Alumni from around the country gathered at The Nittany Lion Inn the night before the Indiana game to honor their own as 29 groups and individuals took home the Penn State Alumni Association’s version of the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys.

Four individuals and 25 groups were honored for their outstanding work the past year with one of 14 Volunteer Awards. The Volunteer Awards are an opportunity to recognize exemplary service on behalf of Penn State by alumni and affiliate groups who have contributed their time, leadership, and talent.

Following are details of each award winner.

Individual Awards:

Philip Philip Mitchell Alumni Service Award
Ted Bollard ’93g, ’96R has served on the Penn State College of Medicine Alumni Society Board of Directors for 10 years. In 1991, along with a fellow Penn State College of Medicine alumnus, Bollard developed the Bethesda Mission Medical Clinic, located in Harrisburg, Pa., which provides medical assistance for about 25 homeless people each evening. Bollard has served as coordinator for the clinic since 1995 when he was a resident at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He also serves as the faculty advisor to the student-run Lion Care program, through which medical students can also serve this patient population.

Diversity Award
Chris Thomas ’03, ’08g, the key person in founding the Philadelphia chapter of the African American Alumni Organization, was honored with the Diversity Award. In addition to his efforts in uniting the University’s African American alumni on both a professional and social level, he has also worked to increase alumni participation in the FastStart program and was instrumental in launching the Black Male Leadership Symposium, which was recently recognized by Penn State’s Multicultural Resource Center as one of the “Most Outstanding Organizations” on campus. In part because of his work with Penn State, Ebony magazine chose him as one of its “30 Leaders Under 30.”

Recent Alumna Award
Carrie Bomgardner ’97, ’01g was recognized for exemplary service to the Alumni Association by an alum who has graduated within the last 10 years. As a student, Bomgardner represented Penn State on many fronts and was nationally recognized with the American Dairy Science Association’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award. Since graduating, Bomgardner has supported Penn State as a class speaker, mentor, local 4-H leader, and as a member and leader of many alumni affiliate groups. She is currently on the board of the Dairymen’s Club Alumni Program Group and helped initiate that group’s successful milk bottle fundraiser, featuring prominent Penn State people and places on milk bottles. Bomgardner is also a founding member of the Ag Advocates Affiliate Program Group. She is the president-elect of the college’s Alumni Board of Directors and serves as the group’s representative on Alumni Council.

Volunteer of the Year Award
Jim Powell ’88, ’92g was recognized for his ongoing efforts to connect College of Medicine students and alumni to the University. Among other things, Powell has worked hard to build the college’s Blue & White Society and serves as the group’s advisor. Through his efforts—including personally financing one of the group’s first events, a tailgate party at University Park for All University Day—the Hershey Blue & White Society has grown to more than 220 members in just two years. Powell has also served on the College of Medicine Alumni Society Board of Directors and has hosted “Lunch with the Alumni Society,” a monthly get together for students on campus. He also served on the Reunion Planning Committee. Powell is in his fourth year of serving on Alumni Council.

Group Awards:

Communications Award
The Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG) launched a new Web site this year, as well as a database they call KIDS—which stands for Keeping In Dancing Spirit. The new Web site features an enhanced homepage, more graphics, an improved news section, archived printed newsletters and e-mail updates, a new calendar, and the ability for alumni to explore various ways to participate in Thon activities. The new Web site has been well received with 1,700 hits in the first two weeks of its launch, and more than 1,200 members have joined through the site. Ultimately, the database and Web site allow for better communication between all parties, enhanced archiving of documents, and better record keeping of the group’s membership.

Fellowship and Networking Award
The College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Greater Las Vegas Chapter were both recognized with this award. The College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society reached 500 alumni and raised more than $12,000 for scholarship and internship endowments through the 2007 Ag Live Tailgate. The event provided alumni with an opportunity to socialize as well as meet faculty members and current students. The Greater Las Vegas Chapter, which had been inactive for several years, experienced a rebirth as its membership swelled to more than 125 members. The chapter sponsors football-viewing parties, provides volunteers for college fairs at local high schools, and entertains Penn State visitors to Las Vegas among other activities. The group marched in the Homecoming Parade—all dressed as Elvis—and took first place in 2007 in the out-of-state category of the Alumni Association Endowment for Homecoming Parade Awards.

Joint Activities Award
Eleven groups were recognized for their role in two inspired activities. Though more than 1,000 miles separate them, the Centre County Chapter and the Northwest Tallahassee (Florida) Chapter joined forces in support of Thon 2007 by creating dancer mail for each of the 710 Thon dancers. The messages cheered on the dancers and increased awareness of Thon history and Thon’s impact on The Four Diamonds Fund families.

