Aug. 25, 2009
By Trey Miller, Penn State Athletic Communications Student Assistant
A lot has changed for Bruce Ellis since his sophomore year in high school. One thing, though, remains the same: his attachment to State College and the Penn State community.
Bruce Ellis, Penn State's Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Services, moved to the State College area with his family before his sophomore year in high school after two years in Minneapolis, Minn.
He has now spent more than 25 years as an employee of Penn State. Since moving here, Ellis has yet to move or work outside of the area. His love for what he does, athletics and a strong college community are keeping him here.
It is evident that athletics is in the blood of Bruce Ellis. A three-sport athlete in high school, Ellis participated in track, basketball and football. Upon graduating from State High, Ellis made it apparent that he had an attraction to the area by choosing to attend Penn State, without much hesitation. His love for athletics was again shown, as Ellis walked on to the Nittany Lion football team where he spent three years as a wide receiver on the squad. To add to the experience of playing football for a major college football program, Bruce was able to take trips to the Cotton, Orange and Sugar Bowls as a member of the team.
Athletics continue to be a major reason Bruce is still in the area. Happy Valley is a haven for sports fans. From top-notch college athletics to professional baseball in the State College Spikes, University Park has it all. Athletics has always been a substantial part of his life.
"I love sports, and the university being such a great sports town in that area, that's one of the big attractions," said Ellis. "There are a lot of collegiate athletic opportunities to see good quality sports at its highest level."
Athletics are not merely responsible for providing Ellis with entertainment, but also for providing him with a career. After spending all of 24 years as an Academic Advisor and eventually the Senior Director of Undergraduate Programs at the Smeal College of Business, he was given the opportunity to make athletics an even more substantial part of his life.
"Take advantage of everything you have an opportunity to. If it's legitimate, don't say no to it," said Ellis.
In September of 2008, Ellis took his own advice and became the Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete services at Penn State. This was a somewhat easy transition for Ellis, who spent the year of 1995-96 as an administrative fellow to Penn State Director of Athletics Tim Curley. During this time, Bruce had the opportunity to learn something about every aspect of athletics, from facilities to staff. According to Bruce, this kind of got his foot in the door and gave him an idea of how the department operated.
"It was an amazing experience. I had a great year here. It gave me an opportunity to see everything about athletics," added Ellis.
The job was a match made in heaven for Bruce. He now was able to mix his passion for helping students and his never-ending love for sports in to one job. It was the perfect fit. As the Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Services, Ellis does many things similar to his Smeal job, but with an emphasis on student-athletes. He is responsible for helping athletes get through the admissions process and keeping coaches informed on policies. He also controls things from student-athlete official visits and distribution of financial aid to athlete housing, roster sizes, awards and budgets.
"That's a good fit for me here. I've always been playing sports. That interest has always been there in every way. That adds to the fun and the passion about what you're doing."
His connection to Penn State athletics doesn't end there. Ellis was also asked by Curley to serve on the Big Ten Advisory Commission, which focuses on student-athlete welfare, particularly that of African-Americans and other diverse athletes. He served two four-year terms, which in his mind was a vital part of his connection to athletics.
"That helped me get to know coaches, get to know the student-athletes and obviously the rest of the administration and the folks here in athletics so that was a great opportunity; a lot of good exposure there."
The students at Penn State University are another part of Ellis's connection to the area. Ellis graduated from Penn State in 1977 with a degree in community development, returning to earn his Masters degree by 1983 in counselor education and student personnel administration. He has spent all 25 years as a university employee advising students. As evidenced by the name student-athlete, student always comes first. From his days at the Smeal College to now, Ellis wants his students to do well on and off the field.
"I get to see them when their being recruited and coming in. That's the beauty of the process. Sometimes there are struggles and sometimes there are successes. When you see them come out the other end and work through these things, that's what it's all about," Ellis said.
These things exemplify his primary motivations to get up and get to the office day in and day out. The job and area is so suitable and according to Bruce; he works harder when he enjoys what he does.
This is evidenced by his numerous awards in his time at Penn State, including the 2000-01 Penn State University Staff Excellence Award, an October 2000 Golden Key National Honor Society inductee and a Smeal College of Business Fred Brand Jr. Award for Outstanding Advising winner in 1988-89.
Ellis has spent the majority of his life in State College, and nothing indicates he will be leaving any time soon. The growing community and new opportunities in the area are an essential part of his attraction to State College. What's not to like?
"The lifestyle is hard to beat. Clean air, not a lot of traffic, and a strong university community which means you're around a lot of people who are intelligent and doing great things."