Sitting in chairs that reflected their experiences at Gettysburg College, four seniors shared stories of growth, discovery, and belonging with the Class of 2030 during Experience Gettysburg as part of Orientation.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, four chairs sat on the stage of Gettysburg’s Majestic Theater, each representing far more than a place to sit. They symbolized the spaces, experiences, and relationships that have shaped the journeys of members of the Class of 2027 over the past three years.

The audience seats inside the theater were filled by members of the Class of 2030, listening as the seniors shared the stories behind their chosen chairs during Experience Gettysburg. This Orientation tradition introduces members of Gettysburg’s newest class to the opportunities, connections, and sense of place that can define their time on campus.

Their stories reflected different paths, but carried a common message: Remain open to what comes next. Whether discovering an unplanned passion, finding a place that feels like home, asking for help, or pursuing a question that opens an unexpected door, the seniors encouraged Gettysburg’s newest students to embrace the people, places, and possibilities that may ultimately shape their own journeys.

Riley Dunbar ’27

Hometown: Waldorf, Maryland
Majors: Music and Cinema & Media Studies

“I chose to sit on a piano bench, despite not being a pianist myself. The music I worked on with Prof. [Jocelyn] Swigger, who is a fantastic pianist, was largely piano music. I had spent many long, hot summer days on this piano bench, working through edits as we reached the final stages of publishing this fantastic music by Czech composer Agnes Tyrrell.

“Whenever someone asks me what my advice is for college, I always tell them one thing: If something interests you, speak up about it. Be loud about it. Find people who feel the same. It may open doors you had never even considered before. My work with Prof. Swigger on Agnes Tyrrell’s music blossomed from one simple nagging question: ‘Why can’t I find this music anywhere?’”

Zaira Henry ’27

Hometown: Canefield, Dominica
Majors: Studio Art and Biology

“The chair I sat on belongs to the ceramic studio on campus. Taking and falling in love with ceramics was not something I planned on. However, this chair is where I spent countless late nights not only covered in clay, but also creating, talking to my professor and advisor about my future, and sometimes simply sitting with everything that was happening in my life. Looking back, I realize how many different versions of myself have sat in that same seat. Bringing it with me felt like bringing a small piece of the place where I quietly grew, molding myself into the person I wanted to be.

“I wanted the Class of 2030 to know that some of the most meaningful parts of college may be the ones they never plan for. The people who change them, the places that become home, the opportunities that scare them, and even the moments when they feel completely unsure of themselves can all become part of who they are. I hope they give themselves the freedom to experience Gettysburg fully, without rushing to have everything figured out.”

Arnaz Mahbub ’27

Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Majors: Public Policy and Mathematical Economics

“My chair was from Servo, our dining hall, where I’ve spent countless hour-long dinners with people who started as strangers and became family. So much of my three years building a sense of home happened in chairs just like it, over conversations that ran long because no one wanted to leave.

“Belonging here doesn’t happen all at once; it’s built slowly, through small moments and people who choose to be kind. But Gettysburg also asks something in return: to give back. That doesn’t require a grand gesture. Most of the time, it’s little everyday things. Show up consistently, pay attention to what your community needs, and home will find you.”

Keefer Stiles ’27

Hometown: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Majors: Psychology and Health Sciences

“The reason I chose my chair was because that is really where my Gettysburg College experience began. I did not have a move-in day my first year of college, and it really wasn’t my first year at Gettysburg College either. I felt that the chair from the daycare was more representative and realistic of where I started my college career here and how far I have come since then.

“I have two pieces of advice for the Class of 2030. First, don’t be afraid to say the hard things you want to keep inside out loud, and try new things. I think your first year can be hard and scary to try and navigate by yourself, so it’s important to ask for help from the people around you. They all want you to succeed. Second, find your home here. It may be hard or take a while, but it’s ready to welcome you.”

Begin your own Gettysburg journey and discover the people, places, and possibilities that can shape who you become.

As the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary, Gettysburg College will host a public panel exploring nearly two centuries of shared history with Gettysburg and Adams County, highlighting the people, places, and partnerships that have connected campus and community across generations.

Gettysburg College will host “Gettysburg College and Community: A Shared History” on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in the newly renovated College Union Building Ballroom. This event is free and open to the public as part of the America250PA celebration.

The evening’s panel discussion will bring together historians, scholars, students and staff to examine the ways Gettysburg College, the Borough of Gettysburg and Adams County have shaped one another across generations.

College President Bob Iuliano will welcome guests before History Prof. Emeritus Michael Birkner ’72, P’10 introduces the panel and serves as moderator. Birkner will provide historical context for the conversation, including the College’s early ties to abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, who provided the land on which the institution was built.

Birkner taught at Gettysburg College beginning in 1989 and served as the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts from 2001 to 2016. A longtime scholar of 19th- and 20th-century American history, he has written and edited numerous books on several U.S. historical figures, including James Buchanan, Thaddeus Stevens and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Four panelists will then explore the shared history of campus and community through research, archaeology, oral history, public history and the student experience.

Ashley Whitehead Luskey, assistant director of the Civil War Institute (CWI), will discuss student research into abolitionism and the evolution of student activism and engagement within the broader Gettysburg community.

Anthropology Prof. Ben Luley will highlight archaeological research connected to the former home of John “Jack” Hopkins near Pennsylvania Hall and the College’s collaboration with the Hopkins House Museum. Luley, an archaeologist who has worked closely with the American Battlefield Trust and Gettysburg History, has led Gettysburg students in field-based research that connects campus discoveries with broader regional history.

Devin McKinney, archives assistant and oral historian in Musselman Library’s Special Collections and College Archives, will explore the College’s oral history collection and how firsthand accounts have deepened engagement among students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the wider community. His work helps preserve personal perspectives on significant events and experiences connected to Gettysburg College and the region.

Student Senate president Jocelyn Duquette ’27, a history major with minors in public history and business, will discuss her internship project, “Under the Bleachers,” which examines the history of athletic spaces that have long served as points of interaction between campus and community. Duquette brings a unique, firsthand student perspective to the panel as a former CWI intern and non-voting member of the Gettysburg Borough Council.

Following the individual presentations, Birkner will moderate a roundtable discussion before opening the floor for audience questions at approximately 8 p.m.

The panel discussion will take place in the Ballroom located in the College Union Building on campus. Free parking is available in the lot next to Musselman Stadium, while paid parking is available along Lincoln Avenue.

Explore Gettysburg College’s America 250 events and discover the people, places, and stories connecting our campus, community, and nation across generations.

Music has always played an important role in Araujo’s life. His proclivity for the piano, which he’s studied and played for more than nine years, helped springboard his talents from his Washington Heights, New York City, hometown to the stage of the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

When it came to choosing a college, Araujo, who graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, knew he wanted to be at a school that offered him the freedom to explore his unique musical and academic interests in political science. That school was Gettysburg College and its Sunderman Conservatory of Music.

“When I visited in person, Gettysburg felt, more than any other school, like the interdisciplinary approach is not just a buzzword. It felt crucial, and that’s important to me,” he said.

While participating in The Gettysburg Experience in April, Araujo recalls feeling like he belonged here. He was greeted by name and introduced not only to the Conservatory, but also to the community of students, staff, and faculty behind the Eisenhower Institute, Political Science Department, and the Majestic Theater.

Gettysburg’s community also surrounded Araujo on Thursday, Aug. 20, when he joined his classmates to participate in the annual First-Year Walk through town to the National Cemetery and Gettysburg Battlefield. During the event, he accepted the key to Gettysburg from Gettysburg Mayor and Public Policy Prof. Alison Lintal on behalf of his class (see photo above).

“Having friends and family cheer me on for the presentation of the key reminded me of exactly why I chose Gettysburg: the people.”
– Alessandro Araujo ’30

This first-year tradition, held during Orientation, commemorates the walk that students and faculty from the College took to hear President Abraham Lincoln deliver his immortal Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863.

“The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous: the speeches, the assertion of the meaning behind this walk, meeting Mayor Lintal—it was all an incredible honor,” Araujo said. “Having friends and family cheer me on for the presentation of the key reminded me of exactly why I chose Gettysburg: the people.”