The second Joint Activities Award recognized the efforts of nine groups from the Delaware Valley area, which put on a “Let’s Party, Family Style” event for the 2007 Penn State–Temple football game in Philadelphia. The fun started on Friday night with a mixer in Old City Philadelphia, then continued the next day with a tailgate including games, prizes, and favorite tailgating food. The groups that organized the event are the African American Alumni Organization of Philadelphia AIG, Chester County Chapter, Delaware County Chapter, Montgomery County Chapter, Philadelphia Chapter, Delaware Chapter, Professional Women’s Network of Philadelphia, Penn State Abington Alumni Society, and the Smeal Business Club of Philadelphia Affiliate Program Group.

Membership Award
In just one year, the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter increased its membership by 186 percent, from 246 to 703 dues-paying members with a concerted effort to grow membership. Much of their huge jump in members came from a pre-football season pep rally featuring Penn State football legends Kenny Jackson and Blair Thomas. Among other membership-building efforts, the group signed up 70 new members at the Senior Sendoff at University Park last spring.

National Service Project Award
Two chapters—Annapolis, Md. and Orange County, Calif.—were recognized for developing exemplary public service projects. The Annapolis Chapter’s members spent several days repairing drywall and painting at the Light House Shelter, an emergency shelter for homeless men and women. The Orange County Chapter worked on several service projects last year. As part of Operation Gratitude, members solicited donations for care packages they sent to U.S. troops serving in Iraq. Through the Basket Brigade, the chapter compiled and delivered laundry baskets filled with food for a festive turkey dinner to more than 500 area families. Chapter members also served as guest chefs, preparing and serving a meal at a Laguna Beach homeless shelter.

New/Innovative Event or Program Award
This year’s recipient, GEMS, the Penn State Earth and Mineral Sciences Alumni Society, sponsored a 2007 seminar series entitled, “Water: An Endangered Resource.” The GEMS seminar series showcased departments and promoted general awareness of the unique disciplines in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The 2007 seminar series highlighted the relevancy of geosciences to business and society, was used to recruit students, and encouraged networking between students, faculty, and alumni.

Professional Development Award
The College of Medicine Alumni Society was recognized for sponsoring the college’s annual Career Night, which gave more than 200 students the opportunity to explore their many career options. The College of Medicine Alumni Society also contributed $1,000 to the Graduate and Post-Doctoral Career Day.

Scholarship/Fundraising Award
Four groups were recognized for outstanding scholarship or fundraising programs. This year’s winners combined to award more than $34,500 in scholarship funds: the Greater Chicago Chapter, Lake Erie Chapter, Naples (Fla.) Chapter, and Wayne–Pike Chapter. The Greater Chicago Chapter employed a variety of fundraising methods that resulted in awarding $7,500 to five students and increasing their endowment by $2,500. The Lake Erie Chapter, through its popular Steak Fry, annual golf scramble, and a football ticket lottery, awarded $9,000 to six deserving students. The Naples Chapter more than doubles gifts to its scholarship program through “The Naples Angels.” Each “angel” matches any gift at 10 percent. In 2007 alone, 11 “angels” matched the $3,000 in membership contributions resulting in an additional $3,300 contribution to their endowment, allowing the chapter to award $6,000 in scholarships last year. The Wayne­–Pike Chapter raises money for its scholarship fund through a popular Mystery Party and Silent Auction. The event typically nets more than $10,000 for the chapter’s scholarship fund, enabling them to award more than $12,000 in scholarships each year.

Student Interaction Award
The Penn State Graduate School Alumni Society was recognized for organizing—in conjunction with the Graduate School—a career exploration workshop entitled “The Academy is Not the Only Option,” which focused on career options outside of academia. Twenty-seven Penn State graduate alumni served as panelists for the workshops and connected with the 145 graduate students who attended. The Penn State Harrisburg Alumni Society was recognized for the emphasis it places on mentoring students. The society starts with helping students on move-in day and continues by participating in panel discussions on everything from “Making the Most of Penn State Harrisburg” to “The Road to My Current Career, Including the Detours.” The group also started a “Sophomore Mentoring” program, where students who are deciding on majors are put in touch with alumni working in relevant professions. At the group’s student sendoff, they serve Berkey Creamery ice cream, supply several parting gifts, and encourage graduating seniors to remain involved with Penn State.

Additional information about the Penn State Alumni Association’s recognition program and selection criteria is available at www.alumni.psu.edu/awards.