1. College of Information Sciences
and Technology
2014
Campaign Book
1

2. Table of Contents
Team Members
Client Summary
Target Audience
Goals & Objectives
High School Research
2015 Start­up Week
Clubs/Organizations Contact List
Clubs/Organizations Email Pitch
Media Pitch
Press Release
Media Alert
Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Student Spotlight
Clubs/Organizations Contact List
Clubs/Organizations Email Blurb
Faculty Contact List
Faculty Email Blurb
Flyer
Social Media Posts
Submission Form
Media Kit Components
Wordmark
Tagline
Social Media Links
Other Links
Contact
Mission
Quote
Strategy and Objectives
About the Dean
About IST
History
IST Building
Awards and Statistics
Social Media
SWOT Analyses
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
2

3. #ResumeTip
#MotivationalMonday
#ThrowbackThursday (#TBT)
#MotivationalMonday, #ResumeTip, #TBT Pictures
#FollowUs Pictures
Pinterest
Facebook Analytics
Twitter Analytics
Results/Evaluation
3

4. Team Members
Account Executive
Vanessa Cardy
vac5095@psu.edu
Account Associates
Kelly Gibson
klg5434@psu.edu
Claire Olczak
cmo5216@psu.edu
Ashley Phillips
amp6025@psu.edu
Mollie Rubinstein
myr5423@psu.edu
4

5. Client Summary
Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology provides its students with the
opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in the world of science and technology. The
college is molding its students to create new ways to perceive and evaluate the infinite
opportunities of an ever­growing digital age. Founded in 1997 and formally opened in 2004,
the college addressed the need perceived by the university and advisors from government
and industry for educating students in the emerging field of technology. Since then, the
college has ranked #1 in the United States among information technology degrees, according
to the Best Colleges, and #5 in the Unites States among online graduate computer
information technology programs, according to U.S. News, providing many opportunities for
its 2,100 enrolled students. Over time, the college has continued to grow in size and
academic options, providing its students with a growing variety of degree programs and
majors. By enrolling in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, students add
their diverse background and talents to the community and experience the close­knit
association that exists within the college.
5

6. Target Audience
Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology social media aims to target
both potential students and current students who are looking to join the college and gain
knowledge and experience in the world of science and technology. In October of 2013, 65.9%
of high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities. Currently, Penn State
University has 46,606 students at the University Park campus. Approximately 54% of the
student population is male and 46% is female. About 39,460 students are degree­seeking
undergraduates and 8,043 students are first­time degree­seeking freshmen. The College of
Information Sciences and Technology has 17 organizations, 153 faculty members, 5,000
scholarships and 2,100 students enrolled within the college at the University Park campus.
For college students using social media, 95% use Facebook, 80% Twitter, 73% Instagram,
48% Pinterest, and 40% LinkedIn. The top reasons as to why college students like a fan page
include a likeable brand, access to giveaways and contests, interesting content, and through
a personal connection or suggestion. College students spend about 33% of their time on
social media between the afternoon and late night, while 40% will check their Facebook six or
more times a day and 63% will check Twitter at least once a day.
6

7. Goals & Objectives
Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology is only one of eighteen
academic colleges within the university, and yet, it has a refreshing, unique and specific aura
and audience all of its own. Since the college’s areas of study and academic options for
students are eclectic and rapidly developing, there is a distinct need to expand the college’s
outreach beyond its students. Penn State alumni and the surrounding community need to be
aware just how innovative the college is, and how millennials will change the world after their
departure. The following communication goals and campaign are designed to reach this idea:
● Increase brand awareness of the college, its mission, and application
● Generate more traffic to all social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Instagram)
● Increase recruitment from across the country via social media campaigns and positive
word­of­mouth marketing
● Foster media awareness and coverage of the college, events, and accomplishments
By incorporating these general goals into a broadened business objective, we can clarify who
our exact audience is. We can pinpoint who has a passion for the technology and security
industries, and how we can get them to utilize the college to the best of their abilities for
maximum success. In order to accomplish these objectives, there are certain social media
and public relations tactics that we need to utilize to reach our desired end result.
The objectives of Happy Valley Communications include:
● Create a comprehensive social media campaign for each social media platform that
pairs innovation and creativity to generate traffic
● Spread awareness of the college through various types of marketing, including
traditional flyering and word­of­mouth marketing
● Create a recruitment campaign on both a local and national level, which will feature an
array of specific events, promotional videos, and packages for high school students
● Create a comprehensive social media marketing campaign to showcase audience
response
● Craft public relations templates for events and develop a specific media list for
outreach
7

