Mission, vision, and history

TAblE of CoNTENTS

Message from Dean Patrick T. Mather 1

Mission, vision, and history 2 New student organization building community 3 Luchinsky speaker directs gazes to the skies 4 Scholars creating change for women on global scale 5 The year in review 6 Student and alumni award winners 7 Back on campus: Q&A with Patrick Mather 8-9 Recent grad to tackle climate change at MIT 10 Enterprising Scholar builds clothing company 11 Facts and figures 12-13 Scholars and staff drive new inclusion initiatives 14-15 Nostalgia sparked Scholar alumni collaboration 16 Scholars connect with international faculty in 17 new lecture series Johnson leaves legacy of leadership and service 18-19 Scholar alumni use expertise to empower others 20-21 Engineering alumnus supports entering Scholars 22 Board and council listings 23 Scholars connect with alumni in various ways online 24

Credits: Creative Director: Wade Bennett Director of Strategic Communications, Schreyer Honors College Editor-in-Chief: Jeff Rice Public Relations Specialist, Schreyer Honors College Graphic Design: Jim Pryslak Photography: Steve Tressler, Provided images Produced by the Schreyer Honors College Office of Strategic Communications Contact: 814-863-2635, shcpr@psu.edu

shc.psu.edu

Message from Dean Patrick Mather

Greetings from 101 Atherton Hall! The moment has arrived and I am thrilled to write to you from the Schreyer Honors College as the new dean — a return to my academic home.

Over the course of my first few weeks on the job, I have had many opportunities to meet with students, staff, faculty, and even a few Scholar alumni as I learn about the aspirations of individuals for the future of our honors college. A highlight for me was SHO TIME, which gave me a chance to connect (and sing) with our students, all of whom are excited about their residential learning experience to come.

I have also had time to stroll campus on my own, rediscovering the beauty it has to offer. As I shared with our incoming Scholars recently, it’s evident that many new buildings have been built since I graduated 30 years back. Nevertheless, our tree-lined paths providing shade and sound, unwavering Old Main, and the bustle of College Avenue instill now the same peace that they did in my formative years. That feeling, combined with an inner excitement about giving back to the institution and to honors education through leadership and service, tells me this: I’m at the right place at the right time.

I invite you to read up on the latest happenings in the Schreyer Honors College described in this installment of SCHOLAR: The Magazine of the Schreyer Honors College. You can join us in reflecting on the legacy of Dean Peggy Johnson’s leadership … creating big shoes to fill for me! And you can learn about the impactful scholarship of several of our students, including The Student Pad Project, which is poised to support female hygiene globally. And be sure to check out our updates on exciting equity and inclusion work led by such student groups as MASS (Multicultural Association of Schreyer Scholars) — a group I can’t wait to engage with this fall.

Speaking of the season, autumn sights and sounds are arriving. And if you cup your ear, can you hear the roar of the Nittany Lion? Should your fall schedule allow you to visit University Park, please stop by Atherton Hall so that we can connect and exchange ideas about our Scholars and the upward trajectory of the College. Our ability to deliver on the Schreyer vision is counting on such connections. We Are!

Patrick T. Mather, PhD Dean, Schreyer Honors College The Pennsylvania State University