Today's episode of The People of Penn State is for all of you history buffs out there as we're joined by accomplished American Civil War author and professor, Jonathan W. White!

Jonathan is professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University and the author or editor of 17 books that cover a variety of topics about the Civil War, including "Emancipation, the Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln," the award-winning "A House Built By Slaves: African American visitors to the Lincoln White House," and an exciting new children's book, "My Day With Abe Lincoln."

Among his many other awards is the 2019 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award, which is the highest award given to college faculty by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

We talked with Jonathan about how his time at Penn State still impacts him today, choosing Civil War topics to write about, the inspiration of his new children's book, lessons from the Civil War with modern day relevance,  and much more.

Connect with Jonathan on:
Twitter
LinkedIn
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Timestamps for our conversation with Jonathan:

0:00 — Intro

1:45 — Jonathan's Penn State story

8:55 — The process for coming up with topics to write about

10:00 — Jonathan's book "Emancipation, the Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln"

14:00 — Studying and writing about African American visitors to the White House during Abraham Lincoln's presidency 

19:05 — Writing "My Day With Abe Lincoln"

24:35 — Lessons from the Civil War and Reconstruction with modern day relevance 

26:09 — The influence of Penn State on Jonathan's teaching career 

27:55 — Upcoming work with a fellow Penn Stater

30:47 — Lightning Round Q&A

33:37 — Outro 

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

To infinity and beyond! 🚀🌌

Alumna Maria Demaree '90 has been a part of Lockheed Martin for over 30 years and is currently the Vice President and General Manager of the National Security Space line of business at Lockheed Martin Space. Maria leads a workforce of over 7,500 team members while managing a $6B+ customer portfolio. 

Within Lockheed Martin Space, Maria is a proven thought leader in software defined satellite architectures, Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), software factory and digital transformation and remote workforce initiatives.

She joined us on Episode 61 of The People of Penn State for an insightful conversation on her role with Lockheed Martin, the organization's work in space exploration, her time as a member of Lion Ambassadors, and much more. 

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Timestamps for our conversation with Maria: 

0:00 — Intro 

2:00 — Why Maria chose Penn State

5:50 — Lion Ambassadors

8:25 — Maria's role with Lockheed Martin 

14:05 — "Mission first. People always."

16:20 — Changing technologies 

20:01 — Lockheed Martin's work with space exploration 

22:00 — Organizational culture and values

24:05 — Lightning Round Q&A

30:25 — Outro

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

Fancy a swim? How about a swim across the entire English Channel? 🤯🏊

On today's podcast, we chat with Jeannie Zappe '87, Speaker and Coach at Eternal Optimist LLC, and open water distance swimmer!

Jeannie's personal feats include swimming around Manhattan at 53, crossing the English Channel at 55, and joining the elite ranks of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming at 56 by completing a Catalina Channel crossing.

A transformative speaker and eternal optimist, Jeannie has also excelled in leadership roles in higher education IT before pursuing her true calling as a swim coach in 2010. Harnessing her lifelong passion, she's coached young talents to elite national athletes and iron men/women.

Connect with Jeanne on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Watch the video version of our conversation with Jeannie on YouTube. 
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Timestamps for our conversation with Jeannie:

0:00 — Intro 

1:44 — Becoming a Penn Stater

7:45 — Initial career goal of being a swimming coach

9:20 — Ad Read - Alumni Association Membership

10:15 — What it was like to swim the English Channel

16:40 — The Triple Crown of open water swimming

23:45 — Techniques and strategies for distance swimming 

33:05 — Jeanne's work with Eternal Optimist LLC

41:30 — Lightning Round Q&A

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Michaels '02, '05 Dickinson Law, has served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps since January 2006.

During his time as an Army lawyer, he has served in military units all over the world. In addition to service in Iraq, South Korea, and Europe, he most recently returned to the United States after serving for two years as the first-ever U.S. Army Exchange Officer to the Republic of Poland. During that assignment, he was the Operational Law Attorney to the General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces.

