Alumni Notes

1988 Broadcast/Cable

works as a nationwide anchor for USA News (USAMediaGroup.com).

He writes and anchors news updates ad the top and bottom of the hour for affiliates across the country, and can be heard from 4 to 8 p.m. ET Monday to Wednesday and again from 1 to 3 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.

USA News is based in Dallas. Shaffer works from a studio in Las Vegas.

Note Posted: January 13, 2023

1983 Broadcast Journalism

retired as the director of marketing for Commonwealth Media Services after 31 years of service in state government. She is a former Emmy Award-winning broadcast and radio news producer/reporter. She served 10 years on the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications Alumni Board.

Note Posted: January 10, 2023

2022 Broadcast Journalism

has joined WSTM, WSTQ and WTVH in Syracuse, New York, as a multimedia journalist.

Note Posted: January 6, 2023

2015 Advertising/Public Relations

accepted a position as international communications manager at UPMC.

Note Posted: November 28, 2022

2009 Journalism

covers trends and breaking news for the Los Angeles Times.

She previously covered live news at the New York Times. A two-time reporting fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation, she graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism and international studies.

Note Posted: November 21, 2022

2001 Journalism

was awarded first place in this year's Best American Newspaper Narrative contest.

Fagone, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, was honored for "The Jessica Simulation," a longform story about a freelance writer who created an A.I.-powered chatbot to replicate the voice of his deceased fiancee.

The award was given as part of the annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, a prestigious event for writers hosted in Dallas by the University of North Texas. Its writing contests award cash prizes and publishing opportunities for authors of book manuscripts, unpublished essays and longform journalism.

Note Posted: November 15, 2022

2012 Print Journalism

is the communications manager at Via of the Lehigh Valley, marking her second job in the non-profit sector since 2016.

Relying on skills learned in college, Schoof is committed to telling the stories of the lives impacted by the services Via provides to those with disabilities in the Lehigh Valley community.

Note Posted: November 9, 2022

1990 Journalism

was promoted to the rank of captain in the United States Navy. Currently, he serves as the Navy’s Deputy Chief of Information (CHINFO) in the Pentagon.

Note Posted: November 6, 2022

2004 Broadcast Journalism, Mass Communication

was hired as a communications manager for RDO in Fargo, N.D. Founded in 1968, RDO Equipment Co. sells and supports agriculture, construction, environmental, positioning, surveying and irrigation equipment from manufacturers including John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon. With more than 75 locations across the United States, including partnerships in Russia, Ukraine, and Australia, RDO Equipment Co. is a total solutions provider.

Note Posted: October 25, 2022

1999

, an honorary alumnus, was named as the 2022 recipient of Omicron Delta Kappa's Pillars of Leadership Award in Communications.

Curley is a 1958 initiate of the Dickinson College Circle (chapter) Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK). In addition to being a collegiate initiate of ODK, he is a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After earning his baccalaureate degree from Dickinson, Curley completed a master's degree from Columbia University.

He was a professor, distinguished professional in residence, and founding co-director of the Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State. The center was later renamed in his honor as the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.

Previously, Curley was the first editor of USA Today. Curley was also the head of Gannett News Service, during which time the news service won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. He retired from Gannett as chairman in January 2001 after more than 30 years with the company.

During that time, Curley served as an editor at the Rochester Times-Union in Rochester, New York; as editor and later publisher of the Courier-News in Bridgewater, New Jersey; and later as the publisher of the News-Journal in Wilmington, Delaware. In May 1996, he was selected as chairman of the Newspaper Association of America.

Note Posted: October 17, 2022

2020 Advertising/Public Relations

is an event coordinator at the Centre Foundation.

Since graduating from Penn State, she has stepped into a public relations and communications role at a local Centre County nonprofit, Centre Foundation. After attending Penn State, she fell in love with the area and wanted to make a difference in the local community.

At the Centre Foundation, she does so by communicating and engaging with local nonprofits, donors and the community.

Note Posted: October 10, 2022

2016 Advertising/Public Relations

is the strategist for Google.

At Penn State, he held leadership positions on the Penn State Interfraternity Council and was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, where he served as their alumni relations chair. He was also involved in Thon, the PRSSA and the LifeLink program.

He started his career at The Wall Street Journal before pivoting to working in Advertising Strategy at Google in 2022. He began his career on the corporate communications team for WSJ's parent company, Dow Jones. From there he joined the memberships team, where he helped expand the Journal's CEO Council membership and helped in the creation of several other memberships ultimately finishing his time at WSJ on the Live Journalism team.

He made the move to Google in February of 2022, where he currently works as a Strategist for the Google Customer Solutions team. He is also pursuing his MBA at Fordham University in New York City.

Note Posted: October 10, 2022