Following the Gong, a Podcast of the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State Schreyer Honors College

Overview:
Alumnae Yuri Unno ’95 Behrend and Amanda Blunt ’09 Lib join Following the Gong to discuss working for major automotive companies Toyota and GM, respectively, in Washington D.C. They both share their stories of finding Penn State – Yuri as an international student, Amanda as someone from “outside Philly” – and how they found interests working in trade policy, lobbying, legal affairs, and more. Both share their insights on graduate and professional school, careers in these fields, educating government administrators and legislators, and navigating the complexities of the nation’s capital. This episode is great for any Scholar, and especially those interested in these topics, international students, and those who live or plan to live and work in and around DC. Both Amanda and Yuri’s bios are available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.
Guest Bios:
Yuri Unno ’95 Behrend is a federal lobbyist for Toyota Motor North America's Government Office in Washington, D.C., serving as the Director for Trade and Supply Chain. She is responsible for representing Toyota in front of the Administration and Congress on these issues. She earned her BA in Political Science with Honors and BA in Economics from the Penn State Behrend College. She also earned her MA from the Elliott School of International Studies at Gorge Washington University. Prior to her extensive career at Toyota, Yuri worked at a small consulting firm called G7 Group.
Amanda Blunt ’09 Liberal Arts is Counsel for Legal Affairs and Trade at Detroit-based car company General Motors's Washington, D.C. office. She is an international trade attorney for the company and, sitting in DC, works closely with the company's lobbyists in the Global Public Policy office. She also teaches international negotiations at Georgetown Law, where she earned her JD. Before joining GM in 2021 she worked at the White House for 5 years under 3 Presidential administrations at the Office of the US Trade Representative. USTR is responsible for US trade policy, including negotiating trade deals with other countries and litigating disputes at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. While at USTR she won a case against China at the WTO, and negotiated agreements with China, the EU, Japan, and other countries as well as in international bodies like the United Nations. Prior to government service she began her career at a large law firm. She earned her BA in Political Science with Honors from Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts. She likes speaking with students about law school, politics and careers in Washington, as well as international affairs and of course, trade. Her LinkedIn is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-blunt-b933317/
Episode Topic & Chapters 
0:00         Introductions
00:44       Choosing Penn State and the Schreyer Honors College
03:07       Advice for Scholars finishing at a campus other than University Park
03:59       Advice for international students
04:56       Amanda's Penn State origin story
06:01       Being in a sorority as a Scholar
07:29       The Honors Thesis
09:18       Transitioning from college to industry
10:29       Deciding on law school
12:43       Staying at one company for the bulk of your career
16:09       Lobbying at various levels of government
19:29 &

Overview:
Dr. Victoria Heasley ’14 Engineering, ‘18g Medicine joins Following the Gong to discuss her story and career. Victoria is a physician, professor, and engineer at the University of Cincinnati, where she supports community members and UC athletes in need of adaptive sports medicine to leave fuller, happier, and healthier lives. She explains what this field is, how she got into it, and how her experiences at Penn State – both in the College of Engineering and at the College of Medicine through the Early Assurance Program – laid the foundation for her career so far. This includes out of the classroom involvement that influences community non-profit work that leverages her talents and her experience as a Disney World Cast Member. This episode is great for any Scholar, and especially those interested in athletics, engineering, and/or medicine. Victoria’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed. 
Guest Bio:
Dr. Victoria Heasley ’14 Eng, ‘18g Medicine is a physician at The University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati OH where she is an assistant professor in the departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering. She earned a BS in Biomedical Engineering with Honors from Penn State in 2014. She also earned her medical degree at Penn State Hershey Medical School. She is happy to speak further about her experiences in the fields of PM&R, Sports Medicine, Biomedical engineering, and her subspecialty of Adaptive Sports Medicine & Equipment. Please feel free to connect with her at her professional Instagram: @adaptivesportsdoc or via LinkedIn.
Episode Topic & Chapters:
0:00         Introductions
0:21         Choosing Penn State and the SHC
1:33         Choosing the biomedical engineering major
3:05         Out of the classroom involvement
5:10         Medical volunteerism before med school
7:44         The Honors Thesis
9:52         Working at Disney World before med school
14:35       Applying to the early assurance program at the College of Medicine
18:09       Advice for aspiring physicians for succeeding in med school
20:13       Making lifelong friendships at SHC
21:43       Third year rotations and finding a specialty for residency
23:52       Defining adaptive medicine and other terms
26:44       An "average" day as an adaptive medicine physician
29:27       Working with patients
31:17       Adding teaching into your skillset as a physician
33:54       Working with athletes and community members
37:25       Adaptive medical devices and sports equipment
40:10       Skills needed for working in adaptive medicine and devices
42:37       Volunteering in the community as an alumna and starting a non-profit
46:29       The future of adaptive sports medicine
48:28       Questions the host should have asked but did not
50:25       Reflecting on successes and mistakes
54:17    &nb

