TIME'S UP: Looking for one of the oldest and most visible class gifts at University Park? You might have to crane your neck ...

Meaningful Keepsakes

When University Park’s stately American elms are lost to disease, the wood is reclaimed into unique gifts that preserve their part in Penn State’s history.

Towering symbols of Penn State’s campus beauty, the university’s American elms have witnessed everything from presidential visits to student protests. First planted in the late 1890s, these iconic trees shaded generations of students … until disease and storm damage began their slow disappearance.

By 2011, Dutch elm disease and elm yellows had claimed nearly one-third of the university’s 300 elms. But thanks to a unique collaboration between the Penn State Alumni Association and the Office of the Physical Plant, the story of these elms does not end with their fall. In 2008, they began reclaiming the aged wood to create beautiful pieces of Penn State history for alumni and friends to have in their homes. 

The wood is finding new life as handcrafted items such as frames, walking sticks, jewelry boxes, and more. These pieces, known as the Penn State Elms Collection, ensure the trees remain part of the community they once shaded. They are available exclusively through the Alumni Association, and each item comes with a certificate of authenticity, verifying that it was made with wood from Penn State elms. 

Much of the initial processing of the elm wood takes place in a facility right on campus, where the care taken is evident. 

“This isn’t just production; it’s preservation,” says Geoff Conrad, client services specialist in the Alumni Association. “We’re recycling these trees in a way that honors their legacy. It’s special to think that a piece of Penn State history is living on in someone’s home.” 

Since elm yellows disease was detected on the University Park campus, Penn State plant pathologists have raced to find a cure. This disease infects the root cells and the inner bark that carries nutrients to all parts of the tree, preventing the tree from receiving adequate nourishment, ultimately killing it. But it does not invade the core of the tree, leaving the wood unscathed. 

As of March 2024, elm yellows disease had infected 160 of the 290 trees on the University Park campus. Injecting both healthy trees and infected trees with a fluid analogous to an antibiotic has seemed to help slow the spread of the disease, and a portion of proceeds from items in the Penn State Elms Collection supports the continued care of Penn State’s remaining elms, aided by the Class of 1996’s Historic Tree Endowment. 

Proceeds also support the planting of new trees in the historic core of the University Park campus. As afflicted elm trees are removed, they are being replaced with several different species of trees that have a higher disease resistance while still offering the majestic canopies that generations of Penn Staters have enjoyed. 

Explore the collection at pennstateelmscollection.com/gifts. 

Member Benefit

LionPerks

LionPerks delivers everyday savings on top brands, travel, and local experiences, helping Alumni Association members get more out of their budget. New features make it even easier to discover limited-time promotions, personalized deals, and trending offers tailored to individual preferences. With fresh discounts added regularly and a seamless browsing experience, LionPerks is a go-to resource for smarter spending all year round. Visit psaa.perkspot.com.

Save the Date

June 26-27: We Are Weekend

There’s still time to sign up for We Are Weekend 2026. Join alumni and friends for a weekend of connection, tradition, and unforgettable Penn State moments. Open to all Penn Staters and their families! For registration and reduced hotel rates, go to alumni.psu.edu/weareweekend.

July 10–11: Hintzpiration

“Artistry at the Alumni Center” returns to the Hintz Family Alumni Center during Arts Fest, with an art exhibit open to the public and a Friday evening reception for Alumni Association members. Registration is required for the reception. For more, go to alumni.psu.edu/hintzpiration.

From the Archives

Win Like a Girl

National champion gymnast Ann Carr Tunney ’80 H&HD, the first female student-athlete to receive a full scholarship to Penn State, was featured on the cover of our September/October 1978 issue, teasing a feature article inside about the foresight and power of Penn State’s women’s athletics program. “At the time the first drafts of Title IX were drawn up, we were celebrating the 10th anniversary of women’s sports at Penn State,” recalled Robert J. Scannell ‘59 MS, ‘64 PhD H&HD, then dean of the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. Read the full story.

Chapter & Groups

Westmoreland County Chapter 

More than 50 alumni and community members joined the Westmoreland County Chapter in late February at the Greater Allegheny campus for a hands-on fly-fishing workshop focused on education, conservation, and the outdoor resources of southwestern Pennsylvania. Participants learned casting techniques, fly-tying, and stream identification and conservation with regional experts. 

Phoenix Chapter  

Members of the Phoenix Chapter met up with members of the University of Michigan Alumni Association’s local chapter to hike together at Dreamy Draw Recreation Area in Phoenix in February. The Michigan alums organized the desert mountain hike and invited their fellow Big Ten alumni members for the fellowship and exercise.

