Best Islander Alumni Association Podcasts (2024)

1
The Football Letter Podcast: Miles Dieffenbach / Long Island Chapter 54:56

1d ago54:56

54:56

The Football Letter Podcast is back from the bye week with a new episode! First (0:51), we talk with Long Island Chapter Board Member Lucille Mankowich to get an overview of the chapter and how it unites Penn Staters on game days during the football season, other chapter initiatives and activities, and her role as a Penn State parent. Then, letterm…

1
The Football Letter Podcast: Arizona Cardinals Linebacker Jesse Luketa ’20 and Metro Washington, D.C. Chapter President, Emily Matyas ’17 44:09

10d ago44:09

44:09

This week on The Football Letter Podcast, we're joined by letterman and Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jesse Luketa '20 to preview his third season in the NFL. We also talked with Jesse about his nonprofit organization, the 40 Reasons Foundation, which cultivates a healthy and safe environment for children to be able to enhance their sense of creativ…

1
Episode 66 — Nittany Lion Inn Renovations With Gary Brandeis '88 42:57

15d ago42:57

42:57

Gary Brandeis '88 is the Founder and CEO of Scholar Hotels LLC. Gary started his real estate career in 1990 and has been the principal partner in four real estate investment funds, investing over $350 million in all property types and investment strategies since 2010. He acquired his first hotel in 2006 and since then, Scholar has developed, redeve…

1
The Football Letter Podcast: Letterman Lydell Sargeant / Broadcast Journalist Destiny Sanchez 1:03:02

18d ago1:03:02

1:03:02

A new Penn State Football season means it's also time for a new season of The Football Letter Podcast! 🏈 We kick things off with Broadcast Journalist Destiny Sanchez '24 (0:50) to talk about her passion for sharing compelling and accurate stories of sport with the public, spending game days at Beaver Stadium reporting from the sidelines, and earnin…

1
Episode 65 — Resilience Through Adversity With Tom Morris '03 57:29

22d ago57:29

57:29

Join us on this inspiring episode of The People of Penn State as we talk with Tom Morris ('03, Kinesiology), the Assistant Athletic Director For High Performance at Penn State. Renowned for his expertise in optimizing athletic performance across professional, Olympic, and collegiate levels, Tom shares his journey of fostering an athlete-centric mod…

1
Episode 64 — Two-Time Olympic Wrestler Kerry McCoy '97 53:10

1M ago53:10

53:10

The 2024 Paris Olympics are well underway and on today's episode of The People of Penn State we talked with two-time Olympian and Olympic coach, Kerry McCoy '97! Kerry competed at the Olympic Games of Atalanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. A three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion, Kerry is one of the greatest wrestlers in Penn State's illustrio…

1
Episode 63 — Experiences Of Being A Penn State Cheerleader With Alumni Taylor And Danielle Sekelsky 53:36

2M ago53:36

53:36

Alumni Taylor and Danielle Sekelsky are among the more impressive Penn State duos around! Taylor (2015, Smeal College of Business) and Danielle (2023, Smeal College of Business) were both varsity cheerleaders during their time at Penn State and had the unique opportunity to dance together at THON 2024. Professionally, Taylor works in capital market…

1
Episode 62 — Writing About American Civil War History With Professor Jonathan W. White '01 37:20

3M ago37:20

37:20

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, includi…

1
Episode 61 — Outer Space National Security With Lockheed Martin's Maria Demaree '90 32:28

4M ago32:28

32:28

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…

1
Episode 60 — Swimming Across The English Channel With Jeannie Zappe '87 46:02

5M ago46:02

46:02

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 …

1
Episode 59 — Serving In The U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps With Lieutenant Colonel Robert Michaels 43:34

5M ago43:34

43:34

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 servin…

1
Episode 58 — Autism and Neurodiversity Advocacy With Sarah Kernion '06 52:43

5M ago52:43

52:43

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. Thro…

1
Episode 57 — How To Improve Workplace Culture With Rebecca Friese '93 41:29

6M ago41:29

41:29

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 …

1
Episode 56 — Performing On Broadway With Jasmine Forsberg '21 45:41

7M ago45:41

45:41

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, Jas…

1
Episode 55 — Documenting Life At Penn State In Photos With Pat Little '77 47:03

7M ago47:03

47:03

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 th…

1
Episode 54 — Mental Health Awareness For Female Athletes With Erin Strout '97 43:40

7M ago43:40

43:40

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, Wom…

1
Episode 53 — Growing Company Human Resources With Anessa Fike '07 33:59

7M ago33:59

33:59

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, Anes…

1
Episode 52 — Memories Of Playing For Penn State Women's Basketball With Lisa Lambert '89 34:25

7M ago34:25

34:25

We have a Lady Lions basketball legend on today's episode of The People of Penn State, as we're joined by Lisa Lambert '89! Lisa's successes as a student at Penn State — and as a team captain for the Lady Lions in the late 1980s — have helped propel her to become one of the most successful venture capitalists in the country. Professionally, Lisa is…

