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Keeper of the Flame

When Brad “Spider” Caldwell retired in July, it marked the formal end of his more than four decades as part of the Penn State football program. That run started when Caldwell ’86 H&HD joined the team as a student manager for the 1983 season, and it continued through a 31-year career, most of it spent as head equipment manager. Beginning in 2015, he worked as the events and facilities coordinator at Beaver Stadium, where his office served as an unofficial shrine to his favorite teams, moments, and people. Before he stepped away, he invited us in to share some of those memories.

Ryan Jones '95 Com

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conceptual illustration of a black and white photo of two people hugging with pill bottle and money images by Nadia Radic

Faculty Expertise

Q&A: Joel Segel

Joel Segel directs the Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction.

Savita Iyer

aerial graphic of FIFA World Cup soccer field with England and Argentina flags

Sports

He Walks the Line

Assistant referee Corey Parker represented the U.S.—and Penn State—in one of the biggest matches at the 2026 World Cup.

Ryan Jones '95 Com

side by side black and white head shots of Radecic, one in uniform and one in a suit, by Penn State Archives

Sports

In Their Words: Keith Radecic

Forty years later, the center on the 1986 football team revisits the national championship season.

Jeff Rice '03 Com

Faculty Expertise

Cool Class: FDSC 105 Food Facts and Fads

Food science professor John Coupland helps students examine the role of food through the ages.

Savita Iyer

Alumni

Item of Note: September / October 2026

Piece of Pitt Stadium goalpost, 1954, submitted by Bobby Hoffman ’56 COM

In Memoriam

Celebrating the lives and legacies of Penn State alumni.

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head shot pencil illustration of Ostar by Randy Glass

Allan William Ostar

1948

Allan William Ostar ’48 Edu received the Bronze Star Medal for valor after World War II, earned 27 honorary doctorates, and was a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and an Alumni Fellow.

head shot pencil illustration of Cohen by Randy Glass

Robert M. Cohen

1961

Robert M. Cohen ’61 Sci co-founded the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and helped to create Folk Alliance International after retiring from neurosurgery in 1988.

Class Notes

Weddings, births, new jobs, career milestones, and much more—keep up with the big moments in your classmates’ lives here.

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Submit a Note

head shot Weidenhof on a city street, courtesy

Emily Weidenhof

2004

Emily Weidenhof ’04 A&A is the assistant commissioner of Public Realm at the New York City Department of Transportation, where for the past 16 years she has been reimagining how urban asphalt can be transformed into public space.

photo of Miller looking at a thick book in front of bookshelves, courtesy

Ashley Miller

2016

Ashley Miller '16 Lib is the archivist for the state of New Hampshire, where she manages a 110,00-square-foot building and oversees the storage of historical records and documents filed by state agencies

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