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 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Prof. Emerita Shelley 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!

Gettysburg College celebrated the fourth graduating class of its Master of Arts in American History program. Graduates were challenged to bring deeper knowledge, courageous inquiry, and a commitment to truth into classrooms and inspire future generations of citizens.

In a place where the nation’s history continues to shape its future, Gettysburg College celebrated the fourth graduating class of the Gettysburg College-Gilder Lehrman Institute Master of Arts in American History program on July 16 at the Majestic Theater.

The ceremony recognized 239 educators who strengthened their knowledge of American history through the fully online graduate program. These graduates are now prepared to bring new perspectives, questions, and insights to schools and learning communities across the country.

Welcoming the graduates and their families, Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano reflected on the significance of earning an advanced degree in a town and at a college so deeply connected to the American story.

“I hope you take great pride in what you’ve accomplished and its special significance,” Iuliano said. “I encourage you to take the spirit of Gettysburg with you.”

Launched in 2022, the accredited program serves K-12 educators, community college instructors, district supervisors, museum professionals, and National Park Service employees. Its courses pair the expertise of distinguished historians with opportunities for educators to deepen their content knowledge and enrich the ways they teach American history.

As the United States observes its 250th anniversary, Iuliano invited the graduates to consider the role of vision and courage throughout the nation’s history. The principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence, he noted, represented not simply an achievement but an audacious dream—one that required years of struggle, sacrifice, and perseverance to move closer to reality.

“Be a shining example for your students and your colleagues of what’s possible—and why teaching is so life-changing.”
– Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano

That same spirit, he said, can be found in Gettysburg, where the events of 1863 altered the course of the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln later articulated the “unfinished work” still facing the nation in his Gettysburg Address.

“As educators, you are entrusted with so much more than teaching names and dates and battles,” Iuliano told the graduates. “You’re entrusted with helping tomorrow’s leaders understand that our history is the story of us—filled with dreamers whose courage reverberates to this very day.”

He urged the graduates to ask difficult questions, embrace complicated subjects, and demonstrate to their students and colleagues why teaching can be transformative.

“Our world needs dreamers of profound courage in our classrooms,” he said. “Be a shining example for your students and your colleagues of what’s possible—and why teaching is so life-changing.”

James G. Basker, president and CEO of The Gilder Lehrman Institute, introduced Commencement speaker Barbara Perry, the J. Wilson Newman Professor of Governance at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center and co-chair of its Presidential Oral History Program.

Perry began by honoring the teachers who had shaped her own life. She recounted the educators who first recognized and nurtured her abilities and the professors who encouraged her study of political science and opened doors throughout her academic career.

Drawing on former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s observation that everyone can name at least one teacher who inspired them, Perry asked the graduates and guests to pause and remember those educators aloud.

Her message highlighted how teachers can encourage inquiry, stimulate intellectual curiosity, and promote care through learning to their students. That influence, she suggested, now rests with the graduates as they return to their classrooms equipped with the knowledge and insight gained through the master’s program.

Perry then turned to the words of President John F. Kennedy, whose life and presidency have been central to her scholarship. She revisited Kennedy’s 1963 commencement address at American University, in which he called upon people and nations to look beyond their differences and recognize their shared humanity.

In a world divided by international conflict and political polarization, Perry said, Kennedy’s appeal to pursue common ground remains especially meaningful for teachers confronting difficult topics in their schools and communities.

“You have been and are now more so than ever equipped to teach the history of our democratic republic.”
– Barbara Perry, J. Wilson Newman Professor of Governance at the University of Virginia

She also cited Kennedy’s defense of the free exchange of information and Thomas Jefferson’s commitment to following truth wherever it may lead. Together, those ideas offered the graduates a charge: protect freedom of thought, welcome rigorous inquiry, and give students the tools to distinguish truth from falsehood.

“What you share with your students—in addition to the vast knowledge of history you impart to them, and now that is bolstered by all you have acquired with this new master’s degree from Gettysburg and through The Gilder Lehrman Institute—is a commitment to our freedom of thought, as Thomas Jefferson famously expressed it,” Perry said.

