A CONVERSATION WITH NEW PENN STATE DICKINSON LAW ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD PRESIDENT ELY ROSS ’11
Ely Ross ’11 became president of the Penn State Dickinson Law Alumni Society Board of Directors over the summer. He joined the board earlier last year, embracing the opportunity to give back to the Law School in a significant way. As 2025 begins, Ross looks forward to blazing new trails for the Alumni Society, which is now unified to include graduates of the Law School in Carlisle and University Park.
“Like so many of us, coming to Penn State Dickinson Law was transformational for me. I want to build something that will support the school and leave it even better than I found it,” said Ross, who has spent over 20 years working across the public sector, including time as chief operating officer of the D.C. Public School District, an attorney for the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, and nearly a decade of service as a United States Marine. “I want to find a way to help lead us into this next period of our history after reunification to help build a stronger, better-connected community.”
His goal is for the Alumni Society Board to represent the unified Penn State Dickinson Law. To that end, he hopes to welcome more University Park alumni to the board. “We want to deliver value for the students in the dual locations, reflecting their diverse voices and interests,” said Ross. “I know our alumni have a pride in the Law School, and we can channel that into meaningful outcomes for students of both locations.” Ross has seen firsthand the benefits of a unified, two-location Law School. “Penn State Dickinson Law was unified when I attended. The administration, faculty, and staff did a fantastic job of purposefully building a cohesive class identity,” said Ross. “Our student government was integrated, and we shared resources between locations. While you did not see your student peers every day, you did have opportunities to build relationships across locations, and I think that is something today’s students will be able to do as well.”
Ross’s other aims include ramping up current students’ involvement in alumni events and planning, including student participation on the board, finding more ways to support Penn State Dickinson Law events across geographic regions, and connecting with alumni in locations that do not currently have Alumni Society chapters.
“We want the Alumni Society to be another avenue for alumni to engage with the Law School and students, whether that is through lending expertise to Penn State Dickinson Law events or classes, mentorship, or through donations,” said Ross. “The unification of the Law School offers a way for all alumni to come together and help the future generations of Penn State Dickinson Law attorneys find ways to succeed. I am excited to see the new sense of purpose the board is operating under.”
“We’re seeking broad representation on the Alumni Society Board, and we are particularly interested in building out alumni representation from University Park,” said Ross.
During this exciting time for the future of Penn State Dickinson Law, Ross encourages all alumni interested in joining or learning more about the Alumni Society Board to email dickinsonlawalum@psu.edu for more information. You can find a list of current Alumni Society Board members by clicking here.