The awards, recommended by the Alumni Association’s awards committee and approved by its executive board, recognize the significant contributions to Penn State's welfare, reputation, and prestige made by these individuals.

“We are privileged to honor five exceptional individuals whose hard work, commitment, and devotion to Penn State have made a tremendous difference in the life of our University,” said Alumni Association president Marianne Alexander ’62. “They richly deserve to be recognized as a vital part of the Penn State family. Thus, they will receive the highest honor we can bestow on our friends who do not hold Penn State degrees.”

The Penn State Alumni Association has given the Honorary Alumni award annually since 1973 to honor individuals who, while not graduates of Penn State, have significantly impacted the University in a positive manner. In the 32-year history of the award, 74 individuals have been bestowed Honorary Alumni status. This is only the third time in the award’s history that five individuals have been honored in the same year (1992 and 1997). At no time have more than five Honorary Alumni awards been given in one year.

This year’s award recipients will be inducted, along with the 2004 class of Distinguished Alumni, at a ceremony on June 4 at The Nittany Lion Inn. The group will also be honored at an evening reception on June 5 at Old Main.

2004 Penn State Honorary Alumni award recipients:

Rene Portland is the head coach of the Penn State Lady Lions basketball team. Now in her 24th year at Penn State, Portland has led her team to 20 NCAA tournament appearances, seven regular season conference titles, and nine conference tournament championships. She has been a tireless advocate for women’s basketball at all levels, including her groundbreaking role in 1997 when NBA officials invited her to their headquarters as one of 10 coaches discussing the future of women’s professional leagues in the United States. Along with her husband, John, Portland has shown her Penn State spirit through personal service and financial support to the community and the University. Together, they have endowed two scholarships for student-athletes. She is a motivational speaker for organizations on campus such as the Blue Band, and has played a vital role as honorary chair of the WPSX Public Broadcasting capital campaign. Portland has also made significant contributions to the community through her work with Women Against MS, Coaches vs. Cancer, and Easter Seals. During her affiliation with the latter, she served as co-chair of the Million Pennies campaign and encouraged student-athletes to volunteer for the riding program for disabled children. Current Penn State faculty and staff are not eligible to be considered for Honorary Alumni status for two years from the time they retire or leave Penn State. However, because of the significance of Portland’s contributions to the Penn State community, the executive board waived this clause in its unanimous approval.

James Gardner is the vice president of investor relations for Pfizer, Inc. Prior to beginning his career with Pfizer in 1977, Gardner served for eleven years in the military, retiring from the army as a full colonel. He has been a driving force in the collaboration between the University and Pfizer and has used his influence to gain support for a number of college initiatives. Gardner arranged for Pfizer to underwrite the annual Frontiers of Science lecture series, an outreach effort aimed at bringing current scientific topics to the general public. He is a charter member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Eberly College of Science and a member of the Board of Visitors of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He has supported the college financially by establishing the Gardner Endowed Scholarship in Science along with his wife Linda ’67. He has a very keen interest in science education initiatives and has shared a wealth of knowledge in regard to promoting these initiatives. His continued efforts have strengthened the educational opportunities that Penn State can offer to its students and the community as a whole.

John and Nancy Traina first became involved with Penn State when their son, Andrew, was a student at Penn State McKeesport. After a tragic accident killed Andrew, the Trainas created several scholarships in their son’s memory. They have maintained their support of Penn State by continuing their contributions to scholarships and student programs and inspiring others to do the same. Mrs. Traina was elected to the Penn State McKeesport Advisory Board in 2001 and 2004, and has also agreed to serve as the western chair of the Commonwealth College Development Committee to represent the college on the National Council of Penn State Philanthropy. She serves as a volunteer with several arts and cultural organizations in the greater Pittsburgh area. Mr. Traina is equally committed to Penn State, volunteering his time to speak at scholarship receptions and sharing his expertise in entrepreneurship with students and faculty. Together they will be the general chairs of the Pittsburgh Opera’s 50th anniversary celebration this year. The Trainas contribute their time, resources, and expertise to Penn State and have made the University and the success of its students a priority in their lives.

Marion Pollock is the president of Pollock Enterprises. A supporter of Penn State Wilkes-Barre for many years, Pollock created the Kenneth L. Pollock Endowed Scholarship with her late husband Ken. Pollock’s efforts over the years have caused this endowment to grow to a current value of more than $1 million. Over the past 16 years, 90 Penn State Wilkes-Barre students have benefited from this endowment, including those who elect to continue their education at another Penn State location after starting at Wilkes-Barre. Pollock also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Grand Destiny campaign committee and the Pattee-Paterno Library campaign board. She is an active member of the Wyoming Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. Her Penn State spirit is also reflected in her dedication to many causes in the community including the United Way, Wilkes-Barre YMCA, and Mercy Hospital Auxiliary. Pollock’s contributions to Penn State Wilkes-Barre show her ongoing personal dedication to the Penn State mission of “making life better.”

The Honorary Alumni award is part of the recognition program of the Penn State Alumni Association. The program acknowledges outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves through volunteer service to the University or through success in their personal and professional lives.