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube. 

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Timestamps for our conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Michaels:

0:00 — Intro

1:46 — Becoming a Penn Stater

7:20 — A strong family connection to the U.S. Military 

16:00 — Lieutenant Colonel Michaels' attempt to become Penn State student body president 

16:55 — Experiences in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps

22:10 — Time as a JAG Officer with the Polish Armed Forces 

32:24 — Lightning Round Q&A

41:34 — Outro 

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

Misconceptions of autism and the frequency in which people are excluded, threaten access to the vital information, resources and support autistic people and their families need.

Sarah Kernion '06, a distinguished global speaker and neurodiversity advocate, is first and foremost a mother of three children, two of which have non-speaking autism.

Through her work, she fosters a supportive community around the ‘inchstones’ vs milestones mentality of parents and neurodiversity, advocating for greater acceptance and valuing of the contributions of neurodivergent individuals in society.

In 2023, Sarah officially launched Saturday’s Story, LLC, alongside a charity, Milly & Mack’s Marchers, Corps, supporting children with autism and their schooling and related services. 

Connect with Sarah on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Subscribe to The People of Penn State on your podcast platform of choice.
Watch the video version of this episode. 
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Timestamps for our conversation with Sarah

0:00 — Intro

1:48 — Sarah's Penn State story

9:40 — What is neurodiversity?

10:55 — Personal connections to autism and neurodiversity

22:00 — Recognizing signs of autism

31:16 — How Sarah became an advocate for  neurodiversity

38:45 — Milly & Mack’s Marchers

40:19 — Lightning Round Q&A

50:42 — Outro

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

From Fortune 500 giants to burgeoning startups, Rebecca Friese '93  navigates outdated practices in the workplace, fostering the capacity for impactful cultural changes.

Rebecca is a seasoned change management leader dedicated to transforming organizations. On a mission to enhance workplaces, she champions innovative, engaging, and forward-thinking environments.

As the author of "The Good Culture: A Leader’s Guide to Creating a Workplace That Doesn’t Suck," Rebecca is also the Co-Founder of FLYN, Co-lead at the Samudra Next Generation Leadership Trust, and the Founder of the 12@12 Women’s Network.

Connect with Rebecca on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (also @flynconsulting).

Watch the video version of our podcast with Rebecca on our YouTube page. 
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Timestamps for our conversation with Rebecca:

0:00 — Intro 

2:15 — Becoming a Penn Stater

8:30 — Rebecca's initial career path

14:20 — Independent film production and acting 

17:40 — Consulting/coaching  

20:57 — Igniting change in the workplace through inspiration 

26:00 — Rebecca's book: "The Good Culture: A Leader’s Guide to Creating a Workplace That Doesn’t Suck"

34:34 — Lightning Round Q&A

39:25 — Outro 

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

Jasmine Forsberg '21 is an emerging star of Broadway...and she's a Penn Stater!

Forsberg is currently performing in the hit Broadway musical "Six" after touring the country for over a year in the First National Tour. Last summer, Jasmine made her Broadway debut in the all-Filipino cast of "Here Lies Love."

In addition to her successes on stage, Jasmine starred in the 2021 Hallmark movie "One December Night," which featured her singing her own original music.

A talented songwriter, Jasmine's music is also featured in "Results Will Vary," a 45-minute musical sketch comedy show that prepares incoming students for life at Penn State and is performed during each New Student Orientation program at Penn State University Park.

Connect with Jasmine on her website or Instagram.