As the 2026-27 academic year begins, Araujo looks forward to immersing himself in the daily tempo of living and learning at Gettysburg.

#HumansofGettysburg

Learn more about the Gettysburg College community and how you can get connected.

A $1 million commitment from Bob Ortenzio ’79 to endow the women’s wrestling head coaching position will provide lasting leadership for one of Gettysburg’s newest sports. This endowment will expand opportunities for student-athletes and help the College build a nationally competitive program grounded in ambition, stability, and long-term support.

Bob Ortenzio ’79 understands the appeal of building something from the ground up.

As co-founder and executive chairman of Select Medical, Ortenzio helped grow a company headquartered in central Pennsylvania into a nationally recognized leader in health care. When Gettysburg College shared its vision for a new women’s wrestling program, he recognized some of the same elements that have inspired him throughout his professional life: an ambitious idea, experienced leadership, and the opportunity to create something lasting.

The program also brought together several parts of Ortenzio’s personal story. A three-time All-American and Hall of Fame wrestler at Gettysburg, he comes from a family with deep connections to the sport. He also believes strongly in creating more opportunities for women to wrestle at the collegiate level.

Together, those connections inspired Ortenzio to commit $1 million to endow the head coaching position for Gettysburg’s women’s wrestling program.

“There are so many worthy projects in education and elsewhere today, so there are a lot of opportunities for your philanthropic dollars,” Ortenzio said. “It’s really great when you find something that has the elements that resonate with you or reach you.”

The full package

Ortenzio was already familiar with Gettysburg’s plans to strengthen the student experience when Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell ’95 contacted him to discuss the College’s athletic priorities. As a fellow former Gettysburg wrestler, Dell shared an immediate connection with Ortenzio.

When their conversation turned to women’s wrestling, Ortenzio was intrigued.

“It’s Gettysburg. It’s where I came from and where I had great memories wrestling,” Ortenzio said. “It’s wrestling, which my family was involved in, and I’m a total believer in expanding wrestling to women. I wish it could have been done decades ago.”

“That’s how you inspire people. That’s how you inspire organizations. That’s how you get to greatness.”
– Bob Ortenzio ’79 on Gettysburg’s strategy for creating a nationally recognized women’s wrestling program.

The opportunity became even more compelling when Ortenzio learned that Gettysburg was not simply adding another team. The College intended to build a nationally competitive program from the outset, highlighted by strong leadership and long-term institutional support.

Its startup nature particularly appealed to Ortenzio’s entrepreneurial instincts.

“When I see something that’s new and we have high aspirations, that speaks to me,” he said. “We’re going to start something new, grow it, and aspire to be world-class.”

The appointment of inaugural head coach Chris Haines gave Ortenzio further confidence. Haines brings extensive experience following a highly successful coaching career at nearby Gettysburg High School, as well as strong connections within the wrestling community and an ambitious vision for recruiting and competing nationally.

“When you look at those elements, it was the full package for me,” Ortenzio said.

Built to compete

Ortenzio sees a clear parallel between Gettysburg women’s wrestling and his experience helping build Select Medical.

Although Select Medical is based near Gettysburg in central Pennsylvania, Ortenzio never believed its location should limit its aspirations. Select Medical grew by measuring itself against leading organizations nationally—not merely against other companies in its region.

“We’re not just a great company for central Pennsylvania,” Ortenzio said. “We’re a great company nationally. We compete, and we’re viewed as being as good as anybody around the United States.”

“By endowing the head coaching position, Bob Ortenzio is providing the stability, leadership, and confidence our women’s wrestling program needs to establish a strong foundation and pursue its highest aspirations.”
– Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell ’95.

He hears the same ambition in Gettysburg’s plans for women’s wrestling. The goal is not simply to establish a roster. It is to recruit student-athletes nationally, provide them with A Consequential Education, and build a program capable of competing with the country’s best.

“We can build something here to go toe to toe with anybody anywhere in the United States,” Ortenzio said. “That’s how you inspire people. That’s how you inspire organizations. That’s how you get to greatness.”

That vision ultimately made Ortenzio want to become part of the program’s foundation. This new commitment is the first named fully endowed head coaching position for Gettysburg’s athletics program, meeting a priority of the College’s current comprehensive campaign to endow each team’s head coaching position.

“By endowing the head coaching position, Bob Ortenzio is providing the stability, leadership, and confidence our women’s wrestling program needs to establish a strong foundation and pursue its highest aspirations,” Dell said. “His commitment is a powerful reflection of his belief in Gettysburg, in the future of women’s wrestling, and in the transformational experience we can create for generations of student-athletes.”

A complete experience

Ortenzio’s support reflects his belief that athletics remain a vital part of the Gettysburg experience.

His own career was among the most accomplished in program history. Ortenzio won three Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) individual championships, was twice named MAC Outstanding Wrestler, and earned All-America honors in 1976, 1977, and 1979. As a first-year student, he helped Gettysburg capture its first conference team championship in 21 years.

Ortenzio was inducted into Gettysburg’s Hall of Athletic Honor in 1999 and named to the MAC Hall of Fame in 2026. In 2018, Gettysburg presented him with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the College’s highest individual alumni honor, recognizing a relationship with his alma mater defined by professional achievement, leadership, and sustained engagement.

Beyond the victories and honors, Ortenzio, a political science major, remembers a collegiate experience that enabled him to compete at a high level while preparing for the rest of his life.

“Wrestling was a big part of my experience there, and I got an education that allowed me to get my start,” he said. “I went on to law school, and then I went into business.”

Investing in Gettysburg

This most recent commitment continues Ortenzio’s longstanding support of the institution and its student-athletes.

Ortenzio and his wife, Angela, contributed more than $3 million through their family foundation toward the construction of the John F. Jaeger Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness in 2009. The facility expanded opportunities for varsity athletics, recreation, fitness, and wellness across campus. Its lobby and the Robert ’79 and Angela Ortenzio Fitness Center were named in recognition of their support.

That earlier commitment helped create a space serving Gettysburg students each day. His latest investment similarly looks beyond one season or generation. By endowing the leadership of women’s wrestling, Ortenzio is establishing a permanent foundation for a program that will open new possibilities for student-athletes well into the future.

For a lifelong wrestler and experienced entrepreneur, it is another opportunity to help Gettysburg build something meaningful—and pursue an ambitious future.

Support Gettysburg College and help create transformational opportunities that empower students to learn, lead, and achieve for generations to come.

Connecting faculty and staff across the Gettysburg College campus, the annual Summer Pedagogy Institute encourages the exploration of innovative approaches to teaching and learning. A keynote presentation and interactive workshops focused on the value of engaging students as pedagogical partners and co-creators in the curriculum.

Just days before the 2026-2027 academic year began, more than 70 faculty and staff members gathered at Musselman Library to participate in Gettysburg College’s annual Summer Pedagogy Institute (SPI) on Wednesday, Aug. 12, and Thursday, Aug. 13, hosted by The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL).

Now in its seventh year at Gettysburg, the SPI brings together faculty and staff from various offices and departments across campus to explore innovative, collaborative approaches to the student academic experience.

Topics this year focused on fostering collaborations within and beyond the classroom and included the following subjects:

• The value of pedagogical partnerships
• Experiential learning and inclusive teaching
• The application of educational technology in the classroom

“Through SPI, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting our students and creating new opportunities for them to thrive at Gettysburg.”
– East Asian Studies Prof. Junjie Luo, director of the Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL)

Partners in pedagogical instruction

In her keynote address, Alison Cook-Sather discussed the potential to create and sustain student-faculty pedagogical partnerships and to integrate co-creation approaches into teaching. Cook-Sather is the Mary Katharine Woodworth Professor of Education at Bryn Mawr College and the director of the Teaching and Learning Institute at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges.

Cook-Sather offered a range of examples of how Gettysburg’s faculty could engage their students as pedagogical partners and co-creators. She included examples from Gettysburg faculty who are experimenting with pedagogical partnerships, such as Psychology Prof. Kathy Berenson and her Peer Learning Associates (PLAs). She also highlighted co-creation partnerships from her own experiences and other institutions.

