Penn State Wilkes-Barre faculty member Luciana Caporaletti traveled to Peru in May to study plants used for medicinal purposes by indigenous people. Her research team visited a remote area of the Amazon rainforest in the northeastern part of the country, living with members of the Urarina tribe as they learned about the plants and tribal culture.
Andrew Zimmerman came to Penn State Wilkes-Barre with the intention of moving on to University Park after two years. But after getting immersed in his information technology major, he decided to stay at the local campus to complete his degree.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre is known for having dedicated faculty and staff members, many of whom spend their entire careers serving students here.
Dudley Snyder, David Chin and Lorna Chin embody that commitment, having spent a combined total of more than 80 years at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. All three are retiring and said that while they are looking forward to the next chapter, they will miss the family atmosphere and students at the campus.
Dylan Fredricey and Camaryn Lokuta, who earned their degrees in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, talk about where they are employed and how Penn State Wilkes-Barre led them there.
Gabriela Gronkowski wants to study veterinary science in the Caribbean and chose to start at Penn State Wilkes-Barre to help her get there. An animal lover ever since she can remember, she began taking care of others’ pets and realized she wanted to spend her career caring for animals. Gronkowski is majoring in animal sciences and chose Penn State’s 2+2 Plan to give her a smoother college transition.
First-generation college student Hailey Carey thought Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s smaller size would be ideal for making the move to college—and she couldn’t be happier with her decision to attend.
“I didn’t know what to expect from college. I wanted to be more comfortable and have an easier transition. That’s why I chose a campus close to me,” said Carey, a first-year student.
The thousands of students who have come through Penn State Wilkes-Barre since Jacqueline “Jackie” Warnick-Piatt began working at the campus in the late 1990s now have the opportunity to connect with her as alumni.
After 23 years in her role as student activities coordinator, Warnick-Piatt began a new position as alumni relations and stewardship officer in late 2021.
Faisal Altwaim, a surveying engineering student at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, is separated from his family and home in Saudi Arabia by more than 6,000 miles. He has found the campus community “extremely helpful” and “like family.”
“At a smaller campus like Penn State Wilkes-Barre, you are treated more on an individual level. They truly care about your learning and overall academic experience,” he said.
Steve Jones’ voice is well known by Penn State students, alumni and fans: He’s been the play-by-play announcer at home football games since 2000 and home basketball games since 1982. The man with the voice got his start in radio at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, where he began to develop his skills and fell in love with the profession.
Cloe Mazzatosta is no stranger to getting involved in clubs on campus. She is a participant in six different organizations at Penn State Wilkes-Barre and serves as treasurer for four of them. She also found the local campus to be a great way for her to transition between a smaller high school and a large university.
