It was supposed to be a who’s who gathering of star-gazing researchers, but like so much else last summer, the first Penn State Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence symposium scheduled last July at University Park was postponed due to the pandemic.

Gene Woods never gave up on music, even as he rose to the level of CEO at a major health care system. Now, the former State College bar band staple is using his talent to spread a message of positivity that aligns perfectly with his approach to work and life.

The just-completed fall semester brought unprecedented challenges for students, faculty, and staff across the university. We asked some of them to share their stories of life on (and off) campus in the time of remote learning, social distancing, and anxiety around the ongoing pandemic.

When Jesse Arnelle arrived at Penn State in 1951, he already possessed the build of a world-class athlete. Arnelle was 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds when he came to University Park from New Rochelle, N.Y., to play both basketball and football.