Reflecting on her visit to Gettysburg, Cook-Sather said, “It was an honor and a pleasure to present the keynote address at the Summer Pedagogy Institute. I was deeply inspired by the faculty who participated in the discussion following my remarks. Both their enthusiastic engagement with the examples of pedagogical partnership and co-creation I shared, and their thoughtful questions about these approaches, left me feeling confident that Gettysburg will develop its own well-considered applications and extensions of these practices.”

Over the next year, Cook-Sather will be working with Gettysburg to support students and faculty members as they pilot several partnerships. The work will involve students serving as pedagogical partners to faculty members, engaging in ongoing dialogue with these professors about course planning and instruction.

Putting pedagogy into practice

A lunch-and-learn program on the SPI’s first day gave participants the chance to dialogue and learn more about collaborative partnerships with the following campus offices and programs:

• Center for Career Engagement
• Center for Public Service
• Counseling and Wellness Services
• First-Year Program

Interactive workshops further built on Cook-Sather’s keynote by addressing the results of this summer’s AI workshop and exploring how experiential learning could be implemented in more ways across the curriculum. Discussions also surrounded the importance of inclusive pedagogical practices and the offerings available to the campus through Educational Technology and The Rogers Center for Innovation and Creativity.

“This year’s Summer Pedagogy Institute, ‘Collaboration in and Beyond the Classroom,’ focused on opportunities to collaborate with students, campus partners, and emerging technologies. The conversations were dynamic and interactive, and our new lightning rounds provided participants engaging opportunities to better understand our students and learn about new initiatives across campus,” said East Asian Studies Prof. Junjie Luo, JCCTL’s director.

“Through SPI, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting our students and creating new opportunities for them to thrive at Gettysburg,” he added.

Luo recognized the efforts of the Provost’s Office, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Michelle Schmidt, and the following members of the SPI Steering Committee for organizing this year’s SPI:

• Anthropology Prof. Kirby Farah
• English Prof. Melissa Forbes
• Environmental Studies Prof. Tasha Gownaris ’09
• Theresa Hoover, associate dean for student accessibility, Center for Student Success
• Christine Hopkinson, academic operations assistant
• Kelli Murphy, senior instructional technologist for Educational Technology
• Meggan Smith, assistant director of research and access services at Musselman Library
• Sociology Prof. Divonna Stebick, director of the Office of Teacher Education and Certification

“Each year at SPI, I am infused with a renewed sense of respect for the deep commitment of our faculty to our students’ rich learning experiences at the College,” said Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Michelle Schmidt. “The collaborative spirit and dynamic discussion by so many of our faculty—ranging from some of our newest faculty members to some of our most experienced and longest-serving faculty members—at this year’s SPI, no doubt, sets the stage for an exciting new academic year.”

Become a collaborative pedagogical partner with the Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL) at Gettysburg.

Gettysburg College welcomed the Class of 2030 through Orientation traditions that connected students to campus, community, and history, from Move-In Day and Convocation to the First-Year Walk. Students were encouraged to explore curiosity, exploration, service, and meaningful engagement throughout their Gettysburg journey.

The first steps of a Gettysburg education can be measured in many ways.

For members of the Class of 2030, they took the form of boxes carried into residence halls, introductions to new roommates and neighbors, and an afternoon gathering beneath the portico of Pennsylvania Hall, where generations of Gettysburg students have marked the beginning of their own journeys.

They arrived on Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 33 countries and 27 states, bringing with them experiences already shaped by service, athletics, leadership, the arts, and work beyond the classroom. By the end of their first day, however, they were being challenged to think less about where they had come from and more about what they might discover together over the next four years.

“You are not beginning something today. You are joining something already in motion—long before you, and long after all of us,” Vice President for Enrollment and Educational Services Robert Schwartz ’92 told the class during Opening Convocation. “You have four autumns—roughly 1,400 days. They are not yours to keep. They’re yours to add to.”

Joining the journey

That invitation—to add something of their own to Gettysburg—echoed throughout the afternoon.

Student Senate President Jocelyn Duquette ’27, a history major from Gloucester Township, New Jersey, encouraged students not to arrive with every answer already in hand, but to permit themselves to change direction, ask questions, and pursue interests whose destinations might not yet be clear.

“Care enough to explore,” Duquette said. “Care enough to ask questions, try something new, and speak up when something matters to you. Care enough to keep going when your plans change. Care enough to show up for the people around you.”

Art and Art History Prof. Tina Gebhart similarly urged students to seek the unexpected connections—what she called “overlaps”—among their academic interests, experiences, and relationships. Those intersections, she told the class, can become sources of both discovery and growth.

“Overlaps are where the magic lives,” Gebhart said. “Find and cultivate these overlaps, in yourself and across your studies. Overlaps help you connect and understand others. Overlaps help you grow into the best version of yourself. Overlaps give you flexible options in the world.”

“You are not beginning something today. You are joining something already in motion—long before you, and long after all of us.”
– Vice President for Enrollment and Educational Services Robert Schwartz ’92

Gebhart also noted that within these overlaps are opportunities for growth and learning. Mistakes will happen, whether it’s a broken pot in a pottery course or a poorly written paragraph, but it’s the practice that leads to more positive outcomes in the future.

“We all mess up. It’s another overlap,” Gebhart noted. “It’s important to be willing to mess up. It’s important to mess up as practice. If you haven’t messed up, you’re not doing the practice towards real, meaningful success.”

President Bob Iuliano explained that those possibilities could be distilled into two closely related words: wonder and wander.

He encouraged students to approach their education with the curiosity and humility to consider ideas beyond their own experiences and to move freely across a liberal arts curriculum that might lead them toward interests they have yet to discover.

“A Gettysburg education encourages creativity, curiosity, adaptability and so much more—human characteristics that society will forever need,” Iuliano said. “All that is available to you if you’re open to it—if you wander with a sense of wonder.”

The afternoon concluded as members of the class turned those words into action. After formally matriculating and placing their Class of 2030 pins over their hearts, students processed through the center of Pennsylvania Hall and emerged down the stairs of the south side of the building, where faculty and members of the College community welcomed them.

Walking into history

One day later, this journey extended beyond campus.

The Class of 2030 gathered in Christ Chapel on Thursday, Aug. 20, before setting out on the First-Year Walk, a tradition rooted in the College’s unique connection to Gettysburg and to the events of November 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal Gettysburg Address.

On that fateful day 163 years ago, Gettysburg students walked alongside President Lincoln and community members to the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, honoring those who gave their lives for freedom at the Battle of Gettysburg.

“The First-Year Walk is an event with a truly festive component, as people from across the campus and the borough welcome you to Gettysburg,” Iuliano said. “But it is also an event that encourages us to pause, reflect, and appreciate the solemnity of the moment.”

The modern tradition grew from the idea of Lindsay Morlock ’04, who, as a student, developed a plan for first-year students to retrace those historic steps and reflect on the College’s place within the town.

From campus, the class moved through the borough and ultimately to the Gettysburg National Military Park, where the evening’s ceremony brought together voices from both the College and the community.

Senior Class President Omer Shamil ’27, a double major in mathematical economics and public policy from Pakistan, helped welcome the class to the battlefield, inviting students to consider the historic landscape surrounding them and the unfinished work that still gives meaning to Gettysburg.

“Gettysburg is not just a backdrop to your education. It is an essential part of it.”
– Gettysburg Mayor Alison Lintal

Gettysburg Mayor and Public Policy Prof. Alison Lintal then broadened that sense of place by welcoming students not merely as members of the College, but as residents of the town.

“Gettysburg is not just a backdrop to your education. It is an essential part of it,” Lintal said, encouraging students to learn beyond the classroom—in Lincoln Square, at community events, on battlefield trails, and through relationships with residents.

Her message was one of belonging, but also of responsibility.

“Welcome—not just to campus, but to this community,” Lintal said. “Get involved. Venture beyond campus. Get to know your neighbors. Give something back.”

That welcome became tangible when Lintal presented a symbolic key to the Borough of Gettysburg to Alessandro Araujo ’30 of Washington Heights, New York, a graduate of the Hotchkiss School, representing the Class of 2030.

The unfinished work

As the class gathered on the battlefield, the mood shifted from welcome to reflection.

