The Penn Stater Magazine
@pennstatermag.com
The official magazine of the Penn State Alumni Association. Great stories about great Penn Staters.
Kitchen Chemistry, says Linlin Jensen, a teaching professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science, is designed to “teach better chemistry and improve students’ understanding of how chemistry relates to their daily lives.” Read more about this Cool Class: pennstatermag.com/Chem5 #WeAre
Cool Class: CHEM 5 Kitchen Chemistry
Linlin Jensen is taking the "fear" out of chemistry by putting it in the kitchen.
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December 18, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Kitchen Chemistry, says Linlin Jensen, a teaching professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science, is designed to “teach better chemistry and improve students’ understanding of how chemistry relates to their daily lives.” Read more about this Cool Class: pennstatermag.com/Chem5 #WeAre
Catch up with Caroline Jurevicius, who shares her gratitude for being able to play volleyball at PSU after watching games here as a child & what it's like to play alongside her sister & under the influence of her dad, All-Big Ten & NFL WR Joe Jurevicius ’97 H&HD: pennstatermag.com/jurevicius #WeAre
Nittany Lion Spotlight: Caroline Jurevicius
The sophomore outside hitter enjoys gaining and imparting knowledge of sports.
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December 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Catch up with Caroline Jurevicius, who shares her gratitude for being able to play volleyball at PSU after watching games here as a child & what it's like to play alongside her sister & under the influence of her dad, All-Big Ten & NFL WR Joe Jurevicius ’97 H&HD: pennstatermag.com/jurevicius #WeAre
Jennifer Kowalkowski, an asst. prof. in the Nese College of Nursing, is developing a conceptual model to explain how farm owner-operators experience & respond to occupational stress, in hopes of improving farmers' situations. Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre #PennStaterMag
Better Mental Health Care for Farmers
A Penn State nursing professor is working to address the mental strain that leads many farmers to depression.
pennstatermag.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Jennifer Kowalkowski, an asst. prof. in the Nese College of Nursing, is developing a conceptual model to explain how farm owner-operators experience & respond to occupational stress, in hopes of improving farmers' situations. Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre #PennStaterMag
"Each year, someone on the [Renaissance Interest House] floor would design a logo & we’d have shirts printed up." Margaret Hack Merlino ’85 Bus shared the story of her Renaissance House sweatshirt for this issue's Item of Note. Share your unique item & story at itemofnote@psu.edu. #WeAre #PennStater
December 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
"Each year, someone on the [Renaissance Interest House] floor would design a logo & we’d have shirts printed up." Margaret Hack Merlino ’85 Bus shared the story of her Renaissance House sweatshirt for this issue's Item of Note. Share your unique item & story at itemofnote@psu.edu. #WeAre #PennStater
The Bryce Jordan Center is home to concerts & other events in addition to men’s & women’s basketball games. Here are the most popular food & beverage items consumed last year in the BJC:
31,830: Pounds of Chicken Tenders
59,359: Soft Pretzels
5.9 million: Fluid ounces of nonalcoholic beverages
31,830: Pounds of Chicken Tenders
59,359: Soft Pretzels
5.9 million: Fluid ounces of nonalcoholic beverages
December 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The Bryce Jordan Center is home to concerts & other events in addition to men’s & women’s basketball games. Here are the most popular food & beverage items consumed last year in the BJC:
31,830: Pounds of Chicken Tenders
59,359: Soft Pretzels
5.9 million: Fluid ounces of nonalcoholic beverages
31,830: Pounds of Chicken Tenders
59,359: Soft Pretzels
5.9 million: Fluid ounces of nonalcoholic beverages
At the height of WW II...a correspondent asked a G.I., “Where would you rather be right now, soldier?” And radio listeners heard the young man reply, “I’d rather be in State College, Pennsylvania...at the Rathskeller.” From our Nov/Dec '75 issue: pennstatermag.com/Rathskeller #WeAre #PennStaterMag
2,184 Fridays at the All-American Rathskeller
The cover feature from the Penn Stater’s November/December 1975 issue relays the humble beginnings and early All-American enthusiasts of State College’s oldest saloon.
