Navigating the Penn Alumni Database: A Comprehensive Guide
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) offers its alumni a wealth of resources to stay connected, continue learning, and advance their careers. A central component of this support system is the Penn Alumni Database, a valuable tool for networking, accessing information, and engaging with the Penn community. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Penn Alumni Database, its features, and how alumni can leverage it for personal and professional growth.
Introduction to MyPenn: The New Alumni Community
In November 2020, the University launched MyPenn, a new online community platform designed to connect alumni and current students. MyPenn replaced the previous WhartonConnect and Quakernet directories, consolidating alumni engagement into a single, user-friendly platform. This transition streamlined the process of staying in touch with classmates, finding mentors, and exploring career opportunities within the Penn network.
Transition from WhartonConnect to MyPenn
For alumni who were active on WhartonConnect, the transition to MyPenn was designed to be seamless. Information shared on WhartonConnect was automatically transferred to the new directory. However, alumni are encouraged to review their profiles on MyPenn and update any information as needed to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Privacy Settings and Opt-In Options
The University respects alumni privacy and provides options to control the visibility of their profiles. If an alumnus had previously opted out of WhartonConnect, they were automatically opted out of MyPenn. To change this setting and make their profile searchable, they need to log in to MyPenn and adjust their opt-out preferences. Conversely, if an alumnus had opted in to WhartonConnect, a limited profile was automatically created for them on MyPenn. They would then need to visit MyPenn to fully opt in and customize their sharing preferences. Alumni who prefer not to be included in the MyPenn directory can also opt out by visiting the platform.
Accessing Library Resources as a Penn Alumnus
The Penn Libraries offer a range of resources to alumni from degree-granting programs for personal, non-commercial use. These resources include online databases, library spaces, and events. Access to these resources is tiered, with options for Alumni PennKey (free), Alumni Penncard (a one-time cost), and Courtesy Borrower Card (annual fee).
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Online Resources for Alumni
Penn alumni have access to a variety of licensed e-resources, including:
- EBSCO's Academic Search: A comprehensive database providing access to scholarly, full-text information across various academic disciplines. Please note: This resource was discontinued after March 31, 2025.
- US Newsstream (formerly ProQuest National Newspapers): A resource offering access to a wide range of national newspapers. Please note: This resource was discontinued after March 31, 2025.
- Adam Matthew: A publisher of unique primary source collections from archives around the world, covering a broad range of topics in the humanities and social sciences.
- American Indian Histories and Cultures: A digital collection providing insight into American Indians and European/American relations from first contact through the civil rights movement of the twentieth century. Contains primary source materials including: manuscripts, artwork, photographs, interactive maps, printed materials and newspapers.
- Colonial State Papers: Original documents exchanged between the governors of British colonies in North America and the Caribbean and the Colonial Office in Britain. Among the correspondence are diaries, maps, broadsides, laws, public notices, newspaper clippings, and more covering all aspects of seventeenth and eighteenth-century American history.
- Business Stats: Provides access to historic, current, and projected demographic and industry data at the state, county, ZIP code, and metropolitan statistical area level.
- Defining Gender: Approximately 60,000 images of original sources (manuscript and printed materials), documenting the history of exploration, cultural contact, and colonialism.
- American Jewish Historical Society: Original manuscript materials from the American Jewish Historical Society in New York including six major organizational collections and twenty-four collections of personal papers that document the Jewish experience in America.
- JSTOR: A not-for-profit organization providing access to a trusted archive of important scholarly journals.
- Mergent Archives: An online database with access to a collection of over 180,000 corporate and industry related documents, including Annual Reports. This collection is primarily useful for historical research and also includes the Mergent Patents Archives which consists of 9.2 million patents going back to the mid 1800s. The database also includes the Country Report module: DnB Country Risk Profile, DnB Country RiskLine Report, and Mergent Country Profile.
- Key Business Ratios on the Web: Provides access to industry financial norms and ratios.
- Morningstar Investment Research Center: This investment research database provides information on stocks, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds.
- Race Relations Department at Fisk University: Documenting three pivotal decades in the fight for civil rights, this resource showcases the speeches, reports, surveys and analyses produced by the Department’s staff and Institute participants, including Charles S.
- Sage Business Researcher: A collection of original in-depth reports on timely topics in business and management.
- SAGE Knowledge: A social sciences digital library platform and home to SAGE eBooks and eReference content. The platform hosts than 5,000 titles and includes a wide range of content including scholarly monographs, reference works, handbooks, series, and professional development titles.
- SAGE Research Methods Online: A web resrouce and methods library containing over 900 ebooks to support research at all levels. it uses SAGE Publication’s 40-year legacy of methods publishing to guide users at all levels through every step of the social science research process.
- SAGE Business Cases: A digital collection of business cases providing users with access to more than 3,000 authoritative cases from over 100 countries.
- Data Planet Statistical Datasets: Federal agencies, States, private organizations, and major intergovernmental organizations. There are over 185+ billion data points available in charts, maps, views, rankings, time series and tables in the Data Planet repository.
- SAGE Knowledge: A social sciences digital library platform and home to SAGE eBooks and eReference content. The platform hosts than 5,000 titles and includes a wide range of content including scholarly monographs, reference works, handbooks, series, and professional development titles.
- Sage Research Methods Online: A web resource and methods library containing over 900 ebooks to support research at all levels.
- Business Source Complete: Offers access to a substantial number of business magazines and journals in nearly every area of business.
- HeinOnline: Law Journal Library containing fulltext documents (PDF) from more 2,000 law and law-related periodicals.
- Mergent Intellect: Company directory database from Dun & Bradstreet.
- Project Muse: Provides full text access to articles from over 300 scholarly journals in the humanities, arts, social sciences and sciences.
- RefWorks: A web-based bibliography and database manager.
It is important to note that systematic copying or the use of external search engines or robots to copy unreasonably large quantities of data from these products is prohibited.
Career Resources for Penn Engineering Online Alumni
Graduates of Penn Engineering Online have access to a variety of career resources, including:
- Networking Opportunities: Sharing expertise with students through panels, tech talks, or homegrown career events.
- Continuing Education: Expanding knowledge and expertise in engineering by continuing education within Penn Engineering Online.
- Teaching Assistant Positions: Opportunities to work as a Teaching Assistant after graduation.
- Career Advising: One-on-one advising sessions with the Career Advising team, including resume review, job search advice, and interview preparation (up to three appointments per 12-month period).
- Job Boards and Internship Reviews: Access to extensive job boards, internship reviews from 700+ member schools, and virtual events.
- Skill-Building Videos: Continued access to videos allowing alumni to refresh skill-building techniques.
- Dual Degree Program (MCIT Online): MCIT Online graduates may be eligible to continue their education with the dual degree program.
Staying Connected and Engaged
MyPenn serves as the central online community for the entire University of Pennsylvania, providing a portal to access the alumni directory and connect with fellow graduates. Alumni are encouraged to save their PennKey and password to access these resources.
University Policies and Privacy
The University and the Penn Libraries are committed to protecting the privacy of alumni. All users are expected to abide by University policies regarding acceptable use of licensed scholarly resources.
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