The Graduate School Alumni Society was recognized by the Penn State Alumni Association for outreach to graduate students with selection for the Volunteer Group Award in the Professional Development Category. Alumni Association CEO Paul Clifford presented the award to Alumni Society President Cynthia Mable during the annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony last fall.

The Alumni Society was nominated for its sustained efforts to enhance the educational experiences of graduate students through the Career Exploration Workshop.

The 2017 Career Exploration Workshop — detailed in the award nomination — was titled Securing a Job as a Process. The half-day format of the annual enrichment program included a keynote address, concurrent sessions based on the theme Defining the Job You Want, Marketing Yourself, and Closing the Deal, and a networking reception. 

Alumni panelists representing Industry, Academia, and Entrepreneurship returned to campus to share their insights, experiences and advice with graduate students in an interactive forum. Select sessions were live streamed for graduate students at a distance.