pennstatermag.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:00 AM
At the height of WW II...a correspondent asked a G.I., “Where would you rather be right now, soldier?” And radio listeners heard the young man reply, “I’d rather be in State College, Pennsylvania...at the Rathskeller.” From our Nov/Dec '75 issue: pennstatermag.com/Rathskeller #WeAre #PennStaterMag
Read about two of the players most responsible for the recent success of the Penn State women's hockey team & how they made history this summer by being the first two Nittany Lions drafted by the Professional Women’s Hockey League: pennstatermag.com/sports/two-s... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater
Two for the Show
Hockey alums Brianna Brooks and Lyndie Lobdell are ready to make their mark in the PWHL.
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December 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Read about two of the players most responsible for the recent success of the Penn State women's hockey team & how they made history this summer by being the first two Nittany Lions drafted by the Professional Women’s Hockey League: pennstatermag.com/sports/two-s... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater
Meet the Greens, a Detroit alumni couple thriving on unlikely career paths they've forged together--she's a Pulitzer-nominated, James Beard Journalism Award-winning food writer, he's a HS football coach. Last year, they welcomed their son on Thanksgiving day: pennstatermag.com/alumni/bound... #WeAre
Bound and Determined
Marcus and Lyndsay Green couldn’t have guessed the twists their career paths have taken, but thanks to big dreams, a shared resilience, and a willingness to evolve, both are thriving—much like the…
pennstatermag.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Meet the Greens, a Detroit alumni couple thriving on unlikely career paths they've forged together--she's a Pulitzer-nominated, James Beard Journalism Award-winning food writer, he's a HS football coach. Last year, they welcomed their son on Thanksgiving day: pennstatermag.com/alumni/bound... #WeAre
Writing contemporary thrillers didn’t prepare Paul Levine '69 Com for the demands of historical fiction. Read more about the crime drama author's experience producing Midnight Burning, inspired by a 1931 photo of Albert Einstein & Charlie Chaplin in tuxedos: pennstatermag.com/my-thoughts-... #WeAre
Plot Twist
Embracing an unexpected detour into historical fiction.
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November 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Writing contemporary thrillers didn’t prepare Paul Levine '69 Com for the demands of historical fiction. Read more about the crime drama author's experience producing Midnight Burning, inspired by a 1931 photo of Albert Einstein & Charlie Chaplin in tuxedos: pennstatermag.com/my-thoughts-... #WeAre
Penn State's men’s club water polo team has been competitive on the national stage, winning 12 Mid-Atlantic Division regional championships since 1998 & finishing in the top 10 in 8 of the last 9 national championships. Read more: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater
November 21, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Penn State's men’s club water polo team has been competitive on the national stage, winning 12 Mid-Atlantic Division regional championships since 1998 & finishing in the top 10 in 8 of the last 9 national championships. Read more: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater
Wherever in the world you made an unexpected PSU connection, we want to hear about it! Send us your small-world stories (250 words or less) of meeting fellow Nittany Lions far from Happy Valley at pennstater@psu.edu by Friday 12/5, & we’ll include as many as we can in an upcoming issue. #WeAre
November 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Wherever in the world you made an unexpected PSU connection, we want to hear about it! Send us your small-world stories (250 words or less) of meeting fellow Nittany Lions far from Happy Valley at pennstater@psu.edu by Friday 12/5, & we’ll include as many as we can in an upcoming issue. #WeAre
Scarlett Miller leads the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation, which is dedicated to advancing the real estate industry through cross-disciplinary collaboration. Read more about how it's making the built environment more sustainable & equitable: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre
Q&A: Scarlett Miller
Scarlett Miller leads the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation.