“You have been and are now more so than ever equipped to teach the history of our democratic republic,” Perry said, as she positioned the graduates’ responsibility to education amid the founding of the nation 250 years ago and its survival on the fields surrounding Gettysburg in 1863.

For Zachary Polley ’19, M’26, the ceremony represented both a new milestone and a return home. A history and international affairs double major as an undergraduate, Polley described earning a second Gettysburg degree as “almost surreal.”

Although the master’s program was completed virtually, he found the same academic support, faculty mentorship, and freedom to pursue the interests that defined his undergraduate experience at Gettysburg.

“Gettysburg has felt more like home than pretty much anywhere else I’ve been,” Polley said. “The support, the resources, and the professors—and the way that we had so much leeway in being able to pick and choose how we studied and what we studied—helped us really find what we were passionate about all over again.”

Polley said his two Gettysburg degrees will help him connect historical knowledge with contemporary issues and show future students that studying history has practical value.

“History has always been my passion, and I’ve always had a passion for education,” he said. “I think those all intertwine in a way that I’ll be able to pass on that knowledge to future generations.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Iuliano entrusted the graduates with carrying their learning into the lives of others.

“May you encourage your students to step forward with courage and conscience,” he said. “May you challenge them to question, to explore, and to seek truth in all that they do. And may you always inspire them to be the dreamers our world needs.”

Explore Gettysburg College’s online Master of Arts in American History. Discover how this program can deepen your knowledge and strengthen your impact as an educator.

At Gettysburg College, learning means doing. Physics major Christian Brutus ’27 has found Gettysburg instrumental in helping him develop the teamwork skills needed to unleash his academic potential and prepare for a career in engineering.

Inside Masters Hall, the lights dim, the glasses go on, and Christian Brutus ’27 gets to work.

The physics major from Cos Cob, Connecticut, ascends a stepladder and prepares to conduct another hands-on research session on stopping power energy with the help of a proton accelerator.

As a steady hum from the accelerator fills the lab, Brutus settles in to calculate and quantify the energy loss of accelerated protons passing through very thin films of various metals, such as copper and gold. He’s using his research to compare the stopping power of protons to existing data.

Earlier this summer, Brutus participated in Physics Prof. Bret Crawford’s Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) research at Gettysburg College. The X-SIG program equips students like Brutus with the skills necessary for modern research, enabling them to explore the ethical and practical aspects of scientific study.

Aside from the cool part of his research—working with a first-class proton accelerator in Masters Hall—Brutus said that X-SIG has been one of the many high points of a Gettysburg education that’s preparing him for an engineering career after graduation.

“Having the opportunity to participate in X-SIG this summer helps me further develop teamwork and research and engineering skills,” he said. “It’s truly a wonderful experience getting to work with the accelerator we have in the lab and learning its ins and outs.”

Complementing his work through X-SIG, Gettysburg’s physics courses have been instrumental in “bringing real-world problems into the classroom and helping build a framework for solving them,” he said. It’s been an important foundation to his long-term professional goals.

“I’ve had opportunities to work on challenging projects, develop problem-solving skills, and apply classroom concepts through X-SIG,” he added. “Those experiences have confirmed that I enjoy tackling complex technical challenges and have prepared me well for a career in engineering.”

“What ultimately made Gettysburg my choice was the people and the many opportunities it would provide to realize my dreams.”
– Christian Brutus ’27

Brutus finds that courses he’s taken outside his major, such as in Caribbean studies with Africana Studies Prof. Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams, have deepened his thinking about the broader world. That deep thinking remains a hallmark of a Gettysburg College education.

Brutus could have gone to college anywhere, but he chose Gettysburg, recognizing the potential it would afford him to do something great with his education.

“I was looking for a place I could call my second home, but also one that would build my character and work ethic for my future career,” he said. “What ultimately made Gettysburg my choice was the people and the many opportunities it would provide to realize my dreams.”

