Liberal Arts Experiences

Each Liberal Arts Experience is unique

But they all share similar traits: a sense of curiosity and exploration, a desire to learn and grow, and a yearning to make the world a better place. Experience some of that “experience” yourself through the stories of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Student Experiences

Read stories about our students making a difference on campus and in the community, and their experiences inside and beyond the classroom.

The conquest of the Americas is such a male-heavy story, but the matrilineal line doesn’t go away when Europeans arrive, and I found myself wanting to ask more questions in hopes of uncovering the story more. If matrilineal, what does this mean for how family is formed and how land is passed down?

Katherine Godfrey

Entrepreneur

David Hayes

’26

Criminology

Psychology (minor)

Criminology

Psychology (minor)

David has used some of his time at Penn State to become a budding entrepreneur. After completing his first year, he founded David’s Dough, a baking company specializing in made-from-scratch cookies. “I ran through my savings my first year and really wanted to find a job I loved and was good at. With a traditional job I felt as though I was simply trading time for money, so I tried figuring out what I loved and was good at. I began by just selling cookies to my friends at home and eventually took it here.”

Grad Research

Katherine Godfrey

History Post-Doc Teaching Fellow

Katherine Godfrey’s research examines how Indigenous matrilineal kinship networks shaped social and political life in early colonial Colombia. Her forthcoming book explores the critical yet often overlooked role of Indigenous women in supporting and influencing the Spanish Empire’s ambitions, challenging male-centered narratives of conquest. By centering women’s experiences, her work reveals new perspectives on identity, power, and colonial encounters in the early Americas.

Undergrad Research

Nicholas Banerjee

University of Edinburgh

Nicholas spent a summer in Scotland conducting workplace behavioral research, blending his backgrounds in psychology and labor and human resources. His work centered on fostering innovation and creativity in professional environments.

Undergrad Research

Caden Vitti

Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) Fellowship Program

The PIRE fellowship allowed Caden to travel to Puerto Rico to conduct research on how Spanish-English speakers who use both languages process the use of nonbinary pronouns.

Undergrad Research

Ena Altier

Cognitive Aging and Neuroimaging (CAN) Lab

Ena investigated how aging changes memory performance and the brain processes involved in remembering past experiences. “I do not think you necessarily need a lot of background experience,” she says about getting involved in research. “As long as you are willing to learn, focus, and help with tasks, you can set yourself up for success.”

Undergrad Research

Janae Sayler

Underrepresented Perspectives Lab

As a research assistant, Janae presented her findings about safety cues in health care for sexual and gender diverse populations. Her findings argued that safety cues in health care environments, such as name tags with pronouns or pride flags in offices, increased people’s sense of belonging and safety for their identity.

Entrepreneur

David Hayes

’26

Criminology

Psychology (minor)

Criminology

Psychology (minor)

Grad Research

Katherine Godfrey

History Post-Doc Teaching Fellow

Undergrad Research

Nicholas Banerjee

University of Edinburgh

Undergrad Research

Caden Vitti

Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) Fellowship Program

The PIRE fellowship allowed Caden to travel to Puerto Rico to conduct research on how Spanish-English speakers who use both languages process the use of nonbinary pronouns.

Undergrad Research

Ena Altier

Cognitive Aging and Neuroimaging (CAN) Lab

Undergrad Research

Janae Sayler

Underrepresented Perspectives Lab

Entrepreneur

David Hayes

’26

Criminology

Psychology (minor)

Criminology

Psychology (minor)

5,500

undergraduate students

800

students participating in out-of-classroom experiences

870

graduate students

1,500

undergraduates met with a career coach

events hosted by the Career Enrichment Network

of students identity as a member of a minority group

Most diverse college at Penn State University Park

Majors of Our Students

76%

social sciences

13%

humanities

languages

area and interdisciplinary studies

Faculty and Staff Experiences

Read stories about our faculty and the amazing work they do examining the past in order to make meaningful changes in the present that lead to a promising future, and the incredible staff who are so deeply committed to student, faculty, and alumni success.

