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.
Coming to the College of the Liberal Arts has really helped ease the stress of paying for college because no one wants that to be their main worry while they're [in Egypt]. I’ve been able to take advantage of so many more opportunities thanks to Liberal Arts enrichment funding and academic scholarships.
Lauren Fetterhoff
Career Enrichment Network
Nathan Noel
’25
Psychology
|
Sociology (minor)
Psychology
Sociology (minor)
Through resume review events and one-on-one career coaching with Career Enrichment Network staff members like Dayna Wenger and Lauren Granese, he was able to refine his graduate school application. “Lauren Granese was especially helpful with my personal statement. The network played a huge role in my application process.”
Grad ResearchInternational StudentPublic Policy
Halima Binte Islam
’25
Public Policy (master's degree)
Public Policy (master's degree)
One of the highlights of her time at Penn State has been the opportunity to engage in hands-on research. Halima is especially focused on projects related to digital inclusion and AI privacy policy. She is currently conducting a systematic review on smartphone ownership in developing regions, exploring how access to technology can empower communities.
PsychologyUndergrad Research
Cameryn Allen
’25
Psychology
Psychology
Cameryn has worked in several research labs, including the Survey Research Center in the Social Science Research Institute and the Parent-to-Child Anxiety Transmission Lab and the Gene Environment Interplay Across the Lifespan Lab in the College of the Liberal Arts. “Research teaches you so much more than how to collect and analyze data. It builds leadership, communication, teamwork and project management skills — things you can take anywhere.”
Chaiken CenterFirst-Gen
Cameryn Allen
’25
Psychology
Psychology
Cameryn joined the Liberal Arts First-Generation Committee, which quickly became a cornerstone of her experience. “Getting involved with the First-Gen Committee changed everything. It gave me community, leadership experience and honestly, I think it’s one of the biggest reasons I’ve been so successful academically.”
InternshipPolitical SciencePublic Policy
Dan Bransfield
’25
Political Science
|
Economics (minor)
|
Public Policy (master's degree)
Political Science
Economics (minor)
Public Policy (master's degree)
In summer 2024, Dan interned with Team Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, working in agricultural policy — a field he had not previously explored. He gained hands-on experience by researching policy topics, visiting facilities and connecting with professionals in the field. One of his most memorable moments was attending a board meeting at Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence, where he met Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and other University leaders.
InternshipSpanishUndergrad Research
Anna Raquel Duiker
’26
Spanish
|
Human Development and Family Studies
Spanish
Human Development and Family Studies
Anna completed her Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) fellowship in Puerto Rico, where she studied how some people switch between English and Spanish when they speak. She looked at how often this happens, how likely people are to switch languages in different situations and how this affects the way they learn and use both languages.
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 AchievementFaculty Research
Peter Arnett
Penn State Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Penn State Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Peter Arnett received Reitan Clinical Excellence Award from he National Academy of Neuropsychology. Recipients of the award are recognized for their long-term impact in the field of clinical neuropsychology.
Faculty Research
Hil Malatino
Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Philosophy
|
Joyce L. and Douglas S. Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Rock Ethics Institute
Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Philosophy
Joyce L. and Douglas S. Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Rock Ethics Institute
While conducting research, Hil Malatino, came to the realization that a vast trove of archival documents devoted to trans history had yet to be unearthed and analyzed by contemporary scholars. That insight led Malatino to conceive the project, “Widening the Arc of Trans History: Archival Research for Public Storytelling,” which recently received a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Faculty AchievementFaculty Research
Bradford Vivian
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Bradford Vivian received two awards, the National Communication Association’s (NCA) 2024 Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression, and the Distinguished Alumni Award in English from George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Faculty Research
Elizabeth Kadetsky
Professor of English
Professor of English
Elizabeth Kadetsky received a $60,000 Public Scholars grant for her current non-fiction book project chronicling her journey to trace the whereabouts of the Tanesar sculptures, a series of sixth-century stone figures, most of them mother goddesses that are also called matrikas, that were stolen from a temple in southwestern Rajasthan, India, during the early 1960s and ended up in the collections of high-profile art collectors and several prominent museums.