Overview:
 
Cybersecurity executive Atif Ghauri ’00 Business joins Following the Gong to discuss his career and advice for Scholars interested in both technical and relational leadership roles. Atif currently serves as the President of Ultraviolet Cyber after a career of increasingly senior roles in cyber security. Atif discusses his experience reluctantly coming to Penn State and then having an incredible experience in the Smeal College of Business and the Schreyer Honors College. Atif also shares insights from his career at companies like Comcast and the Herjeavec Group – led by Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec and taking control of your life and career. An overarching theme is making the shift from technical roles to the executive leadership in a business. Any Scholar can gain wisdom from this episode, and especially any interested in roles in technology and/or business. Atif’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.
 
Guest Bio:
 
Atif Ghauri ’00 Bus is currently the President of UltraViolet Cyber. He is an established C-Level Executive with 20+ years of experience in Cybersecurity, serving roles as CTO, CPO, COO, and Managing Partner. He is an energetic leader, skilled team builder, strategic thinker, and adept negotiator possessing a rare combination of both high business acumen with deep technological expertise.  He is an industry recognized expert in cybersecurity, sought after for speaking engagements and regularly quoted in media. He is an adjunct professor teaching at the University of Michigan, Drexel, Yeshiva, Rutgers, and Wharton School. Atif holds a patent for security analytics algorithms on embedded consumer devices monitoring user anomalies.
 
Prior to UltraViolet Cyber, Atif led Cyderes (formerly known as Herjavec Group) as COO. Atif was responsible for all go-to-market activities related to sales and product management. Reporting directly to CEO Robert Herjavec, he served multiple leadership roles in his tenure as CTO, CPO as well running revenue operations, marketing, human resources, M&A, legal, and product management. Prior to Cyderes, Atif was a Managing Partner at Mazars. He was the Global Cybersecurity Practice Leader, responsible for all aspects of the business from sales to service delivery.
 
Atif has held leadership roles for both business and technology organizations at Comcast. He was head of Business Operations for Xfinity Home. He also served as Chief Product Security Officer for the technology engineering group, where he directed all security work streams to launch next generation X1 Platform, including invention and deployment of his patented fraud detection technology operational on millions of subscriber devices. Prior to Comcast, Atif was Director of Security at Unisys, where he launched a global security practice focused in Application Security. He started his career as a Managing Consultant at IBM Global Services advising and implementing security to Fortune 100 companies. Atif received a Masters in Technology Management from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems with Honors from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and Schreyer Honors College.
 
