CEREMONIAL GROUND BREAKING HELD FOR MBNA CAREER SERVICES CENTER

University Park, Pa -- Penn State celebrated a ceremonial ground breaking today (April 3) for the new MBNA Career Services Center on the University Park campus. The new facility will bring all the programs and functions of Career Services under one roof, and will make the process of matching Penn State students and alumni with prospective employers easier and more efficient.

The building will be located on Bigler Road across from the Natatorium. Actual construction is slated to begin in July, with completion targeted for the summer of 2002.

The new state-of-the-art facility will feature more than 40 interview rooms, videoconference interview rooms, program areas, resource library and corporate and student service areas. The center also will offer programs specifically designed to enhance career services for Penn State alumni. In a typical year, employers conduct more than 20,000 job interviews through Penn State Career Services, according to Director Jack Rayman.

MBNA America Bank provided a $4.5 million lead gift to help build the 44,000 square-foot building, and additional corporate sponsors who recruit at Penn State also made donations. In addition, MBNA contributed $500,000 to assist in developing alumni career services. Total cost of the building is $9.5 million.

The generous support that we have received from the private sector is convincing evidence that our students and alumni are highly sought by employers in virtually all fields, said Penn State President Graham Spanier. We pledge to do our utmost to continue to provide our students with the kind of intellectual and professional skills that will strengthen the workforce throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.

Spanier noted that Penn State's annual Spring Career Day, which kicked off at the Bryce Jordan Center following the ground breaking, attracted about 300 prospective employers from business, government, and not-for-profit groups.

Ric Struthers, senior vice chairman of Wilmington, Del.-based MBNA and a 1977 graduate of Penn State's Smeal College of Business Administration, noted his company is a major recruiter at the University.

We know first-hand the value of Penn State's Career Services, and we are pleased to participate in making this new building a reality, he said. We invite other prospective employers to do the same, because our experience shows that Penn State offers some of the most capable students that you'll find at any of our nation's campuses.

Thus far, the following donors have made gifts to support the construction of the MBNA Career Services Center.

Building Donor: MBNA America Bank, N.A.

Morgan Academic Support Center for Student Athletes Donor: The Morgan Family

Major Public Area Donors: Penn State Alumni Association, The Struthers Family,

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Interview Room Donors: Black & Decker Inc., Corning Inc., The Dow Chemical Co.,

Eastman Kodak Co., The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Johnson & Johnson

Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., Lutron Electronics Co., Macy's East/Federated Department Stores, Marconi Communications, MasterCard International, The May Department Stores Co./Kaufmann's/Hecht's/Strawbridge's,  National Starch and Chemical Co., Northrop Grumman Corp., Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, Schlumberger Technology Corp.

Additional Donors: American Management Systems, Philip and Susan Burlingame,

 Hewitt Associates, Penn State Class of 1951

Endowed Scholarship Donor: Towers Perrin

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