Dean's Messages Archive

Engagement. Outreach. Student Success. Impact. Collaboration. That’s what we celebrated on September 19, when we joined with Penn State Outreach for a donor appreciation event to recognize donors who support student scholarships and arts and cultural programming. A highlight of the event was the presentation of Penn State Outreach’s Fischer Award of Distinction to our own Bobbi Korner, dean emerita, and her late husband Jim, who were ardent supporters of the outreach and engagement efforts of our college and Penn State Outreach during their time here on campus. Brava, Bobbi!

It was a joy to collaborate with Penn State Outreach for this year’s event. The collaboration allowed us to highlight how many of our efforts align and to showcase the work of our students to a new audience. Scattered throughout the event space in the Palmer Museum of Art was evidence of why we do what we do – students speaking animatedly about their work, demonstrating academic and research excellence along with a contagious energy that reminds us all that we are #makingpossibilitiespossible.

Speaking of excellence … the night before the donor appreciation event, we celebrated our annual Alumni Award winners with a ceremony and reception at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center. This year’s recipients were George Ehringer (Architecture), Janalee Emmer (Art History), Luke Gall (Music Education), Rebecca Kamen (Art Education), Kate Pappas (Theatre), Eric Yeamans (Graphic Design), and Meesh Zucker (Landscape Architecture). We also presented the inaugural GOLD – Graduate of the Last Decade – Award to Marissa Guarriello (Music Education), an assistant professor of music and human learning at the University of Texas at Austin who was named one of Yamaha’s “40 Under 40” Music Educators in the United States in 2025.

Our donor appreciation event and Alumni Awards ceremony are always a highlight of the fall semester. It is a time for gratitude and celebration, as well as reflecting on accomplishments and looking toward the future. I am confident our future is bright, thanks to an amazing college community – including our alumni and friends – who inspire me on a daily basis.

While we have a full schedule of performances, exhibitions, and lectures on our college calendar, I want to mention a special event featuring a member of our extended college community. In response to my priority of elevating the influence and visibility of the college, we will host actor and producer Delroy Lindo for a series of events October 7–8. I will sit down to interview him at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7, at the Penn State Downtown Theatre. After the interview, a Q&A session will be moderated by Wanda Knight, head of the Department of African American Studies and professor of art education, African American studies, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and bioethics. Lindo will also lead a workshop with School of Theatre acting students on Wednesday, October 8, 4:30–6 p.m., facilitated by Wendell Franklin and Steve Snyder, associate professors in the School of Theatre. Lindo’s visit is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Architecture, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, and the College of the Liberal Arts (see this news release for more details on his visit).

Thank you, as always, for your support and engagement with the College of Arts and Architecture. Together, we are #makingpossibilitiespossible.