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December 1, 2020

Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest

The eighth annual Paterno Fellows Collegiate Laws of Life essay contest is now open! Our purpose is to encourage Penn State undergraduate students to explore ethical values and intercultural issues, and their talent for expressing their views in writing.

Answer the question, "What is the purpose of a university?" in 800 words for a chance to win up to $500. Submission deadline: January 21, 2021 

For details and to enter...

Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Essay Contest

The Center for Democratic Deliberation is sponsoring an essay contest based on the Rhetoric of the Civil Rights and Voices of Democracy projects. The purpose is to encourage greater familiarity with discursive events in the United States that have congregated around the African American Freedom Struggle. The contest is open to any undergraduate student at Penn State and includes cash prizes for the top three essays. Submission deadline: March 13, 2021 For details...

Paterno Fellows Lunch with Honors Speaker Series

Wednesday, December 2, 12:15-1:00 p.m.
Our Lunch with Honors Speaker Series will continue this year, virtually! Bring your lunch and check in at 12:15 for some friendly conversation followed at 12:30 by a brief presentation with Q & A. Log in with your authenticated Zoom account to join!

Lauren Kooistra, Associate Director, Humanities Institute, presents, "The Public Humanities and You: How to Become a Public Humanities Fellow."

About the Public Humanities Fellowship: 
Are you an undergraduate student with an interest in the humanities who cares about social issues? 
Do you wonder how you can connect the study of history, philosophy, literature or other humanities subjects to real world situations?
 
Fellows will:
* Take two courses specifically designed for real-world application of skills post-graduation
* Participate in community-based work
* Gather with humanities scholars actively working in the field
* Receive a $1000 stipend upon completion of Fellowship requirements
 
More info…

Schreyer Honors College "World in View" global discussion series

Schreyer Scholars are invited to participate in events in the World in View global discussion and engagement series.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 4:30 PM 
“Bioprospecting in Extreme and Unusual Environments for Novel Microbes”
Dr. Jay Regan (Penn State) and Dr. Ignacio Vargas (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile)
 
Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 6:30 PM
“Climate Change and Sustainability in Latin America”
Dr. Julio Urbina (Penn State) and Dr. Augusto Castro (Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru)

To view full schedule and to register...

Presidential Leadership Academy Info Sessions for first-year students

December 2 at 7:30 p.m. and December 10 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom

Established in spring 2009, the Academy is a three-year leadership development opportunity for a select group of 30 students. As Academy participants, these students will develop leadership fundamentals to thrive in an environment in which multiple dimensions of an issue are explored, diverse viewpoints are welcomed and heard, and a fully informed and respectful discourse ensues that leads to sound action.

Through the Presidential Leadership Academy, the curricular and extracurricular opportunities available through the Academy leads to further development of critical thinking abilities necessary for leaders to implement decisions with sensitivity to the circumstances that led them and the flexibility to rethink decisions and even change course along the way. A highlight of the Academy is a two-credit introductory seminar led by the President of the university.

For more info and to apply...

Student Internship Panel

Thursday, December 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m.Join current Liberal Arts undergraduates to hear about their internship experiences both in person and virtual. Gain valuable advice on finding, applying, and accepting an internship. Zoom link in Nittany Lion Careers.

PANELISTS:
⦁    Andrew Clark, '18, Labor and Employment Relations; '21g, Human Resources and Employment Relations
⦁    Ellie Farber, Paterno Fellow, '21, History, Economics, and French
⦁    Kenneth Gatten III, '21, English
⦁    Troi Pryor, '21, Sociology
⦁    Zach Rall, '21, Economics 

McCourtney Institute for Democracy virtual events

Register for upcoming virtual events hosted by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. Zoom info will be provided upon registration. For details and to register...

Monday, December 7, 4:00 p.m. ET
VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB: ENGAGED BY ANDREW SOMMERS
Author and Penn State alumnus Andrew Sommers will join us for a virtual book club discussion. The first half of the event will be a large group Q&A session, followed by optional smaller group discussions in Zoom breakout rooms.

