A television producer, movie studio exec, pro women’s basketball player and five other people joined the ranks of notable Penn State graduates last week, when the Board of Trustees selected its picks for the 2001 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

The winners, who represent five different academic colleges and the Graduate School and span more than 40 years at the university, are:

• Donald Bellisario, a College of Communications graduate who took off four years to join the U.S. Marine Corps, created the television series Quantum Leap and Magnum, P.I. and most recently produced and wrote for JAG.

• Michael Farrell earned a business degree at Penn State in 1971, and has been president of Farrell and Co. since 1982. In the past three years, he has also served as director of Federated Investors.

• Shirley Malcolm, a 1974 doctoral graduate, leads the department of education and human resources programs for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

• John Moore is president of Indiana State University, and received a doctorate in higher education administration from Penn State's College of Education.

• Arthur Nagle, a College of the Liberal Arts graduate, is now chairman of Vestar Capital Partners of N.Y.

• Hellene Runtagh, who also earned a bachelor's degree from the College of the Liberal Arts, is executive vice president of Universal Studios.

• Suzie McConnell-Serio, a 1988 elementary education graduate, teaches and coaches at Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, and plays pro WNBA basketball for the Cleveland Rockers.

• Obie Snider, who graduated from the College of Agricultural Sciences, is the managing partner of Singing Brook Farms and also a trustee on the board.

— by Jeremy R. Cooke