Colorado State Ranks High Among Universities With Peace Corps Volunteers

Colorado State once again ranks 12th in the nation among large universities and colleges for the number of alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers, according to 2007 rankings. Colorado State consistently lands in the top 15 among universities and colleges with more than 15,000 undergraduates.

The university claims 57 alumni volunteering for the Peace Corps. Since the Peace Corps' inception in 1961, 1,466 Colorado State alumni have volunteered.

"Our students want to contribute to the health and well-being of other nations and citizens," said Martha Denney, director of International Education. "That's part of our historic nature at Colorado State University and our commitment to solving some of the world's most pressing problems."

Student interest in the organization, which historically has been strong at Colorado State, increased after Sept. 11, 2001. But the university's strong history of providing volunteers and support to the Peace Corps can be traced to the organization's beginnings. Colorado State researchers Pauline Birky-Kreutzer and Maury Albertson, answering President John F. Kennedy's famous call to service, published in 1961 one of the original feasibility studies that led to the creation of the Peace Corps.

The Colorado State University Peace Corps office is located in the Office of International Programs, Room 102E Laurel Hall on the main campus, and can be reached at (970) 491-5917.

To contact the Peace Corps, call 1-800-424-8580 or visit the Web at www.peacecorps.gov.