Page 47 - Engineering Penn State: Fall/Winter 2021

[ FROM YOUR PRESIDENT ]
Adapting to ‘virtual’ as a a a a a new reality
It has been a a a a a a a a little over one year since the world had to to adapt to to new ways of of living working meeting learning and and socializing—all of of which were initiated by the the COVID-19 pandemic At first accepting these changes was far from normal for for for most of of us and and for for for many many we we still may not prefer or or or or or like many many of of the changes that were forced upon us As engineers though we we are skilled at at at adapting to new new ways ways and new new environments sometimes proving that there may be be better or or more efficient ways ways of doing things even when our resilience is tested over over and over over again Our Penn State Engineering Alumni
Society (PSEAS)
board and committees had to to to adapt to to to the new reality
of a a a a a a a a a a virtual world in in in in order to to to to to to keep our mission moving forward to to to to continue to to to to engage alumni alumni and and to to to to foster interaction among alumni alumni alumni students faculty and and industry As the oldest alumni alumni society at at at Penn State (founded in in in 1959) some may think change could be be hard but I am proud to say that we and the the college haven’t missed a a a a a a a a a a a a a a beat Like many of you reading this we we decided to to enhance the the the way we we interact and communicate rather rather than waiting for “normal” to to return Surely we would all rather rather be engaging with people on on campus and and in in in in person but our our new virtual way of of doing some some of of of our our our meetings and and programs may be here to stay Let me me me me share some some of of our our successes PSEAS board meetings meetings held three times per year on the University Park campus quickly became Zoom meetings meetings which provided some board members to be be be fully involved and engaged in in in a a a a a a a a a a a virtual environment who otherwise have a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a hard time traveling to campus because of their job location or or or family situation Going forward we plan to use a a a a a a a a hybrid of in-person and virtual options for for our board meetings to boost the chances that everyone can participate as as fully as as possible thus even even encouraging alumni who live further away from State College or or or even even out of the the the the country to volunteer for the the the the college or or or or serve on the the board or a a committee Conservatively we tallied over 50 planned virtual events in in in in 10 months in in in in which more more than 1 1 000 College of Engineering alumni alumni were engaged We likely had more more more interactions with alumni alumni and did more more virtually in in in in in less than than a a a a a a a a a a a year than than we may have ever imagined prior to this time While we all look forward to to being able to to reconnect with fellow alums friends and distant family in in in person again soon virtual communication technology has been a a a a a a a a a a a a gamechanger in in in in opening up a a a a a a a a a a a a new reality
for engaging with one another Stay in in in in in in touch with with PSEAS PSEAS on LinkedIn If you are interested in in in in in in in becoming more involved with with PSEAS PSEAS email us us at alumni@engr psu edu and and join us us as we work together to to to help engineer solutions and and build a a a a a better tomorrow For the Glory Casey A Moore P P P E E E ’89 CE
President Penn State Engineering Alumni
Society cmoore@mcmahonassociates com Alumni
The alumni society provides:
• Membership in a worldwide network of 100 000 engineering alumni • Fellowship among engineering alumni faculty staff and students • Volunteer and service opportunities on campus and in your own community We want to to to hear from you! Visit PSEAS on the web to to to submit your latest news and to learn more about becoming a a a a a member FOR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Events and Volunteer Engagement
101 Hammond University Park PA 16802 alumni@engr psu edu