LA 103 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Students

Looking for a job or internship? Want to improve your interviewing skills? Hoping to explore career paths? There’s a class for all of it! Register for the one-credit course LA 103 Professional Development for the Liberal Arts Student for the spring 2021 semester.

PLSC 297 (1 cr) Democratic Erosion

Tuesdays, 3:05-4:20 p.m. via Zoom
Instructor: Chris Beem, McCourtney Institute for Democracy Managing Director
 
Many have argued that the world has entered a time of democratic erosion. This course will examine the patterns by which such erosion commonly occurs: how do democracies transition into authoritarianism? The course will examine the framework developed in the book How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. More info...

Study Abroad/Internships Affected by COVID-19

Paterno Fellows who had an internship or study abroad experience cancelled due to COVID-19 may propose an alternative experience that can substitute for the lost experience. We cannot replace what is lost, but we can substitute a new experience in their place. Perhaps there is an online course you can take that is based in another country or in another language; an important service that the community needs and you are uniquely positioned to render; a pressing academic question that you can explore through an independent study; or a non-traditional internship that takes place virtually. Before beginning this new and exciting project or experience, we ask that you tell us which experience you have lost due to COVID-19, and write up a brief description of your proposed plan of action that you submit to the director for review.
 
If you were abroad for five weeks before returning home, you have met the study abroad requirement! Go to the PFP database and add a note telling us the dates, duration, and location of your study abroad, and mark it Claimed Satisfied. If fewer than five weeks, you can add time abroad from an embedded course, or propose a creative solution for the remaining time. Likewise, if you completed 150 hours at your internship before it was terminated, your requirement is fulfilled. If your internship is on your transcript, make a note in the database of how many hours you completed; or if not on your transcript, submit our Non-Credit Internship form to document your full or partial experience.

Ethics Courses

Check our website for courses you can take to meet the PFP Ethics requirement. New courses are added as departments alert us of their offerings, or as students bring them to our attention. Students must complete 3 credits in ethics (one 3-credit course, or a series of 1- or 2-credit courses) before graduation.

PFP Service/Leadership Requirement

Fellows are expected to take on a leadership role or offer volunteer services to a community of their choice totaling at least 50 hours during their college career. Participants in the Presidential Leadership Academy automatically meet this requirement. To document a leadership or service experience, download the Leadership or Service Documentation Form; complete and submit it using the contact information on the form. Hours may be reported as they are completed for short-term projects, or after the minimum time is met for long-term experiences.

Updating your info in the PFP database

Update the PFP database as you complete your Paterno Fellows requirements. You are responsible for marking them “Claimed Satisfied” or turning in the appropriate documentation forms. You should update the requirements you’ve met as you complete them. Please do not wait until your graduation semester. We need time to approve your submissions and mark them “Satisfied.” For further instructions, see the PFP website.

Spring semester enrichment funds priority deadline: December 1

Participating in an internship or research experience in spring 2021? Apply for Liberal Arts enrichment funds! Funding is available to support virtual, remote, and/or face-to-face enrichment experiences. All experiences and opportunities must follow federal, state, and University policies on health and safety as well as Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on physical distancing. The priority deadline is December 1. Details and application instructions available here.

Apply for a spring semester Remote Innovations Grant by December 13

Penn State undergraduate students are invited to apply for Remote Innovations Grants sponsored by the Student Engagement Network. These grants are designed to support expenses related to completing experiences in the spirit of remote or in-person living and learning. The application deadline is December 13. More details and application instructions are available here.

Erickson Discovery Grants application due January 24

The Erickson Discovery Grant program provides $3,500 toward expenses of a student-initiated independent project. Student projects of all kinds are welcome: the arts, engineering, humanities, sciences and social sciences. Projects should primarily be the student’s own work, but they can be related to the supervising faculty member’s research or scholarly interests. Grants can be used to cover living expenses and project costs. Read the story...

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship application open

The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships assist undergraduate and graduate students in achieving competency in selected foreign languages and conducting research in related international and area studies. Applications are now open. Students in all fields of study are welcome to apply. Languages eligible for Penn State's FLAS Fellowships are Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Russian. Summer 2021 and Academic Year 2021-22. Application Deadline: 2/1/2021 For more info...

