The Penn Stater Magazine

'We Are'...Everywhere! It is a truth universally acknowledged: Wherever a Penn Stater goes in this world, be it for work or for fun, they’re bound to run into another Penn Stater. From cathedrals in Paris to palaces in…

From cathedrals in Paris to palaces in London, pool halls in Connecticut to hotel lobbies in Florida, Bavarian breweries to the Taj Mahal, we asked for memories of unexpected PSU encounters. Like any Penn Stater hearing “We Are …” you knew just how to answer: pennstatermag.com/alumni/we-ar... #WeAre

Nittany Lion Spotlight: Molly Perciavalle The freshman figure skater shares why she left Texas to come to Pennsylvania, and how she stays sharp without a coach.

A five-time gold medal & U.S. Figure Skating Senior Platinum Level Award winner, Molly Perciavalle has been skating for most of her life. Now a part of the Millennium Scholars Program at PSU, she shares a bit about staying motivated & balancing on- & off-ice training: pennstatermag.com/perciavalle

Making Work Child's Play How a toy production company established during the Depression became the giant of its industry—and one alum's proud legacy.

When Herman Guy Fisher graduated in 1921, he managed a toy shop, eventually purchasing its slogan, "Our work is child's play," for his own company. Launched during the Great Depression, his toys were so well-received that his company, Fisher-Price, became an industry giant: pennstatermag.com/toys

Everyday People: Dor Gidon Amran Mandolin maestro Dor Gidon Amran adds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting to his repertoire.

Dor Gidon Amran has performed around the world, including playing Tchaikovsky with an orchestra in Moldova, but credits Penn State, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in orchestral conducting, for giving him a stage. Read more about Amran: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/... #WeAre #PennStaterMag

Our March/April 2026 issue is online now (& in member mailboxes soon). Features include a profile of asst football coach Terry Smith, alumni experiences with the "We Are" call & response, & a grad student's perspective on endurance after a tragic loss. These & more at pennstatermag.com. #WeAre

In Their Words: Quentin Wright Cael Sanderson’s first individual champion looks back on the Lions’ 2011 team title.

Quentin Wright ’13 Bus, ’13, ’15 MA Lib, a two-time NCAA champion, reflects on being Cael Sanderson's first national wrestling champ at Penn State: pennstatermag.com/sports/their...

Cool Class: BISC 3 Environmental Science Jennifer Anderson aims to get students to slow down and appreciate the natural world.

While many environmental science classes start with big themes—climate change, planetary degradation, deforestation, & the like—instructor Jennifer Anderson’s Biological Science 3 begins with the idea of connection: to the self, to others, & to the natural world. Read more: pennstatermag.com/BISC3

Chalk Talk: Josh Hershbine Use these ducking and dodging tips from a Penn State boxer to avoid flying fists to the face.

Mike Tyson famously said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. But you can plan for that, too. Josh Hershbine, a member of Penn State’s club boxing team, offers some tips on how to avoid a punch—or at least mitigate its damage: pennstatermag.com/sports/chalk... #WeAre

Nittany Lion Spotlight: Katelyn Roberts The senior forward has evolved as a player to thrive alongside elite teammates—and isn’t ready to give up the game just yet.

Senior forward Katelyn Roberts shares how she came to love hockey, why she values versatility and consistency as a player, how coaching kids has grounded her, and what her post-graduation plans include. Read our Q&A: pennstatermag.com/roberts #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #WomensHockey

Truth and Soul From Ph.D. to MacArthur Fellow to National Book Award winner, anthropologist Jason De León has thrived in academia by following his inspiration and focusing on his subjects’ humanity.

For The Undocumented Migration Project, anthropologist Jason De León ’04 MA, ’08 PhD Lib collected & catalogued thousands of items left behind by migrants during their desert crossings to better understand their world. Read more about his humanity-focused work: pennstatermag.com/alumni/truth...

Nights at the Park Finding freedom, and clarity, among history’s echoes.

Freshly graduated from PSU, Bill Rozday ’88 Lib reflected on the historical past & his imminent future in the quiet darkness of Greenwood Furnace State Park, amid a suite of Revolutionary War veteran graves & a restored iron furnace representative of American labor: pennstatermag.com/my-thoughts-...

Campus Life: January / February 2026

The mission of the Gluten Avoidant Society is to give gluten-avoidant students a welcoming environment to increase their knowledge of gluten-free food on and off campus. Read more in the Campus Life section of the Jan/Feb '26 issue: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/...

Powerful Garnish Enriched microgreens can feed people in crises, says Francesco Di Gioia, associate professor of vegetable crop science.

Francesco Di Gioia, assoc. prof. of vegetable crop science, has been conducting research focused on increasing the nutritional value of microgreens for meeting short-term nutritional needs for people in crisis or conflict situations. Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre #PennStaterMag

Creating Connection From emerging technologies to collaborations across campus, Smeal College of Business Dean Corey Phelps is committed to enhancing student experiences.

We sat down with Smeal College of Business Dean Corey Phelps to discuss new initiatives within Smeal, how the college’s graduate programs can succeed in the face of increasing competition, & how faculty are incorporating AI into their curriculum: pennstatermag.com/collections/... #WeAre #PennStater

The Lions’ New Den From our November/December 1995 issue: Dreams really do come true, they just take a lot longer than expected.

From our November/December 1995 issue: Revisit the seemingly cursed construction of the Bryce Jordan Center as it rose from a hole in the ground to become Pennsylvania’s third major entertainment market: pennstatermag.com/BJC #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #BJC #UniversityPark

Faculty Spotlight: Revising Japanese History, on Foot For his new book, historian Greg Smits clocked many hours walking through remote parts of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.

