UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will celebrate 10 years of GivingTuesday on Dec. 3 — and the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) invites alumni and friends to participate in this anniversary milestone by making a gift to support student engagement opportunities for IST students.
Established in January 2023, the IST Alumni Society Endowment helps students travel to professional conferences, compete in academic challenges, and take part in other transformational experiences that enhance what they learn in the classroom. It also provides support for the college’s diverse student organization, undergraduate research efforts, and community outreach and programming. The endowment’s first award recipients included the Red Cell Analytics Lab, the National Security Club, the User Experience Professionals Association Penn State Chapter and IST Student Government.
In 2024, the endowment provided direct support to:
- Competitive Cyber Security Organization (CCSO)
- Cybersecurity Consulting Club
- Fundamentals of Computing Association
- IST Living Learning Community
- Nittany Entrepreneur Society
- Women in Cybersecurity
"The Alumni Society Endowment fuels opportunities beyond the classroom for IST students and organizations," said Dave Costlow, who earned a bachelor's degree in information sciences and technology from Penn State in 2003 and chairs the society's fundraising committee. "With a vibrant community of IST student organizations tackling real-world projects, attending conferences and winning national competitions, supporting the Alumni Society Endowment is an investment in the next generations of IST leaders."
Isabella Masso, a third-year student majoring in cybersecurity analytics and operations and treasurer for CCSO, benefited from the endowment’s direct support of the organization.
“CCSO helps students learn practical cybersecurity skills through hands-on competitions and interactive general body meetings,” she said. “Support from the IST Alumni Society Endowment enables us to expand these opportunities, reaching a growing number of students each year. With these funds, the club will continue enhancing our server rack infrastructure to locally host activities as well as provide more travel opportunities for students interested in competitions at other institutions.”
True to Penn State GivingTuesday tradition, the celebration is kicking off early on Monday, Dec. 2, at 18:55 (6:55 p.m. EST) — a nod to the year in which the University was founded. Those interested in contributing to the IST Alumni Society Endowment or establishing a personal fundraising page as a campaign advocate can learn more here.
“It’s our duty to equip our students with not only the knowledge they gain in their courses but also the skills and perspectives they acquire from impactful co-curricular activities,” said Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST. “The opportunities that position our graduates to lead and thrive in an interconnected digital world are made possible thanks to the support and generosity of alumni and friends.”
Gifts made on GivingTuesday advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.