UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) celebrated its 25th anniversary with two days of events at University Park. Current students, staff and faculty welcomed IST alumni and friends to mark the occasion.

“For more than two decades, IST graduates have been influencing and changing the world,” said Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST. “The world is different because of what our students and alumni are doing in it.”

On Aug. 25, 1999, the College of IST, known then as the School of Information Sciences and Technology, opened its doors to 105 students at University Park, with five full-time faculty members leading 43 new courses. Across the state, 428 students enrolled in IST courses at 13 Penn State campuses. Today, the college boasts more than 3,000 students annually across more than 30 degree and certificate programs in residence and online.

Day one of the celebration began in active IST classrooms. About 20 alumni presented and engaged with students in classes ranging from cybersecurity and security and risk analysis to data sciences and human-centered design and development.

That was followed by the IST Open House, an informal exploration of the college’s home. The space — dedicated on Jan. 22, 2004, as the Information Sciences and Technology Building — was renamed Westgate Building in 2016.

Open house attendees explored the college’s past, present and future via a walking tour that featured Westgate Building’s collaborative classrooms, research laboratories, faculty offices and student gathering spaces. The tour demonstrated how the space continues to evolve to meet the unique needs of today’s digital students.

Following the open house, alumni and friends were invited to the IST Celebrates 25 Years Kick-Off Party at the Nittany Lion Inn. They reconnected with classmates and made new connections while enjoying refreshments, music, a photobooth, caricatures and a guest appearance by the Nittany Lion, who completed 25 one-armed push-ups in honor of the event.

Day two of the celebration began with IST’s second annual Alumni Symposium, which was held at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in State College, Pennsylvania. Colin Murphy, class of 2003 and president of the IST Alumni Society Board, gave the opening remarks, followed by the state of the college address by Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST.

“The Alumni Symposium is about getting IST graduates back on campus to reengage with fellow alums, current students, the college and Penn State overall,” Murphy said. “With the energy and the rich discussion this year, we triple-checked all of those boxes!”

Amulya Yadav, associate professor, gave the keynote address, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Emerging Markets.” Chris Gamrat, assistant teaching professor, moderated the first panel, “How Is AI Affecting Cyber and Privacy Today and Tomorrow?” and Betsy Campbell, assistant professor, moderated the second, “How Is AI Driving Change in Business Today and Tomorrow?”

Representatives from IST student organizations, including the Penn State Competitive Cyber Security and the IST Living Learning Community, presented. Three graduates were honored with IST alumni awards.

The anniversary concluded at Westgate Building with games, networking and IST Celebrates 25 Years Death By Chocolate ice cream — a Berkey Creamery flavor sponsored by the college in honor of the milestone.

Alumna Denise Baker, class of 2007 and a senior endpoint security engineer at Marriott International, was among the attendees who reconnected with classmates and made new connections.

“Reflecting on how far we’ve come makes me incredibly proud to be a part of this journey,” she said. “Thank you to IST for an unforgettable celebration and to all the alumni and new friends I connected with — our shared passion and support make this community strong. Here’s to many more years of innovation, growth and impact!”