When Juan Cook Sr.'s account executive job at a printing company went to Mexico, he turned to Penn State to prepare for a new career as a certified drug and alcohol counselor. When he graduates in December, he will start a new job in the rapidly growing health care field. Cook is among nearly 283,000 workers whose jobs have been impacted by trade and globalization, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Penn State is helping laid-off workers like Cook retrain through the federal Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance program.

Penn State's World Campus' website and Lori Stania, director of student enrollment services, financial operations and analytics in Outreach, World Campus and Continuing Education; both have won awards that will be presented at the 2011 University Professional Continuing Education Association's (UPCEA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Annual Conference on Oct. 5. UPCEA is an international professional association for those in higher continuing education and lifelong learning.

Penn State is the winner of two 2011 Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) awards for online teaching and learning. The Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Education Award honors Penn State's World Campus, and the Outstanding Achievement in Online Education by an Individual recognizes Wayne Smutz, executive director of Penn State World Campus and associate vice president for Academic Outreach. Penn State is the only institution receiving two awards.

When Nicole Jankowski was in high school, she was a typical teenager; a good student, carefree, loved playing sports and spending time with her friends. Her world changed during her senior year when she gave birth to a son, but her dream of attending college still remained a top priority. Throughout high school and her Penn State career at the Berks campus and online at the World Campus, Jankowski worked part time jobs to support herself and her son. It wasn't until she got a full-time job in the human resources department at Reading Hospital and Medical Center that she had truly found her calling.

Penn State undergraduate students who want to expand their career opportunities now have a new online option. The homeland security minor is Penn State's first online minor. It will enable students to acquire specialized knowledge and skills for jobs in the homeland security field, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects will grow by as much as 20 percent in the coming decade for occupations in emergency management, first response, law enforcement, and state, local and federal government.

With wars, political unrest and global economic uncertainty, there has never been a greater need for people who understand the political complexities facing nations, businesses and international organizations. Political scientists can expect job opportunities to grow 21 percent through 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Penn State's bachelor of arts degree in political science, delivered online, offers a convenient way for people to prepare for careers in government, the law and nonprofits.

G.I. Jobs magazine has designated Penn State a military-friendly school for 2012. It is the third straight time the Pittsburgh-based publication has recognized the University's programs and services designed specifically to help active-duty military service-members and veterans pursue an education online through Penn State's World Campus.