Interdisciplinary Studies Chair Vernon Cisney then recited the Gettysburg Address and challenged students to consider the role education can play in preparing them for that work.

“You are now part of this historic, unfinished work, and you are here because you are up to the task.”
– Interdisciplinary Studies Chair Vernon Cisney

For Cisney, meaningful education is not simply the accumulation of facts. It is the discipline of learning how to listen, question, analyze, adapt, and engage perspectives beyond one’s own. Those habits, he argued, are essential in a complex and divided world.

“You are about to embark upon a journey of discovery that will help prepare you to step into that world with vision, imagination, and courage,” Cisney said. “You are now part of this historic, unfinished work, and you are here because you are up to the task.”

Finding their place

The traditions of Move-In Day, Convocation, and First-Year Walk provided only the beginning of Orientation. Throughout the week, Campus Life staff, Orientation leaders, resident assistants, faculty, staff, and fellow students continued to lead programs designed to introduce the Class of 2030 to campus resources, involvement opportunities, and one another.

On Friday, Aug. 21, students continued building connections with the surrounding community through GIV (Gettysburg is Volunteering) Day, during which first-year students provided support at nearby nonprofit organizations such as South Central Community Action Programs (SCCAP), Vida Charter School, Painted Turtle Farm, Campus Kitchen, and others.

Just a day later, Saturday, Aug. 22, first-year students represented their respective residence halls in a friendly and competitive field day on Memorial Field. Later that evening, four Gettysburg seniors took the stage at the Majestic Theater as part of Experience Gettysburg, sharing their own stories of hope, determination, and growth over the last four years.

Together, those experiences turn Orientation into more than an introduction to Gettysburg. They begin the process of transforming a group of students into a community—one invited to wonder, explore, and contribute its own chapter to a story already in motion.

Discover how you can become part of the Gettysburg College community and begin your own consequential journey.

With passion and purpose, Gettysburg College professors remain committed to supporting students through mentorship and excellence in and out of the classroom.

Inspiring and empowering students to Do Great Work are hallmarks of Gettysburg College’s first-class faculty. During the Spring 2026 semester, six faculty members were recognized for mentorship and teaching excellence.

Learn more about these recipients.

Gettysburg College Distinguished Teaching Award

Political Science Prof. Caroline Hartzell

Political Science Prof. Caroline Hartzell, the founding director of the College’s globalization studies program, teaches courses in international relations, specializing in international political economy, particularly issues of conflict and conflict management, development, and globalization.

Her research focuses on cross-national civil war settlements and the effects domestic and international institutions have on conflict management. Hartzell, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis, was a Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and her research has also been supported by the National Science Foundation and Sweden's Folke Bernadette Academy. Her current research involves surveys and experiments that explore the role of citizens in peace processes and an investigation into the effects that power-sharing peace settlements have on women in societies emerging from civil wars. 

The Citizens in Peace Processes co-founder has published journal articles, co-authored books, and co-edited books on the effects that power-sharing settlements of civil wars have on peace. From 2015-2020, Hartzell was the editor of the journal Conflict Management and Peace Science. She also serves on the editorial boards of the journals the American Journal of Political Science and Ethnopolitics.

Upon receiving notice of the award, Hartzell said that she was “flabbergasted and delighted to receive this recognition from an institution she cares for deeply, and where she has been spent her working life delighting in being involved in the learning and growth of students of whom she is very proud.”

About the Gettysburg College Distinguished Teaching Award

The Distinguished Teaching Award is the highest honor that members of Gettysburg College’s faculty can bestow on a colleague. The winner of this award is selected annually by the Faculty Development Committee.

The Luther W. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award

Anthropology Prof. Kirby Farah

Anthropology Prof. Kirby Farah leads a variety of courses at Gettysburg College, including Introductory Archaeology and Field Methods in Archaeology. She also teaches several 200-level electives, many of which are in collaboration with other academic departments.

Her research focuses on the civilizations of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. With a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside, her dissertation looked at the social and political dynamics in the Postclassic (A.D. 900-1521) town of Xaltocan before and after Aztec imperial rule, as well as modern day politics and culture relating to its pre-Hispanic heritage. Since 2024, as part of the Belize Estates Archaeological and Survey Team, Farah has been researching the Classic period Maya site of Chan Chich, specifically investigating an elite courtyard complex.

Farah proudly conducts her research alongside Gettysburg College students, including a select group that joins her in Belize. She also co-directs the College’s on-campus archaeological project with Anthropology Prof. Ben Luley, excavating artifacts from the Hopkins Custodial House just north of Penn Hall.

“Receiving the Thompson Award is such an honor,” said Farah. “I love teaching at a place that values the liberal arts and supports collaborative research between students and faculty. I am grateful to my colleagues for recognizing my efforts in teaching and look forward to continuing to evolve and adapt alongside the ever-changing needs and interests of our wonderful students.”

About The Luther W. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award

The Luther W. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes a faculty member whose teaching is recognized as outstanding by faculty colleagues. Each year, after a careful review of the teaching of all recent candidates for tenure, the Faculty Personnel Committee recommends one faculty member to receive The Luther W. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award. This award is presented during the final faculty meeting of the academic year.

Dr. Robert E. Dutton, Class of 1946 Memorial Mentorship Award

Environmental Studies Chair Andy Wilson

Environmental Studies Chair Andy Wilson teaches several courses that discuss environmental issues and the principles of ecology. His upper-level courses take a deep dive into wildlife ecology, as well as conservation biology in collaboration with the Biology Department.

With a Ph.D. from Penn State University, his research focuses on birds, particularly how environmental change impacts bird populations. In working with large-scale Citizen Science projects, analyzing large data sets with a spatial component, Wilson has developed expert knowledge in the field, which he regularly shares with his students.

With an interest in technology, he also finds ways to incorporate advanced tools into his research and classes. His focal research program uses drones to count songbirds, while smartphone applications, trail cameras, and audio recorders are employed in his classroom.

Wilson said “being nominated for this award by his colleagues was a great honor and genuine surprise. Gettysburg College students are wonderful people, and mentoring them is always rewarding, a privilege, and brings me great joy.”

About the Dr. Robert E. Dutton, Class of 1946 Memorial Mentorship Award

The Dr. Robert E. Dutton, Class of 1946 Memorial Mentorship Award is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in advising and mentoring students. This award is presented during the final faculty meeting of the academic year.

Bruce S. Gordon ’68 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Teaching Excellence Prize

Spanish Prof. Verónica Calvillo

Spanish Prof. Verónica Calvillo, a native of Juárez, Chihuahua, México, who was raised in Albuquerque, N.M., is passionate about teaching current Latinx community and cultural topics in the United States and Latin America culture and society. 

Her research focuses on Chicano and Latino literature, immigration studies and film, and the construction of identity in contemporary literature. She received her master’s degree in Hispanic literature and her Ph.D. in Spanish (Chicano and Latino literature) from the University of New Mexico. 

A first-generation college graduate, Calvillo believes in mentoring and guiding her students so they can achieve a higher education and succeed beyond their years at Gettysburg College, assisting them in their pursuit of a graduate degree, if desired, or a career.

“I firmly believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to receive an education, and sometimes it only takes one person to believe that it is possible to achieve this milestone,” said Calvillo. “For me, this was the case, so I am forever thankful to all my mentors who believed in me and helped me to be where I am today. I hope I can be that person for some of my students who take my classes and seek my advising or mentoring.”

About the Bruce S. Gordon ’68 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Teaching Excellence Prize

Established by Bruce S. Gordon ’68 along with fellow classmates, friends, and supporters, the Bruce S. Gordon ’68 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Teaching Excellence Prize recognizes a Gettysburg College faculty member for transformational excellence in teaching and service through diversity. Each year, a call for nominations is sent to faculty, staff, and students. The provost and academic divisions, in collaboration with the chief diversity officer, select the recipient of the award from the pool of nominations.

The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning Excellence in Teaching Award

Environmental Studies Prof. Sarah Principato

Environmental Studies Prof. Sarah Principato teaches a variety of courses, such as Earth System Science, Geologic Disasters and Global Change, and Glaciers and Records of Climate Change. She is geologist with specialties in glacial geology and records of climate change, and she is a fellow of the Geological Society of America.

