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.
Being able to apply the Spanish that I’ve learned in Spain was extremely helpful. With my career, I want to be an occupational therapist, so I think being able to connect with patients who are Spanish-speaking is going to be extremely valuable.
Diana Lopez
Chapel InternsInternship
Jiawen Zhang
Economics
|
Energy, Business, and Finance
|
Philosophy
|
African Studies
|
Sociology (minor)
Economics
Energy, Business, and Finance
Philosophy
African Studies
Sociology (minor)
Jiawen interned with KPMG in China over summer 2025. There she worked on multiple client projects, including Shanghai’s tourism sector, by investigating how hospitality businesses navigate regulatory and market fluctuations. “The internship helped me recognize how private sector insights can inform effective public policy, particularly in areas like healthcare systems and international business regulation.”
Chapel InternsInternship
Bobby Zahorsky
’26
Economics
Economics
During his internship with JPMorgan Chase, Bobby worked on the cash equities client services and soft dollar teams. His internship went so well that he received a return offer in 2026.
Chapel InternsInternship
Tahfiq Williams
’26
Economics
Economics
As a finance Intern at Hirtle Callaghan this summer, Tahfiq worked under three main teams: investment strategy, portfolio management, and reporting. He spent the bulk of his time with the investment strategy team, doing analysis, research, and modeling on private equity firms, managers, and funds.
Chapel InternsInternship
Bailey Ware
’26
Labor and Human Resources
Labor and Human Resources
Bailey worked as a human resources intern for PNC Bank’s accommodations team, over the summer. She worked on cases that involved speaking to PNC employees and understanding their ADA-protected medical conditions—including getting employees the supports they needed to thrive at work.
Chapel InternsInternship
Matthew Tokarz
’26
Economics
|
Finance
|
Sustainability Leadership (minor)
Economics
Finance
Sustainability Leadership (minor)
During an eight-week summer internship with RSM Philadelphia, Matthew learned about RSM’s culture, interacted with other interns in different service lines, and gained real experience in business valuation. The experience utilized many of the skills he has been learning in his economics and finance classes—in particular, market data and company financials.
Chapel InternsInternship
Kieran Schug
’26
Spanish
|
Animal Science
Spanish
Animal Science
Kieran worked with Mountaire Farms over summer 2025 as a sales intern. While working alongside sales representatives from each division, Kieran gained practical knowledge of how the poultry market operates and how pricing is considered and agreed upon. One takeaway he had, was “working for a company that aligns with personal values is crucial for success.”
5,500
+
undergraduate students
800
+
students participating in out-of-classroom experiences
870
graduate students
1,500
undergraduates met with a career coach
66
events hosted by the Career Enrichment Network
40
%
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
6%
languages
5%
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
Matthew Restall
Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Colonial Latin American History, Anthropology, and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies
|
Director of Latin American Studies
Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Colonial Latin American History, Anthropology, and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies
Director of Latin American Studies
Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Colonial Latin American History recently wrote a book, “The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus,” tracing the life and many afterlives of Columbus. Throughout the book, Restall separates fact from fiction and seeks to understand why Columbus continues to mean different things to different people.
Faculty Achievement
Adrian Wanner
Distinguished Professor of Slavic Languages and Comparative Literature
Distinguished Professor of Slavic Languages and Comparative Literature
Internationally renowned scholar, Adrian Wanner was named a distinguished professor by Penn State. His research has focused on the literary relations between Russia and Western Europe and he is the author of four monographs, seven volumes of poetry translations, and numerous articles and chapters in edited volumes.
Faculty Achievement
Jeffery Ulmer
Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Criminology
Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Criminology
Ulmer was named a distinguished professor by Penn State. He serves as director of the University’s Criminal Justice Research Center, with his research primarily focusing on the sociology of criminal punishment, criminological theory, religion and crime, and racial/ethnic inequality and violence rates.
Faculty Achievement
Suzanna Linn
Distinguished Professor of Political Science
Distinguished Professor of Political Science
A Penn State faculty member since 1993, Linn was recently named a distinguished professor. She is a leading scholar on time-series analysis of politics and has been widely lauded for her seminal work incorporating temporal dynamics to quantitative analyses of politics.
Faculty Research
Jacob Holland-Lulewicz
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Holland-Lulewicz is among a group of archaeologists who published research on how oyster shells discarded over thousands of years by Indigenous people have helped protect and preserve the barrier islands off the coast of Georgia.
Faculty AchievementFaculty Research
Eric Plutzer and Michael Berkman
Liberal Arts Professor of Political Science; McCourtney Institute Director and Professor of Political Science
Liberal Arts Professor of Political Science; McCourtney Institute Director and Professor of Political Science
Plutzer and McCourtney Institute Director and Berkman received a one-year grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to re-survey people who have participated in their Mood of the Nation Poll.
“We believe this is the first U.S. survey to follow the same citizens to see how their opinions have changed over a period of years. We are excited about digging into the data, and appreciate the support of the U.S. National Science Foundation. A small amount of funds can go a long way in social science research and we are grateful to receive it.”
782 full-time faculty
325
tenured faculty
83
tenure-track faculty
374
non-tenure track faculty (full-time)
159
non-tenure track faculty (part-time)
122 Named and Distinguished Professors
25
named professors
24
Liberal Arts professors
21
distinguished professors
20
Sparks professors
17
early career professors and
career development professors
8
University
endowed fellows
4
Evan Pugh University
Professors
4
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.
Funding from the Career Enrichment Network has allowed me to supplement the various experiences I’ve been lucky enough to receive both within and beyond academics.
Charis Liu
Chaiken CenterMentorship
Diana Lopez
’26
Psychology
Psychology
Reflecting on her own experiences, Diana shared that her first year of college was a difficult one, marked by academic struggles and challenges in getting involved. She started attending Liberal Arts Chaiken Center events regularly and soon learned about the opportunity to become a peer success coach, realizing it would be a great way to support students going through similar struggles.
Enrichment Funding
Hunter Steach
’26
Political Science
Political Science
Hunter credits the Career Enrichment Network for making his internship in Washington D.C. possible through enrichment funding.
“Washington, D.C., is notoriously expensive, and this funding lifted the financial burden off my shoulders, allowing me to fully focus on my career development.”
Enrichment Funding
Igor Latsanych
’25
Political Science
|
International Politics
Political Science
International Politics
Igor received academic scholarships and enrichment funding, allowing him to devote more time to his studies and extracurriculars.
“The time provided and the pressure relieved by the funding allowed me a lot more time to concentrate on my personal and professional development.”
Enrichment Funding
Noa Diggs
’26
Criminology
Criminology
Noa supported her embedded program experience in Amsterdam through enrichment funding.
“This program in Amsterdam was my first opportunity to participate in a learning abroad experience, and I am incredibly thankful and excited to have had the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture and gain insights into how other countries approach complex social and policy challenges.”
Enrichment Funding
Emily Cotrufello
’25
English
|
International Politics
English
International Politics
“I always wanted to study abroad but was unsure if I would be able to financially. … It was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Emily was able to study abroad as part of the Literary London faculty-led program, thanks to enrichment funding from the Career Enrichment Network.
Academic Scholarships
Tyler Hoppe
’25
Political Science
|
Psychology
Political Science
Psychology
Tyler is thankful for the funding he has received throughout his time at Penn State.
“Fortunately, I’ve been awarded multiple scholarships from Penn State, the National Federation of the Blind, Team See Possibilities and the American Council of the Blind, enabling me to pursue my continued education,” he said. “Coming from a family unable to afford college funding or loans, I comprehensively apply for every scholarship I qualify for each semester to sustain my education and collegiate success.”
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