At Gettysburg, Brutus has embraced opportunities to lead and collaborate with others. He stepped up to serve as treasurer for the Caribbean Association and is a member of the men’s volleyball club team. These experiences, he said, contribute to the team-building skills he’s developing in his academics and on the field as a linebacker for the College’s football team.

“In engineering and physics labs, success depends on everyone contributing, communicating clearly, and trusting one another, just like on the football field,” he explained. “Being part of a team has also helped me develop discipline and time management because I have to balance practices, games, and academics.”

Looking ahead to his senior year, Brutus is excited about the remaining opportunities at Gettysburg before he pursues graduate studies in engineering.

“I’m looking to finish my college career off with a bang in terms of having a great football season with our new head coach, Michael Green, and really maximizing every day at Gettysburg,” he said.

Want to find out how our students Do Great Work? Schedule a campus visit to Gettysburg College.

At Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort, South Carolina, Julia Ciccone ’28 is applying her knowledge of public history to immerse visitors in the stories of Reconstruction-era America this summer. The opportunity is made possible through the Brian C. Pohanka Internship Program and the Gettysburg College Civil War Institute (CWI).

When Julia Ciccone ’28 greets visitors to Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort, South Carolina, she always begins with a smile and a story. As a summer park intern, Ciccone is helping National Park Service (NPS) staff interpret the people, places, and events that shaped American history from 1861 to 1900.

Ciccone, a history major and public history minor from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, said the internship enables her to connect her history studies at Gettysburg College with a real-world, hands-on experience in public history.

At the park, Ciccone is developing a guided walking tour profiling women during Reconstruction and a script for a self-guided audio tour for the NPS app. “When I came to Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, I was able to collect a lot of different stories, and I thought, ‘I could make a whole program out of this,’” she said.

Her summer internship is made possible through the Brian C. Pohanka Internship Program through Gettysburg College’s Civil War Institute (CWI). Ciccone has spent each of the last two summers participating in internships through the Civil War Institute’s Funded Internship Program. During the summer of 2025, she interned at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia, where she presented park programs on Reconstruction to visitors.

Ciccone’s experiences through the internship program have been at the heart of her journey to Gettysburg from day one. Upon learning about the internship program during a Get Acquainted Day visit to Gettysburg in spring 2024, Ciccone was eager to hear more. She followed up with the late Peter Carmichael, the CWI’s emeritus director.

“After that phone call with Dr. Carmichael, where he explained the public history program, the Civil War Institute, and the internship program, I put my deposit down,” she said.

Ciccone acknowledges Public History Co-chair and CWI Associate Director Jill Ogline Titus for supporting her academic interests in public history and helping her obtain her internships.

“After that phone call with Dr. Carmichael, where he explained the public history program, the Civil War Institute, and the internship program, I put my deposit down.”
– Julia Ciccone ’28

Through her coursework, Ciccone discovered how Gettysburg could open her mind to seeing things in new ways. Her Pohanka Internship experiences helped connect elements of her history coursework and allowed her to develop her communication skills.

Last spring, Ciccone took The Lives of Objects: Understanding Material Culture, taught by Art and Art History Prof. Rebecca Duffy Stasiunas, which broadened her horizons on history.

“It gave me a challenge—doing something I had never done before, helping me step outside my comfort zone—and made me rethink how I think about things, specifically objects and the ways we can study them,” she said. “Here, in Beaufort, we talk about Sea Island cotton, which was grown here during the Civil War and the Antebellum period. I use a sample of it when presenting programs to visitors to help them connect it back to our programs in unique ways.”

Ciccone is always seeking opportunities to advance her knowledge in public history. To assist her scholarly pursuits, Ciccone applied for and received a generous $25,000 scholarship from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Ciccone was one of 10 students nationwide studying American history chosen to receive the DAR scholarship, which celebrates America’s 250th anniversary this year.

In her scholarship application, Ciccone explained how Gettysburg College not only introduced her to public history but also enabled her to explore it through several avenues, including coursework and internships.