In addition to teaching classes, another important component of her work is conducting research with students in the lab and in the field, and she has published several papers on the glacial history of Iceland with student co-authors.

After graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in geology and a minor in math, Sarah earned her M.S. in geology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and then completed her Ph.D. in geological sciences at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado - Boulder. 

“I am so grateful to my Environmental Studies colleagues for nominating me for this award, and I am sure many of my colleagues are equally deserving of it,” said Principato. “I enjoy teaching students about the wonders of the Earth, and it is an honor to be recognized. Gettysburg College students are awesome, especially environmental studies majors, and whether in the field, lab, or classroom, they are the reason I love this job so much. Thank you for this award.”

About The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning Excellence in Teaching Award

The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL) Excellence in Teaching Award is given to an exceptional teacher based on a faculty member’s quadrennial review where excellence in teaching has come to the forefront as so exceptional that it stands apart from the work of many other gifted teachers. It is awarded during the final Faculty meeting in the academic year in which the quadrennial review was submitted.

Center for Public Service’s Faculty Award for Community Engagement

East Asian Studies Prof. Yoko Nishimura

East Asian Studies Prof. Yoko Nishimura teaches social science courses on Japanese society and culture. Alongside her students, she examines topics such as wealth inequality, Japan–U.S. relations, the relationship between Japanese religions and anime and manga, and gender issues during World War II.

Nishimura is dedicated to connecting students with the community through initiatives that promote social justice and education. She has partnered with the Gettysburg Borough to strengthen ties with its sister city, Sekigahara, Japan, including a student exchange program. This past January, she also served as the faculty advisor for the Center for Public Service’s Morocco Immersion Project.

With expertise on the archaeology, history, religions, wealth inequality, and languages of East Asia and the Near East, her work focuses on material culture and historical documents related to people who inhabited these regions since prehistoric times. She earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. from UCLA, where she developed a research focus on domestic artifacts, everyday activities, and economic inequality among non-elite populations.

Through her archaeological research, Nishimura also advocates for the study of artifacts housed in museums far from their original excavation sites, highlighting the importance of making these collections more accessible to researchers. Her recent projects investigate how everyday household objects, such as tools and utensils, were used in third-millennium BCE settlements in Japan and Turkey, offering new perspectives on daily life and social organization in ancient communities.

“It has been a privilege to collaborate with our community partners to strengthen the partnership between Gettysburg College and the Gettysburg community while creating meaningful opportunities for our students,” said Nishimura.

About the Center for Public Service’s Faculty Award for Community Engagement

The Center for Public Service’s Faculty Award for Community Engagement is given to a faculty member who connects Gettysburg students to the greater community and engages with students in the work for social justice in a meaningful, transformative way.

Discover how our first-class faculty demonstrate teaching excellence and mentorship for our students.

Bob Schultz ’57 reflects on his decades-long friendship with Nobel Prize laureate Michael Bishop ’57—from Gettysburg classrooms to Yellowstone adventures—and the enduring reminder that the connections students make in college can shape their lives in unexpected ways.

Long before Michael Bishop ’57 became a Nobel Prize–winning scientist, he was the first-year roommate, fraternity brother, traveling companion, and friend of Bob Schultz ’57.

After arriving at Gettysburg College in 1953, Bishop, from Goldsboro in rural York County, Pennsylvania, and Schultz and Fred Stroehmann ’57, both from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, shared a room in Pennsylvania Hall. All three roommates later joined Lambda Chi Alpha together and became part of a circle of students eager to reshape the College community.

At the time, Schultz had no way of knowing that Bishop, who passed away in March, would one day transform scientists’ understanding of cancer and receive the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Bishop was simply Mike—a curious, driven classmate whose friendship became one of Schultz’s most meaningful Gettysburg connections.

Despite following different academic paths in philosophy and chemistry, respectively, Schultz and Bishop developed a strong bond through experiences on campus and off. One of their biggest on-campus accomplishments was being leaders of the movement to establish an Honor Code at Gettysburg in 1955. They joined with several others writing in the Gettysburgian to promote a proposal based on trust and responsibility.

The two also drove to Miami for a national Lambda Chi Alpha convention, where they lobbied against the fraternity’s policy excluding Black members.

“In those days, the line of the national fraternity was as long as our ‘brothers’ in South Carolina and Georgia and so on, cannot admit Black members, then the fraternity as a whole has to be against Black members. We went down and lobbied to the contrary,” Schultz recalled.

Yet the memories Schultz described most vividly came from two summers spent far beyond the boundaries of campus and Pennsylvania. In 1955 and 1956, he and Bishop drove old cars west on Route 30 to Yellowstone National Park, where they worked at nearby gas stations pumping fuel, fixing tires, and servicing visitors’ cars. They condensed their work into four days each week, leaving three days to explore.

“We had three days to chase the bison, to look for the coyotes, to climb,” Schultz recalled. “Oh, those were a real highlight for both of us.”

The friends climbed each of the four Yellowstone mountains that had fire towers at their summits. Bishop regularly arrived first.

“I came to realize that Mike always got to the top of those mountains and their fire towers before I did,” Schultz said. “And I’ve figured out that’s why he won the Nobel Prize and I haven’t won any Nobel Prizes.”

The joke conveys Schultz’s admiration, but his memories also reveal the young Bishop’s personality. He loved fishing, long hikes, intellectual exploration, and a good laugh. Schultz remembered the trip to Yellowstone as “such a rich experience” and recalled Bishop entertaining visitors with playful stories about bears being brought back to the park by train each summer.

Their post-Gettysburg pathways led them in different directions. At Harvard Medical School, Bishop’s interests pivoted from direct patient care to medical research, and eventually he accepted a teaching and research position at the University of California, San Francisco in 1968. Bishop later served as chancellor of the institution from 1998 to 2009. Schultz, in the meantime, joined the Navy, earned a doctorate in philosophy, and spent 35 years teaching at Lycoming College, University of Denver, and the University of Washington Bothell.

Their bond nevertheless continued. After Bishop won the Nobel Prize in 1989, he spoke with Schultz and his wife, Phyllis, about the ceremony in Sweden and having his parents and sons beside him. What Schultz remembered most was Bishop’s humility despite his rise to fame.

To Schultz, Bishop was never only a Nobel laureate. He remained the friend who shared a first-year room, challenged injustice, crossed the country in an old car, and climbed mountains beside him. Decades later, Schultz and Bishop renewed their friendship in their retirement years, initiating regular conversations on Zoom to talk about their Gettysburg professors, wilderness adventures, and current interests across philosophy, science, and politics.

“Back in the 1950s, we Gettysburg students were encouraged to aspire to become liberally educated adults and lifelong learners,” Schultz said. “I treasure having been such a longtime friend of Mike Bishop, a truly remarkable exemplar of realizing exactly that aspiration, and of becoming an inspiration for us all.”

For today’s students, Bishop and Schultz’s friendship is a reminder that the people you meet at Gettysburg may accomplish extraordinary things—and that the relationships formed along the way may become accomplishments of their own.

Join the ranks of driven and exceptional Gettysburg students who want to make a difference in the world.

Former Gettysburg two-sport standout Kendra Meredith ’18 reflects on her journey to Team USA, preparing for the world championships, and the growing opportunities for women in flag football at her alma mater.

A former two-sport standout at Gettysburg College, Kendra Meredith ’18 will represent the United States at the 2026 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championship, held Aug. 13–16 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Selected as a defensive back and rusher for the 12-player U.S. Women’s National Team, she will help the three-time defending world champions pursue another gold medal on the sport’s biggest international stage.

Meredith’s journey to the national team is rooted in her experiences as a student-athlete in both basketball and track and field at Gettysburg. On the court, she was a quick and dynamic guard, tallying 249 assists in two seasons and leading the Bullets to the 2018 Centennial Conference championship. In track, she won the conference title in the long jump as a senior and ranked among the outdoor program’s all-time leaders in the long jump, triple jump, and 100-meter dash. Away from the field, Meredith was a member of Chi Omega sorority; majored in women, gender, and sexuality studies; and minored in educational studies.