8. High School Research
Top 10 STEM High Schools in the United States (Via U.S. News and World Report)
1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
2. High Technology High School
3. BASIS Tucson North
4. Whitney High School
5. Henry M. Gunn High School
6. Troy High School
7. Lynbrook High School
8. Monta Vista High School
9. Stuyvesant High School
10. Acton­Boxborough Regional High
11. Saratoga High School
12. Maine School of Science and Mathematics
13. Academy of Allied Health and Science
14. Poolesville High School
15. BASIS Scottsdale
16. Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions
17. Brookline High School
18. Scarsdale High School
19. The Vanguard School
20. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Top 10 High Schools in Pennsylvania
1. Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
2. Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy
3. New Hope­Solebury High School
4. Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School
5. Conestoga High School
6. Upper St. Clair High School
7. Unionville High School
8. Radnor High School
9. Wissahickon Senior High School
10. Great Valley High School
8

9. ​Top 10 High Schools in New Jersey
1. Biotechnology High School
2. High Technology High School
3. Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School
4. Middlesex County Academy
5. Bergen County Technical High School ­ Teterboro
6. Academy of Allied Health and Sciences
7. Ridge High School
8. Union County Magnet High School
9. Chatham High School
10. Princeton High School
9

10. 2015 Start-up Week
10

11. Clubs/Organizations Contact List
Information Assurance Club
Christian Underkoffler
cmu5034@psu.edu
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/PSU)
Ashley Pimentel
avp5421@psu.edu
Management Information Systems Association
Jason Khouang
jqk5571@psu.edu
Nittany Entrepreneurs
Eric Campbell
ejc5266@psu.edu
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
Sarah Kurz
sek5197@psu.edu
Women in Business
Quinn Brooks
qab5004@psu.edu
Women in IST
Kelly Lee
kal5504@psu.edu
World Campus Technology Club
Kimberly Myers
kam6516@psu.edu
Innoblue
William Ferguson
wcf5045@psu.edu
Innovative Designers Club
Hannah Greider
hmg5131@psu.edu
11

12. IST Consulting Club
Katie Bradley
kxb5336@psu.edu
Students Engaging Students
David Gaddy
dxg5200@psu.edu
Association for Application Development
Matthew Kremer
mxk5414@psu.edu
Biotech Club
Catherine Qiu
cxq5013@psu.edu
Competitive Cyber Security Organization
Christopher Eckert
cme5230@psu.edu
Penn State Marketing Association
Danielle Liotta
drl5225@psu.edu
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (OSTEM)
Michael Olah
mgo5024@psu.edu
SAP Student Interest Group
Dan Rose
djr5392@psu.edu
Security and Risk Analysis Club
John Kissell
jzk5354@psu.edu
Telecommunications Club
Andrew Burd
awb5397@psu.edu
12

13. Clubs/Organizations Email Pitch
Hello [NAME],
We are very eager to announce that Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and
Technology Start­up Week will be taking place the week of April 13­17 in the IST Building!
Students will be able to listen and meet a variety of entrepreneurs and innovators, including
many alumni from all around the country. Last year’s Start­up Week was a huge hit as
founders of high­profile companies such as Reddit, CareerBliss, Sincerely, and Weebly came
and shared their personal stories of success and achievement. This is a great opportunity for
participants to learn about leadership and to gain inspiration and motivation for their future
careers.
If you could please relay this message to the members of your organization, that would be
greatly appreciated. We hope to see you there! To learn more about IST Start­up Week,
please visit: http://startupweek.weebly.com/.
Thank you.
[SIGNATURE]
13

14. Media Pitch
Hello [NAME],
Since you are an integral part of the Penn State community, I wanted to reach out and inform
you of an exciting event coming up within Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and
Technology. Our annual Start­up Week, a weeklong celebration of our past, present, and
future technological endeavors will be occurring in the spring semester, from April 13­17.
Each day will feature different panels of guest speakers, including many Penn State alumni
who work in the field of technology and security. Representatives from last year’s event
included companies such as Weebly, Comcast, Verizon, and Little Bird Games. These
speakers will be working with students in a variety of hands­on activities throughout the week
that will test their innovation and entrepreneurial skills. You can find more details on what
types of workshops will be held in the attached release.
I encourage you to please reach out to me if you have any additional questions, or if you are
interested in covering certain events throughout the week for your readers.
Thank you.
[SIGNATURE]
14

