Feature Stories

Nathan Davis stands in a hallway of a community organization space decorated with colorful student artwork and motivational messages.

From the courts to campus

Staff Spotlight: Nathan Davis, student services assistant for Penn State Altoona’s Student Affairs office and the Belonging Center

Several people playing pickleball on an indoor court, with players positioned at the net and a ball in play.

King of the Court: The making of Penn State Altoona’s resident sport humanities scholar

Kyle King brings his passion for sport on the court to the classroom and beyond.

Five people seated on stage in a panel discussion, with a projected image of a circle of chairs in a library behind them.

A professor of sociology at Penn State Altoona, Amir Marvasti, has conducted research for decades on topics like race and ethnicity and the social construction of emotions. Now, some of his data has been turned into drama for the stage.

Rail Transportation Engineering

Join Penn State Altoona’s ABET-accredited Rail Transportation Engineering program and gain skills to excel in the rapidly growing, modernizing rail industry.

Two people browse clothing racks, one wearing a Penn State shirt and smiling while holding a phone.

Secondhand Style, Firsthand Confidence

Two Penn State Altoona Career Services initiatives are supporting student success through clothing

Man in a Penn State shirt stands outside Ivyside Eats food pantry at Penn State Altoona, smiling at the camera.

Turning Education into Action

After learning about Penn State Altoona’s Ivyside Eats food pantry, Joe Bilka is helping ensure that his fellow students have enough to eat.

A vintage wooden radio with large dials sits on weathered wooden planks inside a dark shed, with moonlight illuminating a misty field and trees in the background.

Inner Frequency

An audio drama produced by convergent media students was used as a teaching tool for a Canadian youth workshop this summer.

Penn State Altoona to open dedicated vets lounge this fall

Student veteran Michael Balmforth believes a new veterans lounge will build community and connection across campus and beyond.

Hatch joined the PA Game Commission in banding young barn owls from a local farm—one of the happiest days of her life.

No Plan, No Problem

Taking chances and opportunities as they come, Penn State Altoona graduate Haley Hatch has forged a path into environmental education.

Jen Parrish’s vision for her future has nothing, and everything, to do with her sight.

A New Vision

A devastating health diagnosis once felt like the end of everything Jen Parrish dreamt of for herself. Now, about to graduate from Penn State Altoona, she is at peace and more confident than ever in her future.