“I truly believe that the opportunities I have had so far at Gettysburg played a major role in my selection for the scholarship,” she said. “The money I received from the scholarship goes directly to funding my education at Gettysburg. This scholarship will let me advance my education to its fullest potential.”

Put your study of history into action through the Civil War Institute Funded Internship Program.

Each year, Gettysburg College students continue represent the United States as Fulbright recipients, sharing the knowledge and skills they gained through our liberal arts and sciences education with new students all around the world.

Every year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers competitive fellowships to support students across the nation who wish to pursue advanced studies, research, or teaching opportunities abroad. This year, three Gettysburg students were named Fulbright semifinalists and two received prestigious grants to go abroad: Josh Judson ’25 (Poland) and Trevor Weakly ’26 (Germany).

In the past three years, eight Gettysburg College students have been awarded grants, which is nearly 20% of the College’s historic total. Since 2024, five students have received awards to German-speaking countries, Germany or Austria. This year also saw the first STEM Fulbright recipient from Gettysburg since 2019.

Through their global experiences, these students will have the opportunity to employ the knowledge and enduring skills they gained at Gettysburg to grow personally and professionally and represent the United States in foreign countries.

“In a highly competitive environment, Gettysburg students once again showed off their credentials on the biggest stage,” said German Studies Prof. Tres Lambert, who oversees the Fulbright program on campus. “All of our finalists and semifinalists this year had extensive and intensive experience abroad, which is a concrete demonstration of the payoff that global engagement can provide. At a time when cross-cultural understanding is more important than ever, it’s an honor to see these students go on to pursue life- and potentially world-changing opportunities.”

Partnering with 160 countries around the world, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the flagship international academic exchange program sponsored by the United States government. It offers experiences in all academic disciplines to graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals through study and research grants as well as English Teaching Assistantships. Fulbright recipients live, work, and learn from natives of their host country, growing their intercultural fluency skills in the classroom and field of work, and go on to serve consequential roles in their careers as global citizens and leaders.

This year’s honorees are:

Josh Judson ’25

• Hometown: Arvada, Colorado
• Major: Biology
• Minor: History
• Fulbright Honor: Recipient of Fulbright research grant in Poland

“During my time at Gettysburg, I had the privilege of pursuing a wide range of experiences, including performing research through X-SIG with Dr. Angel Solis, running on the cross country and track teams, living in STEM house, and much more. I also studied abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, and the experience motivated me to apply for a Fulbright research grant in Poland.

“There, I'll be working in a lab that investigates potential treatments for eczema in the beautiful city of Gdańsk. I’m excited to learn more about the Polish people, what makes Poland unique, and how the country is continuing to grow and evolve. I enjoy spending time outdoors, being with friends and my church community, and going on adventures that push me outside of my comfort zone.”
– Josh Judson ’25

Trevor Weakly ’26

• Hometown: Frederick, Maryland
• Majors: German studies and history
• Minors: Anthropology and public history
• Fulbright Honor: Recipientof Fulbright Teaching Assistant (ETA) award in Germany

“After my Fulbright grant, I plan to pursue a master’s degree and continue on in the field of public history. I will further develop my pedagogical skills while teaching English in Germany, which will play a role in my career.

“I already have a strong connection to Germany. I studied abroad in Freiburg for two semesters. I loved living there for a year and I am excited for this opportunity to give back to the community. I would like to thank Prof. Lambert for his unfailing support throughout the application process.”
– Trevor Weakly ’26

Aidan Martin ’26

• Hometown: Middleburgh, New York
• Majors: Globalization studies (IGS) and Spanish
• Minors: History and political science
• Fulbright Honor: Semifinalistfor Fulbright Teaching Assistant (ETA) award in Spain

For the 2026-2027 award cycle, semifinalists were notified in January and finalist notifications were released beginning in April 2026. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is currently accepting applications for the 2027-2028 award cycle until the national deadline of Oct. 6, 2026. Students or alumni interested in applying for a Fulbright grant through Gettysburg College should contact Prof. Tres Lambert at rlambert@gettysburg.edu.

