Programs We Support

The Graduate School Alumni Society was formalized in 1997 to help strengthen support for graduate education at Penn State and to provide additional opportunities for graduate students to interact with graduate alumni from diverse fields and professions. Among the programs the Society supports or sponsors are:

Graduate Exhibition – alumni serve as judges in this annual competition and offer valuable feedback to students on their presentations. Members of the GSAS Board of Directors were the first alumni to participate as judges.

Wall of Honor Ceremony – a special ceremony honoring alumni who have reached their 50th anniversary of receiving their doctorates.

GSAS Recognition Dinner – includes recognition of graduate students who receive the Penn State Alumni Association Dissertation Awards, each of which provides a $5,000 stipend.

Mentoring Programs – the GSAS sponsors a workshop on career options and has offered workshops on topics relevant to career success.

GSAS Lifetime Achievement Award – recognizes graduate school alumni who have achieved exceptional success throughout the course of their profession, demonstrated a lifetime of service and contributions to their community, and loyalty to the University and the Alumni Association.

GSAS Humanitarian Award – honors a graduate alumna/alumnus whose conduct and efforts exemplify those of a humanitarian.

Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award – funded by the GSAS Board of Directors, this award acknowledges faculty members for exemplary leadership benefiting graduate students and faculty in an existing graduate degree program at Penn State.

Alumni Fellow Award – is the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Students are invited to attend a lecture presented by the Alumni Fellow.

Alumni Achievement Award – recognizes alumni 35 years of age and younger for their extraordinary professional accomplishment. These prominent young alumni share their expertise and demonstrate to students that Penn State alumni can succeed at an early age. The Alumni Achievement Award is presented by the Penn State Alumni Association.