From the Archives

Space Cadet

From our Sept/Oct '17 issue: As a member of NASA's new astronaut class, Zena Cardman knows the sky is no limit at all.
Robyn Rydzy '95 Com

The Great (Blue and) White Way

From our September/October 2015 issue: On stage and off, Penn State theatre alums are making their names in Broadway and national productions. Meet the stage managers, scene stealers, and behind-the-scenes players who got their start in Happy Valley.
Ryan Jones '95 Com

From the Archives: Just a Mountain

From the May/June 2001 issue: It’s not particularly large. It’s not on campus. And it doesn’t really belong to Penn State. So why do we care so much about Mount Nittany?
Alice Crawley Skipton ’00 MFA Lib

Tombstones: The Stuff of Life

From the March 1973 Penn Stater: Legendary physicist Erwin Mueller shares stories of his scientific inventions, his introduction to Penn State, and how he used science to turn tombstones to bread in post–World War II Germany.

What a Trip

From our September/October 2014 issue: A sleepless night. Broken elevators. Pizza for breakfast. What better way to prepare for the toughest game of the year? Twenty years ago this fall, the Nittany Lions went to Illinois with an unblemished record and dreams of a national championship. They came home with memories of a farcical road trip and an unforgettable win.
Ryan Jones '95 Com

The Long Game

From our November/December 2014 issue: They were categorized as “extramurals.” They were discouraged from being too competitive. They made their own pregame meals. Fifty years after the humblest of beginnings, Penn State’s first women athletes look back on the their time as unwitting pioneers.
Lori Shontz ’91 Lib, ’13 MEd Edu WC

Method Over Madness

From our March/April 2020 issue: Renowned biochemist Paul Berg won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research on recombinant DNA, but his true legacy might be as a voice of caution in an era of dizzying—and sometimes terrifying—scientific progress.
Michael Weinreb ’94 Com

Love at Penn State

From our Jan/Feb '18 issue: We asked you about love—how, when, and where you fell in love on campus. We wanted to know what sparked your love, how it grew, and whether it endured. You responded with tales that were tender, funny, sweet, happy, and sad. Here’s a sampling of the stories we received.
Savita Iyer

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

Overwhelming Force

From our May/June 2015 issue: The most dominant program in college athletics offers no scholarships and competes in a sport most Americans don’t really understand. None of which bothers the women of the nine-time national champion Penn State rugby team. They’re too busy bulldozing all comers, and having a blast along the way.
Ryan Jones '95 Com

A Moveable Feast

From our November/December 2015 issue: In a month-long culinary excursion across University Park, the author discovered fresh vegetables, internationally trained chefs, staggering variety, and some really good food. From the dining halls to the HUB and dozens of spots in between, this is not your parents’ college grub.
Ryan Jones '95 Com