“With the incredible experiences in area studies, and our wealth of study abroad options, I look forward to recruiting another cohort of excellent and well-prepared candidates for the 2027-28 application cycle,” added Lambert.

Build a foundation for lifelong learning with creative opportunities abroad, like fellowships through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

About the Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright Program was introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas and passed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946. Each year, about 8,000 students, teachers, and professors from the United States and 160 countries receive grant awards, which are grounded in the notion of promoting “mutual and cross-cultural understanding” after the conclusion of World War II. In all, since the program was established, more than 400,000 Fulbright recipients have pursued global studies, research, and teaching in 165 countries. Fulbright alumni have included 62 Nobel Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Foundation Fellows, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 41 current or former heads of state or government. 

“Every time I come back, I feel renewed and refreshed. I’m reminded that this is the place that made me the freethinker, the person who is focused on community and making everyone feel included and part of something,” she said.

Cross credits Gettysburg’s culture of connection and curiosity with helping students discover who they are and who they want to become.

“We are inquisitive; we are people-people. We see each other as whole versions of ourselves,” she added. “That was the core of my Gettysburg experience: Create what you want. Think freely.”

As a student, Cross was an Africana studies and English double major, while participating in dozens of activities, clubs, and organizations. She was a member of the Black Student Union (BSU), NAACP, Sigma Gamma Rho, Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, Gospel Choir, and B.O.M.B. Squad, Gettysburg’s hip-hop dance team. Cross also worked as a tour guide for the Admissions Office, supported Alumni Relations, and assisted with the Senior Class Gift Campaign.

Today, Cross, a senior project manager for strategic impact at the U.S. Green Building Council, remains actively involved with her alma mater. As president of the Gettysburg Alumni of Color Council (GACC) since 2024, she works with members of the College community to foster communication, engagement, and philanthropy among current students and future alumni.

“Gettysburg gave me more than an education. It gave me the confidence to lead.”
– Jaclynn Cross ’10

A dedicated connector and fundraiser through Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, Cross supported her fifth and 10th reunion committees and served as co-chair for the 15th reunion of her graduating class. She was also a featured presenter during the College’s annual Alumni J-Term series in 2024 and 2025.

In 2025, Gettysburg presented her with the Young Alumni Achievement Award for Service.

“Gettysburg gave me more than an education. It gave me the confidence to lead,” she said. “It taught me the value of community, leadership, and service, and those lessons continue to shape how I show up in the world.”

#HumansofGettysburg

Gettysburg College’s liberal arts and sciences education creates a multidisciplinary foundation for students pursuing legal careers. For Judge Brett Engler ’08, Associate Judge of the District Court of Maryland, 11th District, Gettysburg’s focus on academic rigor, skill-building, and faculty mentorships helped her pursue her career ambitions in the legal field.

The Honorable Brett Engler ’08 takes the bench in the courtroom as she prepares for opening arguments in the next case. As she hears testimony, considers evidence, and prepares to issue a verdict, Engler remains focused on upholding justice while exercising the critical thinking and compassion she developed as an undergraduate at Gettysburg College.

Engler, originally from Annapolis, Maryland, said Gettysburg fulfilled her desire for a college experience that fostered a personalized education within a liberal arts setting. “Gettysburg was somewhat close to home but still far enough,” she said. “The historical nature of the town and the things to do made Gettysburg very attractive.”

Gettysburg’s track and cross-country programs also stood out to Engler, contributing to her decision to commit to Gettysburg. She recalls retired Gettysburg track and field coach Aubrey Shenk as not only a coach but also a mentor who supported her throughout her college journey.

“He helped me develop the discipline, self-focus, and team focus that I would need to be a successful lawyer,” she said.