Faculty Research

Mary Stuckey

Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences

Mary E. Stuckey’s research examines how presidential rhetoric shapes national identity and influences how people see themselves within political communities. Her work highlights how political language—through symbols like national parks or the Declaration of Independence—both reflects and shapes who we are as a nation.

Faculty Research

Jes Matsick

Associate Professor of Psychology and WGSS

Jes Matsick’s research explores how a sense of belonging impacts the mental and physical health of LGBTQ+ people, emphasizing that structural and interpersonal support are key to individual well-being. Through her work at the Underrepresented Perspectives Lab, Matsick is advancing research that helps LGBTQ+ individuals not only survive but thrive.

Faculty Research

Gabeba Baderoon

Associate Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, African Studies, and Comparative Literature

Gabeba Baderoon’s work blends poetry, scholarship, and personal narrative to explore themes of illness, memory, and identity. As a Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellow, she is writing a memoir in verse that grapples with the fragmented experience of concussion through interdisciplinary archives, landscapes, and language. Her project reflects a deep engagement with creative expression as a form of healing and critical inquiry.

Faculty Research

Julie Reed

Associate Professor of History

Julie Reed’s research centers on Cherokee history, Indigenous education, and the ways Native communities preserve and transmit knowledge across generations. Through her Mellon-funded training in applied Southeastern archaeology, she’s expanding her scholarship to include non-invasive archaeological methods that honor and elevate Indigenous voices. Her work reframes dominant narratives about Cherokee educational history and sovereignty while fostering more ethical, collaborative approaches to research with Native communities.

Faculty Research

Michael Naydan

Woskob Family Professor of Ukrainian Studies

Michael Naydan’s research and career center on translating and promoting Ukrainian literature and culture for English-speaking audiences. Through decades of collaborative translation work, mentorship, and scholarship, he has helped bring overlooked Ukrainian voices to global attention—especially vital during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Faculty Research

Jessamyn Abel

Associate Professor of Asian Studies

Jessamyn Abel’s research explores how major infrastructure projects and institutions in postwar Japan shaped cultural identity, national pride, and democratic values. Her award-winning book examines how the Tōkaidō Shinkansen bullet train symbolized Japan’s emergence as a modern, global power, while her current work investigates how everyday institutions fostered democratic participation after World War II.

Faculty Research

Mary Stuckey

Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences

Faculty Research

Jes Matsick

Associate Professor of Psychology and WGSS

Faculty Research

Gabeba Baderoon

Associate Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, African Studies, and Comparative Literature

Faculty Research

Julie Reed

Associate Professor of History

Faculty Research

Michael Naydan

Woskob Family Professor of Ukrainian Studies

Faculty Research

Jessamyn Abel

Associate Professor of Asian Studies

Faculty Research

Mary Stuckey

Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences

782 full-time faculty

325

tenured faculty

tenure-track faculty

374

non-tenure track faculty (full-time)

159

non-tenure track faculty (part-time)

122 Named and Distinguished Professors

named professors

Liberal Arts professors

distinguished professors

Sparks professors

early career professors and
career development professors

University
endowed fellows

Evan Pugh University
Professors

named deans chairs
and directorships

305

full-time staff

Alumni Experiences

Read stories about the incredible impact our alumni have on their alma mater, their professions, and the communities in which they live through their leadership, engagement, and philanthropy.

My style or way of mentorship is to give mentees the time and space to identify the things they are very passionate about and get them to a point where they can clearly articulate why they enjoy it, as when it comes down to any accomplishment and what you do after college, the common thread is what your interests are and what you want to do. My mentorship is a tool. The only reason I exist is to be an informational resource and a surface to bounce ideas off of. The mentee does the work to materialize it, and I direct them to appropriate grant opportunities, help them enhance their applications to programs or introduce them to other people.

Ben Stewart

HistoryInternational PoliticsMentorship

Najee Rodriguez

’23

International Politics

History

International Politics

History

Najee’s alumni mentor helped guide him toward internship opportunities. “As a first-generation college student, it was extremely difficult to acclimate to college. My mentor has made me feel confident about the future that I want to have for myself. The magnitude of impact that Sharon has had in my life is indescribable.”