15. Press Release
The Pennsylvania State University
College of Information Sciences and Technology
332 Info Science and Tech
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 865­3528
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ​CONTACT: Jaime Lynch
Marketing Manager
Phone: (814) 867­1236
Email: jaimellynch@gmail.com
Penn State College of IST to Host Annual Start­up Week
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — ​The College of Information Sciences and Technology will host its
annual Start­up Week, a weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship combined with a
compilation of alumni and guest speakers, April 13­17 with the goal of inspiring its students.
Successful entrepreneurs, innovators and technological professionals alike will be heading to
Happy Valley from all corners of the country to show students the array of career
opportunities that are available to them upon graduation.
Throughout the week at last year’s celebration, there were over 40 qualified speakers, many
of whom were Penn State alumni, which engaged students in numerous amounts of ways.
Some of the speakers included employees from a wide range of companies such as Weebly,
Comcast, SilverLine Athletics, Little Bird Games, and more. A full list of last year’s attending
speakers can be found here: http://startupweek.weebly.com/2014­speakers.html
While the specific events and panel of speakers for this year’s Start­up Week have yet to be
determined, one activity that will re­make an appearance is the annual Hack­a­Thon, or
HackPSU. The event is a 36­hour competition where student teams work to develop new
apps, websites, and hardware technology. Companies that partnered with these students
include Penn State Small Business Development Center, Centre Region Entrepreneur
Network, and Innoblue.
15

16. While the speakers are an integral part of the weeklong event, Start­up Week also provides
opportunities for students to get a hands­on experience working with these professionals
through various workshops that test their entrepreneurial skills.
Beginning three years ago, the purpose of the first Start­up Week was to celebrate the work of
alumni David Rusenko, Chris Fanini, and Dan Veltri and the continuous success of their
company Weebly, a web­hosting service website. The three tech engineers were also
honored for their generous support of scholarships within the college.
Today, the purpose of Start­up Week is to celebrate the student work in the college’s present,
and to inspire the successful endeavors of the college’s future.
The mission of the College of Information Sciences and Technology is to educate students to
meet the challenges of the 21st century information age, to conduct leading-edge research
that integrates people, information and technology, and to perform service to address global
problems and challenges.
Aligned with the college’s mission, Start­up Week 2015 will provide opportunities for students
to expand their horizons outside of the classroom and the immediate campus area, attending
companies in the local State College area to further enhance their knowledge of
entrepreneurial focused community resources.
For more information on Start­up week, please visit:​ ​http://startupweek.weebly.com/.
***
16

17. Media Alert
Who:​ College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST)
What:​ ‘Silicon Valley’ is coming to Happy Valley with successful entrepreneurs who intend to
inspire students to rise to the top of their career field
When:​ April 13­17, 2015
Where:
Pennsylvania State University
College of Information Sciences and Technology
332 Information Sciences and Technology Building
University Park, PA 16802
About:
Start­up Week allows students to meet with alumni and other professionals who have already
become successful in their careers. Some companies previously represented by these
professionals include, but are not limited to, Verizon Wireless, Comcast, and Weebly. The
goal of the event is to inspire students to expand their horizons within their prospective career
paths. Start­up Week also provides scholarship opportunities to students who have an
entrepreneurial minor and intend to open their own business.
Contact:
Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology
332 Information Sciences and Technology Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 865­3528
17

18. Public Service Announcement (PSA)
ATTN: PSA
PENN STATE STUDENTS
If you’re a student who's interested in the possibilities that exist in innovation and
entrepreneurship, IST Start­up Week is for you! Describing it as ‘Silicon Valley meets Happy
Valley,’ The College of Information Science and Technology Start­up Week is connecting
students with successful alumni and pioneers in the industry, while also providing a plethora
of highly successful speakers and scholarship opportunities. In the past two years, this event
has hosted speakers from high­profile companies such as Reddit, CareerBliss, Sincerely and
Weebly, allowing them to share their stories of determination and inspiration with those in
attendance. Starting on April 13​th​
, the college will be hosting its annual Start­up Week
activities in the Information Sciences and Technology building at University Park campus. For
additional information, check us out online at ist.psu.edu/startup.
18