Episode Topics & Chapters:
 
00:00       Introductions
00:13       Choosing Penn State and the SHC
02:50       Starting a Business as a Student
05:09       Using Campus Leadership Roles in Your Career
06:55       The Honors Thesis
08:56  &

Overview:
Attorney Jack Yoskowitz ’89 Lib and soon-to-be-attorney Henry Deteskey ’21 HHD join Following the Gong’s first ever vide episode to discuss legal careers and the power of leveraging resources, connections, and networks. Jack is a partner and attorney at Seward and Kissel in New York where he works on complex litigation primarily in the financial services sector. Jack is also a longtime volunteer with the Schreyer Honors College where he began to mentor Henry, who is, at the time of publishing, nearing the end of his law school experience at Fordham. Jack and Henry discuss their respective paths to Penn State as New Yorkers and first-generation students, their experiences in the College including their thesis experiences working with psychological testing and incarcerated individuals, respectively, and life in law school and in “big law.” Any Scholar can gain wisdom from this episode, and especially any interested in legal careers. Jack and Henry’s bios are available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.
Guest Bios:
Jack Yoskowitz ’89 Lib is a partner in Seward & Kissel’s Litigation Group where he specializes in complex commercial and corporate litigation and regulatory matters predominantly for financial services institutions and individuals. He graduated with a BS in Psychology with Honors from Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts in 1989 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1992.
Henry Deteskey ’21 HHD is a third-year law student at Fordham University School of Law in New York City. Upon graduation in May 2023, Henry will be starting as a first-year associate at Seward & Kissel LLP. Henry graduated with a BS in Biobehavioral Health and obtained Honors in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development in 2021. During law school, Henry has worked as an intern at the Queens District Attorney's Office, a paralegal at Schilling Law LLC, and a summer associate at Seward & Kissel. Henry is happy to speak further about going to law school straight through undergrad and being a first-generation law student. Henry's interests include blockchain, artificial intelligence, and investment management. Please feel free to connect with him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-deteskey-8b654b19b/.
Episode Topics & Chapters:
00:00       Introduction
00:20       What brought Jack and Henry to Penn State
04:31       Jack's experiences as a Scholar in the 1980s
07:22       Henry's experiences as a recent Scholar - like working with incarcerated individuals
10:14       The Honors Thesis!
18:37       Henry's experience as a Scholar in a fraternity
20:23       All things law school - from deciding to go to succeeding through graduation
23:22       The power of connections and utilizing resources, aka, how Jack and Henry met and what it's meant to both
28:16       Advice for law students in their summer internships
32:17       The differences between trial and non-trial work
36:12       Working pro bono
37:37       What a first-year associate can expect in their job after law school
40:21       What law school is like in the 2020s
41:56       Working in business law - without majoring in a business discipline
45:30       Continuing educa

Overview:
Katie Legenski ’16 Eng welcomed Following the Gong to Antifragile Brewing in downtown State College where she serves as the head kombucha brewer for Moody Culture. Katie shares her experiences at Penn State Berks and in the College of Engineering, where she earned her bachelor of science in chemical engineering with honors after study abroad opportunities and a major setback on her thesis. Katie also shares her experiences deciding to pursue work in the pharmaceutical industry rather than a PhD, and her decision to uproot everything and hike the Appalachian Trail. She then explains all things kombucha, fermentation, and brewing, providing insights on this career path and the value of understanding various components of engineering and science in a field that marries her work experience and passion. Finally, Katie shares opportunities for community in State College as an alumna and powerful perspectives on finding the joy in your self-defined success. This episode is great for any Scholar, and especially those in STEM majors, those interested in brewing beverages like kombucha, those staying in State College after graduation, and any Scholar interested in hiking, rock climbing, or dancing. Katie’s full bio and a detailed breakdown of topics can be found in the show notes below.
Guest Bio:
Katie Legenski ’16 Eng is head kombucha brewer for Moody Culture in downtown State College, PA. The Moody Culture brewery is housed in the Antifragile Brewing Company taproom and brewery at 324 E Calder Way, State College. Brewing kombucha consists of choosing a brewing tea, inoculating with starter culture, maintaining the appropriate temperature for fermentation, flavoring with fruits or herbs, and carbonating the resulting beverage. Katie has been head brewer since March 2023 and has since introduced new flavors to Moody's line up including passionfruit, black currant, and the first decaf flavor: orange blossom tulsi. She's also quite proud of developing hard kombucha featuring alcohol fermented with the kombucha instead of spiking non-alcoholic kombucha with seltzer or grain ethanol which is industry standard. She earned a BS in chemical engineering in 2016 from Penn State. Prior to brewing for Moody Culture, she completed a southbound thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and worked in early drug discovery at both Glaxo Smith Kline and Johnson and Johnson. She's been fostering a love for fermentation for over a decade and is always happy to discuss all things fermentable. Other interests include social dance, rock climbing, fiber arts, and piano. She can be reached on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @kitkatlegenski.
Episode Topics:

