Penn State Laureate Pearl Gluck

Pearl Gluck, the 2025-26 Penn State Laureate, will visit Penn State Altoona on Tuesday, April 28, at 12:15 p.m. in the Wolf Kuhn Theatre of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. She will screen and discuss her short documentary films, then take part in a Q&A led by Penn State Altoona professor emeritus Jerry Zolten.

Gluck is an associate professor in Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Her teaching focuses on screenwriting, directing and producing, helping students discover their unique storytelling voices while balancing creative exploration with technical discipline.

Gluck’s films explore themes of gender, class, faith and autobiographical storytelling. Her honors include three Fulbright grants, a Sundance Producer’s Lab fellowship and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her feature film “The Turn Out” won several awards including Best Debut Feature at the Female Eye Film Festival. Her films have been screened at festivals such as Cannes and Sundance and have been featured by NPR and PBS.