Mentorship

Taylor Nelson

’17

Criminology

Information Systems and Statistical Analysis (minor)

Criminology

Information Systems and Statistical Analysis (minor)

During his time at Penn State, Taylor was involved in the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, where he was matched with a mentor who helped him prepare for life after graduation. Taylor’s mentor was a business owner, and was able to give Taylor valuable input on his resume and networking skills. Taylor visited his mentor at his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, company, where he talked to different employees and developed the confidence needed to pitch his background, education and professional goals.

AlumniMentorshipRussianSchreyer ScholarSpanish

Ben Stewart

’15

Russian

Spanish

Russian

Spanish

Ben has spent the last decade in Ukraine as an educator and translator helping others better understand history. After completing his bachelor’s degree at Penn State, Ben joined the Peace Corps as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Higher Education Volunteer in Ukraine. He continues to stay connected to Penn State as a mentor for the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program.

Enrichment FundingInternational ResearchUndergrad Research

Sarah Paterno

’22

Anthropology

Psychology

Anthropology

Psychology

Sarah received enrichment funding to spend two months on an archaeological excavation in Bolivia. “This project has taught me how archaeological research is carried out, and I believe it has prepared me for continuing research at a graduate level,” she said.

Career Enrichment NetworkCommunication Arts and SciencesEducation AbroadEnglishEnrichment FundingPaterno FellowsPhilosophyResearch

Daniel Zahn

’20

English

Philosophy

Communication Arts and Sciences

English

Philosophy

Communication Arts and Sciences

Paterno Fellow alumnus Daniel Zahn conducted linguistics research in Bassila, Benin, focusing on everyday language use. He received enrichment funding from the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network to support his experience.

Enrichment FundingGermanMultidisciplinary StudiesPaterno Fellows

Kiara Smith

Letters, Arts, and Sciences

Nutritional Sciences

German minor

Letters, Arts, and Sciences

Nutritional Sciences

German minor

Kiara spent a summer in Berlin earning credits towards her German minor. “The Paterno Fellows Program and the College of the Liberal Arts helped to fund my trip, which meant that while I was in Berlin I was able to focus more on my experiences and learning than on calculating and worrying about the cost of everything. Instead of staying in my room to save money, I went out and took day trips to places just outside of Berlin and a weekend trip out of Poland; I went to museums and cafes and bars where I got to meet Germans and make German friends.”

HistoryInternational PoliticsMentorship

Najee Rodriguez

’23

International Politics

History

International Politics

History

Mentorship

Taylor Nelson

’17

Criminology

Information Systems and Statistical Analysis (minor)

Criminology

Information Systems and Statistical Analysis (minor)

AlumniMentorshipRussianSchreyer ScholarSpanish

Ben Stewart

’15

Russian

Spanish

Russian

Spanish

Enrichment FundingInternational ResearchUndergrad Research

Sarah Paterno

’22

Anthropology

Psychology

Anthropology

Psychology

Career Enrichment NetworkCommunication Arts and SciencesEducation AbroadEnglishEnrichment FundingPaterno FellowsPhilosophyResearch

Daniel Zahn

’20

English

Philosophy

Communication Arts and Sciences

English

Philosophy

Communication Arts and Sciences

Enrichment FundingGermanMultidisciplinary StudiesPaterno Fellows

Kiara Smith

Letters, Arts, and Sciences

Nutritional Sciences

German minor

Letters, Arts, and Sciences

Nutritional Sciences

German minor

HistoryInternational PoliticsMentorship

Najee Rodriguez

’23

International Politics

History

International Politics

History

213

student/alumni mentoring relationships

100K

liberal arts alumni

760

donor-funded accounts in the college

$ 0 M+

provided in scholarships (2021–22)

$ 0 k

provided in enrichment funding last year

Liberal Arts Experiences

Each Liberal Arts Experience is unique

Student Experiences

Katherine Godfrey

Faculty and Staff Experiences

Jes Matsick

Alumni Experiences

Taylor Nelson

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