IST Alumni and Friends Newsletter

January 2025

Cheers IST Alumni and Friends!

It’s hard to think about how we’ll top 2024. What a fantastic year for the College of IST faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Despite already being halfway through January, we’re still basking in the accomplishments and the celebrations that surrounded our 25th Anniversary!

Now, we’re busy planning our alumni events for this year, one of them being a unique collaboration with Penn State World Camus during the South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) in March. We’re also working on Meet the Dean events for New York City and one other location for this spring.

And remember: If you are ever interested in speaking in an IST classroom, mentoring our students, serving on IST’s alumni board, or volunteering in some other way, please complete the Alumni Interest Form. This helps so much when we’re looking for speakers or soliciting folks who are interested in giving back.

Thank you for supporting the College of IST. I can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring!

We Are!

Kim Woodward

Alumni Relations and Stewardship Coordinator

Upcoming Events

Expanding Horizons: Bringing Tech Together in Austin

Thursday, March 13

5:30 - 8 p.m.

Location: Austin, Texas

Hear more about both the College of IST and Penn State World Campus during the SXSW 2025 Conference. The event, offered in partnership with Penn State World Campus, will be followed by a reception with food and drinks.

Registration is required in advance, so look for more details and the registration link very soon!

Penn State Defense and Intelligence Career Summit

Sunday, April 6

1 - 4 p.m.

District Winery, 385 Water Street SE,

Washington, DC 20003

The Penn State Defense and Intelligence Career Summit will connect Penn State alumni with experience in STEM and Enterprise Operations careers with organizations that are actively seeking talent for current openings and future needs. This is a collaborative event hosted by the Penn State Alumni Association, in partnership with World Campus, the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and the College of Engineering.

Meet the Dean Alumni Networking Events

Keep an eye out for more information about these May 2025 gatherings!

For a full list of Penn State Alumni Association events, visit alumni.psu.edu/events.

Getting Involved

Connect with the Office of Career Solutions

The IST Career Solutions office connects employers with skilled IST students. Alumni can engage with our students by participating in an IST Recruiting Day, where you can directly recruit from a diverse pool of candidates. Additionally, employers can request other on-campus events to further promote their recruitment efforts and raise awareness of their organizations. To get involved, email Courtney Angstadt or visit our website.

News and Highlights

Nittany AI Alliance partners with IST to amplify AI Innovation at Penn State

IST Professor Lee Giles Selected as outstanding academic leader in data

Stay informed: Read the latest issue of iConnect magazine and subscribe to IST Headlines.

Alumni Shout-Outs!

Congratulations to Erin McGovern ’16 who was recognized by Irish America Magazine as a Business 100 Honorees 2024! Erin is a Strategic Global Account Executive at Microsoft in New York City.

Jordan Burris ’11 was named one of WashingtonExec’s Top Public Sector Leaders to Watch in 2025! Jordan is Vice President and Head of Public Sector at Socure.