Over the past 29 years, Intercom has been the official source of news and information about Penn State to those who help keep the University ticking -- its employees. In that time, Intercom has grown from a four-page tabloid to a newspaper with an average of 16 pages, 37 times a year. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive faculty/staff newspapers in the Big Ten, covering innovations in teaching, the University's enormous strides in research, and the decisions, programs and policies that have touched those closely connected to Penn State.
After nearly three decades of reporting on the changes that have been a part of life at this University, Intercom is doing a little changing of its own. The truth is, that since 1997 when Intercom undertook its first readership survey, transformations that are both subtle and strong have taken place on the pages of this publication because of input provided by you. In that survey, readers expressed a desire to see change. Today, you are looking at the results of a redesign that has been a year in the making -- the work of world-class designer Deborah Withey.
Withey, a design consultant for Knight Ridder Newspapers Inc., the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, has directed redesigns for numerous papers -- including The Detroit Free Press and the San Jose Mercury News in California -- many of which have won awards for their aesthetic appeal. She also is currently a design consultant for InnovAtion, an international media consulting group for newspaper design, new media and newsroom management. In 1996, Withey was chosen by Presstime Magazine as one of the newspaper industry's outstanding young professionals. She is currently a visiting professor of visual journalism at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, and a visiting faculty member at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
Best known for designs that are polished, well-organized and stylish, Withey has given the Intercom a fresh look for the new decade with subtle changes and a splash of color. Withey's connection to Penn State is through her mother, Dorothy (Teresinski) Withey Carroll, a 1942 graduate who still holds the University dear to her heart.
In the coming months, Intercom will undergo another serious change, as it transitions to an e-mail format to accompany its paper version. Although Intercom has had a Web site since January 1996, this new service will deliver pertinent, timely information directly into the e-mail boxes of employees, alerting them to changes in parking, benefits updates and other important news. Look for information on when this service will be available and how you can sign up for it in a future issue of Intercom.
As the year unfolds, we look forward to continuing to be the source of news and information for all of the University's 24 locations. We hope you enjoy these exciting new changes, and aid us in our evolutionary attempts to better serve you. If you have any comments, please don't hesitate to contact us at the e-mail addresses listed on the back page of this issue.