University Park, Pa. -- Whether it’s philanthropic support or the volunteering of time, a university always welcomes the support of its community. To show appreciation for their service, Penn State Outreach recently named Jane Zimmerman, Corky Potter and the late Marlowe Froke as recipients of the 2010 Penn State Outreach Awards.
Zimmerman received the Penn State Outreach Fischer Award of Distinction, which recognizes friends, donors, alumni and volunteers who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary service to Outreach. Zimmerman has served as chair of the Outreach Campaign Committee for the University’s current “For the Future” campaign. She is also a former member of the WPSU Board of Representatives and chaired the campaign for the conversion to digital broadcasting. For many years, she has chaired the annual Connoisseur’s Dinner.
The Fischer Award is named in honor of Floyd Fischer, who served Penn State as the vice president of Continuing Education from 1964-1980.
The late Marlowe Froke, who died in February 2010, was one of two recipients of the Outreach Pioneer Award. This award is given to current or retired University faculty, staff and technical service employees who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary service to Penn State Outreach. Marlowe was the founding manager of Penn State Public Broadcasting and for many years was the director of Learning and Telecommunications Services, which coordinated University-wide media production and distribution activities for Penn State.
Part of the first generation of public broadcasting leaders, he saw television and other electronic media as a means to educate the public. Marlowe’s vision for the role of public media at Penn State -- and his dedication in pursuing that vision -- helped to pave the way for many innovations over the years, including, most recently, Penn State World Campus.
The second Outreach Pioneer Award was presented to Gerald “Corky” Potter, a retired assistant professor in Recreation and Parks, and former director of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center.
Through his work, the Stone Valley Outdoor School evolved into Shaver’s Creek, which is locally and nationally recognized as a center of excellence for training and environmental education. Potter served as director of the Center until his retirement from Penn State in 2003.
Penn State Outreach is the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education. Outreach serves more than 5 million people each year, delivering more than 2,000 programs to people in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and 114 countries worldwide.