UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture has announced its spring 2024 college marshal and eight unit marshals who will represent their peers at the college’s commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, in Eisenhower Auditorium. Graphic designer, author and educator Gail Anderson, who designed the Emancipation Proclamation postage stamp and was an art director at Rolling Stone, will serve as commencement speaker, in addition to giving a public talk on May 3 at 10 a.m. in the Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space.
College Marshal
Ronan Shaw, Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Bachelor of Arts in Art with Museum Studies certificate
Since coming to Penn State, Shaw has expanded his knowledge of art history through a series of internships and research experiences with the Center for Virtual/Material Studies, the Palmer Museum of Art and the Department of Art History. He has also presented his art historical research in Virginia, Maryland and New York at professional, juried conferences. His visual art has been shown at multiple on-campus galleries. He has won numerous Penn State awards, including a Valley Family Scholarship, the Josephine J. and David C. Rhea Endowment for Excellence in Italian Studies, an Arts and Architecture Alumni Society Scholarship and a College of Arts and Architecture Creative Achievement Award. After graduation, he will attend the University of Florida to pursue a master of arts in art history with plans to ultimately pursue a doctorate.
Unit Marshals
Department of Architecture
Mia Fantasia, Bachelor of Architecture with minors in Architectural History and Residential Construction
During Fantasia’s time in the Stuckeman School, she served as a research assistant for Professor Mehrdad Hadighi on the Mill Owners’ Association Building project. She is a recipient of the Alma Heinz and August Louis Pohland Scholarship, as well as the SchraderGroup Award for Excellence in Architecture. Fantasia gained professional experience as an architectural intern at HDR in 2022 and KTGY in 2023. Following graduation, she plans to embark on her professional journey with a firm in the Baltimore, Maryland, area.
Department of Art History
Megan Neely, Bachelor of Arts in Art History with minors in Global and International Studies and Italian
Neely has been involved in a range of activities during her time at Penn State. In 2022, she interned at the Center for Virtual/Material Studies, where she researched and cataloged the School of Theatre’s 3,000-piece Fashion Archive. She also began working in the University Libraries, assisting patrons with their research. In spring 2023, she studied abroad at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. This year, she served as vice president of the College of Arts and Architecture Student Council. After graduation, Neely will pursue graduate studies in art history at Florida State University.
Department of Graphic Design
Carson Schultz, Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design with Sociology minor
Throughout his time at Penn State, Schultz has immersed himself in hands-on experiences that allowed him to refine his skills and explore different facets of graphic design. Carson began his undergraduate career as a lead page designer at the Daily Collegian, eventually moving into the position of multimedia editor, where he oversaw the production of Emmy-nominated multimedia content. He has also collaborated with various student organizations and Penn State entities, including CommAgency, Penn State Law and School of International Affairs, and TEDxPSU, providing design solutions to meet their diverse needs. After graduation, he will join Deloitte Digital as a design analyst.
Integrative Arts Program
Mark Edgar Jr., Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Advertising (Bellisario College of Communications)
Throughout Edgar’s academic journey, he has engaged in multiple marketing and social media internships, while also serving as an event coordinator and merchandise designer for Movin’ On, Penn State’s student-run music festival. Edgar co-founded a sustainable platform for Penn State students to buy, sell and trade apparel, showcasing his dedication to fostering a sustainable campus environment. In his final semester, he began working for Depop, a fashion marketplace app committed to sustainability within the fashion industry. After graduation, Edgar plans to move to New York to pursue a career in fashion and advertising.
Department of Landscape Architecture
Rebecca Jones, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
During her time at Penn State, Jones studied abroad in Spain and Germany. Since her first year, she has been involved with Storehouse, a campus ministry, in addition to working as a teaching assistant and serving as a class rep her last semester on campus. Jones has received multiple merit-based departmental awards. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a master of architecture degree.
School of Music
Alex Almonte, Bachelor of Music Education with Deafness and Hearing Studies minor
Almonte is a Schreyer Honors Scholar and Presidential Leadership Academy Fellow. He served as a resident assistant for two years and has been actively engaged in organizations such as the Penn State Filipino Association, THON and many of Penn State’s musical ensembles. Almonte studied abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico; London, England; and Dublin, Ireland, where he focused on the relationships between culture and performance. After graduation, Almonte plans to teach in the public schools while continuing his studies of culture and performance around the globe. He recently won a Fulbright grant to serve as an English teaching assistant in Taiwan.
School of Theatre
Samantha Forrest, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre (Stage Management option)
Forrest has been an involved member of her community during her time at Penn State. In addition to contributing to numerous productions in the School of Theatre both as a stage manager and a props artisan, she has worked with Penn State Opera Theatre, Movin' On and the Bryce Jordan Center. She has served as a board member of the Student Diversity Committee in the School of Theatre and as the social media and public relations/marketing chair for the Design, Technology and Management program. She has gained professional experience in theatre, opera and events across the country. After graduation, Forrest will work at Bard College's Fisher Center for the Arts for the summer season and then continue to work as a stage manager on a freelance basis.
School of Visual Arts
Gillian Sturtz, Bachelor of Design in Digital Arts and Media Design
Sturtz has pursued studies in 3D modeling and interactive design. Serving as an officer for Penn State’s Digital Media Group for three years, she advocated for collaboration among creative disciplines, educated members on various digital programs and organized guest speaker events. During her junior year, she studied under film director Tim Szabics and concept artist Marco Mazzoni as a creature design artist intern for “Zeke Meets Mommy’s Little Angel.” That same year, she also served as a student volunteer at SIGGRAPH, the world’s largest computer graphics conference. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master's degree in interactive design and video game development.
Learn more about all the marshals on the College of Arts and Architecture’s graduating students website.