AA Dean

It’s spring in Happy Valley. That means it’s time for the flurry of activity that comes with the end of the academic year: the college awards ceremony, year-end critiques and exhibitions, the annual President’s Concert, and, of course, commencement ceremonies for undergraduate and graduate students. These are exciting end-of-year events and the sense of celebration and accomplishment is palpable.

If you are in the Philadelphia area, please join us for this year’s President’s Concert, to be held on April 3 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse Square. If you are able to attend the performance, you will be treated to an evening that demonstrates the diversity of creative activity in the School of Music, with performances by the Early Music Ensemble, Opera Theatre, and Brass Ensemble. We are grateful to President Bendapudi and the Alumni Association for partnering with the School of Music and the College of Arts and Architecture on this annual concert that brings together alumni and friends throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

On April 25, the celebration of Eisenhower Auditorium’s 50^th anniversary concludes with “50 Forward: Beethoven’s Ninth Revisited,” featuring School of Music ensembles as well as special guests, including alumna and soprano Lisa Marie Rogali, who was recently featured in the Penn Stater magazine.

If you are planning to attend the “50 Forward” concert, you can take advantage of the college’s new Arts Ticket Center app. We are thrilled to offer this app, as it will simplify your ticket-buying experience, allowing you to browse events, buy and manage tickets, and plan your visit to campus. Supported organizations include the Center for the Performing Arts, Penn State Centre Stage, School of Music, Penn’s Woods, and a variety of other University, community, and promoter organizations. We are grateful to the Center for the Performing Arts staff who worked to bring this app to fruition.

As we move – with what feels like lightning speed – toward the end of the spring semester, I would be remiss if I did not mention our annual college awards ceremony. The ceremony is open to the public and will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, in the Recital Hall. At the ceremony we recognize college-level student, faculty, and staff award winners, as well as individuals who have received University-level awards. This special event is also a celebration of the hard work, talent, and creativity of our college community. I encourage you to attend if you are in town, or view the livestream at intranet.arts.psu.edu/livestream/.

While commencement is typically thought of as an event reserved for graduates and their families, in 2022 we launched “Onward and Upward: Conversations with Commencement Speakers,” to provide a broader audience to engage with our commencement speakers. Each year, in collaboration with the College of the Liberal Arts, we host a public conversation in which I interview that year’s speaker. For 2025, we are thrilled to welcome Integrative Arts alumnus and accomplished entertainment venue promoter Mark Shulman. Please join us at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 9, in the Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, or catch the livestream: arts.psu.edu/mark.

I have focused on a few of our many upcoming events, but I also want to direct your attention to the other content in this issue. We make an effort to provide a cross-section of news and features from across the college, highlighting awards and accomplishments, as well as the creative and innovative work of our students and faculty and staff members. Please take the time to read about our new arts entrepreneurship minor, our two new distinguished professors, and our faculty member who designed sets for a Disney cruise ship – just to name a few.

Thank you, as always for your support. I hope to see you on campus soon.