Following the Gong, a Podcast of the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State

Overview: This is a special episode focused on the College’s mission tenet of civic engagement and leadership with a specific angle on student leadership. Management consultant and Scholar Alumni Society leader Alayna Auerbach and student leader and fourth year Scholar Mahika Sampat join the show to talk all things student leadership, engagement, and clubs & organizations. Alayna and Mahika sh...

Overview: Lauren Jowell ’04 Behrend is the Chief of a Monitoring and Evaluation division in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs at the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, though she is appearing on this podcast in her personal capacity, and her views are solely her own. Her team is responsible for strategic planning, independent program evaluations, and collecting and reporting on perf...

Ed. Note: This was recorded in September 2022, prior to events impacting other cryptocurrency exchanges. Overview: Darin Carter ’14 IST is a Program Manager on the Coinbase Giving Team, managing a portfolio of social impact investments from humanitarian aid to education. Darin earned his BS in Information Sciences and Technology with Honors and a minor in entrepreneurship from Penn State’s College...

Overview: Dr. Kristin Lambert ’14 Agr, ’19g & ’21g Medicine is a pediatric resident at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She earned her MD and PhD from Penn State’s College of Medicine after completing the Early Assurance Program in partnership with the Schreyer Honors College. Kristin gives a guided tour through the MD/PhD program that will be of assistance to Scholars interested in either or b...

Overview: Katy Poole ’11 HHD is a Senior Athletic Trainer at the University of Kentucky, where she works with the national championship women’s volleyball team and serves as a leader in their athletic department overseeing training for the gymnastics and golf teams. Katy graduated from State College Area High School, and shares her experiences coming to Penn State with a focus on becoming an athle...

Overview: Dr. Patrick T. Mather ’89, ’90g Engineering is the fourth Dean of the Schreyer Honors College. Dean Mather returned to Dear Old State after a career that was launched with the US Air Force Research Lab and several stops with increasing responsibility in academia including the University of Connecticut, Case Western Reserve University, Syracuse University, and most recently Bucknell Unive...

Overview: Jenna Spinelle (she/her) ’08 Communications is a writer, podcaster, and speaker in higher education. She hosts and produces the Democracy Works podcast and the narrative series When the People Decide, both productions of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State. Jenna hops over from her host chair to the interview chair on Following the Gong for this episode to discuss the cu...

Overview: Ari Rosenbaum ’91 Liberal Arts is a Principal and Director of Financial Advisors Services at O’Shaughnessy Asset Management. Ari shares his experiences adjusting to the rigors of college, the value he found in getting involved on campus – specifically through joining a fraternity – and how he uses his English degree in the financial services industry. He shares insight any Scholar can us...

Overview: Megan Ruffe ’13 Earth and Mineral Sciences and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, is a documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York, where she is a co-producer at Florentine Films, Ken Burns’s documentary company. She has worked on numerous projects that have been featured from the New York Times to PBS to Netflix. She earned her degrees in Geography with Honors and...

Overview: Christopher Wilson ’06 Liberal Arts is a Senior Associate in the Washington, DC office of the international law firm Baker Botts. His practice there focuses on civil antitrust and other complex commercial litigation. He earned his BA in Political Science with Honors from Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts and went on to earn his JD from Stanford in 2012. He played running back and...

Overview: Haley Staub Rappoldt ’18 Com '21g Edu is the Assistant Director of Volunteer Programs in Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations. She has been in this role since graduating with her BA in Public Relations with Honors where she supports 700+ Penn State fundraising volunteers. Our conversation focuses primarily on volunteerism and philanthropy, but all Scholars can get va...

Overview: This episode features a conversation with Ryan Morris, Class of 2019, who serves as both the Director of Media and Youth at Saint Peter Parish and as a technology teacher at Pope John Paul 2 RCES in the Archdioceses of Philadelphia. Our conversation touches on a lot of topics, from life as a racecar driver, being a Scholar at a commonwealth campus, the post-graduate fellowship process, a...

Overview: Editor’s Note: This was recorded in January 2022, which provides the context for Kyle’s comments about “snowy Buffalo,” and the then current situation with Russia and Ukraine prior to late February 2022. This episode features a conversation with Kyle Morgan, Class of 2002, a Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager for Key Private Bank in Buffalo, New York. Our conversation...

