UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Forum Speaker Series, modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series, is hosting two speakers in spring 2026. Invited to speak on topics of their choice are Pearl Gluck, associate professor of communications and the 2025–26 Penn State Laureate; and Ryan Newman, managing director at Goldman Sachs.
The events include a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions. The buffet-style luncheons are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in various venues on the University Park campus. All events are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public. Tickets are $25 each, or $250 for a table of 10, and include a buffet lunch.
Registration is now open for the Spring 2026 speakers at this link.
March 20: Pearl Gluck, associate professor of communications and the 2025–26 Penn State Laureate
Pearl Gluck, associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and the 2025–26 Penn State Laureate, will present a talk on March 20, 2026, at the Penn Stater.
Gluck is an award-winning filmmaker, educator and community arts advocate. Her teaching focuses on screenwriting, directing, and producing, helping students discover their unique storytelling voices while balancing creative exploration with technical discipline.
Gluck's work explores complex issues of identity, gender, faith, and equity through the lens of powerful, human-centered narratives. Her films have screened at Sundance, Tribeca, and PBS, and she continues to use storytelling as a platform for dialogue and transformation. As a faculty member in the School of Theatre and the Bellisario College of Communications, she inspires students across disciplines to find their voice and purpose.
She also has made a significant impact on the arts community through the Centre Film Festival, which she co-founded in 2019. Now entering its seventh season, the festival showcases multigenerational storytelling and regional voices, providing masterclasses and hands-on workshops with visiting filmmakers.
As Penn State Laureate, Gluck has engaged communities across the commonwealth in conversations that bridge the arts, social justice, and education. While the specific theme of her campus talk is still being finalized, attendees can look forward to a thought-provoking experience that reflects her commitment to creativity, inclusion and public engagement, and her experiences as a filmmaker and plans for the upcoming year.
April 7: Ryan Newman, Penn State alum and managing director at Goldman Sachs
Ryan Newman, Penn State alum and managing director at Goldman Sachs, will present a talk on April 7, 2026, at the Nittany Lion Inn.
Newman is a managing director at Goldman Sachs, where he co-founded and co-leads a private wealth management team, managing in excess of $14 billion on behalf of Fortune 500 executives, Forbes 400 families, entrepreneurs, family offices and foundations and endowments. Newman is a member of the PWM Top Advisors and PWM Advisors Council, representing the top 10% of advisers globally at Goldman Sachs.
A graduate of the Smeal College of Business, Newman earned his bachelor's degree in economics and a minor in philosophy, with honors from the Schreyer Honors College in 2001. While at Penn State, he was awarded one of the first travel research thesis grants, working at a United Nations-sponsored Demography institute in Cameroon. He conducted his thesis research on fertility transition, which was subsequently accepted for presentation at the Population Association of America Conference in Washington, D.C.
Newman is the host of the Invent Penn State podcast, "Dare to Disrupt," which he helped launch, and which has achieved over 50,000 downloads. The podcast interviews successful Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, about the stories behind their success.
Newman's talk will center on his reflections interviewing over 40 Penn State entrepreneurial leaders and insights he’s gleaned during the past four years as the podcast host.
About the Penn State Forum Speaker Series
More information about the series, as well as previous and forthcoming topics and speakers, is available on the Penn State Forum website. Suggestions for future Penn State Forum speakers can be shared with Forum coordinator Cassie Marsh-Caldwell.