May 2011 Archives

Applications to join the highly selective Presidential Leadership Academy reached a new high this year, but Liberal Arts students--and Paterno Fellows--were still represented well when the final class of thirty was announced.

Paterno Fellows aspirants Kathleen Quinn, Julia Schrank, and Eunji Song were accepted into the program, which is designed to develop leadership abilities in students through a three-year program of courses and special events.  In addition, four other Liberal Arts students were chosen for the PLA:  Carl Boswell, Michael Huwhyler, Jordan Rolon, and Felix Weigel.  Congratulations to all seven!

Liberal Arts once again led all PSU colleges with seven selections.  The Smeal College of Business and the College of Engineering contributed five students each.

In addition, class of 2012 Paterno Fellow Lydia Scott has been selected for another highly selective leadership experience. The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress brings 75 students to Washington from leading universities to learn about leadership and governance, to share their research and scholarship, to develop as future leaders, and to be inspired to careers in public service. Fellows travel to Washington, DC, twice a year to attend three-day conferences and to discuss national issues with scholars of American government and international affairs, senior government officials, and leaders from the fields of business, media, public policy, and the military. Congratulations to Lydia!

Paterno Fellow Ruth Canagarajah was honored earlier this semester with one of three coveted Rock Ethics Institute "Stand Up" Awards, awarded each year to "honor Penn State undergraduate students who have the courage and fortitude to take an ethical stand for a person, a cause, or belief, and thereby demonstrate ethical leadership."

Ruth was recognized for initiating what she called "The Paalam Project." "Paalam" is the Tamil word for "bridge," and the project was intended to do some serious bridging--to span the divides that separate Sri Lankans as well as those that separate Penn State students from an awareness of the political and social situation in Sri Lanka.  Ruth's family came to the United States from Sri Lanka, and so she decided to encourage Sri Lankan youth to take up playwriting as a way of healing after the civil war there.  She then translated their plays into English, and worked with Penn State students to produce them, providing unique opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and understanding.

Visit the Roch Ethics Institute's website for more details.