19.
Student Spotlight
19

20. Clubs/Organizations Contact List
Academic Committee
Lauren Pisarcik
lnp5072@psu.edu
Diversity Network (D­Net)
Brittany Heath
bwh5181@psu.edu
Enterprise Architecture Club
Mark Hancharik
mah537@psu.edu
Game Development Club
Chris Baldwin
cmb5837@psu.edu
Information Assurance (IA) Club
Nick Tarsi
nbt5020@psu.edu
IST Club
Evan Friedenberg
emf5210@psu.edu
IST Consulting Group (ISTCG)
Katie Bradley
kxb5336@psu.edu
IST Diplomats
Julie Coughlin
jcoughlin@ist.psu.edu
IST Honors Society
Kathryn Finley
kif5093@psu.edu
IST Student Government
Brady Ripka
bwr5095@psu.edu
20

21. Red Cell Analytics Lab (RCAL)
Matt Fanelli
mdf5182@psu.edu
Security and Risk Analysis (SRA)
John Kissell
jzk5354@psu.edu
IST For the Kids
Oliver Vickery
orv5003@psu.edu
Women in IST (WIST)
Swati Sankar
szs5528@psu.edu
21

22. Clubs/Organizations Email Blurb
Hello [NAME],
I’m from Happy Valley Communications and I’m working with the College of IST as a client.
Our focus this semester is to develop a better social media strategy and we are excited to
announce that we will be starting a Student Spotlight. The College of IST is proud of its
students and the work that they do, so we want to feature them on social media. This is a
great opportunity to show off work and accomplishments, share goals, and put on a résumé!
Interested students can go to this link to access the form: ​http://goo.gl/forms/mkYHltCZDO​.
After completion of the form, the student must send a photo (preferably a headshot) to our
Account Executive, Vanessa Cardy. Please also direct any questions, comments, or concerns
to her at cardy.vanessa@gmail.com.
If you could please this forward this email along, or share this information with your
organization, it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
[SIGNATURE]
22

23. Faculty Contact List
Stanley Aungst
Senior Lecturer
sga103@psu.edu
John Bagby
Professor
jbagby@ist.psu.edu
Guoray Cai
Associate Professor
cai@ist.psu.edu
John Carroll
Professor
jcarroll@ist.psu.edu
Eun Kyoung Choe
Assistant Professor
echoe@ist.psu.edu
Chao­Hsien Chu
Professor
chu@ist.psu.edu
Shawn Clark
Senior Lecturer
sclark@ist.psu.edu
Neelam Dwivedi
Instructor
ndwivedi@ist.psu.edu
Lee Erickson
Lecturer
lerickson@ist.psu.edu
Peggy Fisher
Instructional Designer
pfisher@ist.psu.edu
Frederico Fonseca
23

24. Associate Professor
ffonseca@ist.psu.edu
Peter Forster
Senior Lecturer
pforster@ist.psu.edu
Marc Friedenberg
Lecturer
mfriedenberg@ist.psu.edu
David Fusco
Lecturer
djf3@psu.edu
Nick Giacobe
Lecturer, Research Associate
nxg13@ist.psu.edu
C. Lee Giles
Professor
giles@ist.psu.edu
Edward Glantz
Senior Lecturer
eglantz@ist.psu.edu
Jens Grossklags
Assistant Professor
jensg@ist.psu.edu
David Hall
Professor
dhall@ist.psu.edu
Katherine Hamilton
Lecturer
khamilton@ist.psu.edu
Steven Haynes
Senior Lecturer
shaynes@ist.psu.edu
24

25. John Hill
Lecturer
jhill@ist.psu.edu
Vasant Honavar
Professor
vhonavar@ist.psu.edu
Jim Jansen
Professor
bjj10@psu.edu
Jessica Kropcznski
Instructor
jnk14@ist.psu.edu
Lynette Kvasny
Associate Professor
lkvasny@ist.psu.edu
Joseph Lambert
Associate Professor
lambert@ist.psu.edu
Donwon Lee
Associate Professor
dlee@ist.psu.edu
Zhenhui (Jessie) Li
Assistant Professor
jessieli@ist.psu.edu
Peng Liu
Professor
pliu@ist.psu.edu
Jan Mahar­Sturdevant
Senior Lecturer
jmahar@ist.psu.edu
Carleen Maitland
Associate Professor
cmaitland@ist.psu.edu
25

