Alumni

photo of assorted clippings and artificats of the Alumni Association by Cardoni
Alumni

150 Years: Still Raising the Song

In the summer of 1869, Agricultural College of Pennsylvania President Thomas Burrowes invited alumni back to campus. Friends from the Class of 1866 enjoyed that reunion so much, they met again the following year to make official their lasting allegiance to one another and to the institution they loved. One hundred and fifty years later, the organization they founded has evolved to be the largest of its kind in the world, connecting alumni, supporting students, and helping lift the university to new heights.
Robyn Rydzy '95 Com
illustration of intricately intertwined highways around Old Main at University Park with a station wagon bearing a blue Penn State banner driving away from campus, by Aaron Meshon
Alumni

Change for the Better

The road to success has its share of unexpected detours, but as your stories of switching careers and majors make clear, Penn Staters find ways to adapt.
Robyn Rydzy '95 Com
photo of AccuwWeather building on a sunny day by Vern Horst/AccuWeather
Alumni

Winning at Weather

Innovation, competition, and a passion for forecasting are at the heart of Joel Myers’ six decades of success with AccuWeather.
Ryan Jones '95 Com
Deanna Figurito courtesy
Alumni

On-the-Job Training

LionLink Projects pairs students with alumni to provide real-world experience and connections.
Robyn Rydzy '95 Com
John Kimmich smelling a handful of bright green hops on the left and closeup of hops on the right, photo by Greta Rybus
Alumni
From the Archives

Water into Gold

From our November/December 2014 issue: Three years after a hurricane washed away his Vermont brewpub, Alchemist Brewery founder John Kimmich is thriving on his own stubborn terms. Meet the man behind behind Heady Topper, a curious concoction that might just be the world’s best beer.
Denise Dowling
Penn State College of Medicine alums Elana McDonald and Delana Wardlaw in matching pink shirts that say Twin Sister Docs, courtesy
Alumni

Doctor, Doctor

The COVID-19 pandemic provided twin sisters and Penn State College of Medicine alums Elana McDonald and Delana Wardlaw a platform to expand their reach in improving health care access and outcomes in their Philadelphia community, and beyond.
Savita Iyer
Gen. Gary Brito, U.S. Army photo by Jean Wines
Alumni

Embracing the Mission

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.
Erin Strout ’97 Com
Lisa Harpster and John Schaffer at their Antifragile Brewing Co., courtesy
Alumni

Crafting Chaos

Lisa Harpster and John Schaffer tap into the craft beer market with a new downtown brewery.
Jeff Rice '03 Com
La Mort 2022 by Devan Shimoyama, courtesy
Alumni

SoVA, So Good: Devan Shimoyama

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.
Ryan Jones '95 Com
Magical Landscape 2022 by Lauren Luloff
Alumni

SoVA, So Good: Lauren Luloff

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.
Ryan Jones '95 Com
Joelle Dietrick's 2012 work Sherwin's Wall fused images of foreclosed homes with colors from a line of house paints released just before the 2008 housing bubble, courtesy Dietrick
Alumni

SoVA, So Good: Joelle Dietrick

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.
Ryan Jones '95 Com