UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture will honor its 2025 Alumni Award recipients on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 146 S. Allen Street, State College. The ceremony will be followed by a reception in the Woskob Family Gallery. Attendees should register in advance by Sept. 12.
The Arts and Architecture Alumni Awards were established more than 30 years ago with the purpose of recognizing the career achievements of Penn State alumni in the arts and design disciplines.
This year’s recipients are George Ehringer, class of 1964, bachelor of architecture in architecture; Janalee Emmer, class of 2009, doctorate in art history; Luke Gall, class of 2014, bachelor of music education in music education; Rebecca Kamen, class of 1972, bachelor of science in art education; Kate Pappas, class of 1997, bachelor of arts in theater arts; Eric Yeamans, class of 2010, bachelor of design in graphic design; Meesh Zucker, class of 2014, bachelor of landscape architecture in landscape architecture; and Marissa Guarriello, class of 2016, bachelor of music education in music education.
Read more on the winners below.
George Ehringer began his architectural career with a firm in Mt. Lebanon following time spent abroad while serving in the military. His work included K-12 schools and university planning and design projects. After six years, he joined the Micheal Baker International Corporation, a large, diversified engineering organization with architectural capability.
While at Baker, Ehringer was appointed with the responsibility of establishing a new AE practice to compliment the other business units of the corporation. An extensive business plan was prepared and approved, which provided the opportunity to work on diverse national and international projects. Ehringer held the title of senior vice president in the corporation and was principal in charge and general manager of the AE unit. He also served as the building engineering manager (MEP & Structural) for the new Pittsburgh and Dulles International Airports. He was the project executive for the Department of Defense Dependent School System that comprised approximately 1,500 school buildings in 19 countries.
In 2021, he received the James Kling Fellowship Award that recognizes individuals who best exemplify collaboration between the design and construction professions. After retiring from Baker with more than 30 years of service, he continues to serve on the awards committee for the MBA.
Janalee Emmer is the executive director and head curator at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art. She previously served as the associate director of exhibitions and programming, head of education, and longtime curator. She has curated numerous exhibitions including “Far Out: The West Re-Seen,” “Photography by Victoria Sambunaris,” “Danae Mattes: Where the River Widens,” “Brian Kershisnik: The Difficult Part,” “Patrick Dougherty: Windswept,” and “A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in the Collection.”
As director, she has been instrumental in acquiring a broader selection of art, including work by Ernie Barnes, Elizabeth Catlett, Victoria Sambunaris, Valentina Sireech, Eugene Tapahe and Henry Osawa Tanner. Under her leadership, the BYU Museum of Art has brought world-class art exhibitions to campus, such as “Spain and the Hispanic World: Treasures from the Hispanic Society,” showcasing 163 objects spanning four thousand years of art, and “The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Paintings from Museo de Arte de Ponce,” currently on exhibition.
Her previous museum experience includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Palmer Museum of Art, and the Springville Museum of Art. She has taught at Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Tennessee, and Bucknell University. She received her doctorate in art history at Penn State in 2009, and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees at BYU. Her area of study is Modern and Contemporary art, with particular interest in nineteenth-century French art, women artists, and American art.
Luke Gall is co-founder of Ultimate Drill Book (UDB), an arts-technology company creating innovative platforms for performance, education and engagement. Since launching UDB with his brother Josh in 2010, he has helped reshape arts education through flagship products: UDBapp, Beam and StrideTV. These technologies have been used by thousands of ensembles and millions of students, educators, and arts enthusiasts worldwide.
Raised in a musical family — his father, Kent, a celebrated band director, and his mother, BB, a gifted singer and guitarist — Gall is the youngest of four brothers: Josh, co-founder of UDB; Jacob, a world-renowned percussion educator; and Gabriel, an accomplished composer and songwriter.
After earning degrees from Penn State and the University of Texas, Gall transitioned to full-time work with UDB. Although, as a self-proclaimed “professional band kid,” he has remained deeply connected to the arts through performance, media and design.
As a performer, Gall toured with FivE, a euphonium quartet founded at Penn State under Professor Velvet Brown. Sponsored by Besson Instruments, FivE performed in over 25 cities and released its debut album, FivE: Play, in 2017. He has also traveled to more than 30 countries, creating content that has drawn tens of millions of views on YouTube and social media platforms.
Gall’s artistic and design work has shaped numerous championship ensembles. As artistic director for Rhythmic Force Percussion, he led the group to its first-ever appearance in the WGI World Class Championship Finals. His visual design for Beeches Drum and Bugle Corps contributed to the ensemble’s first Drum Corps Europe Championship. At Glenn Indoor Percussion, working alongside his brother Jacob, he served as both artistic director and visual designer, guiding the group to three consecutive Texas State Championships.
Gall lives in Austin, Texas, with his partner, Jennifer Hanford, head band director at James Bowie High School. He is focused on developing the next generation of arts-technology, expanding UDB’s Austin headquarters, and growing the company’s impact in the community.
Rebecca Kamen is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who holds a bachelor of science in art education from Penn State, a master's degree in art education from the University of Illinois, and a master of fine arts in sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design. As professor emeritus of art at Northern Virginia Community College, Kamen continues to investigate how the arts and creativity can enhance innovation and our understanding of science. An outcome of Kamen’s research has included the development of an art component for George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientist Summer Internship Program, encouraging science interns to use the arts as an innovative way of interpreting their research.
Kamen has conducted research for art/science collaborative projects at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University, the Kavli Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Institutes of Health, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Selected as a Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow in 2015, she was invited to Austria to present her work as part of a seminar titled “The Neuroscience of Art: What are the Sources of Creativity and Innovation.”