The adaptability and discipline Meredith developed at Gettysburg have continued to shape her life beyond campus. After beginning her career in law enforcement, she now works as part of the Federal Employee Program Special Investigation Unit with Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she focuses on investigating potential fraud, waste, and abuse.

At the same time, the speed, footwork, coordination, and competitive drive she developed through basketball and track have helped her rise rapidly in flag football—from a recreational league near her Maryland home to the Team USA roster.

Meredith recently reflected on that journey, the demands of international competition, and her excitement for the future of women’s flag football at Gettysburg.

How did you get involved with flag football?

“I first got involved in flag football through a local league near my home in Rockville, Maryland, called RASL. My best friend’s brother introduced us to it, and from there everything snowballed. I kept meeting new people, getting invited to play on different teams, and jumping into tournaments whenever I could. One opportunity led to the next, and eventually that path brought me all the way to playing for the USA national team.”

What has the training and competition been like at this level of flag football?

“Training and competition at this level are on a completely different scale. Everyone is fast, everyone is elite, and everyone can do just about everything you’d expect from a top-tier football player. The standard is high across the board: precise route running, creating separation, locking down on defense, and playing with real discipline. IQ and route anticipation become huge factors because the margin for error is so small. Every rep feels like a test, and every matchup pushes you to level up.”

How did you feel about making the final roster for the world championship?

“It honestly didn’t fully sink in until we played Canada in Los Angeles during our Summer Series event in June. That’s when it hit me that this was real. I still get butterflies every time I step on the field or go to practice with Team USA. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I feel truly honored to be part of such a talented, well-rounded, elite group of athletes that I get to call my sisters.”

What will it take for Team USA to bring home the gold once again?

“Team USA bringing home gold again is going to come down to a few core things, of which we’ve been building toward every single camp and every single rep. If we stay disciplined, trust our preparation, and play with the same intensity and unity we’ve developed over the last few months, we absolutely have what it takes to bring home gold.”

Did your background as a student-athlete at Gettysburg help prepare you for this opportunity?

“Absolutely! My background as a student-athlete has helped me a ton. Growing up playing basketball and running track gave me skills that translate perfectly to flag football: change of direction, hand-eye coordination, footwork, and the ability to be quick, explosive, and fast! Those foundations are a big reason I’ve been able to compete at this level.”

How excited are you for Gettysburg to offer flag football as a varsity sport?

“I think it’s incredible that Gettysburg is officially offering flag football as a varsity sport. I’ll admit I’m a little jealous it wasn’t around when I was there, but I’m genuinely so excited for the athletes who get to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s a huge step forward for the sport, and I can’t wait to watch the program grow, shine, and accomplish big things.”

What advice do you have for anyone looking to play flag football at Gettysburg?

“My biggest advice is to try something new! You’ll never know if you love it until you give it a shot. Starting a new sport can feel overwhelming or even intimidating, but flag football is such a competitive, fast-paced, and genuinely exciting game. If you have even the slightest interest, I’d absolutely recommend giving it a chance. You might surprise yourself with how quickly you pick it up and how much you enjoy being part of it.”

Discover how Gettysburg athletics is creating new opportunities for women to compete, lead, and make their mark.

At Gettysburg College, skill building happens with hands-on research. Psychology and biology double major Marina Lomeli ’28 has found Gettysburg’s Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) summer research experience invaluable in helping her develop adaptability and opening her mind to future careers in psychology or health care.

Donning a white lab coat and picking up a clipboard, psychology major Marina Lomeli ’28 prepares for another day of summer research at Gettysburg College. As she reaches down to pick up her furry black-and-white research subject, she’s greeted by a little squeak of excitement from a creature that will yield insights for her research project through the Cross-Disciplinary Research Institute (X-SIG) at Gettysburg.

The X-SIG opportunity, supported by Psychology Prof. Sara Keefer, is giving Lomeli the chance to cultivate adaptability while conducting hands-on neuroscience research. 

Alongside her fellow student researchers Sophia Hume ’28 and Megan Kane ’27, Lomeli is using rodent models to observe behavioral inflexibility in both female and male rats in response to food rewards and environmental cues. Lomeli hopes to apply the findings from her research to better understand reward-seeking and risk-taking behavior in humans.

Now participating in X-SIG for a second year, Lomeli, a STEM Scholar from Round Lake Beach, Illinois, believes this dynamic summer research experience at Gettysburg is preparing her for careers that may include psychiatric studies with the brain, cancer research, or a health care profession. The opportunity to conduct this type of research as an undergraduate sparked Lomeli’s interest in applying to and enrolling at Gettysburg.

“It’s been very beneficial to get to know professors and professionals in these fields, as well as get hands-on skills with these types of labs. These opportunities have helped me determine what I enjoy doing and identify things that I don’t think I would pursue in the future,” she said.

Lomeli first learned about Keefer’s research through her Brain and Behavior course she took with Keefer last fall. 

“Building relationships with the professors here helps you get involved in these research projects. Those connections have given me so much more experience than I could have gotten if I had gone somewhere else,” she said. “Dr. Keefer wants students to be very involved but still is understanding if someone isn’t comfortable performing any part of the project. However, for the most part, I have been very comfortable doing everything and learning these different skills in the lab.”

Beyond practical skills, such as operating lab equipment, Lomeli highlights the data analysis she’s had to do, the personal growth she’s experienced as a researcher, and the comfort she’s developed with scientific writing in preparation for the annual X-SIG poster presentations that will take place in the fall.

“When you leave Gettysburg College at the end of your four years here, you’re able to apply the skills and what you’ve learned here to different fields.”
– Marina Lomeli ’28

This adaptability—being able to handle the myriad responsibilities of conducting and reporting research—has given Lomeli the confidence to explore new ideas as she considers her future career interests.

Looking ahead to her junior year at Gettysburg, Lomeli anticipates continuing research with Keefer and serving as a Peer Learning Associate (PLA) for a developmental psychology class.

Each summer, faculty and students regularly work together across multidisciplinary departments—including biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, health sciences, mathematics, physics, and psychology—representing the true cross-disciplinary nature of the Gettysburg Approach.

In addition to academics, she is also exploring co-curricular interests through the Guided Pathways. She’s most looking forward to pursuing activities in the Leadership, Teamwork, and Collaboration Pathway, in addition to the Career Development Pathway, she said. These activities include serving as manager of the ice hockey club team, where she’ll help with program leadership and organization.

“I see the Guided Pathways helping me to get a well-rounded experience academically, while being more involved on campus, which is something I want to work on more,” she said. “The Guided Pathways offer you many different opportunities for things you can participate in.”

Lomeli also hopes to build on her previous involvement with the Latin American Students Association (LASA) and take part in Casa de La Cultura swim program instruction when the 2026-27 academic year begins.

From the classroom to the lab, and beyond the campus borders, Lomeli has come to appreciate Gettysburg’s all-encompassing education available to her at every turn.

“The education here is consequential,” she said. “When you leave Gettysburg College at the end of your four years here, you’re able to apply the skills and what you’ve learned here to different fields. It’s reassuring to know that all the work I’m putting in is bringing me closer to a better future.” 

Pursue the academic subject that interests you with student-faculty research at Gettysburg College. 

Entering his eighth year at Gettysburg College, President Bob Iuliano will step into a national leadership role for the ACE Board of Directors.

This summer, Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano was elected vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Board of Directors. His term will begin on October 1, 2026.

“American higher education plays a pivotal role in expanding opportunity, strengthening our economy, and preparing students to address the most consequential challenges of our time. And yet, we know that colleges and universities are also navigating a period of extraordinary change and growing complexity,” said Iuliano. “ACE brings our nation’s greatest institutions—like Gettysburg—together to advocate for our shared interests and advance the enduring value of higher education. I am deeply honored to serve as the next vice chair of ACE’s Board of Directors and partner alongside inspiring leaders from across the country to help shape a strong and sustainable future.”

Iuliano was appointed the 15^th president of Gettysburg College in 2019. Under Iuliano’s leadership, Gettysburg College has experienced one of its most transformative periods in its nearly 200-year history, including the introduction of a new core curriculum; a new visual identity; new majors and minors; new sports teams; new master’s programs and partnerships; new campus spaces and renovations; historic fundraising success; and the launch of the Gettysburg Approach—designed to provide every student with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a world marked by change.

