Faculty, students, leaders and staff making a difference at Penn State
Jennifer Bates, Amazon Union Organizer
Jennifer Bates, who helped lead the union organizing effort at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama facility (BHM1), grew up in a small, tight-knit community where faith, family, and hard work were central. Over decades working in food service, manufacturing, and finally on the warehouse floor, she saw firsthand how the promise of [...]
Lorinda John, Indigenous Chef and Entrepreneur
Based in Gowanda, New York, the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation, Chef Lorinda John represents a vibrant intersection of Indigenous art, food sovereignty, and cultural healing. Raised in a family where the garden, the table, and creative making were inseparable, John transformed a personal journey of discovery into a [...]
Mia Ray, EnvironMentors Program Coordinator
Mia Ray has seen Penn State’s EnvironMentors program from both sides—first as a staff mentor and now as the program’s coordinator. Originally connected to the program while working at Penn State Hershey, she joined as a mentor shortly after graduating from college, guiding her first mentee through the process of [...]
Mark Evans, MBE, explorer, field guide, author, and wilderness advocate
Mark Evans, MBE, is a British explorer, field guide, author, and wilderness advocate whose work has taken him to the Arctic and the desert but has recently focused on Oman and the Arabian Peninsula. From camel trekking across the desert to kayaking the Omani coast, Evans’ work highlights building cultural bridges [...]
Teddy Fisher, assistant director of York County Parks
Teddy Fisher is a 2014 alumnus of Penn State’s wildlife and fisheries science (WFS) program, with deep roots in PSU from his childhood. Having received a master’s degree from Clemson University in wildlife and fisheries biology, he has worked for several notable organizations such as the Montgomery County Parks Department [...]
Eric Klinenberg, author and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University GalleryEric Klinenberg, author and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University
Eric Klinenberg, author and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University
Eric Klinenberg, author and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University, is Penn State’s 2024-25 Colloquium on the Environment keynote speaker. Klinenberg’s talk expands on his bestselling book “2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year that Changed [...]
Sara Mueller, executive director of Wildlife Leadership Academy
Sara Mueller is the executive director of Wildlife Leadership Academy (WLA), a non-profit that organizes five weeks of “field school” each summer for students to get involved in conservation. After field school, students do community hours to bring awareness to the cause, helping them lead their community toward a more [...]
Chef Tawnya Brant, Entrepreneur, Author, Top Chef Canada Competitor, and Indigenous Food Sovereignty Leader
In our recent interview with Chef Tawnya Brant, an Entrepreneur, Author, Top Chef Canada Competitor, and Indigenous Food Sovereignty Leader, we learned more about Brant’s personal journey, exploring her lived experiences, her passion for Indigenous food sovereignty, and the transformative role of food in fostering cultural resilience and community well-being. Chef [...]
Joe Gyekis, Bird Safe Penn State Advisor and Associate Teaching Professor of Biobehavioral Health
In our recent interview with Joseph Gyekis, Bird Safe Penn State Advisor and Associate Teaching Professor of Biobehavioral Health, we discussed the life-long bird admirer’s journey as an advocate for bird-safe practices on Penn State's University Park campus. This year, on October 12, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is celebrated [...]
Diane Burko, Pennsylvania research-based climate artist-activist
We recently sat down with Diane Burko, a Pennsylvania research-based climate artist-activist, to discuss art's influence in communicating the climate crisis. Burko will visit Penn State's University Park campus on October 2-3 as part of Penn State Sustainability's “Sustainability Showcase Series.” On Wednesday, October 2, she and community members will [...]
Heide Gibson, Associate Director & Student Pantry Manager for The Lion’s Pantry
We recently interviewed Heide Gibson, Associate Director and Student Pantry Manager for The Lion’s Pantry. Gibson shared her experience spreading awareness about food insecurity and further student work toward finding strategic solutions for students experiencing hunger and mitigating food insecurity. Behind East Halls and adjacent to the Blue Band Building [...]
Hilary Caldwell, Penn State Campus Organizer for the Climate Action Campaign
In our recent interview, Hilary Caldwell, Penn State's Campus Organizer for the Climate Action Campaign (CAC) during the Spring 2024 semester, shared her experience mobilizing individuals through civic engagement to tackle the climate crisis. During her time working on the CAC at Penn State, Caldwell educated students on voter registration [...]
