni volunteers who are elected and appointed by fellow alumni. The volunteer Council members, who meet two weekends a year, help shape and influence the policies and direction of the Association. The Council determines the strategies and programs to be carried out by the Alumni Association staff and is also responsible for electing the Association president, currently Marianne E. Alexander, and vice-president, Lewis H. Gold.

Alumni elected to serve three-year terms, from 2004 to 2007, are: Paul A. Anderson, Lykens, Pa.; K. David Boyer, Jr. (incumbent), Oakton, Va.; Diane Y. Delozier, York, Pa.; Doreen Dudeck, Harleigh, Pa.; Marilyn Minor Haas, Oakton, Va.; Patricia Jessie Hayes, State College, Pa.; Charles H. Lutz (incumbent), Orlando, Fla.; James Powell, Hummelstown, Pa.; Kathleen Arnold Smarilli, Harrisburg, Pa.; and Suzanne M. Thomas, Scranton, Pa.

Those alumni appointed by Alexander to serve three-year terms are: Darryl “DB” Bundrige, Philadelphia, Pa.; Andrea L. Phillips, Atlanta, Ga.; and Barry K. Robinson, Bethesda, Md.

This year, 13,243 Alumni Association members cast ballots in the election—representing a 10 percent participation rate among eligible voters. Thirty-one percent of alumni submitted their ballots via the Internet, compared to 29.6 percent last year, continuing a trend of increased online voting. 

The Penn State Alumni Association is the world’s largest dues-paying alumni association. The organization recently completed the first year of its three-year membership campaign by eclipsing the 152,000-member mark. The 6,102-member increase during the 2003–04 fiscal year—a 4.2 percent growth rate—represents the largest such increase for the organization in nearly a decade. 

For more information about the Alumni Association, or its governing board, Alumni Council, please visit www.alumni.psu.edu/.

Following is brief biographical information about each of the newly-named Council members:

A State College native, Paul A. Anderson now lives in Lykens, Pa., where he is a business proprietor and psychologist with Anderson Associates Psychology and Consulting. He graduated from Penn State in 1959 from the College of the Liberal Arts, and again in 1987 with a graduate degree from the College of Education. He was a member of the varsity wrestling team as an undergraduate.

Elected as an incumbent, K. David Boyer, Jr., has served on Council since 2001 and was a member of the Council’s Executive Board in 2003–04. He resides in Oakton, Va., where he is the chair and CEO of MacKenzie Associates. He is a 1973 graduate of the College of the Liberal Arts and earned a graduate degree from the College of Health and Human Development in 1982. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University and a member of the African American Alumni Interest Group.

Darryl “DB” Bundrige is a 1993 graduate of the College of Communications. He now lives in Philadelphia, where he serves as the director of Extended-Day Services Foundations, Inc. A former Lion Ambassador, he has been an active member of the Chester County and Philadelphia Chapters of the Penn State Alumni Association, as well as the Resident Assistant Alumni Interest Group. 

Diane Y. Delozier will be returning to Council for a second term, however, this will be her first as an elected member. She is the past president of the Penn State Engineering Society and last year served as that organization’s representative on Council. A 1974 graduate of the College of Engineering, she currently resides in York, Pa., and is an engineering consultant with Delozier & Associates. She is also a past president of the York Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. 

Doreen Dudeck is a 1992 graduate of the Eberly College of Science and will be serving her first term on Alumni Council. She is a full-time member of the math faculty at Hazleton (Pa.) Area High School and a part-time evening instructor of math at Penn State Hazleton. She is a past president of the Hazleton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association and currently resides in Harleigh, Pa.

Marilyn Minor Haas is a 1953 graduate of the College of Education. After serving as a teacher and professional volunteer for much of her life, she is now the owner of Cruise Away. She resides in Oakton, Va., and is an active member of the Metro Washington Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.

State College resident Patricia Jessie Hayes has spent 18 years of her professional career working at Penn State. A 1975 graduate of the College of Education, she currently coordinates outreach programs for the Applied Research Laboratory. She is the immediate past chair of the President’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity at Penn State. She is also a FastStart mentor and member of the African American Alumni Interest Group. 

Charles H. Lutz is returning for a second term on Council. As a member of Council’s Volunteer Support committee, he was instrumental in the Association’s support of its 315 affiliate groups worldwide. A resident of Orlando, Fla., he is a federal security director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is a 1967 graduate of the College of the Liberal Arts.

Andrea L. Phillips has been appointed to serve another three-year term on Council. The Atlanta, Ga., resident served on the Communications committee of Council during her recently expired term. She is a 1993 graduate of the College of Communications and currently serves as a contract risks manager for General Electric. She is an active member of the board of directors of the Georgia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. 

