A career born of curiosity and a thirst for adventure during his college years has taken Gen. Gary Brito to one of the highest commands in the United States Army.

Lisa Harpster and John Schaffer tap into the craft beer market with a new downtown brewery.

What it lacks in big-city buzz, Penn State’s School of Visual Arts more than makes up for with engaged faculty, talented students, a supportive culture, and a track record of producing acclaimed, innovative artists—like Devan Shimoyama ’11 A&A, whose bold, colorful paintings lave landed him repeat coverage in The New York Times.

What it lacks in big-city buzz, Penn State’s School of Visual Arts more than makes up for with engaged faculty, talented students, a supportive culture, and a track record of producing acclaimed, innovative artists—like Lauren Luloff ’01 A&A, whose work features geometric patterns of dyed silk merging with shapes that hint at natural landscapes.

What it lacks in big-city buzz, Penn State’s School of Visual Arts more than makes up for with engaged faculty, talented students, a supportive culture, and a track record of producing acclaimed, innovative artists—like Joelle Dietrick ’96 A&A, whose art lives at the intersection of creation and technology and is scheduled for a solo exhibition in Brooklyn next year.

What it lacks in big-city buzz, Penn State’s School of Visual Arts more than makes up for with engaged faculty, talented students, a supportive culture, and a track record of producing acclaimed, innovative artists—like Barbara Campbell Thomas ’98 A&A, who is brimming with ideas for integrating facets of quilting in her abstract painting.

What it lacks in big-city buzz, Penn State’s School of Visual Arts more than makes up for with engaged faculty, talented students, a supportive culture, and a track record of producing acclaimed, innovative artists. We asked five SoVA alums to share their work, and the inspiration behind it.

A highlight of the fourth annual Centre Film Festival, kicking off next week in State College and Philipsburg, Pa., is the return to Happy Valley of Stan Lathan, who will be honored for a visionary 50-year career as a director, producer, and Hollywood trailblazer.

Patrick Fabian quietly built a 30-year Hollywood career by being the right guy for all sorts of jobs. As Howard Hamlin in Better Call Saul, he finally found the one that let him shine.

Purple Lizard Maps helps locals and visitors plot their next adventure.

Dena Tauriello spent 20 years touring the world in the all-female rock band Antigone Rising. The New Jersey native stays closer to home in her latest gig: playing drums in the Broadway production of Hamilton.