The Recognition Program of the Penn State Alumni Association acknowledges outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves through volunteer service to the University or through success in their personal and professional lives. It honors individuals and programs by recognizing service and achievement and by giving award recipients the opportunity to share their knowledge while serving as role models for the Penn State community. The Awards Program is the Penn State Alumni Association’s most visible way of acknowledging those measures of personal quality that are Penn State’s hallmarks.

Last year, the awards committee received more than 100 nominations for individual and group awards. This was, by far, the greatest number of nominations in the history of the awards program making the selection process a difficult one. In the end, 20 group and four individual awards were presented during the fall Alumni Council meeting.

To increase your chances of submitting a winning nomination, follow these suggestions offered from the Awards Committee of Alumni Council:

• Follow the instructions and guidelines for the nomination carefully and submit your nomination by the deadline.
• Make sure to nominate all programs and events that your group does well. There is no limit on the number of nominations that a group may submit.
• Be specific. If the question asks how many alumni attended an event, don’t say “many.” Rather, state that “34 alumni and 12 students” participated. This will give the selection committee a better sense of the impact of your event or program.
• Review the criteria for each category and make sure that your nomination is in the proper category. For those events that crossover many areas, assess the impact and outcome to determine the best category in which to nominate the event.
• If you are submitting an event or program that your group conducts annually, be sure to show the growth of the event over time. Did your fundraiser generate $100 the first time and now brings in $400 in its third year? Demonstrated progress and growth will help the committee better understand how an ongoing event has improved from year to year.

For more information on all affiliate group awards and the criteria used for selecting awards recipients, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/awards/group/. (The affiliate group awards have been modified to make all affiliate groups eligible for any group award.)

Nominations are also being accepted for these individual awards: Diversity Award, Philip Philip Mitchell Alumni Service Award, Volunteer of the Year, and Recent Alumnus/Alumna Award. These awards are given to one person annually and each has different criteria. For more information on individual awards, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/awards/individual/.

The deadline for nominations is June 15, 2006, and nomination forms can be submitted online at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/awards/forms/. If you have any questions regarding the Awards Program, please contact Dana Allen, associate director of volunteer services at dga10@psu.edu.