Mentors who mattered

A history and political science double major, Engler forged relationships with faculty mentors such as Tim Shannon, the Edwin T. Johnson & Cynthia Shearer Johnson Distinguished Teaching Chair in the Humanities Professor; History Prof. Emeritus Michael Birkner ’72, P’10; the late Political Science Prof. Emeritus Ken Mott; and Africana Studies Prof. Scott Hancock.

“Prof. Mott taught constitutional law,” she said. “I had an interest in law, but learning about civil rights, the Supreme Court cases, and the history really led me toward thinking about law school. He loved the law and taught us the power of the law.”

Mott was also involved in establishing the Eisenhower Institute, which Engler joined as an Eisenhower Fellow.

“His faith in me pushed me to consider additional ways to engage in significant topics. The Eisenhower Institute became a great resume builder for me,” she said.

Engler also acknowledges the impact of English Prof. Chris Fee and his First-Year Seminar on homelessness in America. She recalls a service-learning trip to the D.C. Central Kitchen and local shelters that introduced her and her classmates to individuals and families who had experienced homelessness. The course, she said, challenged students to confront societal assumptions about poverty, homelessness, and social inequities.

As a judge, Engler presides over a varied caseload of criminal, traffic, domestic violence, and general civil matters. Every day she sees litigants in the Frederick community coming to the courthouse from all walks of life. Developing perspective and a broad view of society was something Engler learned at Gettysburg, with encouragement from her mentors.

“Prof. Hancock encouraged us to get out into the community,” Engler said. “For my senior capstone, I completed an oral history project in which I interviewed African Americans who grew up in Gettysburg during the Civil Rights Movement in order to learn about and record how they connected to the broader Civil Rights Movement from the small town famous for the battle over slavery.

“Prof. Birkner also tasked us to complete oral histories with some of the last remaining World War II veterans of Gettysburg. The man I interviewed had never shared his story with anyone, but spoke to me for hours in his home. After I presented him with the transcribed interview, he sent me a note thanking me for giving his family such a gift. I heard that he passed away several years later. The experience really stuck with me and showed me the powerful human connections that can be forged by listening to the experiences of others,” Engler said.

“Gettysburg is a place where you can have discussions and open your mind to different perspectives.”
– Judge Brett Engler ’08

‘Think globally, but also locally’

The lifelong impact of a Gettysburg education is evident in Engler’s career development in the law.

Last fall, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore appointed Engler to serve as an Associate Judge of the District Court of Maryland, 11th District, which includes Frederick and Washington counties. Engler’s 10-year appointment makes her the youngest of Frederick County’s three District Court judges and the only woman to serve on the court currently.

After earning her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2011 Engler clerked for the Honorable Clayton Greene of the Supreme Court of Maryland before serving Frederick County as a career prosecutor. She was the Chief of the Domestic Violence Unit prior to her appointment, handling cases ranging from misdemeanor violence to domestic homicide.

“Prof. Hancock and Prof. Birkner encouraged the open sharing of ideas, in addition to teaching us the value of empathy and inclusion.”
– Judge Brett Engler ’08

As chair of the Frederick County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC) and the Frederick County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team (DVFRT), Engler brought together criminal justice and community advocates to improve Frederick County’s response to domestic violence. She also served on the Legal Committee for the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention and the Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Maryland’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Statewide Implementation Team (MD-DVRSIT).

As she reflects on her career pathway, Engler credits Gettysburg’s ability to empower students to “think globally, but also locally.”

“Gettysburg is a place where you can have discussions and open your mind to different perspectives,” she said. “I remember having those discussions in Constitutional Law and Law in Society classes. It was always an open environment. Prof. Hancock and Prof. Birkner encouraged the open sharing of ideas, in addition to teaching us the value of empathy and inclusion.”

Engler believes that inclusivity remains a distinctive hallmark of the Gettysburg community.

“Everyone knew who you were, and when you got on campus, you could recognize almost everyone in your class,” she said. “I always felt safe there, not only physically but also intellectually, and was safe to express my ideas. I learned to develop my thought processes and think critically through situations. Gettysburg is truly a wonderful community.”

Learn to lead with integrity with a political science degree at Gettysburg College.