Penn State Laureate to visit Penn State Altoona April 28

ALTOONA, Pa. - Pearl Gluck, the 2025-26 Penn State Laureate, will visit Penn State Altoona at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, in the Wolf Kuhn Theatre of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. She will screen and discuss her short documentary films, then take part in a Q&A led by Penn State Altoona professor emeritus Jerry Zolten.

Gluck is an associate professor in Penn State's Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Her teaching focuses on screenwriting, directing and producing, helping students discover their unique storytelling voices while balancing creative exploration with technical discipline.

Gluck's films explore themes of gender, class, faith and autobiographical storytelling. Her honors include three Fulbright grants, a Sundance Producer's Lab fellowship and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her feature film "The Turn Out" won several awards including Best Debut Feature at the Female Eye Film Festival. Her films have been screened at festivals such as Cannes and Sundance and have been featured by NPR and PBS.

Closer to home, Gluck is co-founder of the Centre Film Festival, which was named 2024 "Best Festival/Event of the Year" by the Happy Valley Tourism Board.

As Laureate, Gluck is visiting the University's Commonwealth Campuses offering traveling workshops and screenings to inspire regional storytelling; foster student connections across campuses; and create pathways for future collaborations, residencies and artistic engagement.

"Penn State Altoona is thrilled and honored to host Pearl this April," said05 Ron Darbeau, Penn State Altoona chancellor and dean. "Her visit shines a light on the vibrancy and richness of the arts and humanities at our college. Like the rest of the campus, I am looking forward to the delights the visit will offer."

Among the University's highest honors in the arts and humanities, the Penn State Laureate is an endowed full-year position designed to bring greater visibility to the arts, humanities, the honoree's work, and the University's mission.

The event is free and open to the public.