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube. 
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Timestamps for our conversation with Jasmine: 

0:00 — Intro

2:00 — Becoming a Penn Stater

7:00 — Developing a passion for stage acting 

9:50 — Jasmine's career journey 

14:15 — Being a part of the first all-Filipino cast on Broadway

18:45 — Playing Jane Seymour in "Six"

27:45 — Starring in a Hallmark movie 

32:00 — How Jasmine has left a legacy at Penn State

36:30 — Lessons learned in the Penn State Musical Theatre program

39:15 — Lightning Round Q&A

44:15 — Outro  

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

From early days with the Daily Collegian to time spent with the Centre Daily Times and the Associated Press, photographer Pat Little '77 has chronicled life at Penn State for fifty years.

Some of Pat's most famous photos include a lion cub...sitting atop the famous Nittany Lion shrine, President Bill Clinton eating Berkey Creamery ice cream, and the return of the team busses to State College after Penn State football's 1983 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

He takes us through the stories behind these iconic photos and more on this episode of The People of Penn State Podcast.

You can see Pat's tremendous work on his Facebook page.  Also be sure to check out the Penn Stater magazine's feature on Pat from the March/2024 issue.

Timestamps for our conversation with Pat:

0:00 — Intro

1:07 — Growing up in State College and becoming a Penn Stater

3:05 — Joining the Daily Collegian

7:55 — Pat's book "Penn State Then and Now," which chronicles Penn State's history in images

18:27 — The story behind Pat's photo of a lion cub sitting on top of the Nittany Lion Shrine

20:04 — Capturing a famous photo of Bill Clinton at Berkey Creamery

25:10 — Meeting Neil Armstrong

28:37 — Joe Paterno stories

32:45 — Pat's journey as an artist

38:05 — Being featured in the Penn Stater magazine

43:00 — Lightning Round Q&A

45:03 — Outro
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Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:
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For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

Alumni Association Paul Clifford '20g is joined by journalist Erin Strout '97 for an engaging conversation on her career — including covering health, fitness, and Olympic sports — mental health awareness for female athletes, the state of media coverage on higher education, and more.

Erin's work has appeared in the Washington Post, ESPN-W, Self, Women's Health, Outside, Runner’s World, and more.

Her upcoming book, "The Price She Pays: The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Women's Sports — From the Schoolyard to the Stadium,"  co-authored with Tiffany Brown, Ph.D., and Katie Steele, LMFT, will be published in June 2024.

Watch the video version of this podcast on our YouTube page.

Connect with Erin on her website, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Timestamps for our conversation with Erin: 

0:00 — Intro

2:20 — Becoming a Penn Stater

4:17 — Ad Read (The Football Letter)

5:27 — Erin's career path

11:35 — Media coverage of higher education

18:05 — Experiences covering the Olympics and Olympic athletes

21:20 — Mental health awareness for female athletes

35:41 — Contributing as a writer for the Penn Stater  magazine

38:07 — Lightning Round Q&A

42:07 — Outro
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Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Instagram
LinkedIn

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com

Anessa Fike, otherwise known as the "Queen of Fractional HR," is the CEO and Founder of Fike+Co, a multi-million-dollar consulting firm that specializes in interim or fractional people, human resources, and talent executive leadership with companies that are experiencing growth, scale, transition, or transformation.

A 2007 Penn State graduate, Anessa has led more than a dozen startups and organizations as Chief People Officer and has worked with more than 110 organizations globally including NPR, Niche, and Uber.

Her work has led her to become an industry leader on all things people and talent, and she has also won multiple human resources awards, including Most Inclusive HR Influencer.

Watch the video version of this podcast on our YouTube page.

Connect with Anessa on LinkedIn and Instagram! Be on the lookout for her upcoming book, "The Revolution of Work."

Timestamps for our conversation with Anessa: 

0:00 — Intro

2:14 — Becoming a Penn Stater

5:50 — Anessa's career journey in human resources

10:57 — What it means to be a human resources influencer

14:35 — Working with NASA

16:14 — A people first mindset in the workplace

21:15 — Her upcoming book "The Revolution of Work"

28:35 — AD Read (LionPerks)

30:05 — Lightning Round Q&A

32:45 — Outro
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Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Instagram
LinkedIn

For more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com