What exactly kombucha is
The benefits of starting at a smaller Penn State campus, and overcoming challenges of adjusting to University Park
Studying abroad as an engineering student
Overcoming thesis research areas deep in the process because of technical limitations
How brewing is microbiology is brewing
Shifting from an academia track to a workforce track in your final year of undergrad, and the importance of knowing your “why”
Perspectives on working in pharmaceutical research and production
Deciding to “carpe the diem” by making the decision to hike the Appalachian Trail
Thoughts on walking the entire Appalachian Trail – and then adjusting back afterward
Getting into homebrewing and judging
The roles and responsibilities of a kombucha brewer at a small craft brewery
The kombucha brewing process, including flavor development, suppliers, and marketing
Developing alcoholic kombucha
The evolution of the brewing community
A crash course for those interested in home brewing n how to get start
Getting involved in the Happy Valley commun

Overview:
Bob Perna ’85 Bus serves as the senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Knowles Corporation in Itasca, Illinois. Bob joined Following the Gong to share his experiences as an early University Scholar at both Penn State Shenango and University Park. Bob provided insights on success in law school as a business student and the work of in-house attorneys in a business setting. He also shared perspectives on working for a primarily business to business, or b2b, company as a major supplier for household name products. This episode will be helpful for any Scholar, and particularly those starting at a smaller Commonwealth Campus, majoring in business disciplines, and those looking into legal or business careers, particularly in supply focused or leadership roles. Bob’s full bio and a detailed breakdown of the topics discussed are available in the show notes below.
Guest Bio:
Robert (Bob) Perna ’85 Bus is senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Knowles Corporation in Itasca, Illinois, where he manages the company’s global legal affairs, as well as all corporate governance and compliance functions at Knowles. He advises and counsels the Board of Directors and the leadership team on a broad range of legal, business, governance, compliance, policy and strategic matters, including key operational initiatives, risk assessment and mitigation, major transactions, litigation and corporate citizenship. Before joining Knowles, Bob served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at Rockwell Collins from 2014 to 2018, where he oversaw global legal support, import/export compliance, and the office of ethics and business conduct for the $8 billion aerospace and defense company. As a member of the senior leadership team, he also provided counsel to the Board of Directors on securities law, corporate governance and other legal matters. Previously, Bob was vice president, general counsel and secretary at A.M. Castle & Co., a specialty metals and plastics distributor and value-added processor. He also held various in-house counsel positions of increasing responsibility at CNH Global, Navistar International and GE Capital Rail Services. Bob started his law practice as an associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson in Washington, D.C., providing legal advice to private and publicly held corporations and financial institutions. A Pennsylvania native, Bob earned his bachelor of science in finance with High Distinction and with Honors from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and his JD degree with High Honors from George Washington University.
Episode Topics:

Choosing to start the Penn State experience close to home at Penn State Shenango
The value of the honors thesis for a career in law no matter the topic
Deciding on a career in law as a business student
Adjusting to a major metro area coming from small town PA
Strategies for succeeding in law school including study habits and preprofessional opportunities
Law firm work vs. in-house work
How chief legal officers fit into the c-suite and business decisions and business ethics
The importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace and world of business
Working for a major B2B – business to business – company
Living in the Chicago area
General tips for career success in law, business, and any other discipline or industry

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