PSEAS board member Jonathan Dougherty (’99 A E; ’06 Ph.D.) with Sarah Dougherty (’09 COMM) and Mike Gavalla ’06 SDCET) at the first annual Engineering Alumni Society Tailgate, November 2012.
Alumni Groups
The College of Engineering boasts more than 90,000 alumni. To help you stay connected with the college, Penn State, and to one another, we encourage you to get involved with an alumni group. You may want to join an APG to help your department with special events, serve as a mentor to mentor an undergraduate student, or volunteer with the Penn State Engineering Society.
Contents:
- Penn State Engineering Alumni Society
- Engineering Affiliate Program Groups
- Industrial and Professional Advisory Council
- Alumni Chapters
- Alumni Interest Groups
The Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS)
The Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) is the only all-alumni advisory body in the College of Engineering. The Society works closely with deans, faculty, staff, and students to promote and improve the engineering programs at Penn State. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors that includes officers and the chairs of the department Alumni Affiliate Groups (APGs). The PSEAS Board meets four times a year at the University Park campus. Although members are encouraged to attend all meetings, much of the committee work is done off-campus. The PSEAS Board of Directors has created a handbook for alumni who are interested in volunteering, which is available online at Alumni Volunteer Handbook. For more information about PSEAS, contact Jennifer Theiss, Director of Alumni Relations, at jtheiss@engr.psu.edu or 814-863-3384
Engineering Affiliate Program Groups (APGs)
An Affiliate Program Group, or APG, is a formal or informal group of alumni and friends of Penn State who share a common interest in a particular academic department. It is a separate sub-organization of the Penn State Alumni Association and the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society alumni constituent program. APGs are similar to alumni societies, with the exception that the connection focuses on the promotion and development of the academic department rather than the entire college. The College of Engineering currently has nine APGs:
- Engineering Ambassadors Alumni Association
- Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP)
- Penn State Alumni Society of Architectural Engineers
- Penn State Chemical Engineering Alumni Group
- Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Society
- Penn State Electrical Engineering Society
- Penn State Engineering Leadership Program Alumni Society
- Penn State Engineering Science and Mechanics Alumni Society
- Penn State Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Society
- Penn State Mechanical Engineering Society
- Penn State Nuclear Engineering Society
For more information about APGs in the College of Engineering, contact Jennifer Theiss, Director of Alumni Relations, at jtheiss@engr.psu.edu or 814-863-3384.
Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC)
The Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) is a select group of representatives from industry, government agencies, academia, and the profession who advise the College of Engineering on academic issues and on current trends and future directions in engineering. IPAC is a forum where ideas are exchanged and recommendations are made. IPAC provides direct linkage and communication between the College and the engineering profession. Go to Industrial and Professional Advisory Council for more information.
Alumni Chapters
Chapters are groups of alumni and friends who form in specific geographical areas to share their Penn State pride and to meet other Penn Staters living in their area. To find an alumni chapter in your area, go to Alumni Chapters on the Penn State Alumni Association’s website.
Alumni Interest Groups
An Alumni Interest Group (AIG) is a group of alumni and friends of Penn State who have common interests arising from their University-recognized co-curricular activities or common cultural or professional postgraduate interests. AIGs give alumni a creative way to stay connected with the people they were involved with during their student years at Penn State. They also give alumni a way to interact and network with folks with similar interests after they leave Penn State. To view a list of alumni interest groups, go to Alumni Interest Groups on the Penn State Alumni Association’s website.