Alumni Notes

1998 Journalism

for the third year in a row, Kelly (Tabay) Hainer and Ron Regan (1975) have been part of a team recognized with a regional Emmy Award. Hainer and Regan were recognized with the Lower Great Lakes Region Emmy for the News Special "Who Killed Kaitlyn?" In addition, Hainer was part of the team awarded the Continuing Coverage Emmy for its work on the series "Broken Roads, Broken Systems," which exposes deficiencies in how Cleveland maintains its streets. Regan was awarded with the Emmys for Health & Science story and for Journalistic Enterprise.

Note Posted: September 28, 2018

1998 Film-Video

was appointed chief product officer at SkyShowtime, a new European streaming video service jointly owned by Comcast and Paramount. Snow and his family recently moved to Amsterdam from Los Angeles.

Note Posted: August 30, 2022

1998 Journalism

is currently senior director of entertainment for Carnival Cruise Line. In this role, he oversees the entertainment recruitment, training and ongoing operations for our fleet of 28 ships. This includes production shows, live music and activities/parties/events.

Note Posted: January 25, 2020

1998 Advertising/Public Relations

was promoted to CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire. The local organization is one of the largest chapters in the nation and annual serves more than 3,500 children.

Note Posted: January 2, 2019

1998 Telecommunications

was elected President-Elect of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) annual conference in Jacksonville, Florida, in March 2018. He will assume duties as President of the organization in March 2019. APTAC is the professional organization for Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) across the country, providing training and legislative knowledge on government contracting-related issues. The PTACs are divided into 11 regions across the country, with approximately 300 offices and 600 employees. Gerraughty is currently the program manager of the Southern Alleghenies PTAC in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and has been there for six years.

Note Posted: December 26, 2018

1998 Telecommunications

placed in the top 30 of the Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Contest and is a finalist in the Los Angeles International Screenplay competition with the screenplay "Something Old Something New..

Note Posted: September 28, 2018

1998 Journalism

was named head of the Scripps Journalism Journey Initiative.

The initiative, funded by Google, aims to help print journalists make the transition to video. Iovino most recently was visiting assistant professor of media innovation at West Virginia University.

Before joining West Virginia University, Iovino was managing editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting covering the Tree of LIfe synagogue shooting.

Previously he was senior news editor of operations for NBC-owned stations’ digital properties. He also served as a digital editor for TV stations in Washington, D.C.; Columbus, Ohio; and PIttsburgh. Iovino started out as a sportswriter.

Note Posted: August 31, 2022

1998 Telecommunications

joined the Penn State College of Health and Human Development as assistant dean for operations.

Kukitz, who was previously with the Penn State Alumni Association, earned his MBA from the University in 2002.

Note Posted: January 10, 2022

1998 Advertising/Public Relations

is now a public relations consultant for the nonprofit The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org) based in Millburn, N.J.

Note Posted: March 26, 2014

1998 Telecommunications

is a senior account executive HanesBrands Inc.

Note Posted: September 26, 2020

1998 Journalism

was recently promoted to the position of Assistant Director, Alumni Communication & Online Services for Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. In her new position she is in charge of developing marketing, social media and website strategies for connecting with the school's global population.

Note Posted: June 28, 2013

1997 Telecommunications

has founded Car Show Life (carshowlife.net), which creates cars show displays, t-shirts and logos for car enthusiasts. The project allows him to pursue his passion for automobiles in a non-mechanical avenue. He's working alongside builders and collectors in a creative capacity. Bottegal (aka Drake Donovan) previously spent 20-plus years in radio broadcasting. He continues to offer creative services for radio and television and does some voice-over work (drakedonovan.com).

Note Posted: January 16, 2020

1997 Telecommunications

is vice president and associate general Counsel at NCTA - The Internet and Television Association in Washington, D.C. She lives with her husband and daughters in Arlington, Virginia.

Note Posted: September 12, 2017

1997 Film-Video

is the broadcast production manager at the U.S. office of media resources company Cision Inc. in Chicago.

Note Posted: August 2, 2014

1997 Telecommunications

has founded Car Show Life (carshowlife.net), which creates cars show displays, t-shirts and logos for car enthusiasts. The project allows him to pursue his passion for automobiles in a non-mechanical avenue. He's working alongside builders and collectors in a creative capacity. Bottegal (aka Drake Donovan) previously spent 20-plus years in radio broadcasting. He continues to offer creative services for radio and television and does some voice-over work (drakedonovan.com).

Note Posted: June 18, 2020

1997 Journalism

joined Griswold Home Care as director of marketing, a newly created position. Kanther’s addition to Griswold’s executive leadership team demonstrates the growing home care company’s commitment to strategic expansion. She is an experienced marketer with a depth of digital experience.

Most recently Kanther was marketing and digital strategy consultant at the New England Appliance & Electronics Groups, where she led the company’s strategic digital marketing direction at the corporate level and on behalf of 105 local independent retailers. Prior to joining the NEAEG, Kanther was marketing development manager for Electrolux Major Appliances North America and a partner at Hoopla Marketing & Public Relations.