Faculty Research
Tawny Holm
Head of the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS)
|
Associate Professor of CAMS and Jewish studies
Head of the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS)
Associate Professor of CAMS and Jewish studies
Tawny Holm and her colleague, University of Notre Dame faculty member Dan Machiela, received a $50,000 Collaborative Research grant for their project, “The Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls at the Crossroads of Empire: Negotiating Jewish Life under Foreign Rule.”
Faculty Research
James Doyle
Associate Research Professor of Anthropology
|
Director of the Matson Museum of Anthropology
Associate Research Professor of Anthropology
Director of the Matson Museum of Anthropology
The Matson Museum of Anthropology received a $9,333 Preservation Assistance Grant for Smaller Institutions that funded a consulting conservator who examined the condition of the museum’s collection of over 800 global textiles.
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.
Ernst and Manfred were longtime members of the German department and revered among their colleagues and students. This fund is not merely a financial contribution; it is a celebration of the passion these professors brought to their roles. We are incredibly grateful for this endowment that will help our graduate students realize a comprehensive Penn State experience.
Carrie Jackson
Comparative LiteratureSchwartz Fellows
Anshuta Beeram
’25
Comparative Literature
|
Premedicine
Comparative Literature
Premedicine
Anshuta Beeram, who was awarded the 2025 Schwartz Fellowship, will use their funding to address social isolation in nursing homes via poetry. They will lead poetry workshops in nursing homes to foster creative expression among residents.
MentorshipStudent Organizations
Muhammad Nazaruddin bin Mohd Salleh
’25
Economics
|
Labor and Human Resources (minor and certificate)
Economics
Labor and Human Resources (minor and certificate)
Through his roles as a peer adviser and treasurer for the Next Gen Leadership Academy, Muhammad has gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a leader, he said. He believes leadership begins with empathy and active listening. “Understanding others’ concerns and aspirations allows me to provide meaningful support and guidance.”
First-GenMentorship
Amanda Demuth
’27
Philosophy
|
Art History
Philosophy
Art History
As a first-generation college student, Amanda understands the challenges of adjusting to the academic world and is passionate about helping other students make that transition. Amanda serves as a Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) mentor, where she supported first-year students navigating college life. “Being a mentor allowed me to provide the support I wish I had when I first came to Penn State.”
Mentorship
Jayden Foxx
’25
Political Science
|
Crime, Law, and Psychology (minor)
|
African American Studies (minor)
Political Science
Crime, Law, and Psychology (minor)
African American Studies (minor)
Jayden is both a mentor and a mentee. Through the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, she has gained invaluable insights, allowing her to forge a meaningful connection with her mentor and helped her define her career options. During her second year at Penn State she was an academic peer mentor in the Division of Undergraduate Studies where she drew from her own experiences with time management and study strategies in high school, and felt compelled to support students facing similar challenges.
Giving
Mary Kay Paterno Hort
Director of Prospect Engagement and Operations for Principal Gifts in Penn State’s Office of University Development
Director of Prospect Engagement and Operations for Principal Gifts in Penn State’s Office of University Development
Inspired by the work of longtime College of the Liberal Arts alumni relations and development employee, Mary Kay Paterno Hort, an anonymous donor recently presented the college with a lead gift of $25,000 to create an endowment in honor of Hort for her many years of service and leadership in Liberal Arts.
Alumni SpotlightGiving
Cassandra Matos
’11
2008 Political Science
|
2011 Penn State Dickinson Law
2008 Political Science
2011 Penn State Dickinson Law
Committing $34,000, Penn State College of the Liberal Arts alumna Cassandra Matos has supported a program that played a fundamental role in shaping her experience as a student and future professional. Her gift to World in Conversation (WinC) will help the program to engage the Penn State community in honest conversations on difficult topics through facilitated dialogues across the University and beyond.
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