26.
Michael McNeese
Professor
mmcneese@ist.psu.edu
Prasenjit Mitra
Professor
pmitra@ist.psu.edu
David Mudgett
Senior Lecturer
drm1@psu.edu
Rosalie Ocker
Senior Lecturer
rocker@ist.psu.edu
Greg O’Toole
Lecturer
gotoole@ist.psu.edu
Irene Petrick
Senior Lecturer
ipetrick@ist.psu.edu
Erika Poole
Assistant Professor
epoole@ist.psu.edu
Sandeep Purao
Professor
spurao@ist.psu.edu
Madhu Reddy
Associate Professor
mreddy@ist.psu.edu
David Reitter
Assisant Professor
reitter@psu.edu
Jeff Rimland
Instructor, Research Associate
26

27. jrimland@ist.psu.edu
Frank Ritter
Professor
ritter@ist.psu.edu
Timonthy Ryan
Assistant Professor
tmr21@psu.edu
Gerald Santoro
Senior Lecturer
gms@psu.edu
Don Shemanski
Professor
dshemanski@ist.psu.edu
Patrick Shih
Research Associate
patshih@ist.psu.edu
Anna Squicciarini
Assistant Professor
asquicciarini@ist.psu.edu
Andrew Tapia
Associate Professor
atapia@ist.psu.edu
Eileen Trauth
Professor
etrauth@ist.psu.edu
James Wang
Professor
wang@ist.psu.edu
Dinghao Wu
Assistant Professor
dwu@ist.psu.edu
Heng Xu
Associate Professor
27

28. hxu@ist.psu.edu
John Yen
Professor
jyen@ist.psu.edu
Xioalong (Luke) Zhang
Associate Professor
lzhang@ist.psu.edu
Zihan Zhou
Lecturer, Research Associate
zzhou@ist.psu.edu
Sencun Zhu
Associate Professor
szhu@cse.psu.edu
28

29. Faculty Email Blurb
Hello [TITLE & LAST NAME]
I’m from Happy Valley Communications and I’m working with the College of IST as a client.
Our focus this semester is to develop a better social media strategy and we are excited to
announce that we will be starting a Student Spotlight. The College of IST is proud of its
students and the work that they do, so we want to feature them on social media. This is a
great opportunity to show off work and accomplishments, share goals, and put on a résumé! If
you know a student who would be interested, and would like to feature him/her, please
forward this email along, or share this information with your class.
Interested students can go to this link to access the form: ​http://goo.gl/forms/mkYHltCZDO​.
After completion of the form, the student must send a photo (preferably a headshot) to our
Account Executive, Vanessa Cardy. Please also direct any questions, comments, or concerns
to her at cardy.vanessa@gmail.com.
Thank you, it’s greatly appreciated!
[SIGNATURE]
29

30. Flyer
30

31. Social Media Posts
31

32. Submission Form
32

33.
33

34. Media Kit Components
Wordmark
Tagline
Managing Information, Powering Intelligence
Social Media Links
Facebook​: https://www.facebook.com/ISTatPENNSTATE
Twitter​: https://twitter.com/istatpennstate
Instagram​: http://instagram.com/istatpennstate
Pinterest​: https://www.pinterest.com/istatpennstate/
YouTube​: https://www.youtube.com/user/ISTatPENNSTATE
Flickr​: https://www.flickr.com/people/istpsu/
Storify​: https://storify.com/istatpennstate
Other Links
IST News​: http://news.psu.edu/college/information­sciences­and­technology
iConnect​: http://ist.psu.edu/news/iconnect/iconnect­magazine
Contact
Faculty Directory​: http://ist.psu.edu/directory
General Email​: webmarcom@ist.psu.edu
34

