Alumni Volunteer Profile: Larry Zmuda ‘83
When something works well, do your best to keep it going. That’s the philosophy of Larry Zmuda ’83, who has spent years introducing Bucknell to prospective students.
An executive in the security and biometrics field, Zmuda’s career has taken him across the country and back again since he earned an economics degree at Bucknell and an MBA at Duke. He and his wife, Carol Milton Zmuda ’83, enjoyed meeting new friends in Boston through the Bucknell Club. When his job took them to Seattle, they started an alumni club there, hosting social events to share Bucknell experiences with the few Bison in the area. Upon moving to Sacramento, they did the same thing. But there Zmuda’s alumni involvement took a new twist.
Spreading the word
“At the time, Bucknell was starting a big push to attract west coast students,” he recalls. “I would conduct applicant interviews, represent Bucknell at college fairs, and talk to guidance counselors. I was a jack-of-all-trades, as there really weren’t any other alums out there.”
Zmuda found that he liked spreading the word about Bucknell, and continued as an admissions volunteer when he and Carol moved to Great Falls, Va., where they live with their three children. His volunteer role is changing, as Bucknell recently revamped its alumni admissions program, but he still does everything he can to encourage top applicants to consider Bucknell.
“It’s crucial to get Bucknellians involved with potential students and their parents, who have lots of questions and value interaction with alumni,” he says. “We can help kids before, during, and after their years at Bucknell.” He has hired several Bucknell students for summer internships, with great success. “You see ‘Bucknell’ on their resume, and you know you can count on their character.”
Lifelong friendships
Recently Zmuda met up with 16 of his Bucknell classmates for a weekend of golf, something they’ve done every year since 1982. “This is the best thing about Bucknell. It provides the best opportunities for you to develop lifelong friendships. I treasure that environment – it really lets you connect with people.”
Sharing his passion for Bucknell with others comes easily to Zmuda, whose brothers Richard ’79 and Paul ’89 are also alumni.
“When you see dividends that pay off in work or in relationships, you want to do everything you can to make sure that process continues,” he says. “I let kids know about what I great experience I had at Bucknell. I want to make sure that experience is shared by the graduating class of 2012 and beyond.”