A: The current format of Penn State user IDs—abc12345—has been used since the 1980s, according to Lori Cottrill ’88 Sci, ’21 MPS IST, director of identity and access management. The letters in Penn State user IDs are based upon the account holder’s name as entered at the time the account is created; however, they are not guaranteed to match a person’s initials. If part of a name—a middle name, for example—is not provided when an account is created, a letter is randomly chosen. The letter portion matches the data provided in the order of first name, middle name, last name; if names are initially provided in a different order, the letter portion will match the information provided. The university aims to have a unique user ID belong to an individual forever, but if a former student or employee does not provide the same information (a missing Social Security number, for example, or a different name or address) when returning to Penn State for school or employment, a different account ID may be created and is considered a duplicate when discovered.