Alumni
broadway actress honored by alumni association
Carla Hargrove (’97 M.F.A. Theatre) was recently awarded the Penn State Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award, which was created last year to honor alumni under 35. Hargrove was a 2005 recipient of the College of Arts and Architecture’s Alumni Award and was featured in the fall 2005 issue of this newsletter, available online at www.artsandarchitecture.psu.edu/news/newsletter. She is currently performing on Broadway in Hairspray and previously was in the cast of Little Shop of Horrors. A native of Harrisburg, Hargrove earned her bachelor’s degree at Howard University.
message from alumni society president rex gedney
In Dean Durst’s column in this newsletter, he refers to what a phenomenal place the College of Arts and Architecture is to work and create. It’s also an exciting place to serve as a volunteer, as evidenced by a very dedicated group of people who serve as your Alumni Society’s Board of Directors. This eclectic group of folks, representing all the academic units across the College of Arts and Architecture, meet in State College three times a year to have discussions with the dean and other members of the college leadership team, to welcome alumni award winners back to campus, and to provide guidance to students on topics related to careers and networking.
Some recent departures and arrivals to the board deserve special mention. First, thanks to my predecessor as president, Jeff Kunkel. Even though Jeff’s term on the board is officially complete, he will remain on the Executive Committee for one final year as Immediate Past President. We also extend best wishes and thanks to Michael Tomor, who has concluded his term. Michael recently left the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art to serve as the director of the El Paso Museum of Art in his home state of Texas. The newest appointment to the board is Susan Manus. Susan is a graduate of the School of Music and is the digital project coordinator at the Library of Congress, working on a wide range of digital library projects and issues. For a listing of all our board members, visit the alumni section of the Arts and Architecture Web site at www.artsandarchitecture.psu.edu.
If you ever wonder whether your membership dollars are being put to good use in an organization, rest assured that the Arts and Architecture Alumni Society is doing terrific things with the funding allocation we receive from the Penn State Alumni Association. We provide seed money for many of the alumni events Dean Durst mentioned in his column, some of which are held in conjunction with professional conferences for organizations such as the College Art Association, the American Institute of Architects and others. With the college’s academic units, we sponsor the Arts and Architecture Alumni Awards, a program that honors seven outstanding alumni each spring. We also sponsor an annual fall event called Career Tips, when alumni meet with students for great conversations about career topics in all the arts and design disciplines.
We do a lot, but with your involvement we could do more. Your membership in the Penn State Alumni Association has an impact on your college—even more so if you choose to become a Life Member. If you are already a member, thanks for being involved. Let us hear from you if you’re interested in contributing to our efforts as an alumni society, or if you think you might be interested in board membership. If you’re not a member, we’ve included the form here to make it easy for you to join and start enjoying the benefits of membership in the biggest—and best—alumni association in the world.
With best wishes,
Rex Gedney (’80 B.S. Arch.)
President
Save the date and a Correction
SAVE THE DATELandscape architecture education at Penn State—one of the oldest programs in the country—turns 100 in 2007, so mark your calendars for a celebration to take place April 27–29, 2007. Events will include a gala on April 28 in the stunning Mount Nittany Club in the south end of Beaver Stadium—with a couple surprise appearances planned! Take advantage of the weekend celebration to see the LEED-certified Stuckeman Family Building for the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Stay tuned for more information!
CORRECTION
In the article “Lang Retires with Emeritus Status” in the fall 2005 issue of Arts and Architecture News (page 4—available online at www.artsandarchitecture.psu.edu/news/newsletter/), the photo from the “Botanical Series” should be captioned:
“Botanical Series: Poppy,” by Jerry Lang and Jennifer Tucker. Original is in color.