Overview: Editor’s Note: This was recorded in January 2022, which provides the context for Tom’s comment about 20 degree weather, the timing of litigation around federal vaccine mandates, and space telescope launches. This episode features a conversation with Tom Bonsaint, who is currently the senior director for enterprise campaigns for the Northrup Grumman Corporation. He’s held successive roles...

Guest Bio: Aniyia L. Williams ’07 Arts & Architecture is a serial entrepreneur and inclusion advocate. She is a principle at the Omidyar Network after previously founding and serving as chief executive officer of Tinsel, executive director of Black and Brown Founders, and co-founding Zebras Unite. She previously held roles at Voxer and in the arts administration space. As an African-American w...

This episode covers a wide swath of topics from first engineering jobs to transitioning to new functional areas using a STEM background to the importance of soft skills, promoting diversity in STEM, and coming to Penn State as a first generation American. Any Scholar, regardless of major, will pull value from this conversation! Guest Bio: Paula Garcia Todd ’03, ’03g Engineering has made significan...

This is a special episode of Following the Gong, Special Guest Co-Host Tessa Beauchat ’23 IST, THON Chair for the Schreyer Student Council & THON Family Relations Captain, joins the show for a panel discussion with four Scholar Alumni who have served on the Executive Committee for the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON). This conversation with Greg Tallman, Elaine Tanella, Charlotte Rose, and Dom...

This episode is a great listen for prospective students looking to apply to Penn State and are considering one of our Commonwealth Campuses, first-generation Scholars, Scholars & potential Scholars already at a Commonwealth Campus, Scholars interested in entrepreneurial ventures, be it for profit or not-for-profit, and Scholars planning to apply for medical School. Guest Bio: Zelnnetta Clark ’...

In this episode, Hilary & Stefen Wisniewski share great stories and insights that can help any Scholar, and that will likely be of particular interest for student athletes & student leaders trying to juggle it all, those interested in careers in finance or in non-profits, scholars who will be starting new roles remotely, and students with a strong religious identity. It will also be of int...

This episode will be of interest for Scholars who are interested in food science and product development generally. It’ll also be of interest to those who like baking or coffee, and those who are in a STEM major but love the arts too. It’s also great for alumni who are interested in getting more involved as volunteers. Guest Bio: Natalie Keller ’17 Agricultural Sciences is a Food Scientist at La C...

This episode is for any Scholar interested in pursing a career as a physician assistant, a career in medicine generally, or even just wants to learn what a PA is and does. Jessica Schwartz ’10 (HHD) provides an in depth look at the profession and how it both differs from and complements physicians, nurses, EMTs, and others in the medical field. She also gives an overview of what to look for in PA...

This episode is both for any Scholar looking into a legal career AND for Scholars – or Scholar alumni – who want to learn more on the why and how of mentoring with two alumnae who have been mentor and mentee for several years. Guest Bios: Kathryn (Kat) Pruss Zeltwanger ‘98 Lib is the Deputy General Counsel at the Armstrong Group in Butler, Pennsylvania. In that role she oversees all of the legal w...

Guest Bio: Lori Feathers ’90 Lib is the co-owner and principal book buyer for Interabang Books a large, independent bookstore in Dallas, Texas, which she opened after retiring from a legal career in 2017. After Lori earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Russian from Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts in 1990 where she was Phi Beta Kappa, she earned a Juris Doctorate degree and a...

Guest Bio: Tina Flint Hennessey ’93 Com is an Assistant Vice President for University Development at Penn State where she oversees alumni relations and development work at 14 of the University's Colleges, Campuses and other units, including the Schreyer Honors College. Before returning to her alma mater in 2009, Tina worked first as a newspaper reporter and editor for 10 years, transitioning to hi...

Guest Bio: Kathy Hilt ‘90 Bus is a Division Vice President for Macy’s Inc. In New York, New York. She leads multiple locations in the NYC area including the Herald Square Flagship. She has held successively senior leadership roles at Macy’s since 2005, and prior to that the May Department Stores Company since graduation. She earned a BS in marketing with honors from Penn State’s Smeal College of B...