MAIN PHOTO: This adorable duo was among the first new arrivals of lambing season—a sure sign of pending spring—at the Penn State Beef and Sheep Center at University Park. Photo by Patrick Mansell/Penn State.
EVERYDAY PEOPLE
Schreyer Scholar George Kadavil is making the most of his college experience. Read the full profile by Amy Strauss Downey '04 Lib.
CLUB HOPPING
Food Chemistry Club
Founded: 2019
Current membership: 20–30
Mission: To offer participants a new perspective on the chemistry associated with food and cooking.
The Food Chemistry Club at University Park meets roughly every other week at a kitchen in Whitmore Lab to run educational—and delicious—experiments that show members the science behind how ingredients in common dishes interact with each other to produce some uncommon results. For example, the club recently made cookies using sun butter, which contains chlorophyll that turns the cookies green overnight—or, if too much salt was added, immediately. Other experiments have included using various types of baking soda to see how they changed proteins in the dishes; color-changing pasta; and glow-in-the-dark jelly. The main idea is to give every student who attends a session a chance to taste what they’ve created that day. “Our main hook for other students is that we eat,” says club president Corrie Porter.
WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?
Q: How is it determined which courses are offered during summer sessions?
A: Generally, whether a course is offered in the summer is up to the academic colleges and depends on factors such as student demand, faculty availability, and whether that course would help students make timely progress on their degrees. Many summer courses are part of the Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) for incoming freshmen, which is now in its 30th year and includes required courses such as ENGL 15 and CAS 100. LEAP offers courses from every college, and most of them are general education courses, says Kelly Griffith ’17 PhD Edu, the director of the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success. “There are a handful that are more specific to major requirements.” Griffith oversaw the Office of Summer Sessions, which will be housed under the Chaiken Center after this summer and will continue to manage LEAP as well as the Student Transitional Experiences Program (STEP) for change-of-campus students. While summer sessions are useful to new students, some colleges, including the Smeal College of Business, also offer courses seniors need to graduate so they don’t have to come back in the fall, says Smeal Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Jennifer Eury ’05 Com, ’07 MEd, ’14 PhD Edu, ’14 MS Bus. And any Penn State student who wishes to take a summer course at a campus different from their fall/spring campus can do so without enrolling at the other campus. “It gives students a lot of options,” Griffith says.
REMINISCING
What was your favorite place to take a date?
“We went to our favorite booth in the front window section of The Corner Room. Hamburger and a milkshake. We attended Alumni Weekend in 2024 and sat in our favorite booth. What a great feeling after many years!”
Lanny Karns ’64 EMS and Theresa (Otto) Karns ’65 Edu
“As cliché as it sounds, definitely The Corner Room! There was something about the walkability and affordability that made it a great date spot.”
Sean Goheen ’11 Lib Hon, ’23 MBA Bus
“Best first, and several after, were at the ice-skating rink and the Deli for hot cocoa and dessert.”
Traci Rindom ’82 Lib
“My favorite place has to be Elixr since it has a very peaceful yet uplifting vibe, making it the perfect spot to bring a date and get to know them more.”
Milap Atul Mistry ’25 Sci
“Living in Erie, the easiest and cheapest place to take a date was the Presque Isle beaches.”
John Signorino ’74 H&HD Behrend
Illustrations by Joel Kimmel.
THEN & NOW
Diplomas
The first 11 Penn State diplomas were awarded in the spring of 1861, when the university was known as the Farmers’ High School. The other two students in the above photo withdrew before graduation to join Gen. William T. Sherman’s bodyguard in the Civil War. In 2024, more than 22,000 new graduates received their diplomas during commencement ceremonies (below).
COMMON WEALTH
Highlights from four Commonwealth campuses.
Berks
The Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE) was established to encourage the development of cultural identity among students through events and educational programming and promote a more diverse and inclusive environment at the college. The office is open to all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, ability, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and staff plan to offer co-curricular experiences with faculty on student programming to help build a sense of self-awareness, pride, and belonging through community-building at the college.
Dickinson
Penn State Dickinson Law Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway was voted 2025 president-elect of the Association of American Law Schools and will serve one year in the role. She is the first Penn State academic leader to hold an executive leadership position within AALS, and her election follows time spent on the AALS Executive Committee and AALS Steering Committee. In 2020, Conway was a co-recipient of the inaugural AALS Impact Award, which honors individuals or groups who have had a significant positive impact on legal education or the legal profession.
Great Valley
The campus’s Master of Engineering Management program ranked third in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs list, while its Master of Software Engineering program and Master of Engineering in Engineering Systems programs both ranked fourth in the Master’s of Engineering Programs category of the report. Its information technology programs, including graduate programs in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and information science, ranked No. 6 in the nation in the Master’s of Information Technology Programs category.
Harrisburg
The campus launched the Pennsylvania Center for Latino Research (PaCLR), a center within the college’s Institute of State and Regional Affairs that focuses on empowering communities and driving interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle key issues across Pennsylvania. The center supports Hispanic and Latino communities by conducting research to inform public policy related to community development and helps bring together faculty, government and industry leaders, professionals, and community leaders in supporting informed decision-making and public policy development.
THE BIG 3
The Penn State Golf Courses are a busy place during the spring and summer months. Here are a few numbers that illustrate the activity:
1.6 million: Estimated balls hit per year at the driving range
70,000: Rounds per year at Blue and White Courses combined
20: Estimated yearly average of holes-in-one on the two courses
Illustrations by Joel Kimmel.