35. Mission
Our mission is to educate students to meet the challenges of the 21st century information
age, to conduct leading-edge research that integrates people, information and technology,
and to perform service to address global problems and challenges.
Quote
“At IST, we’re about creating intelligence. The digital age has made the world smaller, faster,
more interactive and increasingly mobile. But no matter how fast and smart machines
become, they still rely on the power of human creativity. It’s people that create new ways to
look at and evaluate the infinite opportunities of the digital age. IST draws on a variety of
knowledge disciplines to help individuals unlock the power of their own creativity and fuel the
world’s most powerful problem solving machine​—​the human mind.”
35

36. Strategy and Objectives
From inception, the college has focused on understanding the interplay of information,
technology and humans. We believe four major trends will create both educational and
research opportunities: 1) The Internet of things; 2) Mobile computing and sensing; 3) Big
Data—the explosion of online heterogeneous data; and 4) New forms of risk—cyber insecurity
and information privacy. Research opportunities include the blending of human and
computer-based cognition, fusion of sensor data with human observations, big data
informatics and analytics, and modeling the interplay among the physical, cyber and human
landscapes. Interdisciplinary research will drive major advances in areas such as medicine,
energy, environmental monitoring and crisis management, but will require transcending
academic boundaries, linking lab-based data with online global data sets. Meeting these
challenges will require leveraging expertise of practicing professionals and citizen scientists.
IST will expand online learning to achieve a level of 1100 undergraduate students and 750
graduate students while increasing the number of resident undergraduates at University Park
to 1200 students. We will develop service-based online materials in areas such as computer
security, data analytics, and entrepreneurship resources. Research will focus on improving
our leadership in cyber-security, human computer interaction, the science of design,
computational informatics, health and bio-informatics, discovery informatics and big data
analytics. We will focus on new educational initiatives that blend online, in-class, and hybrid
learning; create a new research center in Discovery Analytics and Informatics; and grow our
faculty to meet the added research and educational demands. Major opportunities exist in
cross-discipline collaboration with the Institutes of Cyber Science, the Huck Institute for the
Life Sciences, and the Institute for Personalized Medicine.
36

37. About the Dean
Mary Beth Rosson
37

38. About IST
The College of Information Science and Technology is one of Penn State’s newer colleges,
founded in 1997 and approved by the Board of Trustees in 1998. In 2005, the school was
officially approved to hold the title of “College”. The program started off with only five
professors at University Park, and in just fourteen years, has grown to have 153 professors
throughout the Commonwealth. In addition to educating undergraduate students, the program
has grown to educate many graduate and doctorial students as well. The College of IST
continues to expand both in the physical classroom and through its online world campus. The
college prides itself in its diversity. Students have the opportunity to engage in programs such
as Women in IST, Diversity Network and the IST Student Government. Outside of the
classroom, students have the opportunity to gain experience in their prospective work field
through a variety of internships offered through the college. IST also offers several extra
curricular organizations where students can meet peers with similar interests while gaining
experience in the IST field.
The inception of the college derived from the ever­increasing prevalence of technology in the
world market. Modern technology has created a smaller, more interconnected world that
sometimes forgets the raw power of the individual. The College of IST makes sure that
students embrace this interconnected world while understanding the importance of infusing it
with individual creativity. IST ensures that its students will be able to successfully take on
global issues in their future careers. The school educates students to have skills in topics
such as computer programming, database concepts etc. In addition, IST insures that their
students graduate with the personal skills to succeed in a group environment and apply their
concrete skills to the real world. The College of IST strives to fuse individual creativity with
modern technology. IST not only aims to educate students on the digital age and is many
opportunities, but also aims to encourage students to embrace the abilities of the human
mind.
38

39. History
The School of Information Sciences and Technology was founded in 1997 and approved by
the Board of Trustees in 1998 based on a need perceived by the University and advisors from
government and industry for educating students in the emerging field of information science
and technology. The goal was to extend beyond classic computer science, management
information systems, and library science to prepare students to meet challenges in the use of
computers and networked systems for applications such as medicine, business, homeland
security, environmental monitoring, and control of complex systems.
The School was charged with producing graduates who would have basic knowledge of
information technologies (e.g., computer programming, discrete mathematics, database
concepts, and understanding of information system concepts) as well as the capability to work
in teams to understand how information technologies can be utilized in real applications
involving individuals, organizations, and ultimately national or global enterprises. The School
was renamed as a College (upon approval of the Board of Trustees) in 2006. We hosted the
first conference of the i­School community in September 2005.
39

