Dean's Messages Archive

The number of activities packed into the second half of the spring semester never ceases to amaze me. When we return from spring break in mid-March, it is full speed ahead until commencement during the first weekend of May. This year, we are thrilled to welcome back Architecture alumnus John Hoke, chief design officer at Nike, as our commencement speaker. I will facilitate an interview and Q&A with John, open to the public, at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 5, in Paterno Library’s Foster Auditorium (watch our social media for details on how you can tune in virtually). John was just named a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor the University presents to its alumni. We are so happy John will return to campus to share stories about some of his experiences in the design and corporate worlds.

While we are looking forward to John’s visit, we cannot overlook all of the activities in April. On April 5, we have the President’s Concert, featuring the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Essence of Joy, at Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh. The event includes a pre-concert reception hosted by the Penn State Alumni Association and President Neeli Bendapudi. In addition, we are offering complimentary concert tickets to K-12 students and their families. The President’s Concert is always an evening full of great music, networking, and reconnecting with other alumni. I hope to see you there.

Other April highlights include our annual College Awards Ceremony on April 14, and the return of the Arts and Architecture Alumni Society’s Blue-White Tailgate on April 15 at the Korner Tower Terrace (register in advance here). We are grateful to be able to host this event again, and we look forward to welcoming back alumni who may not have been able to visit campus during the pandemic.

Of course we do not slow down after spring commencement. Penn State Centre Stage will host the “One Night on Broadway” fundraiser on May 15. This event features some of our alumni who have performed on the Great White Way. Throughout the spring semester the Palmer Museum of Art has been preparing to move into the new building at the Arboretum, and will host a members-only “Moving to the Future” party on May 12. The museum building on Curtin Road will close to the public at the end of the spring semester.

As spring transitions into summer, the excitement continues. Penn’s Woods Music Festival will be back again in June. And before we know it, it will be time for the college to host another big event this fall—the annual conference of the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru). The conference will be a tremendous opportunity for us to highlight the amazing research and creative activity happening in the College of Arts and Architecture.

I hope you are enjoying the spring season and look forward to seeing you at an alumni event soon.