pennstatermag.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Scarlett Miller leads the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation, which is dedicated to advancing the real estate industry through cross-disciplinary collaboration. Read more about how it's making the built environment more sustainable & equitable: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre
In Fotis Sotiropoulos’ first statement to the PSU community upon his start as the university’s new exec VP & provost in August, the proud alum pledged to “lead with a commitment to the many expressions of excellence that define Penn State. Read our Q&A: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre
Into the Future
Fotis Sotiropoulos knows that rapidly advancing technology promises changes for higher education. In response, the university’s new provost is mapping out ways to make all Penn Staters “future-proof.”
pennstatermag.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:30 PM
In Fotis Sotiropoulos’ first statement to the PSU community upon his start as the university’s new exec VP & provost in August, the proud alum pledged to “lead with a commitment to the many expressions of excellence that define Penn State. Read our Q&A: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe... #WeAre
Gary Brito '86 H&HD is a four-star general in the U.S. Army & a 2025 recipient of the Alumni Fellow Award, the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. In recognition of Veterans Day, revisit our Jan/Feb '23 feature story on General Brito: pennstatermag.com/collections/...
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.
pennstatermag.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Gary Brito '86 H&HD is a four-star general in the U.S. Army & a 2025 recipient of the Alumni Fellow Award, the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. In recognition of Veterans Day, revisit our Jan/Feb '23 feature story on General Brito: pennstatermag.com/collections/...
Engineering prof Sanjay Joshi already had a 180-gallon fish tank in his basement at home as a hobby when Josh Nagel ’97 Sci approached him back in the early 1990s about adding an aquarium to the HUB as part of a class project. Read more: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/... #WeAre #PennStaterMag
November 7, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Engineering prof Sanjay Joshi already had a 180-gallon fish tank in his basement at home as a hobby when Josh Nagel ’97 Sci approached him back in the early 1990s about adding an aquarium to the HUB as part of a class project. Read more: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/... #WeAre #PennStaterMag
Michael McShane ’09 Sci, ’14 MD Medicine, assoc. prof. in the Penn State College of Medicine, & a group of students & faculty have been providing "tailgate" medical care out of an Airstream trailer--just one way PSU is addressing a rural health care crisis: pennstatermag.com/collections/... #WeAre
Caring for the Commonwealth
Penn State is addressing a rural health care crisis with innovative approaches to training doctors, gathering data, and delivering treatment to the state’s most vulnerable communities.
pennstatermag.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Michael McShane ’09 Sci, ’14 MD Medicine, assoc. prof. in the Penn State College of Medicine, & a group of students & faculty have been providing "tailgate" medical care out of an Airstream trailer--just one way PSU is addressing a rural health care crisis: pennstatermag.com/collections/... #WeAre
As part of her Schreyer Honors College undergrad thesis last year, Divya Tyagi ’24 Eng Hon tackled a century-old math problem: optimizing the power of wind turbines. She spent months refining calculus variations before simplifying the problem to 3 exact solutions: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/...
Everyday People: Divya Tyagi
A 100-year-old theory in wind energy went unchallenged until grad student Divya Tyagi reimagined it.
pennstatermag.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
As part of her Schreyer Honors College undergrad thesis last year, Divya Tyagi ’24 Eng Hon tackled a century-old math problem: optimizing the power of wind turbines. She spent months refining calculus variations before simplifying the problem to 3 exact solutions: pennstatermag.com/campus-life/...
For generations of Penn Staters, Mike “The Mailman” Herr turned a mundane trip to the post office into a treat. While you’re waiting to pick up a copy of the memoir he recently published with his daughter, check out our 2016 feature “The Mayor of 16802”: pennstatermag.com/campus-life-... #WeAre
October 31, 2025 at 12:30 AM
For generations of Penn Staters, Mike “The Mailman” Herr turned a mundane trip to the post office into a treat. While you’re waiting to pick up a copy of the memoir he recently published with his daughter, check out our 2016 feature “The Mayor of 16802”: pennstatermag.com/campus-life-... #WeAre
The Nov/Dec '25 issue of the Penn Stater magazine is online now & in member mailboxes soon. Features include a look at how PSU is addressing the rural health care crisis; an alumni couple’s story of carving unexpected career paths; & an interview with Penn State’s new provost: pennstatermag.com.