40. IST Building
Formally opened in 2004, the Information Sciences and Technology (IST) Building at Penn
State University Park is a striking 199,000 square­foot structure whose sweeping lines stir the
imagination of passersby. Its creators–Rafael Vinoly Architects, New York, and Perfido
Weiskopf Architects, Pittsburgh—were inspired by the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
Classroom spaces utilize a state­of­the­art telecommunications and multimedia infrastructure
to meet the unique needs of today’s digital students. Each of our eight classrooms has been
individually configured to impact different types of learning experiences. Among our
classrooms, the principal location is the Cybertorium, which seats 150 people and employs
the latest technology to facilitate group learning and discussion. Innovative technology also is
instrumental in our research facilities, such as in the new three­dimensional, full­immersion,
visualization laboratory, where researchers are studying new ways to view and conceptualize
data and information.
To encourage collaboration, there are a number of open gathering spaces designed for
faculty, staff, and students to meet. The entire building features wireless capabilities that
encourage groups to move freely within the space while being connected to the Internet and
other Web­based services.
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41. Awards and Statistics
● Penn State is ranked #48 in National Universities according to U.S. News
● IST’s online programs are ranked #5 in the United States online graduate programs
according to U.S. News
● In 2013, IST’s online program was ranked #1 in the United States for Information
Technology degrees according to The Best Colleges
● Awards earned by the college’s faculty:
○ .​1 ACM CHI Lifetime Achievement award
○ 4 IEEE Fellows
○ 1 HFES Fellow
○ 2 ACM Fellows
○ 8 NSF Young Investigators and CAREER award recipients
○ 3 Fulbright award winners
● Statistics for students after graduation:
○ Placement rate in the past seven years is 80%
○ The average undergraduate salary for the class of 2013 is $60,000
○ Markets students have been hired into consulting, defense contracting,
government agencies, manufacturing, financial services, and insurance
industries
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42. Social Media
42

43. SWOT Analyses
The four platforms we worked on this semester were Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and
Pinterest. Each platform started with a considerable amount of followers, but had distinct
areas where improvement was needed. This breakdown identifies the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of the various social media platforms. Analyzing these factors can
help the college gain more attention and recognition and help spur interest in prospective
students.
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44. Facebook
Strengths:
● Professional layout
● Pictures of giveaways that draw attention and awareness
● Significant amount of page likes
Weaknesses:
● Event posts are not detailed enough
● Lack of hashtag use
● Lack of fun, creative photos
● Lack of likes/views on actual content
Opportunities:
● Create more innovative leads
● Provide recent news and information for prospective students
● Gear content towards what the audience is interested in (i.e. following trends)
● Take/share more professional photos
Threats:
● Other pages include direct links to social media accounts, along with student
testimonial stories and videos
● Other pages utilize hashtags more effectively
● Other pages use professional photos and cover photos, therefore receiving more
positive feedback
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45. Twitter
Strengths:
● Consistent with posting
● Interaction with students
● Considerable amount of followers
Weaknesses:
● Blurry, unprofessional cover photo
● Lack of consistency with hashtags
● Lack of retweets and favorites
● Content is unclear and unspecific
Opportunities:
● Share more photos
● Create a few hashtags to use consistently
● Create incentives for students to want to follow the college
Threats:
● Other accounts utilize live tweeting to get more followers
● Other accounts generate more interest from a student perspective
● Other accounts have more specific, related content and hashtags
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46. Instagram
Strengths:
● More consistent hashtags than on other platforms
● Visually appealing photo collages
● Limited, yet reasonable, span of posts
● Variety of photos including buildings, events, and students
Weaknesses:
● Hashtags are confusing and shorthanded
● Not enough followers
● Pictures are not very exciting
● Few likes per picture
Opportunities:
● Generate consistent has tags for events
● Create a featured ‘Student Spotlight’ to gain student interest
● Use photo editing apps to create more aesthetically appealing photos
Threats:
● Other accounts use creative photos of students having fun and participating in
community and service events
● Other accounts use motivational quotes and videos that are popular
● Other accounts create posts of not only its program, but of the specific college and
campus
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47. Pinterest
Strengths:
● Several distinct boards
● Unique titles on each board
Weaknesses:
● Some pins/boards have unrelated content
● No ‘personality’
● Few pins to begin with
Opportunities:
● Focus on the pins/boards that receive the most feedback
● Incorporate photos of the college
● Create a board for upcoming events
● Highlight specific college related content
Threats:
● Other boards use bright colors and images to draw attention
● Other businesses have follower contests
● Other Penn State college pin pictures of students and campus
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48. #ResumeTip
#ResumeTip of the week​: Use single­spaced bullets to summarize work and achievements
in short sentences. Don’t use periods with bullets.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Put your jobs and relevant experiences in reverse chronological
order with your most recent job first.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Start statements with strong action words such as developed,
achieved, coordinated, managed, and implemented.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible by using
numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Make sure to tailor your resume to align with the position you are
applying to.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Formatting is key. Check margins, font size, consistency,
organization, adequate context, and flow and clarity.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Avoid writing paragraphs. A resume should be able to be easily
scanned for key information by the recruiter.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Avoid listing high school experiences if you have enough relevant
college experience to list.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Do not make the recruiter guess what your actual job was,
instead, put your titles in bold.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Avoid putting more than five bullet points for each listed
experience.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Your resume should never be longer than one page in total.
#ResumeTip of the week​: Use .5­inch to 1­inch margins, professional fonts like Arial and
Times New Roman, and a font size of 10­12 points.
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49. #MotivationalMonday
#MotivationalMonday​: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” ­Walt Disney
#MotivationalMonday​: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ­Theodore
Roosevelt
#MotivationalMonday​: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
­Samuel Beckett
#MotivationalMonday​: “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play
better than anyone else.” ­Albert Einstein
#MotivationalMonday​: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” ­Confucius
#MotivationalMonday​: “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” ­Napoleon Hill
#MotivationalMonday​: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to
succeed is always to try just one more time.” ­Thomas Edison
#MotivationalMonday​: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” ­Steve
Jobs
#MotivationalMonday​: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we
fall.” ­Confucius
#MotivationalMonday​: “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
­R. Collier
49

