Please Note: The Peace Corps produced this release and provided it to CU for local distribution. A comment by CU-Boulder Chancellor Richard Byyny has been included.
Washington, D.C., March 9, 2001-Peace Corps Acting Director Charles Baquet, III,
today released the Peace Corps' annual list of the colleges and universities with the largest number of Peace Corps volunteers currently serving overseas.
For the third year in a row, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with 93 graduates currently serving, topped the 2001 list, followed by the University of Colorado-Boulder with 74 volunteers.
"As chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder I was delighted and proud to learn that our graduates continue to play a pivotal role in serving people around the globe as volunteers for the Peace Corps," said Richard Byyny, chancellor of the CU-Boulder campus. "For several years running, CU-Boulder has produced the second highest number of Peace Corps volunteers, which is testimony to the fact that serving others is an important focus of our campus and our graduates." he said.
The University of California-Berkeley jumped from fifth last year to third this year, with 70 volunteers. In 1999, the university placed 13th on the list. The University of Texas-Austin maintained its fourth place ranking with 68 volunteers this year. The University of Oregon rounded out the top five by making the largest jump on the list. It leaped from 15th place last year to fifth place with 67 volunteers this year.
"The strong showing of colleges from so many different parts of the country illustrates that many students today are solidly dedicated to service and deeply value the unique experience Peace Corps offers," Baquet said. "And through their volunteer work overseas, Americans throughout this country are able to learn more about the world in this era of globalization."
Another notable ranking on this year's list is Northwestern University's move to 14th place with 48 volunteers after taking 21st place last year. The University of Michigan, the site of President John F. Kennedy's speech in 1960 proposing the Peace Corps, placed sixth with 65 volunteers.
The Peace Corps also released the list of its top small colleges and universities, those with less than 5,000 undergraduates. Middlebury College in Vermont took the number one spot with 32 alumni currently serving after placing sixth on last year's list. Rounding out the top four were Columbia College in New York City with 28, Tufts University in Boston with 22, and Maine's Colby College with 21. Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Whitman College in Washington all tied for fifth place with 19 volunteers each.
Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has sent over 161,000 trained volunteers to 134 countries. In 2001, more than 7,300 volunteers and trainees-the highest level in 26 years-are serving in 78 countries around the world by working to help fight hunger, bring clean water to communities, teach children, help start new small businesses, and stop the spread of AIDS. During its 40th anniversary year, the Peace Corps hopes to boost the number of volunteers by 25 percent.