University ranks high as producer of Peace Corps volunteers

University Park, Pa. -- With 61 of its alumni serving in the Peace Corps last year, Penn State ranked 12th among colleges and universities with the most alumni volunteers working overseas for the organization. The University moved up four spots from its rank as 16th in 2003.

Information released this month by the Peace Corps shows that Penn State tied with Indiana University-Bloomington for the ranking. Over time, most Penn State volunteers have dedicated their volunteer experiences (a minimum of two years) to training teachers in such topics as English, math and science. Since its founding in 1961, the Peace Corps has had nearly 800 Penn State alumni work in more than 100 countries.

Penn State is the only Pennsylvania institution among the top 25 large colleges and universities on the latest list of volunteer rankings from the Peace Corps. The other Big Ten institutions on the overall list and their totals are University of Wisconsin-Madison (129), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (85), Michigan State University (74), Indiana University-Bloomington (61), University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (68), Ohio State University-Columbus (51), University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign (50) and the University of Iowa (46). The University of Pennsylvania had a total of 28 volunteers in 2004.

Overall, 7,733 volunteers and trainees (the most since 1974) served in 72 countries in 2004. For more information about the Peace Corps, visit http://www.peacecorps.gov

To learn more about Penn State's Peace Corps Office, offered through the University's Career Services, visit http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/peacecorps/ or contact recruiter Jason Bedford at (814) 865-4590.