James Powell is a 1988 graduate of the Eberly College of Science and a 1992 graduate of the College of Medicine. He resides in Hummelstown, Pa., and is a pediatric oncologist at the Penn State Children’s Hospital. He was a Lion Ambassador as an undergraduate student and currently volunteers for the Alumni Association’s LionLink mentoring program.

Barry K. Robinson has been appointed to Alumni Council following a 15-year tenure on the University’s Board of Trustees. He previously served on Council from 1984 to 1990, including four years on Executive Board. He also served as liaison from the Board of Trustees to Alumni Council on three occasions: 1990–92, 1996–97, and 1998–2001. A resident of Bethesda, Md., he is the senior counsel for corporate affairs for the Recording Industry of America. He is a 1967 graduate of the College of the Liberal Arts and is a member of the African American Alumni Interest Group. He was recently awarded the title of Trustee Emeritus.

Kathleen Arnold Smarilli will be returning for a second term on Alumni Council. As the president of the Liberal Arts Alumni Society, she served as that organization’s representative to Council. This will be her first elected term. She has served for the past seven years on the Penn State Harrisburg Board of Advisers, including four years as chair. She is the president of the capital region for Wachovia Bank and currently resides in Harrisburg, Pa. She was named a 2004 Alumni Fellow. 

Suzanne M. Thomas has been an active member of the Scranton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association for 14 years—including 4 years as the organization’s president. This will be her first term on Alumni Council. A 1974 graduate of the Eberly College of Science, she is an information systems consultant for MetLife and lives in Scranton, Pa.

Alumni Association to host blood drive on August 11[top]
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., July 16, 2004—The Penn State Alumni Association, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, will host a blood drive at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The drive is part of the American Red Cross’ “Grateful Life Tour II” and all presenting donors will receive a tie-dyed T-shirt.

Individuals who are at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 105 lbs., and are in generally good health may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Donors should eat three to four hours before donating.

Appointments are not needed but are encouraged. Online scheduling is now available. To schedule an appointment, please visit www.psuredcross.org. For additional information, please contact Megan Miller at the Alumni Association by calling 814-863-1134.

“We are delighted to see such a strong response from our alumni in the first year of our new ‘For the Future' membership campaign,” said Marianne E. Alexander, president of the Alumni Association. “We are particularly gratified to have stepped over the 150,000-member threshold in time for the University's 150th anniversary year.

“With strong encouragement from the Alumni Association's Executive Board and the membership committee of Alumni Council, the staff worked tirelessly this year to achieve dramatic success in membership growth,” Alexander added. “This achievement is all the more notable in the face of stagnant if not declining enrollments for many non-profit and membership organizations nationally.”

In addition to the overall gain in membership, life membership increased sharply as well, from 76,648 to 79,944, a gain of 4.3 percent. And the total membership penetration rate—members in relation to all addressable Penn State graduates—increased from 33.6 percent to 34.3 percent, Alexander said.

“Our membership campaign is important on three counts,” she added. “We want to ensure that we are solidly in place as the world's largest dues-paying alumni association. We also rely on membership dues as the single greatest source of income, which allows us to conduct programs and support our alumni, our alma mater, and our students. Third, a membership campaign allows us to increase diversity within our ranks, by making sure that greater numbers of underrepresented alumni are included.”

The 2003-04 year was the most robust for membership growth since 1994-95, when the Alumni Association grew by 9,443 members or 7.7 percent to 132,062. That was the final year of the “Pride of Lions” membership campaign, with a goal of 125,000 members in the year in which the Alumni Association celebrated its 125th anniversary. It also was a year in which parents and families were introduced as a new membership constituency for the Alumni Association. And it was a year in which interest in Penn State was fueled by a 12-0 season posted by the Nittany Lion football team.

Reasons for growth were attributed to an increase in membership solicitations, nearly 2.5 times greater in number than the previous year. The addition of three telemarketing campaigns brought strong returns, as did the offer of a new alumni directory, said Roger L. Williams, executive director.

“The staff not only generated a marked increase in our solicitations, but also incorporated some highly creative appeals, such as approaching members of the Nittany Lion Club, increasing the number of life members over 60 years old, and experimenting with e-mail solicitations,” he said. “Not everything we tried worked, but even in the less successful initiatives, we learned lessons that will be applied to future efforts.”

The goal for 2004-05 is to reach 158,619 members, Williams said.

“Our strategy is to increase our telemarketing; induce students to join the Alumni Association (as members of the Blue & White Society); improve our retention rates for current members; increase the number of members with graduate degrees; devise incentives for our chapters, constituent societies, and other affiliate groups to help us grow; and encourage our corporate and University partners to introduce membership recruitment opportunities,” Williams said.