Upon arriving at Gettysburg, Iuliano helped the College navigate the COVID-19 global pandemic. Today, he is spearheading campus initiatives focused on alumni mentorship, artificial intelligence, and an ambitious next chapter for the institution—known campus-wide as Gettysburg 2.0.

Iuliano’s vision for Gettysburg ensures that every student from every background is the beneficiary of a rigorous, residential liberal arts and sciences education, one with compelling career and personal outcomes, positioning them to grow into the effective leaders and socially responsible citizens our society needs.

About ACE

The American Council on Education is a membership organization that leads higher education with a united vision for the future. It galvanizes its members to make change and collaborate across the sector to design solutions for today’s challenges, serve the needs of a diverse student population, and shape effective public policy.

As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, ACE’s strength lies in its diverse membership of nearly 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities. Its members educate two out of every three students in all accredited, degree-granting U.S. institutions.

Recognizing faculty excellence and scholarship, Gettysburg College has announced four appointments of faculty members to endowed professorships. These donor-supported positions allow faculty to pursue their academic passions through scholarly activities.

The Gettysburg College Board of Trustees approved the following four appointments of faculty to endowed professorships beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.

• Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00 as the G. Bowers and Louise Hook Mansdorfer Professorship in Chemistry
• Mathematics Chair Keir Lockridge as the Alumni Professorship in Mathematics
• Economics Prof. Linus Nyiwul as the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Africana Studies Prof. and Director of Peace and Justice Studies Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams as the Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Professorship of Peace and Justice Studies

Read more below.

Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00

G. Bowers and Louise Hook Mansdorfer Professorship in Chemistry

Throughout his nearly two decades working in higher education, Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00 has striven to put the student experience at the heart of his teaching and research. In fact, he’s strategically designed courses to maximize student-faculty collaboration and to create laboratory experiments that allow students to immerse themselves in hands-on scientific methods.

During his teaching career at Gettysburg, 50 undergraduate students have worked with Funk in his research lab, while 23 have served as co-authors on peer-reviewed publications. Almost all of these students have presented with Funk at professional conferences over the years.

Funk believes the G. Bowers and Louise Hook Mansdorfer Professorship in Chemistry will enable him to continue developing classroom and laboratory experiences that further support student-faculty research.

“I’m following in the footsteps of great colleagues who held the professorship—including Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Emerita Shelli Frey, the most recent Mandsorfer Professor—and I’m honored to be selected,” he said.

“It’s special to receive this endowed professorship as a Gettysburg graduate. Supportive professors gave me a fantastic education at Gettysburg College, where I was able to work on a research project with two former Mansdorfer professors—Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Don Jameson and Prof. Emeritus Joe Grzybowski,” he added. “That critical experience set the stage for my future employment in the pharmaceutical industry and my Ph.D. studies.”

Mathematics Chair Keir Lockridge

Alumni Professorship in Mathematics

If you were to ask Mathematics Chair Keir Lockridge about his current research interests in mathematics, he’d tell you about a big problem—Fuchs’ Problem. This open question in mathematics has long prompted scholars to probe this mind-bending conundrum: Which groups can arise as the group of units in a ring?

The endowed professorship supports Lockridge’s broader research interests in the structure of units in rings, fields, and group algebras.

Upon his appointment to the Alumni Professorship in Mathematics, Lockridge said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to build his research program in algebra and number theory that considers Fuchs’ Problem. He added that the Alumni Professorship in Mathematics will also help him begin writing a book that summarizes known results and allows students to explore this subject through guided activities and projects.

“I am very grateful to my colleagues in the Mathematics Department for nominating me for this honor. It recognizes work that we all care a lot about: doing, writing, teaching, and learning mathematics,” he said. “It also reflects Gettysburg’s commitment to supporting faculty research in a liberal arts college environment—a commitment that attracted me to the College more than 10 years ago.”

Economics Prof. Linus Nyiwul

Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Since joining Gettysburg College in 2009, Economics Prof. Linus Nyiwul has maximized every opportunity at the College to advance academic productivity and uphold high standards of scholarship.

Having now taught at Gettysburg for 16 years, Nyiwul appreciates mentoring students and watching them gain new perspectives on the world. Guiding students through their economics senior honors thesis, he said, is personally fulfilling for him, especially as he sees students build camaraderie as they lean on each other for support and encouragement.

In recognition of his mentorship, Nyiwul was honored with the Luther V. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017.

As he begins his appointment as Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Nyiwul said he aims to continue to foster the highest levels of academic inquiry between himself and his students. “It will provide more opportunities to engage students through research experiences, helping prepare the next generation of scholars and professionals, and develop new courses on contemporary economic issues.”

Nyiwul acknowledges the support of his faculty colleagues as he begins this new appointment. “Being selected for this role is a deeply meaningful honor and an affirmation of my commitment to the mission of the College,” he said. “Personally, it is a recognition of the dedication, perseverance, and collaborative efforts that have shaped my academic career.”

Africana Studies Prof. and Director of Peace and Justice Studies Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams

Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Professorship of Peace and Justice Studies

Established in 2020 by distinguished alumna Daria Lo Presti Wallach ’76, this professorship emphasizes the value of a liberal arts and sciences education as the foundation for shaping a life of consequence.

Africana Studies Prof. Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams sees his reappointment to this endowed professorship as an opportunity to extend the work he began more than five years ago.

During his first appointment to the professorship, Williams planned the 29^th International Peace Research Association conference in Trinidad & Tobago, his homeland, in May 2023. Several Gettysburg College alumni assisted him, including Monica Solis ’25 and Daniel Jones ’22, who served as administrative coordinators for the conference, and Christina Noto ’19, along with many others. He also co-edited a book with Hana Huskiç ’22 and Noto, “Disrupting Hierarchy in Education: Students and Teachers Collaborating for Social Change.”

In 2022, Williams received a Fulbright and Spencer grant for a study on decolonial peace and justice education in Ghana, Jamaica, Brazil, and the United States. He also planned several programs and conducted workshops on mediation, conflict resolution, and restorative circles, topics he covers in his courses Education for Social Change and Introduction to Peace & Justice Studies.

During his reappointment to this professorship in 2026, Williams intends to write a book on decolonial peace and justice education in Ghana, Jamaica, Brazil, and the United States. He’s also working on creating and staging a one-person play, “Don’t Perform, Live!” centered on healing and revolution. Additionally, he aims to revamp the Peace and Justice Transformative Leaders Fellowship Program.

“I grew up in a materially under-resourced but culturally and spiritually rich community called Laventille in Trinidad. Never could I have imagined that this kid from Laventille would end up in a place called Gettysburg, teaching within Africana Studies,” Williams said. “Place matters, and I think that Gettysburg, a hallowed site of war memorialization, is well poised to become a national hub for conflict transformation, if we have the vision and courage to capitalize on this.”

Learn how our first-class faculty ignite students’ learning inside and outside the classroom.

History Prof. Hannah Greenwald has received a 2026 ACLS Fellowship to support new research and strengthen connections among faculty scholarship, student learning, and mentorship at Gettysburg College.

Gettysburg College History Prof. Hannah Greenwald has been selected as a 2026 fellow by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), one of the nation’s leading supporters of scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.

Greenwald is among 63 scholars selected from a pool of more than 2,000 applicants through a multi-stage peer review process. ACLS fellowships provide scholars with six to 12 months of dedicated research and writing time, allowing recipients to step away from teaching and administrative responsibilities and focus fully on their scholarship.

“Receiving an ACLS fellowship is not only a huge honor, but it will also give me valuable time to begin a new research project,” Greenwald said. “I’m really grateful to have this semester of uninterrupted research and writing time so that I can hit the ground running and get started on this next project.”

Greenwald will use the fellowship to take a semester of leave from Gettysburg and begin a new project examining connections between national belonging and property rights in 19th-century Argentina.

“I’ll be spending part of the fall traveling to archives in Argentina to track down documentation related to land titling,” Greenwald said. “I want to understand the ways that rural people—especially those without formalized property titles—spoke about themselves, their land, and their relationship to their country, and how these discourses about identity and national belonging related to struggles for land and property.”

