The University placed the second-most number of graduates in the Peace Corps this year among middle-sized colleges and universities.
Seventy-one University alumni are currently serving in the Peace Corps, compared to 64 volunteers in 2010. George Washington University narrowly beat the University in the category with one additional volunteer, according to a press release Monday.
The Peace Corps compiles its rankings based on the size of the student body and the number of volunteers involved in the Peace Corps.
The University placed 10th for alumni involvement last year in the large-sized university category, which ranks schools with more than 15,000 students.
The University of Colorado at Boulder ranked No. 1 in the large-sized university category this year, followed by the University of Florida.
Peace Corps spokesperson Stephen Chapman said the University continues to rank highly regardless of category because undergraduate alumni are given an educational foundation that provides them with "professionalism, commitment to service and a general intellectual curiosity."
University spokesperson Carol Wood cited the University's Semester at Sea program and January Term experiences in foreign countries as trips which incite a "desire to educate and to learn about what's happening around the world."
Upon graduating from the University, the Peace Corps provides an opportunity to live and work outside of the United States. After the two-year volunteer period, volunteers "come back stronger, more adaptable, [and with] self-motivation skills," Chapman said.
The Peace Corps will have an information stall at the Spring Job and Internship Fair today in Alumni Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, which was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to "promote world peace and friendship," according to the Peace Corps website.\nMore than 1,000 University alumni have served in the Peace Corps since its inception.
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