October 30, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The Nov/Dec '25 issue of the Penn Stater magazine is online now & in member mailboxes soon. Features include a look at how PSU is addressing the rural health care crisis; an alumni couple’s story of carving unexpected career paths; & an interview with Penn State’s new provost: pennstatermag.com.
"I remember the atmosphere just being pins and needles, like, this is going to be a showdown..." From lead-up to celebration, former Nittany Lion receiver Deon Butler ’08 Lib looks back on the 2005 Ohio State game: pennstatermag.com/sports/their... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #NittanyLions
In Their Words: Deon Butler
The former Nittany Lion receiver looks back on the stadium-shaking 2005 defeat of Ohio State.
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October 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
"I remember the atmosphere just being pins and needles, like, this is going to be a showdown..." From lead-up to celebration, former Nittany Lion receiver Deon Butler ’08 Lib looks back on the 2005 Ohio State game: pennstatermag.com/sports/their... #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #NittanyLions
Then & Now: In the first photo, Paul Heppner ’82 EMS delivers a weather report in the campus weather service studio in the early 1980s, while Fred Gadomski ’83 EMS works the camera. In the second, Gavin Sandel ’25 EMS delivers a full-color forecast in March 2025. #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater
October 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Then & Now: In the first photo, Paul Heppner ’82 EMS delivers a weather report in the campus weather service studio in the early 1980s, while Fred Gadomski ’83 EMS works the camera. In the second, Gavin Sandel ’25 EMS delivers a full-color forecast in March 2025. #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater
PSU offers 11,000+ undergraduate courses each year. Here are a few “class” superlatives: 726: Seats in Thomas 100, the largest classroom at University Park; 347: Sections of ENGL 15 for fall 2025, the most of any course; & 10,154: Miles from UP to Melbourne, Australia, the farthest class from PA.
October 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
PSU offers 11,000+ undergraduate courses each year. Here are a few “class” superlatives: 726: Seats in Thomas 100, the largest classroom at University Park; 347: Sections of ENGL 15 for fall 2025, the most of any course; & 10,154: Miles from UP to Melbourne, Australia, the farthest class from PA.
Geography professor Ida Djenontin says restoration [of degraded lands] by local smallholder farming communities becomes a strategy that can achieve multiple objectives—at the local level for vital sustainability needs, but also at the global level: Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe...
Ensuring Sustainable Land
Local efforts to restore degraded lands have global benefits, says geography professor Ida Djenontin.
pennstatermag.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Geography professor Ida Djenontin says restoration [of degraded lands] by local smallholder farming communities becomes a strategy that can achieve multiple objectives—at the local level for vital sustainability needs, but also at the global level: Read more: pennstatermag.com/faculty-expe...
Free hits are awarded to field hockey teams when the opponent commits a minor infraction and can quickly shift the momentum of the game. Senior midfielder Sophia Mannino breaks down the common causes of a free hit & what the Nittany Lions do to capitalize on them: pennstatermag.com/sports/chalk...
Chalk Talk: Sophia Mannino
Learn about field hockey free hits from the senior midfielder.
pennstatermag.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Free hits are awarded to field hockey teams when the opponent commits a minor infraction and can quickly shift the momentum of the game. Senior midfielder Sophia Mannino breaks down the common causes of a free hit & what the Nittany Lions do to capitalize on them: pennstatermag.com/sports/chalk...
Current students share favorite tailgating memories. Alums, what are yours? #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #NittanyLions #PSUHomecoming
Video by Penn Stater intern Sarah Grosch.
Video by Penn Stater intern Sarah Grosch.
October 10, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Current students share favorite tailgating memories. Alums, what are yours? #WeAre #PennStaterMag #PennStater #NittanyLions #PSUHomecoming
Video by Penn Stater intern Sarah Grosch.
Video by Penn Stater intern Sarah Grosch.