Plans are under way for a new Career Services Center at Penn State Wilkes-Barre that will provide students with comprehensive career planning and job seeking services. A major matching gift from Wilkes-Barre alumnus Richard K. "Ric" Struthers and his wife, Sharon, has jump-started the campus' fundraising effort to support the project.

The Struthers have pledged $1 million to Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Their gift will match 50 percent of the cost to build and furnish the new Career Services Center, up to a total commitment of $500,000. The remainder of their commitment will be split with $250,000 going to create the Struthers Family Trustee Scholarship supporting students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre with need. The additional $250,000 will go into an endowment by the Struthers Family, annually supporting the operational expenses of the new Career Services Center.

Members of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Honor Society have completed their second drive for troops serving overseas. The local honor students recently delivered nearly a thousand pounds of goods ranging from personal grooming products to microwave popcorn, instant hot chocolate, powdered drinks, stationery and envelopes and other items to Give2theTroops in Fairfield, Conn.

Gianna DeGraba, a sophomore at Penn State Wilkes-Barre from Dallas Pa., was the recent recipient of the Irene Thomas Memorial Award. This award is sponsored by Arts at Hayfield -- a nonprofit, community-arts support organization housed on campus -- and is given to an academically accomplished student who has demonstrated commitment to the arts.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, Penn State Wilkes-Barre honored 106 students who were awarded scholarships for the 2011-12 school year at the annual Scholarship Dinner held at Appletree Terrace. This year, Penn State Wilkes-Barre awarded 265 students approximately $730,000 in scholarships.