Lehigh Valley Chapter 

A dozen volunteers from the Lehigh Valley Chapter spent a weekend morning helping at the Allentown Rescue Mission in February. The Penn Staters helped to stock shelves and organize donations. 

Have news to share from your chapter, AIG, or alumni society? Send it to rsr3@psu.edu.

Volunteer Spotlight

Kent Weiss, Lehigh Valley Chapter

Kent Weiss ’83 Bus became president of the Lehigh Valley Chapter shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic essentially shut down the world. For the lifetime member of the Alumni Association, that just meant finding more creative ways to foster the camaraderie that typically brings Penn Staters together. 

The chapter sponsored a “morale boost” event with the Lehigh Valley campus and Lehigh Valley Alumni Society that had participants track their exercise miles for five weeks with the goal to reach 170 miles—the distance from Lehigh Valley to University Park. Weiss logged 384 miles, “more than enough to get me there and back,” on his bike. 

He served as president until 2024. Another highlight during his tenure was the pregame event the chapter held with the Lehigh Valley alumni society at Brü Daddy’s in Allentown before the men’s hockey team’s appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2023. “They gave me the entire restaurant, and we filled it,” Weiss says. 

Leading the Way

Alumni Achievement Awards honored 10 young alumni making early waves in their respective fields.

The Penn State Alumni Association honored 10 prominent young alumni for their professional accomplishments at the 2026 Alumni Achievement Awards in March. Alumni aged 35 and younger are nominated by an academic college or campus and invited to return to Penn State to share their expertise with students and the university community. “Our Alumni Achievement Award recipients show students what’s possible when passion meets purpose,” said Ryan Jones ’95 Com, interim executive officer of the Alumni Association. “Their accomplishments so early in their careers demonstrate the lasting value of a Penn State education and the difference our alumni make around the world.” The 2026 honorees:

• Julia Cecchetti ’20 Eng Behrend, a senior propulsion engineer at Impulse Space in Redondo Beach, Calif., who designs advanced chemical rocket engines for in-space mobility. Previously, she contributed to SpaceX’s Dragon and Starship programs and was a NASA Early Career Achievement Medal recipient. 
• Taylor Criste ’14 Nur Hon, the director of nursing operations at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Criste leads workforce strategy for a large academic medical center, advancing staffing innovation, quality improvement, and patient safety initiatives. 
• Alex Hogan ’16 Com, a foreign correspondent for FOX News Channel. Hogan covers international and domestic stories, including Ukraine, Taiwan, and European humanitarian crises. A regional Emmy Award winner, she brings a global perspective to her reporting. 

• Matthew Kapelewski ’12 Sci Hon, the director of chemistry at Orbital, an AI-focused startup in Princeton, N.J. Kapelewski leads teams developing advanced materials for carbon dioxide capture and energy-efficient cooling.

  

   

• Natalie Keller ’17 Agr Hon, a senior food scientist at Campbell’s. Keller develops and brings to market cookie and cracker products for the Pepperidge Farm brand. Her work spans consumer research, recipe development, and scaling production. 
• Anthony M. Mitchell ’17 Lib, vice president of federal affairs at America’s Health Insurance Plans. Mitchell, a two-time national “40 Under 40” honoree, advances health care access, affordability, and equity with Congress and federal 
  agencies. 
• Rhoda “Dr. Rho” Moise ’15 H&HD Hon, a scientist, educator, and wellness practitioner who bridges public health research, integrative healing, and community empowerment. Moise is founder of Dr. Rho Wellness, where she aims to empower individuals and communities to heal, grow, and thrive. 
• Uma Moriarity ’14 Bus Hon, senior investment strategist and global head of sustainability at CenterSquare Investment Management, where she leads firmwide investment strategy and sustainability initiatives across global real estate platforms. The firm’s youngest partner, she is a frequent industry speaker and was elected to the Penn State Board of Trustees in 2025.
• Lisa Marie Rogali ’16 A&A, a professional opera singer who has appeared in leading roles nationwide and performed at Carnegie Hall. Acclaimed for her portrayals of the title role in Bizet’s Carmen and Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, she has trained with Detroit Opera, Minnesota Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
• Tiffany Veet ’14 Hazlt, head of drug substance continuous improvement APU support at Sanofi, providing strategic leadership for vaccine manufacturing across multiple biologics programs.