The Pennsylvania State University ©1997

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI NAMED

Penn State announced today the names of eight Penn State alumni selected by the Board of Trustees to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2000, the University's highest award for an individual. They are: K. David Boyer, Jr. of Oakton, Va, chairman and CEO of TROY Systems, Inc.; Charles C. Brosius of West Grove, retired president of Marlboro Mushrooms; Sister Joan D. Chittister, OSB, of Erie, executive director of Benetvision; Richard J. Fasenmyer of Solon, Ohio, chairman and CEO of RJF International Corporation; Donald W. Hamer of Bellefonte, founder, chairman and CEO of State of the Art, Inc.; Senator Robert C. Jubelirer of Hollidaysburg, who represents the 30th District and serves as President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate; Suzie McConnell-Serio of Pittsburgh, a teacher and high school basketball coach at Oakland Catholic High School and a professional basketball player in the WNBA for the Cleveland Rockers; H. Campbell Stuckeman of Pittsburgh, chairman, The Precise Corporation.

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STUDENTS WORK ON LEANER, "GREENER" SUV

Penn State is one of 15 top North American institutions competing to convert the gasoline power plant in the new Chevrolet Suburban to an alternative, cleaner propulsion system. The competition, called FutureTruck 2000, is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors. Each team will attempt to modify the existing powertrain to dramatically increase the energy efficiency as measured by the total greenhouse gas emission of the vehicle. This must be achieved by maintaining the comfort, safety, features, and performance consumers expect in this class of vehicle. Penn State’s SUV, dubbed "Power Lion," already had a head start on the field, building on the success of the award-winning "Electric Lion" hybrid electric vehicle.For the full story, point you Web browser to http://www.engr.psu.edu/news/ or visit the FutureTruck 2000 Web site at http://www.futuretruck.org.

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BOOK TAKES A NEW LOOK AT TRANSCENDENTALISM

In a new book on Mary Moody Emerson, Phyllis Cole is telling the world the truth about the aunt of American Literature icon, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Her book, "Mary Moody Emerson and the Origins of Transcendentalism: A Family History" published by Oxford University Press, yields proof that Moody Emerson was more than a beloved aunt -- that her influence and ideas formed the cornerstone for much of what her famous nephew penned during his lifetime. "The truth is that Waldo Emerson copied her letters and diary into his own journal, and used them later as a source for his published writing," said Cole, who is an associate professor of English and women's Studies at Penn State Delaware County. Cole says Mary Moody Emerson was celebrating the holiness of her own imagination and the wonder of nature a generation before Waldo and his friends used those themes. The book has brought praise from both the Modern Language Association and the James Russell Lowell Prize Committee. For a longer version of the story, contact David Jwanier, manager of public information for the Philadelphia campuses, at 610-648-3276.

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A LABOR-INTENSIVE PROGRAM

Howard Harris and Robert Bussel, both assistant professors of labor studies and industrial relations, are very concerned with improving the quality of work life for Pennsylvanians. Their outreach efforts through Penn State’s Labor Education program is helping organized workers to develop leadership capabilities that will prepare them for the challenges of this century. The program’s aim is to build more effective unions through improving workers’ skills as local union officers, improve their knowledge of the world in which they operate, and provide technical training, among others. Harris and Bussel also advise union members about trends and programs that may impact the workforce. The full article is online at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/News/Headlines.html or contact Sandy Rothrock at .

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THE BOSS RETURNS TO BJC

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform at the Bryce Jordan Center on Monday, Feb. 28. Tickets go on sale Saturday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. at the BJC, Eisenhower Auditorium, Uni-Mart ticket outlets, Commonwealth Campus ticket outlets or by phone at 800-863-3336 or locally at 814-865-5555. Springsteen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 1999.