Bruce L. Claflin
Gary Kaplan
Bruce L. Claflin |
Gary Kaplan |
Two graduates of the College of the Liberal Arts, Bruce L. Claflin and Gary Kaplan, have been named 1998 Alumni Fellows by the Penn State Alumni Association. The award is the most prestigious honor given by the association to select alumni who, as leaders in their professional fields, are nominated by an academic college and accept an invitation to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty and administrators.
A 1973 political science graduate, Claflin of Boston is president and chief operating officer of 3Com Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., where he oversees the worldwide operations of 3Com's $5.4-billion networking business. Until August, Claflin served as senior vice president/group executive, worldwide sales and marketing for Digital Equipment Corp., where he led a global organization of 12,000 employees. Previously, at IBM, he held a variety of domestic and international positions and was responsible for the introduction of the ThinkPad notebook PC.
A strong supporter of information and technology initiatives at Penn State, Claflin oversaw IBM's shared University research program, during which IBM granted several million dollars of equipment to support research initiatives in the interest of Penn State and IBM. More recently with Digital, he supported the College of the Liberal Arts through participation in a video and film brochure, targeting prospective students as well as alumni support.
He helped the college secure more than $200,000 worth of equipment for the language acquisition center and sponsored numerous technical forums between Penn State and Digital. He is a member of Penn State's President's Club.
Kaplan, a 1961 political science graduate, is president of Gary Kaplan & Associates, an international executive search firm that conducts executive- and management-level searches for positions in for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Kaplan visits University Park almost annually from his home in La Canada, Calif., to address students and discuss career options in human resources. He serves on the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Program Advisory Board and has provided scholarships and a summer internship for students. In addition, he serves as a Los Angeles-based contact for College of Communications' graduates seeking employment in broadcasting and film.
Kaplan is a member of the Alumni Association's Executive Board and the President's Club. He serves on the board of directors for several community organizations in California.