PFP Student Programming Grants

Paterno Fellows are encouraged to apply for Programming Grants for One-Time Events or Sustained Discussion / Reading Groups. Successful applications will enhance students’ education, ignite an interest, or make students consider a topic more deeply. For details, see: pfp-student-programming-grants/

Internship Opportunities

Nittany Lion Careers is Penn State’s single-system recruiting platform. You will be able to use Nittany Lion Careers to: search and apply to internship and job opportunities; upload your resume for review, schedule an appointment with a Career Enrichment Network staff member to help with your career development; view upcoming events; and more!

Explore 40+ Liberal Arts student organizations 

If you missed the Virtual Involvement Fair, you can still learn about each of Penn State’s 1000+ student orgs by watching 90-second videos about each one. You can also learn about each of the Liberal Arts student organizations by visiting la.psu.edu/studentorgs.

Your Blurb Here

Are you involved with a local service group that is open for new members? Send your blurb to PaternoFellows@psu.edu and we’ll publish it here. Please include a brief description of your mission, expectations, information sessions/meetings, how to join, etc.

Paterno Fellow Kylie Dunmire selected as College of Information Sciences and Technnology student marshal

Paterno Fellow Kylie Dunmire, international politics and security risk analysis, will serve as the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology fall 2020 student marshal. Dunmire chose Ret. Col. Jake Graham, professor of practice, as her faculty marshal. She will complete her Master of International Affairs degree in spring 2021 then go on to work as a cybersecurity analyst at Fortress Information Security in Florida. Read the story...

Paterno Fellow Kelsey Bell selected as Bellisario College student marshal

Paterno Fellow Kelsey Bell, advertising/public relations, history, international politics, and Master of International Affairs, will serve as fall 2020 student marshal for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Through her research with the Children, Media and Conflict Zones Lab under the direction of her chosen faculty marshal, Yael Warshel, she has learned to connect her skills in media and international affairs. Read the story...

Better Know a Paterno Fellow

Paterno Fellows are participating in internships, study abroad, research, and more! Read about their experiences here. 

We want to hear from you! Submit your story for publication here.

FEATURED STUDENT:

Luisina Kemanian-Leites, '23 PF International Politics
- Children, Media, and Conflict Zones Lab

How has the Paterno Fellows Program had an impact on this experience? Through the honors curriculum of the Paterno Fellows Program, I was able to gain the reading and writing skills necessary to work in a lab. Additionally, the faculty I met through these courses provided me with advice and support as I searched for research opportunities and continued to provide support as I was working.

Stand Up Award nominations open through February 5

Nominations are now open for the Rock Ethics Institute's 2021 Stand Up Awards. This award honors Penn State undergraduate students who have demonstrated courage, fortitude, and ethical leadership by taking a stand for a person, cause, or belief. Award winners receive a $1,000 prize and will be honored at the 2021 Stand Up Awards ceremony on April 22.

Any faculty, staff, student, or community member can nominate a Penn State undergraduate student for the award. Undergraduate students from all Penn State campuses are eligible. The deadline for nominations is February 5, 2021.

Additional information about the Stand Up Awards, including profiles of previous honorees, can be found at StandUpPSU.com.

Navigating your career during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic may be an unexpected detour on your journey to getting hired, but the Career Enrichment Network is here to help point you in the right direction and make sure you reach your destination! Our Get Hired website has tools to help you stay professional, connected, and motivated as you navigate your career during COVID-19.

Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program

Now more than ever, guidance and advice from experienced Penn State alumni is vital for career success. By joining the program, you can be matched with a Liberal Arts alumni mentor and get advice about your resume, job search, or internships. The program matches undergraduate Liberal Arts students with an alumni mentor working in their field of interest. Mentors provide guidance and advice about careers, academics, and professional development. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

How can I describe the Paterno Fellows Program on my resume?

Paterno Fellows Program, College of the Liberal Arts
Honors Program including advanced academic coursework, thesis, study abroad and/or internship, ethics study, and leadership/service commitment
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