Last summer, Professor of History & Asian Studies Greg Smits aspired to find & photograph the remains of archeological sites from the 1300s & 1400s that counter the long-held notion of the remote Japanese Ryukyu Islands as a pacifist paradise. Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre

black and white photo of Alumni Association offices by Penn State Archives

color photo of the stone Hintz Family Alumni Center signage by Nick Sloff '92 A&A

Then & Now: PSU's first informal alumni association meeting—with 12 attendees, all men—was held in Old Main in 1870, & the association’s offices were located in the building’s east wing until 2001, when staff moved into the newly opened Hintz Family Alumni Center & the adjoining University House.

Engineering the Future The addition of two new, state-of-the-art facilities has remade University Park’s West Campus, creating a new hub for College of Engineering students and a thriving home for education, collaboration,…

Two new, state-of-the-art facilities have remade University Park’s West Campus, & dozens of PSU Engineering alumni had prominent roles in the process. Check out a gallery of photos of the new eCoRE & EDI buildings by Nick Sloff ’92 A&A: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/... #WeAre #PennStateAlums

Q&A: Niel Brandt and Donald Schneider Niel Brandt and Donald Schneider discuss the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

Niel Brandt & Donald Schneider, profs of astronomy & astrophysics, discuss the Legacy Survey of Space & Time, from the scope of its discoveries to the types of images it provides with a camera that's the size of a car, with a pixel count equal to 267 iPhone cameras: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe...

Illustration of a bus stop sign by Joel Kimmel

illustration of a campus map with blue loop outlined by Joel Kimmel

illustration of people getting on and off a bus by Joel Kimmel

The Blue Loop is a free CATA bus line that University Park students & others use to get around an expanding campus. A few fun facts: 16 STOPS that traverse the campus perimeter; 4.3 MILES covered, clockwise, each time around the loop; 825,536 RIDERS climbed aboard the Blue Loop in 2024.

Everyday People: Ellie Sheehan Trailblazing drum major Ellie Sheehan savors a historic senior season.

“The Blue Band was why I came to Penn State,” says its drum major, Ellie Sheehan. She was spellbound watching the Band’s pregame show as a child, then joined as a freshman in 2021. Last spring, she became the first female drum major in the band’s 125-year history: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/...

Our Jan/Feb '26 issue is online now (& in member mailboxes soon). Features include a Q&A with new Smeal College of Business Dean Corey Phelps, a profile of an anthropology alum's explorations of immigrant stories, & a look inside two new, state-of-the-art engineering facilities: pennstatermag.com.

photo of the former Oswald Tower at University Park with bright blue sky in the background

the green space where the former Oswald Tower once stood, photo by Nick Sloff '92 A&A.

Then & Now: Oswald Tower, named for former university president John W. Oswald, was constructed in 1973 and demolished last summer, and the area was converted into green space. . #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #UniversityPark

Chalk Talk: Zac Mizell Learn how to execute a lineout from the men's rugby coach.

A well-executed lineout—a throw-in from out-of-bounds—can be a major advantage in rugby. Penn State men’s rugby coach Zac Mizell offers some insight into how his players perform lineouts & what they’re looking to accomplish: pennstatermag.com/sports/chalk... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #rugby

Faculty Spotlight: The Art of Remix For Eduardo Navas, remixing existing art is an essential part of the creative process.

For Eduardo Navas, interim director of the School of Visual Arts in the College of Arts & Architecture, art is constantly evolving. After doing doctoral research & writing a book on "remixing," Navas is looking at how AI can enhance the artistic process: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre

Cool Class: CHEM 5 Kitchen Chemistry Linlin Jensen is taking the "fear" out of chemistry by putting it in the kitchen.

Kitchen Chemistry, says Linlin Jensen, a teaching professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science, is designed to “teach better chemistry and improve students’ understanding of how chemistry relates to their daily lives.” Read more about this Cool Class: pennstatermag.com/Chem5 #WeAre

Nittany Lion Spotlight: Caroline Jurevicius The sophomore outside hitter enjoys gaining and imparting knowledge of sports.

Catch up with Caroline Jurevicius, who shares her gratitude for being able to play volleyball at PSU after watching games here as a child & what it's like to play alongside her sister & under the influence of her dad, All-Big Ten & NFL WR Joe Jurevicius ’97 H&HD: pennstatermag.com/jurevicius #WeAre

Better Mental Health Care for Farmers A Penn State nursing professor is working to address the mental strain that leads many farmers to depression.

Jennifer Kowalkowski, an asst. prof. in the Nese College of Nursing, is developing a conceptual model to explain how farm owner-operators experience & respond to occupational stress, in hopes of improving farmers' situations. Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre #PennStaterMag

photo of a white sweatshirt with a female face and the words Renaissance House in black, courtesy

"Each year, someone on the [Renaissance Interest House] floor would design a logo & we’d have shirts printed up." Margaret Hack Merlino ’85 Bus shared the story of her Renaissance House sweatshirt for this issue's Item of Note. Share your unique item & story at itemofnote@psu.edu. #WeAre #PennStater

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illustration of a basket of chicken tenders by Joel Kimmel

illustration of a soft pretzel by Joel Kimmel

illustration of soft drinks in paper cups with straws by Joel Kimmel

The Bryce Jordan Center is home to concerts & other events in addition to men’s & women’s basketball games. Here are the most popular food & beverage items consumed last year in the BJC:

31,830: Pounds of Chicken Tenders
59,359: Soft Pretzels
5.9 million: Fluid ounces of nonalcoholic beverages