From the Editor:
9/21/07
Issue thirty-two of the LAzine answers the question, “Where are they now?” by checking back in with some of the former students featured in our previous issues. The diversity of our young alums reflects the diversity of the College, its twenty departments, and its centers and institutes. Our drive to increase the quality and relevance of our programs is demonstrated in the strong start each student has made in his or her chosen field. The College remains dedicated to academic initiatives that are timely and relevant and that provide the necessary tools to succeed in today’s competitive job market.
To that end, we talk to two students who are up-and-coming journalists, one in the sports department of a respected newspaper; and the other, just awarded a prestigious fellowship to further his expertise. We also talk to two students who never left the academic realm—one, a high school teacher; the other, a reference librarian in higher education. And finally, we check in with an alumnus who is making a name for himself at an economic consulting firm, thanks in part to his broad range of experiences while at Penn State. It is clear that each student's time at University Park built the foundation for a future filled with meaningful work and important contributions to their communities.
The Niche Pays Off
When we last talked to Josh Lipowsky, the 2003 graduate was beginning a job as editor of a new glossy magazine devoted to Jewish life in the commonwealth.
So where he is now?
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| Joshua Lipowsky, '03 journalism, interviews former Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu—photo by Jerry Szubin |
He is working at The Jewish Standard, the oldest Jewish newspaper in New Jersey. Unfortunately, Hayom, the magazine he helped to start with State College publisher Jana King, did not take off and closed in 2005. A few months later, Lipowsky began working at The Standard, which covers Bergen and Hudson counties in northern New Jersey, and has a circulation of about 27,000.
“I’m pretty happy here,” he says. “It’s a very interesting job, and I meet a lot of fascinating people.” For example, Lipowsky had the opportunity to have lunch with the former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu last February when Netanyahu visited New York. “We had a half-hour meeting, and I asked him question after question,” says Lipowsky. “He didn’t miss a beat. He definitely knows his way around the media.”
Also in February, The Standard sent Lipowsky to Israel to follow the largest community mission ever undertaken by the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Northern New Jersey, called “Jersey to Jerusalem.” While he was there, Lipowsky interviewed Rachael Risby-Raz, Prime Minister Olmert’s adviser of Diaspora Affairs, who’d been working for Olmert since he was mayor of Jerusalem six years ago.
“Something she said really struck me,” recalls Lipowsky. “While all the scandal investigations and commissions may not cast Israel in the best light, they do illustrate the high level of transparency in the country and how no one is above the rule of law.”
Most recently, Lipowsky garnered various recognitions for his work. In June the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded him first place for deadline reporting and third place in business reporting. He also received a Gralla Fellowship, enrolling him in a program that runs an annual seminar on the American Jewish community. This summer he and seventeen other fellows spent a week at Brandeis University where they, along with other journalists and Jewish Studies scholars, looked at new trends in the field.
Such endeavors are a natural outgrowth of Lipowsky’s time at Penn State. Beginning as a journalism major, Lipowsky eventually added another major in Jewish Studies and minored in Hebrew. He says that he’s been fortunate to be able to find a profession that affords him the opportunity to combine all three areas of study. And although he is not sure where his journalism career will take him, right now Lipowsky is quite content with what he’s doing. He says that working in Jewish journalism presents challenges that he finds personally rewarding.
“In Jewish journalism, you constantly need to watch what your paper is becoming,” he explains. “Is it a Jewish newspaper or a newspaper that is Jewish? Is it a glorified community newsletter or digging for stories that really affect the community, whether in positive or negative ways? I enjoy dealing with these issues.”
Learning and Doing
Christopher Korman appeared in issue nine of the LAzine in 2003. At the time, his success writing for his hometown newspaper, The Reading Eagle, earned him attention and scholarship support through the Milton B. Dolinger Endowed Scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts. Not surprisingly, Reading was just the tip of the iceberg for Korman. By 25, Korman had already seen one of his graduate school projects on the cover a major New York City publication.
The New and the Old
The last time Scott Weishaar was mentioned in these pages, he’d won the Theodore H. and Dorothy E. Kerry Memorial Scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts, was featured on the inside page of a 2000 issue of The Penn Stater magazine, and was awarded the Lois-Jean Ruth Endowed Scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts the following year.
A Suitcase that Opened a Career
When we last checked in with Erin Dini Davis in the fall of 2001, she was just embarking on what would be a life-changing adventure. Through an undergraduate internship at the Pattee Library, Dini Davis was the first person to open an old maroon suitcase filled with items belonging to Vivian Virtue, one of the most important poets to come out of the Caribbean.
Juggling Roles
In the seventeenth issue of the LAzine, we published a note from Fulbright Scholar Savina Rendina, who was spending a semester in Saint Malo, France, as part of her award. Despite her great experiences, when it came time for the comparative literature/international studies major and fluent French speaker to graduate, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.