50. #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT)
#TBT​ to football coach Hugo Bezdek shaking hands with the Nittany Lion mascot back in the
1920s!
#TBT ​to the first library in Old Main in the 1890s. Fred Lewis Pattee is standing behind the
table!
#TBT ​to a sellout crowd and a full Beaver Stadium in the 1990s! Good luck Penn State
football this weekend! #GoPSU
#TBT​ to the construction of Beaver Stadium and the first scoreboard!
#TBT​ to 1859 where students with mules stand in front of Old Main!
#TBT​ to the 1980s when the Nittany Lion mascot posed with the stuffed mountain lion display
in West Pattee Library!
#TBT​ to the 1950s when students relaxed in their dormitories. See how much dorm life has
changed over the years!
#TBT ​to 1923 when Charlotte E. Ray became the first dean of women at Penn State to hold
the position full­time.
#TBT ​to the Nittany Lion mascot doing one armed pushups at Beaver Stadium in the 1980s!
Go Penn State, #BeatTemple!
#TBT​ to what Carnegie looked like back in 1905. Sparks wouldn’t be built beside it for another
ten years!
#TBT​ to the 1990s when cheerleaders led the football team onto the field! Good luck Penn
State football this weekend!
50

51. #MotivationalMonday, #ResumeTip, #TBT Pictures
51

52. #FollowUs Pictures
52

53. Pinterest
53

54. Facebook Analytics
Total Page and Tab Visits
Total Reach
54

55. Total Page Likes
Beginning likes: 2,209
Ending likes: 2,271
Increased amount of likes by 62
55

56. Twitter Analytics
Profile Summary
Follower Growth
Beginning followers: 2,896
Ending followers: 3,381
Increased amount of followers by 485
56

57. Results/Evaluation
Facebook
Increased likes by 2.80% in a two month period
Year total at same rate ~17%
Twitter
Increased following by 16.75% in a two month period
Year total at same rate ~100%
Benchmarking Followers
Out of the top 100 brands on Twitter (Apple, Google, Coca­Cola) with 0 ­ 99,000 followers, the
follower growth rate increased by 72% annually. The College of Information Sciences and
Technology’s annual projected growth rate of over 100% beat this percentage by nearly 28%.
Source:
http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/study/2324540/how­do­you­stack­up­against­top­brands­o
n­twitter­study#
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