1
Episode 51 — Portland Thorns And U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Star, Sam Coffey '20 49:05

8M ago49:05

49:05

Today on The People of Penn State, we chat with professional soccer player Sam Coffey! Sam is a midfielder for the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League and the United States Women's National Team. Sam is a two-time NWSL Best XI honoree and recently scored her first goal for the United States in a friendly against China. She takes u…

1
Episode 50 — Videography For The New York Rangers With Antonella Crescimbeni '17 29:05

8M ago29:05

29:05

Every day's commute to work is a "pinch me moment" for alumna Antonella Crescimbeni '17. Her office is the "World's Most Famous Arena," Madison Square Garden, home of the NBA's New York Knicks and NHL's New York Rangers, the latter of which Antonella works for as a Video Shooter/Editor. With the Rangers, she is responsible for all aspects of the cr…

1
The Football Letter Podcast: Peach Bowl Special 1:02:02

9M ago1:02:02

1:02:02

We're feeling peachy! With Penn State Football heading to Atlanta to take on Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, we're bringing you a special postseason episode of The Football Letter Podcast! On the program, we're joined by 83rd President of the Penn State Alumni Association Anand Ganjam, Penn State Athletics Chief of Staff and former men's ba…

1
Episode 49 — A Career In Art And Design With Brian Kappel '98 39:31

9M ago39:31

39:31

Since his time growing up in the Finger Lakes in New York, alumnus Brian Kappel (1998 - Visual Arts) has long had a passion for Penn State. This second generation Nittany Lion took a very different path which provided a one of a kind experience in Happy Valley and paved the way for a successful career in art and design. The now Portland-based desig…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Penn State All-Sports Museum / AAAOs 44:08

10M ago44:08

44:08

Welcome to this week's episode of The Football Letter Podcast as we close out the regular season with another great episode. First (0:56), we talk with Director of the Penn State All-Sports Museum, Lew Lazarow, about the museum's new photomosaic mural honoring Franco Harris, Franco's legacy at Penn State, the mission of the museum, its other featur…

1
Episode 48 — Experiences Competing On The Amazing Race With Joe Moskowitz '10 42:08

10M ago42:08

42:08

The popular adventure reality television show, "The Amazing Race," is now in its 35th season...and one of the contestants is a Penn Stater! Alumnus Joe Moskowitz and his fiancé, Ian, started competing on the show in June of this year. Joe joined The People of Penn State Podcast to discuss his experiences on "The Amazing Race" so far, including bein…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Hawaii Chapter President Angela White 26:09

10M ago26:09

26:09

Aloha, Penn Staters, and welcome to the newest episode of The Football Letter Podcast! In this episode, we're joined by our Hawaii Chapter President Angela White to hear her Penn State story and discuss how the chapter aims to keep alumni and friends connected thousands of miles from a Penn State campus Angela detailed the Hawaii Chapter's football…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Bob Ceh / John Black 41:27

11M ago41:27

41:27

From team manager to starting long snapper, letterman Bob Ceh had quite the journey as a part of the Penn State Football program. On this week's episode, Bob took us through that experience, what it was like working with Brad "Spider" Caldwell, memories as the long snapper for the game-winning kick to upset No. 1 Notre Dame in 1990, his career in e…

1
Episode 47 — Penn State Field Hockey Legend, Char Morett-Curtiss '79 44:02

11M ago44:02

44:02

Both a United States Field Hockey Hall of Fame and a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, as well as an inductee of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Char Morett-Curtiss is a Penn State coaching legend. Having led Penn State Field Hockey for 36 seasons, she compiled 541 victories, eight Big Ten regular-season titles,…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Hunter Kelly / Baltimore Chapter President Hunter Davey 47:55

11M ago47:55

47:55

Welcome to this week's episode of The Football Letter Podcast! On today's show, we're joined by letterman offensive lineman Hunter Kelly (0:56) and Baltimore Chapter President Hunter Davey (20:49). Hunter Kelly was a member of the 2016 Big Ten Championship squad, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, and most recently played for the Massachuse…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: College Football Writer Matt Fortuna and Letterman Johnathan Thomas 39:49

