Alumni Awards

This University award recognizes alumni 35 years of age and younger for their extraordinary professional accomplishments. Recipients are invited by the President of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators. The award is limited to one recipient per college. Winners are selected by the University in October, and the award (a cast bronze medallion and framed certificate) is presented at a reception and dinner hosted by the University President. Arrangements are also made for the awardees to visit their respective campus the following spring.

Since 1973, the Penn State Alumni Association has presented this most prestigious honor to distinguished alumni each spring. Penn State Alumni Fellows are nominated by the deans and selected by a University committee. Recognized as leaders in their respective fields, these recipients continue to enrich Penn State’s mission through their service and engagement with current students and faculty. They carry the Alumni Fellow title for life. Final selections are made by the Alumni Association and Board of Trustees in February, and the award is presented at a dinner hosted by the University President. Arrangements are also made for the awardees to visit their respective campus.

This is the highest honor that Penn State bestows upon an outstanding alumna or alumnus. The award salutes the achievements of alumni whose personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater. A limited number of Distinguished Alumni Awards are granted each year to preserve the stature of the designation. Selections are made at the January Board of Trustees meeting, and the award (an engraved bronze medallion, matching pendant, and framed inscribed certificate) is presented at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony held during the spring alumni reunion.

The Honorary Alumni Award was created to recognize outstanding individuals who, though not graduates of Penn State, greatly enhance the welfare, reputation, and prestige of the University through their commitment and service. The number of awards given each year varies, but typically two to four have been granted across the University. The Alumni Association Awards Committee makes recommendations to the full Alumni Council each fall, and the award (life membership in the Penn State Alumni Association and a cast bronze medallion) is typically presented during the spring alumni reunion awards ceremony.