Signature Events

These are events specifically designated to enhance the academic and social lives of the diverse student body population at the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

November Events

• Diwali Festival of the Lights: Diwali is known as the festival of lights and is an annual event celebrated in India to celebrate the victory of good over evil. Each year, the MBA Association hosts a Diwali Coffee Buzz, followed by Diwali Night, where families come together to enjoy various dances, games to show, and all the flavors of the Diwali celebration in India.

• ASCEND To Vegas: The event is a larger scale version of Ascend’s style of informal networking events that will give members and participants an opportunity to interact with professionals in various career fields.

January Events

• Chinese New Year: Hosted by the MBA Association, the Chinese New Year celebration features traditional foods and beverages, dances, and music representing the Chinese culture.

February Events

• Netiquette: “Netiquette” is a professional development and dining etiquette experience, sponsored by National Association Black Accountants (NABA), event open to all students who want to learn the techniques of good communication and networking and also learn the necessary dining etiquette skills that is useful for anyone entering the professional world. The event is similar to a one-day conference that consists of concurrent company sessions, a career fair and an etiquette dinner. For company participation, it is highly encouraged that companies have opportunities available (internship, conference, full time, or etc.). Additionally, companies that sponsor the organization and the event specifically have first priority for registration.

• The Masquerade: Hosted by the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA), this annual event allows students and recruiters to wear masks to hide their identity for part of the event. This gives attendees the opportunity to create genuine connections without the perceived bias of the company each recruiter works for. This Masquerade helps students get to know recruiters in a more intimate setting and on a more personal level. All students are welcomed to attend and learn more about diversity, culture, and leadership. The event consists of three rounds followed by a networking session with recruiting tables. Each round will either have a company presentation around the topic of diversity, culture, or leadership, or a series of questions provided around one of the topics.

March Events

• Big Hat Brunch: Big Hat Brunch is Multicultural Women Forum’s biggest event of the year, which aims to celebrate women’s accomplishments through keynote speakers and performances during National Women’s Month. Men and Women are invited to the Big Hat Brunch of all years and majors.
• START Conference: This one-day conference focuses on business initiatives in diversity by gathering corporate, academic, and community speakers. Conference participants gain knowledge and information about issues regarding diversity, awareness, respect for oneself and others. Students have the opportunity to network with corporate representatives, explore career paths, and gain insight into the corporate climate of presenting companies.

April Events

• The Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference: Held each spring by the Penn State Women in Business, the conference encourages students and professionals to network and learn together in a diverse setting, and would not be possible without corporate sponsorship. By bringing together people of all different backgrounds, the PWPW Conference is an exemplary place to facilitate discussions of past experiences of overcoming obstacles in both the work world and in life, and how individuals grew and thrived from the situations. In past years, contributions have helped students develop critical skills for navigating the business world and launching successful careers with companies just like yours. Contributions have included: conference attendance, breakout and panelist speakers, promotional items, donation baskets, and much more.
• Black Male Leadership Symposium: The symposium is an annual conference sponsored by Black Male Leadership Symposium (BMLS) aimed at empowering the black male student body at Penn State.  The conference consists of guest speakers, small group breakout sessions, lunch, and networking opportunities.  The conference addresses a broad spectrum of topics ranging from and to include: networking, race relations, self-esteem, healthy relationships, and strategies for personal and professional growth.

June Events

• Business Opportunities Summer Session (BOSS): BOSS is a two-week program for high school students interested in pursuing a business education in college.  It provides an opportunity for students to take college prep and business fundamentals workshops taught by Penn State faculty. It also gives the students a chance to experience college life on Penn State's University Park campus.