As I reflect on my two years as President of the IST Alumni Society Board, I am reminded of how quickly time flies. It seems like the last year was just getting started and now it is time to transition out of my role. I would like to thank the College of IST Alumni Board of Directors for their hard work and support. This is a talented group of people with a willingness to try new things, and because of that we have increased our alumni involvement to our highest level yet! We continued to find ways to engage alumni like you and stay true to our mission.
One of the many highlights of these efforts was just a few weeks ago during the annual Senior Celebration, a collaborative effort between the Board and the college’s alumni relations team. Given that an in-person commencement is postponed for this year’s graduates, our goal was to recognize the class of 2020 virtually with a fun, impactful, and memorable event. It was a high bar, and we are grateful to the organizers and students for stepping up and joining in the celebration.
The IST Alumni Society continues to exceed my expectations. Through the Society, I have been able to step out of my comfort zone by assisting with events, engaging alumni, and connecting with students – all of which have been a huge part of my personal and professional growth. I urge each of you to step out of your comfort zone and take advantage of opportunities that come your way, especially with the IST Alumni Society. Join and engage with the Alumni Association, continue to support our efforts by attending events and mentoring students, and consider serving on the IST Alumni Society Board of Directors.
Now, as we begin a new membership year, I pass the baton. Our group is in great hands with President-Elect Luke Simonetti and the 2020/2021 Board of Directors. While we saw a spark of engagement and increase in membership this past year, we will continue to strive to grow and reignite the passion of all College of IST graduates.
Kelsey Karpinski, president
IST Alumni Society
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Upcoming Alumni Events - Note date changes!
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Philadelphia Networking Event
This event was rescheduled to Thursday, June 25, but due to COVID-19 and statewide and university travel restrictions, we will need to reschedule this for a future date. We will inform you of a new date as soon as it is available.
Date and Time TBD
4120 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19128
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Northern Virginia Networking Event
*New Date*
Thursday, July 23 | 6 p.m.
4238 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22203
Join us in the Camp Lounge area for ping pong, mini bowling, karaoke, and giant Scrabble!
Register
here
.
Please note that we are closely monitoring the current situation. If we need to make any changes to this event, we will let you know.
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Check out these webinars from Penn State Alumni Career Services!
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LinkedIn for Job Seekers
Date:
Wednesday, May 13
Time:
12-1 PM EST
Learn tips and strategies for how to use LinkedIn in your job search.
Topics include building a strong profile, connecting and messaging etiquette, and searching and following.
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Networking for Introverts
Date:
Wednesday, May 20
Time:
12-1 PM EST
Next to public speaking, the idea of initiating a conversation rates highly on the list of unnerving experiences. This webinar will provide tips that can be used to build your professional network if you are an introvert or just shy.
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Mentor a Student
We are actively seeking our next cohort of mentors for the Alumni-Student Mentoring Program! So much has changed in everyone's lives in the last few months and our students need your insight more than ever. They need real-world insight on career paths, work experiences, and how to navigate life after college. You can provide this invaluable guidance by becoming a mentor. The time commitment is up to you -- with regular meetings via phone or email discussions to answer questions or review resumes. The program does not require travel to University Park.
Matching for the 2020-21 mentoring program
will take place in June, with those selected to the program notified in July. Mentoring will kick off in August and conclude in May 2021. If you're interested,
please complete the
alumni interest form
and select “Become a Mentor” before May 29
. If you have previously completed this form and were not selected last year, we still have your information on file. If you are a current mentor, we've reached out to evaluate your interest for next year.
Seeking Speakers
We're looking for alumni who are interested in speaking to other alumni about their career, their research, and unique areas of involvement with IST. If you're interested, contact Kim Woodward, at
alumni@ist.psu.edu.
We're exploring options for summer programming and beyond and would like to engage our alumni first.
Internship Assistance
The College of IST firmly believes that the best option for an internship experience involves real-world engagement with companies and/or faculty-led research. During this unprecedented time, however, some students have had their internships canceled or shortened.
We recognize that not all students will have an opportunity to leverage such an experience at its fullest. As such, the college has developed alternative options for students to complete this requirement, which includes students completing smaller projects and professional development courses.
If you have a project that could use the support of an IST student please complete this
online submission form
as soon as possible. Our hope is that these experiences will be at least 80 hours in length and consist of work related to
our majors, allowing students to gain meaningful experiences and fulfill the graduation requirement. Paid experiences are preferred, but unpaid experiences are welcome.
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Using data to maximize hospital resources
Steve Ney '10 applies skills learned in the College of IST to analyze and produce data
used to drive decisions at Geisinger Health.
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Human and AI annotations aim to improve scholarly results in COVID-19 searches.
Two teams of researchers in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology are exploring how artificial-intelligence-based tools can help to provide up-to-date information on the global pandemic.
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Special Thanks to the following alumni for helping with a student panel on working for the federal government. WE ARE amazing alumni doing impactful work!
Jordan Burris '11
Jacob Sisko '15
Also, a very special thank you to
Nikita Page '17 for putting together a heartwarming
video for the IST Senior Celebration, held virtually this year due to COVID-19.
Thank you all for sharing your talents!
Send us your news! Do you have career or personal news or highlights you'd like to share with IST alumni? Send your info to
alumni@ist.psu.edu.
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Connect with IST on LinkedIn
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Link yourself with the College of IST by adding us to your education profile to connect with our network of students and alumni. It's easy:
- Log in to LinkdedIn
- Click on your profile picure to the left, which will bring you to your page.
- Click on the pencil icon to edit your bio.
- Under the Education section, click "Add new education".
- Type "Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology" in the "School" field, and fill out any additional information you wish to share about your time in IST.
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Did you get the fall edition of iConnect magazine? If not, please update your information! Visit us
online or let us know at
alumni@ist.psu.edu to ensure you receive the next issue. You can also read a
digital copy of the latest issue of the magazine .
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