Miami ranks high in Peace Corps Top College rankings

For the sixth year in a row, Miami University has placed on the Peace Corps' list of top universities nationwide producing Peace Corps volunteers. Miami is No. 6 in this year's rankings among medium-sized universities, moving up from No. 7 in last year's ranking.

Since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, 863 Miami alumni have served. This year, 41 Miami alumni are active Peace Corps volunteers, including David Szaronos, a community and economic development volunteer in Uganda. The Peace Corps counts medium-sized schools as those with between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates.

Today’s volunteers are addressing global issues such as education reconstruction, food security, environmental conservation, HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention, clean water accessibility, women’s empowerment and poverty through local economic development.

Cincinnati/Dayton-based recruiter Katie Sylvester, who served in Zambia, will visit Miami to host a public Peace Corps information session at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb.13, in Room 127 of the psychology building. She is also hosting office hours for walk-ins 1-4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, in 106J Phillips Hall, in the department of kinesiology.

There are approximately 332 Ohio residents serving in the Peace Corps, making it one of the highest Peace Corps-producing states. Overall, 6,728 Ohio residents have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.

Five other Ohio schools made the 2012 list – The Ohio State University ranks 13th among large population universities; among other medium-sized schools is Bowling Green State University ranked 21st with 24 volunteers; and among smaller-population schools, Oberlin College ranks 3rd with 24 alumni volunteers, Case Western Reserve University has the No. 10 spot with 20 volunteers, and Denison University is at 20th place on the list with 17 volunteers.