The project builds upon the research behind Greenwald’s first book, which is currently in the final stages of editing. It also connects closely with courses she teaches at Gettysburg, including Modern Latin America and Borderlands of the Americas. Greenwald believes the work could eventually inform new comparative courses examining land, property, citizenship, and national identity throughout the Americas.

The connection between faculty scholarship and student learning is central to Greenwald’s work at Gettysburg. She credited the College’s librarians at Musselman Library with providing access to rare and difficult-to-obtain materials from around the world. Greenwald also praised her History Department colleagues for fostering a culture in which teaching and research reinforce one another.

“My department really embraces the teacher-scholar model, and my colleagues encourage me to design classes that align with my research interests,” Greenwald said. “This enables me to stay focused on my research while also sharing my expertise with students.”

Greenwald is putting that model into practice this summer through Gettysburg’s Kolbe Research Fellowship program, which supports collaborative research between faculty members and students. The experience provides students like Julia Lavine ’28 with opportunities to participate directly in the research process while working closely with a faculty mentor.

“The Kolbe Fellowship has provided me with research experience that will prepare me for future graduate studies,” said Lavine, a history and English double major from York, Pennsylvania. “Working on this project with Prof. Greenwald has taught me how to organize and manage long-term research projects. This experience has helped me define my career goals and made me more confident in my research abilities.”

Discover how Gettysburg students work alongside faculty mentors to pursue original research, develop new skills, and turn their curiosity into consequential learning.

From a pufferfish sculpture to Stoles of Gratitude from alumni, each reveals parts of the character of this beloved Gettysburg College professor and administrator.

Ryan arrived at Gettysburg from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1994 for a two-year visiting professor appointment. Little did he know at the time that he would stay and devote more than three decades of his career to working in our community.

During his time at Gettysburg, Ryan has served as vice provost and dean of arts and humanities. He’s managed The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL) and directed the Writing Center and the first-year writing program.

Ryan has taught courses within the College’s First-Year Seminar program and has contributed courses to Civil War Era Studies, Cinema and Media Studies, and the Department of English. He’s shared his wisdom and insights as a leadership coach through the Garthwait Leadership Center and served on the national Consortium for Faculty Diversity at Liberal Arts Colleges.

Amid his professional accomplishments, however, Ryan exemplifies the Gettysburg spirit of support. He’s helped countless students succeed, and he’s always willing to lend a hand to a colleague.

Ryan recalls former students like English major Eric Chalek ’97, whom he advised while overseeing The Gettysburgian, Kelly (Bennett) Freeburger ’08, and Matt Barrett ’11, now a professor in the English Department.

“What I particularly like about Gettysburg is that both students and faculty can engage in unique opportunities.”
– English Prof. Jack Ryan

He sees the success of Gettysburg College rooted within the people who make up our community.

“There’s a friendly, supportive student environment. The faculty wants to see the institution succeed,” he said. “What I particularly like about Gettysburg is that both students and faculty can engage in unique opportunities.”

Reflecting on his service to the College, Ryan said, “I really found a home here. It’s a ‘bloom where you’re planted’ story.”

#HumansofGettysburg

Gordie Beittenmiller’s lifelong connection to Gettysburg inspires his support for our College as a trustee, donor, entrepreneur, and filmmaker committed to strengthening the institution’s future.

Gordie Beittenmiller’s connection to Gettysburg College did not begin with an acceptance letter, a residence hall, or a diploma. It began with a story.

Growing up east of Gettysburg near York, Pennsylvania, Beittenmiller developed an early interest in the battlefield through a high school project suggested by his American history teacher. A few years later, while attending Penn State University Park, he returned to Gettysburg as a seasonal National Park Service ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park.

“I loved that job,” Beittenmiller said. “I would jump out of bed in the morning, ready to go. You’re telling an epic story in a beautiful setting with people from all over every day.”

Although his professional life eventually took him to Texas, where he built a career as an entrepreneur, investor, and CEO in the architecture, engineering, and construction sector, Gettysburg remained close to his heart. Beittenmiller, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Forthright Environmental, describes Gettysburg as his adopted hometown—a place that shaped his imagination, values, and sense of civic responsibility.

That affection eventually brought him closer to Gettysburg College. Growing up locally, he knew the College from a distance, but over time came to see it as one of the region’s defining institutions of higher education: a center of culture, learning, employment, and community life. His involvement deepened through Gettysburg College President Emerita Janet Morgan Riggs ’77, who encouraged him to consider what he could bring as a non-alumnus and business leader outside the traditional Gettysburg alumni network.

“As a believer in the power of a liberal arts and sciences education, I saw the College as a leading cultural institution and employer in my home region,” Beittenmiller said. “It was easy for me to say yes.”

“Gettysburg is not an institution frozen in time. It is engaging with the challenges of its sector of higher ed head-on.”
– Gordie Beittenmiller

Beittenmiller joined the Board of Trustees in 2019, bringing a deep appreciation for Gettysburg’s sense of place and decades of experience leading organizations. Today, as chair of the Board’s Finance Committee, he works closely with President Bob Iuliano, Chief Financial Officer Matt Price, and fellow trustees to help guide the College through significant change across higher education.

For Beittenmiller, that stewardship is both practical and aspirational.

“The Trustees are stewards and guides for engagement of the College with society, for the soul of the College community,” he said.

He is clear-eyed about the pressures facing residential liberal arts colleges. Yet he also sees possibility for Gettysburg because of its emphasis on interpersonal engagement, the Guided Pathways, experiential learning, and a broad education that prepares students for lives of purpose and consequence.

In a world reshaped by artificial intelligence, digital overload, and social fragmentation, Beittenmiller believes the skills developed through a liberal arts and sciences education are more important than ever. Critical thinking, clear communication, adaptability, and the ability to work meaningfully with others are precisely the capacities students will need to navigate uncertainty and contribute to society.

“Gettysburg is not an institution frozen in time,” Beittenmiller said. “It is engaging with the challenges of its sector of higher ed head-on.”

That belief is central to his recent support for Gettysburg’s entrepreneurship program, for which he has committed $1 million as part of a total commitment of $1.25 that Beittenmiller has made to the College. To Beittenmiller, entrepreneurship is not limited to starting companies. It is a way of thinking and acting in the world—a process of identifying problems, taking calculated risks, learning from failure, and creating something of value.

“Entrepreneurship is solving real-world problems usually with a degree of risk and often involves failure both small and large,” he noted. “Our systems of secondary and higher education generally emphasize knowledge, risk-aversion, and achievement that are different than the skills and risk-taking inherent in entrepreneurship, yet entrepreneurship is central to our progress as a society.”

His own career has reflected that mindset. Beittenmiller has helped build, grow, and lead companies across the architecture, engineering, construction, environmental remediation, and specialty contracting fields. By supporting entrepreneurship at Gettysburg, Beittenmiller hopes students will test ideas, engage real-world challenges, and develop the confidence to move forward when the path is uncertain.

That same spirit of creativity can be seen in another part of Beittenmiller’s life: filmmaking. Beittenmiller and Jake Boritt—son of late Gettysburg History Prof. Emeritus Gabor Boritt—have continued a decade-long partnership through a new documentary exploring Michael Shaara’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel “The Killer Angels” and the Shaara family legacy, which recently premiered at The Majestic Theater and will make its way to PBS in November. For Beittenmiller, the project connects back to the same impulse that animated his years as a park ranger: telling meaningful stories rooted in place, history, and human experience.

Whether through philanthropy, trusteeship, entrepreneurship, or documentary storytelling, Beittenmiller’s commitment to Gettysburg is grounded in gratitude and belief. He may not be a Gettysburg College alumnus, but he sees the College as essential to a community he loves and to a future he believes can be stronger.

“I am substantially optimistic,” he said. “From the standpoint of the faculty, the Board, President Iuliano, and the leadership all pulling in the same direction and doing the right kinds of things, I think our prospects are as good, if not better, than most other institutions like us.”

For Beittenmiller, supporting Gettysburg College is about helping an institution rooted in history prepare students to meet the future—with courage, creativity, and the capacity to solve problems that matter.

Start your entrepreneurial journey at Gettysburg College today!