11M ago39:49

39:49

Week 9 of the college football season is here and so is a new episode of The Football Letter Podcast! This week, we first talked with Matt Fortuna, Founder of The Inside Zone, college football’s newest online community. Matt has previously covered college football for ESPN and The Athletic. In 2019 at the age of 30, Matt served as the president of …

1
Episode 46 — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education With Christina Parle '16 47:15

11M ago47:15

47:15

It's a pivotal time for justice and equity in the United States. In episode 46 of The People of Penn State, we discussed this critical topic with Christina Parle (she/they), an equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) educator and consultant with her company, Social Responsibility Speaks. Much of Christina's work with Social Responsibility Speaks is …

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Garrett Sickels and Jeff Hartings 52:29

11M ago52:29

52:29

Another great episode for you this week on our Football Letter Podcast, as we were pleased to be joined by two standout lettermen in Garrett Sickels and Jeff Hartings. Football Letter Editor Emeritus John Black also stopped by to look back at the series history between Penn State and Ohio State. We talked to Garrett (0:56) about what it was like be…

1
Episode 45 — Medical Director For Health Equity Of The Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia, Katie E. McPeak, M.D. 34:48

11M ago34:48

34:48

On this episode of The People of Penn State, we speak with Katie McPeak, M.D. Katie is a primary care pediatrician and Medical Director for Health Equity of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also an associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Katie has extensive expe…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Matt Zanellato / Florida Gulf Coast Chapter 55:40

12M ago55:40

55:40

This week on The Football Letter Podcast, we were joined by letterman wide receiver Matt Zanellato (2011-15) and Florida Gulf Coast Chapter President Nick Bocci. Now the wide receivers coach at UMass, Zanellato will be returning to Beaver Stadium this weekend as a member of the Minutemen staff. Previous coaching stops for Matt include time at Lock …

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Rudy Glocker / Greater Chicago Chapter 51:57

12M ago51:57

51:57

On this week's episode of The Football Letter Podcast, we talk with Greater Chicago Chapter President Courtney Jackson and letterman defensive lineman Rudy Glocker! In part one (0:55), Courtney discussed how she became a Penn Stater, her work to bring together the population of Indigenous students at Penn State during her time as an undergrad, beco…

1
Episode 44 — Performing In The Broadway Version Of "Frozen" With Caroline Bowman '10 41:14

12M ago41:14

41:14

Fans of Broadway and the hit Disney film series "Frozen" won't want to miss this episode of The People of Penn State, as we're joined by Broadway and Theatre Actress, Caroline Bowman '10! Caroline is currently starring in Disney’s "Frozen" North American Tour as the role of Elsa. Her Broadway credits include Elphaba in "Wicked" and Nicola in "Kinky…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Brandon Bell / Houston Chapter 55:05

1y ago55:05

55:05

The 2016 Big Ten Championship squad is undoubtedly one of the most memorable teams in Penn State history. In part one (0:55) of this week's episode of The Football Letter Podcast, we're joined by one of the 2016 team captains, Brandon Bell! Having worn the iconic No. 11 jersey, Brandon finished his Nittany Lion career with 225 tackles, 11.5 sacks, …

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Nick Eury / Greater Pittsburgh Chapter 51:21

1y ago51:21

51:21

On this week's episode of The Football Letter podcast, we're joined by letterman running back Nick Eury and President of our Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, Kristen Conti. In part one, we talk to Nick about the process of becoming a walk-on for the football team, the emotions of earning a scholarship, his work as a District Manager for ALDI, staying co…

1
Episode 43 — The Role Of A Child Life Specialist With Katie Taylor '07 32:06

1y ago32:06

32:06

Katie Taylor '07 is the Co-founder and CEO of Child Life On Call, a digital platform revolutionizing pediatric healthcare by putting parents at the center of the medical journey. With over 13 years of experience as a certified child life specialist, Katie has made significant contributions to the field of child life and the families she’s served wi…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: Beaver Stadium PA Announcers Rodney Martin and Joe Putnam 32:34

1y ago32:34

32:34

Each week during the Penn State Football season, we're bringing you a bonus podcast in our People of Penn State podcast series, featuring interviews with Nittany Lion lettermen and volunteer leaders who bring the mission of the Alumni Association to life. In episode two of The Football Letter Podcast, we spoke to new Beaver Stadium public address a…

1
The Football Letter Podcast Special: OJ McDuffie / New York City Chapter 49:41

1y ago49:41

49:41

The People of Penn State is expanding! Each week during the Penn State Football season, we're bringing you a bonus podcast, featuring interviews with Nittany Lion lettermen and volunteer leaders who bring the mission of the Alumni Association to life. The Football Letter Podcast will live right here in The People of Penn State universe and can be f…