She is a native of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Note Posted: January 21, 2021

1997 Journalism

was appointed president and CEO of Via of Lehigh Valley. Walkiewicz previously served as the organization's executive director. She has been with Via for 13 years, playing an instrumental role for the organization that serves more than 1,200 people annually in Lehigh, Northhampton, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Bucks and Berks counties. It provides autism services, employment services for high school sctudents, expanded clinical services and inclusive early education.

Note Posted: March 10, 2020

1997 Broadcast/Cable, Telecommunications

works as a stage manager for "Early Today" at NBC News.

He's a 20-year news veteran.

Note Posted: July 25, 2023

1997 Broadcast Journalism

was promoted to director, digital dngagement at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In this role, he provides oversight for marketing and communications-led digital engagement and growth strategies, including web development, social media, content marketing, SEO, SEM and CRM. He partners with information technology services, patient experience, patient access and others to optimize the consumer digital experience for Cone Health.

Note Posted: March 23, 2021

1997 Journalism

was named managing editor of the Tribune-Review.

During the past five years, Amen has managed the Trib’s digital content strategy, spearheading ambitious projects that have allowed the Trib to grow its digital audience. TribLIVE is now the most visited news website in the Western Pennsylvania market.

Amen, 45, is a Hempfield native and Hempfield High School graduate who grew up reading the Tribune-­Review. He called his new role “a dream come true.”

“The Trib has always been such an integral part of our community,” he said. “I look forward to continuing the Trib’s tradition of excellence.”

In his new role, Amen will oversee the day-to-day operations of the news department, including the Trib’s award-winning sports desk. He begins his new role Nov. 20.

Amen lives in Plum with his wife, Keightley, daughter, Elizabeth, and triplet sons Alex, Matthew and William.

Note Posted: September 8, 2021

1997 Broadcast/Cable

recently marked 23 years of working for NBC News.

He's a technical associate for shows such as "Early Today," "MSNBC Daytime" and multiple daytime programming projects.

Note Posted: November 3, 2023

1997

is the global chief creative and experience officer for Mercedes Benz Team X.

She joined BBDO New York in 2000 as a copywriter and has gone from writing for global accounts to leading them. She has won and judged most major awards. She was twice named one of “The Most Creative Women in Advertising” by Business Insider. She was named AdAge’s “40 under 40” and Adweek’s “Young and Influential 20 Under 40,” and was an honoree at the inaugural MAKERS conference. In 2014, she was inducted into the prestigious Advertising Hall of Achievement.

She is a founding member of BBDO’s Diversity Council, the Women in Leadership committee and has created work such as “Put Her On the Map,” an effort to memorialize female role models.

Note Posted: October 10, 2022

1996 Media Studies

and Charles A. Stinger III were married Sept. 29, 2012, in Columbia, Md. Diana is a communications director for Concepts Inc., a communications firm based in Bethesda, Md. Charles is an economic analyst for the federal government. They live in Bethesda.

Note Posted: February 22, 2013

1996 Print Journalism

was named head of internal communications and change management for the data enterprise office at Cigna Healthcare in Philadelphia.

Note Posted: August 31, 2020

1996 Journalism

was named sports editor of The Citizens' Voice in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on June 1, 2013.

Note Posted: July 8, 2013

1996 Print Journalism

is director, corporate communications at AmeriGas in King of Prussia, Pennsyllvania. In this role she leads the employee, media/PR and crisis communications teams for the nation's largest propane company.

Note Posted: July 26, 2014

1996 Telecommunications

recently became the marketing director responsible for all marketing, public relations, social media and industry events for Sarbari (www.sarbari.com), an emerging cloud-based software provider serving the restaurant and foodservice industry nationwide. Prior to joning Sarbari, Mike worked in marketing management roles with companies like Synergis Engineering Design Solutions, Trifecta Technologies, SunGard K-12 Education, PPL Corp. and RCN Corp. His experience in these marketing roles provided him with the opportunity to manage co-marketing programs with well-known companies like Autodesk, HBO, IBM, salesforce.com, and Showtime. After graduating from Penn State, Mike lived and worked in New York City for several years, and then moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he lives today with his wife Rebekah and their two young children.

Note Posted: June 22, 2015

1996 Advertising/Public Relations

is a regional marketing manager for Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in Orlando, Florida. CAA was recently ranked No. 8 overall (out of 427 total entries) on the first-ever Forbes SportsMoney Index, a ranking of the most influential athletes, agencies, brands and teams in sports.

Note Posted: February 1, 2017

1996 Journalism

sports editor at The Citizens' Voice in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, is now the Mid-Atlantic region chairman for the Associated Press Sports Editors.

Note Posted: July 19, 2017

1996 Telecommunications

joined Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the director of marketing and communications in November 2016, after 15-plus years in corporate and agency marketing in New York, the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia. He leads a team responsible for strategic marketing communications designed to effectively promote Moravian College and its emerging graduate programs, and to provide marketing services to all faculty and staff.

Note Posted: January 17, 2018

1996 Advertising/Public Relations

will be celebrating 23 years at Harmelin Media, which includes many Penn Staters, in April 2020.

Note Posted: January 17, 2020