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Artwork for The People of Penn State

The People of Penn State

Penn State Alumni Association
Penn State
Penn State University
Football
Alumni Association
State College
Journalism
Penn State Alumni Association
Weather
Learning Undefeated
STEM Education
Entertainment Industry
Lehigh Valley Chapter Of the Penn State Alumni Association
Pelotonia
Thon
Mentorship
Penn State Football
Environmental Education
Audrey Delight
Artsquest
Nike

Welcome to the People of Penn State Podcast — the podcast from the Penn State Alumni Association that brings you the incredible stories of Nittany Lions making their mark on the world!

Each episode, a rotating cast of hosts sit down with Penn State alumni who are changing the game in business, science, sports, the arts, and beyond. You never know who you'll hear from next — but you do know it'l... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes151Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

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Artwork for The People of Penn State

Latest Episodes

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Wagner '96 Lib and Eric Vishnevetsky '15 Bus to explore their career journeys in wealth management, leadership, and the power of building meaningful relationships.

Eric Wagner, a Managing Director at UBS Privat... more

YouTube

In this episode, Jackie Layer '13 EMS shares how childhood weather events sparked a passion that led her to a career in broadcast meteorology. 

Now the Chief Meteorologist at DC News Now, Jackie reflects on her Penn State experience, covering everyt... more

YouTube

On this episode of The People of Penn State podcast, we chat with Dan Barefoot '13 A&A, a professional landscape architect and Team USA skeleton athlete who represented the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. 

Dan shares how ... more

On this episode of the People of Penn State podcast, we sit down with Jennifer Colvin ’97 Behrend, chief innovation officer at Learning Undefeated and self-described “crazy ideas captain.”

Jen reflects on her time at Penn State Behrend, where she ea... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Dan Barefoot
Team USA Skeleton Athlete and 2013 Landscape Architecture graduate
Penn State Alumni, Olympic athlete
Episode: Episode 110–Designing a Path to the Olympics with Dan Barefoot
Jen Colvin
Chief Innovation Officer, Learning Undefeated
Learning Undefeated
Episode: Episode 109–Learning Undefeated with Jennifer Colvin
Janelle Burrell
Emmy Award-winning journalist and morning anchor at CBS News Philadelphia
CBS News Philadelphia
Episode: Episode 108–Live from the Anchor Desk with Janelle Burrell
Brian Kappel
Penn State alumnus, visual artist and muralist
Self-employed artist; former Nike designer
Episode: Episode 107–Simplism: Finding Creativity in Chaos with Brian Kappel
Cade Miller
2024 graduate, Belisario College of Communications, journalism; Associate Director of Admissions at Shepherd University
Shepherd University
Episode: Episode 106–All Roads Lead Back to Penn State with Cade Miller
Katie Collins
Penn State alumna, Co-founder of ECM Therapeutics and Abigail Collins
ECM Therapeutics; Abigail Collins
Episode: Episode 105–Science, Style, and Entrepreneurship with Katie Collins
Cheryl Nelson
Broadcast meteorologist and founder of Prepare with Cher
Prepare with Cher
Episode: Episode 104–Prepare with Cher with Cheryl Nelson
Kennedy White
2023 graduate from the Belisario College of Communications with a degree in public relations; author of I Am Who I Am
Penn State Alumni Association / Author
Episode: Episode 103–A Story for Every Voice with Kennedy White
Kassie Hilgert
President and CEO of ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest
Episode: Episode 102–Where Creativity Meets Community with Kassie Hilgert '97

Host

Katie Farnham
Host of The People of Penn State Podcast

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 19 ratings
  • Great content

    I love the content of these podcasts but I think the sound quality could be improved. The interviewer sounds like he is very far from the microphone and interviewees come across much louder and clearer. It makes it extremely difficult to listen on air pods due to the sound variation.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    fairfield chick
    United States5 years ago
  • Great Start!

    Couldn’t have picked a better first guest to get this Podcast started! Enjoyed hearing from Jake, and learning about his incredible story. And the Ability Athletic Program that PSU has to assist student-athletes with a handicap.

    We Are!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Supt3100
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Showcases strong community and mentorship themes that help listeners feel connected to campus.
Listeners appreciate varied guest backgrounds and stories from Penn State alumni.
Guests' practical career insights and alumni-network focus are frequently highlighted as a strength.
Some指出 audio balance issues in some episodes affect listening experience.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 109–Learning Undefeated with Jennifer Colvin
Q: What advice would you give biology students or new graduates?
Explore non-traditional paths in STEM, build capacity through mentorship and practical experiences, and seek roles that leverage their intrinsic interests while contributing to the healthcare and manufacturing ecosystem.
Episode 109–Learning Undefeated with Jennifer Colvin
Q: What about your Penn State experience helped you in the real world?
Her news staff leadership and lab experience taught her storytelling, deadlines, collaboration, and how to motivate others—skills she now applies to building teams and programs at Learning Undefeated.
Episode 109–Learning Undefeated with Jennifer Colvin
Q: What was your plan originally when you came to college?
Jen thought she would work in a traditional lab but found her passion in shaping how science is experienced and taught, which steered her toward science education and leadership roles.
Episode 110–Designing a Path to the Olympics with Dan Barefoot
Q: What was the moment you realized you were going to the Olympics?
The realization was gradual and emotional; after numerically qualifying, the most meaningful moments came from sharing the news with family and friends, realizing the significance of the achievement through their reactions and the ongoing support.
Episode 110–Designing a Path to the Olympics with Dan Barefoot
Q: How did you balance a full-time job with secretly training for the Olympics?
Training was integrated into daily life; I kept a normal work schedule, trained near my office, and quietly pursued the goal while managing finances and loans, gradually increasing commitment as opportunities arose.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Interests
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Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About The People of Penn State

What is The People of Penn State about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show features Penn State alumni from a wide range of fields—arts, education, business, sports, science, and nonprofit leadership—sharing career journeys, community impact, and lifelong Wolf Pack connections. Episodes spotlight personal narratives, mentorship, and practical wisdom for students and graduates, with recurring themes of staying connected to Penn State, building alumni networks, and turning passions into impactful work. A notable through-line is harnessing creativity, leadership, and collaboration to fuel community engagement, often highlighting multi-generational ties and campus memories that resonate with a broad alumni base.

Where can I find podcast stats for The People of Penn State?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The People of Penn State. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The People of Penn State and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The People of Penn State get?

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What are the audience demographics for The People of Penn State?

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To see how many followers or subscribers The People of Penn State has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of The People of Penn State are there?

The People of Penn State launched 5 years ago and published 151 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The People of Penn State?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on The People of Penn State?

Recent guests on The People of Penn State include:

1. Dan Barefoot
2. Jen Colvin
3. Janelle Burrell
4. Brian Kappel
5. Cade Miller
6. Katie Collins
7. Cheryl Nelson
8. Kennedy White

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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