The entire Penn State Alumni Association of Western New York is deeply saddened by the news of Coach Joe Paterno’s passing earlier today. Coach Paterno contributed 60 years of his life to making Penn State a better institution and for this he will be forever remembered. He touched the lives of so many students, faculty, staff and alumni and will always be remembered as an educator, humanitarian and coach. The thoughts and prayers of all Penn State Alumni are with the Paterno family during this difficult time. We await news from Penn State University regarding plans to honor Coach Paterno for his many contributions and to remember his remarkable life and legacy.

The Penn State Alumni association of WNY has been designated a “Group of Distinction” for the second year in a row!  This level of excellence is only awarded to the upper tier of alumni chapters.

The criteria for “Group of Distinction” is based on strict guidelines established by the Penn State Alumni Association.  For the fiscal year which ended June 30, 2011: the WNY chapter far exceeded the required criteria which is based on the chapter’s programming over a 12 month period.

Chapter President, Douglas Kellner, commented on the news of the honor: “We are extremely proud of achieving this honor for another year.  The Penn State Alumni Association recognizes that the alumni in WNY are proud of our university and want to stay connected as evidenced by our membership and programs.  We could not achieve this honor without the hard work by our core Board members and those members who participate in our programs and pay their dues”.

Thank you to all of our members in helping our chapter earn this prestigious designation!

The Penn state Alumni Association of WNY joined alumni chapters from across the country in marching in the 2011 Homecoming Parade through University Park and State College.  We had a local WNY PSU student and two of his dorm friends carry our WNY banner and lead a group of 7 alumni and friends (plus a classic 1995 Corvette with a “PSU 72″ New York license plate!)

This was our second year in the parade and hope that next year we can count on even more participation from our WNY membership.  After the parade, WNY was represented by a dozen alumni and friends at the post parade party at the Hintz Family Alumni Center.  Thank you to all who participated!

After a day of consistent rain showers, the moisture held off and the weather turned warm enough on Tuesday, August 9th to ensure an enjoyable backyard barbecue as the Penn State Alumni Association of Western New York hosted its third annual student send-off party at the home of PSU alumni Doug and Terry Eberhard on Grand Island. Both new and returning students and their families, as well as WNY Penn State alumni, were invited to come together and celebrate in Penn State style. Hot dogs and hamburgers, beverages, Penn State trivia, and even a visit from Lindsey Hopkins Hall, Coordinator of Student Involvement and Fraternity and Sorority Life in the Office of Student Activities at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College were part of the evening’s activities.

PSU WNY wished the following students well as they head off to Dear Old State:

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Brian Brink
Michael Fiend
Geoffrey Franger
Robert Freeman
Shannon Lawlor
Paul Lukasik
Kristin Walleshauser

Penn State University, University Park
Erick Bennes
Brandon Camarre
Zach Dugan
Parker Reusch
Teresa Ricotta

We are in the midst of our membership drive, please send in your dues renewals as soon as possible.  We have already had a tremendous response to our dues mailing and we count on your support to continue the programming that keeps you connected with Penn State!  If you need a dues application, you can click here and print out the form for use. Simply mail it in with your payment to the address indicated.

Also, for those who are not yet a member of PSU WNY, we encourage you to become a part of our local Penn State Alumni Chapter here in Western NY.  If you have any questions or you would like to know more about becoming a member, please email our membership committee head.