Kamen has investigated scientific rare books and manuscripts at the libraries of the American Philosophical Society, the Science History Institute, and the Cajal Institute in Madrid, utilizing these significant scientific collections as a catalyst in the creation of her work.
Kamen has exhibited and lectured both nationally and internationally. She has been the recipient of a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Professional Fellowship, a Pollack Krasner Foundation Fellowship, two Strauss Fellowships, a travel grant from the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and a grant from Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Her artwork is represented in many private and public collections. Currently, Kamen is serving as artist in residence in the Computational Neuroscience Initiative and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kate Pappas has more than 25 years of experience in event, production and theatrical management and has worked with a wide range of organizations from non-profits to high profile corporate leaders.
After graduating from Penn State, Pappas moved to Orlando, Florida, for her first entertainment leadership role with Walt Disney World Resort. The desire to explore other performance companies sent her on tour with MacArthur Genius Fellow Liz Lerman as the production stage manager for “The Hallelujah Project.” Pappas spent three years as a stage manager for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” in Las Vegas where she learned to weave traditional circus life with innovative technology. She gained experience with roles ranging from the Tribeca Film Festival to Washington, D.C., charitable fundraisers.
In 2004, an opportunity to return to the Walt Disney Company came her way and she opened the first non-park entertainment venue at the World of Disney on 5th Avenue in New York City.
Within Disney Live Entertainment, Pappas has had the opportunity to explore many roles including stage manager, production manager, producer, and managing producer with projects launching new ships, nighttime spectaculars, theatrical stage shows, press events, and character experiences.
In 2020, Pappas took on the role of executive, character programs and development, leading the team tasked with ensuring global accountability for performance, brand management, and development of the highest artistic representation of beloved Disney characters. In her role, she has the responsibility of supporting and guiding Disney Experiences defining the segment’s strategic vision in bringing Disney character activations to life around the world.
Pappas is a founding board member and first elected treasurer of the School of Theatre Affiliate Program Group where she served as a grant writer and supported of STAGES by producing virtual master class programming for students.
Eric Yeamans is a seasoned digital strategist and design leader with more than 15 years of experience shaping bold, user-driven digital experiences for major brands like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ford Motor Company and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
Blending strategic vision with a deep love for design and innovation, Yeamans thrives at the intersection of creativity, technology and community.
As director of digital operations at the Pittsburgh-based agency Actual Size, Yeamans leads the charge on all things digital, bridging creative and code to launch cutting-edge websites, apps and campaigns that make an impact.
As a proud Penn State alumnus, Yeamans’ passion for mentorship and community runs deep. As current president of the Penn State Graphic Design Affiliate Program Group (APG), and former vice president and mentoring program coordinator, he has helped create a dynamic network connecting students with alumni who have been in their shoes. The mentoring initiative he launched is now in its fifth year, matching juniors and seniors with professional alumni across design and tech.
Beyond mentorship, Yeamans helped bring to life an alumni showcase and directory platform that celebrates Penn State graphic design alumni across the country. He also played a key role in launching the Ryan Russell Design Excellence Scholarship, honoring a beloved Penn State faculty member and alumnus, to support the next generation of designers.
Meesh Zucker works at the intersection of design, equity, and environmental stewardship, dedicated to creating resilient communities for all generations to enjoy.
She began her professional journey in Copenhagen, Denmark, developing innovative approaches to co-creating intergenerational public spaces. Her early work earned international recognition in 2014, when she won AECOM’s Urban SOS competition, catalyzing the launch of her design collective, Restart [your city]. Upon returning to the United States, Zucker contributed to award-winning design firms in San Francisco and Boston. Notable projects she worked on include neighborhood revitalization strategies, youth design/build programs, creative place keeping installations, and comprehensive public realm frameworks for long-term capital investment.
Building on her bachelor of landscape architecture from Penn State, Zucker earned a master’s degree in city planning from MIT. Her graduate research explored how resident narratives and lived experiences can be spatialized to uncover the historic ways cities have displaced or erased certain social identities.
Today, she serves as acting mitigation planning branch chief at FEMA in Philadelphia, leading national initiatives to weave climate resilience into the fabric of community plans and policy.
Through her expertise, creativity and commitment to equity, Zucker advances a vision for planning and landscape architecture that honors heritage, meets the needs of the present, and strengthens our collective future.
Marissa Guarriello is an assistant professor of music and human learning at the University of Texas Austin. She was previously a visiting assistant professor of string music education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro where she taught courses in string music education, directed the Sinfonia Orchestra, and was the faculty director of the PAL and LRBS community string programs. Guarriello was named one of Yamaha’s “40 Under 40” Music Educators for the United States in 2025.
A former public school orchestra teacher for grades 3-12 across various states, she now focuses on preparing young string teachers to be successful in the classroom. Her work centers on expansive music education practices and making classrooms welcoming for students of all interests and backgrounds.
In 2024, Guarriello served as the director of programming for music at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she enjoyed working with artists of all genres from around the globe to bring them to her community. Guarriello’s current research is focused on the intersection of music industry administration education in K-12 music education programs as well as the inclusion of creative activities in secondary ensemble classrooms. Her dissertation focused on the integration of non-performance topics in classrooms through the Marketing Musikfest class in the Bethlehem Area School District.
Guarriello recently released a children’s book titled “Onward and Upward” (2025) and has co-authored “Hustle to the Start” (2021) and “The Creative String Orchestra” (2020) in addition to contributing various articles, blog posts and peer-reviewed journal articles to the field.