IST Alumni Newsletter
July 2021
Alumni and Friends, 

While many classes and events are resuming on-campus this fall, we’re excited to offer a diverse schedule of virtual events, like our Alumni Identity Talks series, and in-person events, including our annual Alumni and Friends Tailgate during Homecoming weekend. See what else we have planned and learn how to get involved below. 

Special thanks to everyone who joined us for our We Are Weekend session, “Technology and Data: Impacting the Epidemiology of COVID-19,” from assistant professor Justin Silverman. If you missed it, watch the recording at the link below.  

We hope you are able to visit campus soon and participate in upcoming programs and events to connect with IST alumni and students. Happy Valley is excited to welcome you back!

Kim Woodward, Alumni Relations & Stewardship Coordinator
Upcoming Events
Alumni Identity Talks – Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
September 15 at 12 p.m. ET

Hear from IST alumni as they share their diverse experiences from college through to their careers.

Panelists include Noel Claudio ’14, Diana Long ’04, and Jackie Sanchez ’19.
Save the Date
September 16 | Alumni Advice Session for Students
We will be seeking alumni to provide advice to students as they prepare for the virtual IST Internship and Career Fair.
October 23 | Fall Tailgate (Homecoming Game vs. Illinois)
Join IST alumni and friends from 9–11:30 a.m. ET for food, games, and nostalgia outside Beaver Stadium. Watch your email for registration information.
Additional Events
July 14 | Networking and the Art of Building Authentic Relationships
This webinar will focus on topics such as defining the terms, overcoming internal barriers and fears, initiating the first meeting, and building relationships in a virtual environment.

For a full list of Alumni Association events, visit: alumni.psu.edu/events.
Getting Involved
Seeking Additional Speakers
We are seeking additional speakers for the upcoming events listed below in our Alumni Identity Talks series. These virtual panels allow IST alumni to share their diverse experiences and perspectives gained through their educational and professional journeys with the college community. All events are held from 12–1 p.m. ET. Sign-up here if you're interested in sharing your experience!

  • Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: September 15
  • LGBTQ+ Alumni Pride: October 6
  • Disability Awareness: October 27
  • First Generation: November 10
  • Military Support: November 17

Internship Help Needed!
IST's Office of Career Solutions is seeking mini-internship and project experiences to help graduating students meet the college’s internship requirement. These opportunities should provide students with a chance for practical application of their College of IST coursework and be between 80-100 hours. Please contact Brianne Lippert at bek147@psu.edu with any questions or to provide an opportunity.

We Are Weekend Recap
During June’s We Are Weekend, Assistant Professor Justin Silverman presented “Technology and Data: Impacting the Epidemiology of COVID-19” to more than 250 Penn State alumni and friends. During this session, Dr. Silverman shared a high-level overview of three projects related to nonspecific surveillance of COVID-19 Epidemiology. His research has been featured on CNN, The New York Times, The New York Post, and other major publications and outlets. Watch the talk.
Honoring Chao-Hsien Chu
Chao-Hsien Chu, professor of IST and one of the college's original five faculty members, died on Jan. 15. He was an active educator, researcher, and administrator at Penn State, and marked 20 years of service to the college in 2019. He helped create the college’s first academic programs and was a main designer of the SRA program and the integration and application option within the IST major. Read more about his legacy on Penn State News.

Fang-Mei Chu has established a scholarship at IST in memory of her husband. Donations can be made at raise.psu.edu/Chao-HsienChuScholarship.
News & Highlights
First-generation alum Steve Pipino ’03 funds a scholarship to pay it forward
Jason Nucciarone develops app concepts to help users be more efficient with tech
Stay informed: read the latest issue of iConnect magazine and subscribe to IST Headlines.
Alumni Shout-outs
Congratulations to the following alumni on their recent career advancements and recognition!

Victoria Gibilterra ’16 is now a Sr. Cyber Security Consultant, focusing on Cloud Security at Avanade.

Madison Oliver ‘16 is now an Incident Response Analyst at GitHub.

Pierre Reddy ’20 was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his excellence on and off the field for the Penn State Men’s Soccer. Read more here.

Luke Simonetti ‘07 is now with the Executive Leadership Team at Booz Allen.

Ka’Lee Strawbridge ’18 is now a Sr. Software Engineer & Security Focal at IBM.
Stay Connected!
If you have career or personal news you'd like to share with IST alumni, send your update to alumni@ist.psu.edu.

Update your information to stay informed of the latest IST news and events.
ist.psu.edu