On Saturday, December 17, 2011, Penn State Altoona held commencement ceremonies for the fall 2011 semester. The commencement address was delivered by Joseph Pizarchik, director of the Department of Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Erin C. Murphy, associate professor of English at Penn State Altoona; M. Kevin Parfitt, associate professor of architectural engineering in the College of Engineering, and Robert D. Richards, Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies in the College of Communications, have received the Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching and have been named 2011 Penn State Teaching Fellows. The Penn State Alumni Association, in conjunction with undergraduate and graduate governing bodies, established the award in 1985. It honors distinguished teaching and provides encouragement and incentive for excellence in teaching. Recipients are expected to share their talents and expertise with others throughout the University system during the year following the award presentation.
On Saturday, May 8, 2010, Penn State Altoona graduated the second largest class in its history as 260 students received their diplomas. Dr. Zane Gates, medical doctor, author, and founder of the Gloria Gates Memorial Foundation was the commencement speaker.
Valerie Stratton, Associate Professor Emerita, Penn State Altoona, served as commencement speaker, offering her thoughts to the 285 graduates at Penn State Altoona's spring 2011 commencement ceremony.
Move-In Day 2011 saw approximately 675 first-year students arrive on the Penn State Altoona campus to begin their college careers. Volunteers from all over the college helped unload belongings from cars and trucks and deliver them to residence hall rooms. Students participated in orientation activities throughout the weekend such as a barbeque, bingo, a social, Academic Convocation, a class picture, t-shirt tie-dying, and a glow dance party.
Penn State Altoona's Aaron building, located in downtown Altoona, is home to state-of-the-art nursing suites. Click play below to hear students and faculty members discuss the way the suites have revolutionized the nursing degree program at Penn State Altoona.
It was another record-breaking year for Penn State students as they raised a whopping $10,686,924.83 for THON! Penn State Altoona was responsible for nearly $83,000 of that, taking second place out of all the commonwealth campuses. Six Penn State Altoona students were chosen as dancers for the 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping marathon, a role they say is a true honor. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world donating all proceeds to The Four Diamonds Fund, which in turn benefits the Hershey Medical Center and its young patients battling pediatric cancer.