1
Episode 42 — Pennsylvania Secretary Of Education, Dr. Khalid N. Mumin 46:10

1y ago46:10

46:10

On today's episode of The People of Penn State, we're pleased to be joined by Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. For over 25 years, Dr. Mumin has served in various capacities as a teacher, dean of students, principal and central administrator. Most recently, Dr. Mumin served as the Superintendent of Schools at Lower Merion Sc…

1
Episode 41 — Private Coach and Meditation Instructor, Nick Gancitano '82 27:04

1y ago27:04

27:04

On today's episode of The People of Penn State podcast we speak with former Penn State Football placekicker, Nick Gancitano (1986 – Biomechanics), who was a part of the Nittany Lions' 1982 National Championship team. After his NFL career was interrupted by injury, he went into the business world at A.L. Williams, where he led high-performance sales…

1
Episode 40 — 83rd President Of The Penn State Alumni Association, Anand Ganjam '15 41:43

1y ago41:43

41:43

Anand Ganjam (2015 – Finance) is the 83rd President of the Penn State Alumni Association and began his 2-year term as President on July 1, 2023. At the age of 30, he is the youngest President in the Association’s history. Professionally, Anand is a Strategy & Consulting Senior Manager with Accenture, where he focuses on helping large organizations …

1
Episode 39 — Sports Broadcasting And Production With Hannah Mears '20 44:33

1y ago44:33

44:33

Hannah Mears (2020 - Bellisario) is a sports broadcaster and producer located in Pittsburgh, currently working as an on-air host for the Pirates, sports producer at KDKA-TV, betting host for Picks&Parlays and as a freelance sideline reporter for the Big Ten Network. Hannah stopped by the show for a great conversation about getting her start in broa…

1
Episode 38 — Managing Director of Strategy And Innovation At Wells Fargo Advisors, Joe Nadreau '93 33:43

1y ago33:43

33:43

On today's episode of The People of Penn State, we're joined by Joe Nadreau (1993 - Smeal), who recently retired from his position of Managing Director of Strategy and Innovation at Wells Fargo Advisors. Joe discussed a variety of topics on the show, including being a part of the ROTC program at Penn State, the importance of mentors and mentees, dr…

1
Episode 37 — Athlete Representation With NFL Player Agent Jim Ivler '90 39:53

1+ y ago39:53

39:53

Welcome to another episode of The People of Penn State! On today's show, we're joined by NFL Player Agent, Jim Ivler (1990 - History)! He takes us inside the world of athlete representation, breaking down what it's like to work with NFL stars of the past and present. Jim's clients include Penn State letterman Tamba Hali, Robbie Gould, and Brenton S…

1
Episode 36 — Founder Of Black Doctors Consortium, Center For Health Equity, And R.E.A.L. Concierge Medicine, Dr. Ala Stanford 38:23

1+ y ago38:23

38:23

Start your weekend off with another episode of The People of Penn State! Today, we welcome alumna Dr. Ala Stanford to the program for an insightful conversation about medicine and health equity. Dr. Stanford discussed her time at Penn State, (including her days as a Lion Ambassador), her career path, transforming her private practice into a Covid-1…

1
Episode 35 — NIL Special With Michael Mauti '12: Letterman Founder Of Lions Legacy Club 34:48

1+ y ago34:48

34:48

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is one of the most talked about topics in college athletics and has drastically changed the landscape of sports at the collegiate level in the United States. In a special two-part series on The People of Penn State, we take a close look at NIL, with a strong focus on its impact at Penn State. In part two of our two-p…

1
Episode 34 — NIL Special With Kerry Small '87: Executive Director of Success With Honor 27:48

1+ y ago27:48

27:48

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is one of the most talked about topics in college athletics and has drastically changed the landscape of sports at the collegiate level in the United States. In a special two part series on The People of Penn State, we take a close look at NIL, with a strong focus on its impact at Penn State. In part one of our NIL d…

1
Episode 33 — Director For Operations And Exercise Director For The Tactical Training Group, Pacific, Captain Thomas Ulmer '96 38:32

1+ y ago38:32

38:32

Captain Thomas Ulmer '96 is a commissioned Naval Officer with 27 years of experience. A Surface Warfare Officer, he has commanded two Navy warships and led diverse work forces through routine operations to crisis while circum-navigating the globe and conducting operations worldwide. Throughout his service, Tom has participated in operations that re…

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