With support from the Biernats, Gettysburg College is establishing an endowed professorship in the arts and a new internship fund to expand faculty excellence and provide students with transformative experiential learning opportunities.
Gettysburg College has announced an impactful commitment from Joseph ’75 and Susan ’77 Biernat to establish the Biernat Endowed Professorship in the Creative, Performance, and History of the Arts and the Biernat Internship Fund for the Arts, creating enduring opportunities for students and faculty in the arts for generations to come.
With this commitment, the Biernats are reaffirming their belief in the power of a Gettysburg education and the central role of the arts in the liberal arts and sciences experience.
“Susan and Joe are among our most dedicated alumni, helping the institution thrive through service, engagement, and philanthropy. They have long exemplified what it means to live a life of consequence, and this generous act ensures that Gettysburg students will continue to benefit from the transformative power of the arts—inside and outside the classroom—for decades to come,” said President Bob Iuliano.
Empowering teaching and mentorship
The Biernat Endowed Professorship in the Creative, Performance, and History of the Arts is a rotating professorship that will be awarded to faculty in the Art & Art History, Cinema & Media Studies, Music, Theatre Arts, and English Departments. Appointments will last up to five years, supporting exceptional faculty who mentor students and inspire creativity.
“Our journey has consistently shown us the value of experiential educational opportunities as well as the difference that support from outstanding teachers and mentors can make to a person’s development,” the Biernats shared. “Learning about the diverse paths Gettysburg students undertake and the remarkable professors who guide them has encouraged us to support the College as it plans for the future.”
Expanding experiential learning
In addition to the professorship, the Biernats have committed funds to create the Biernat Internship Fund for the Arts, which will provide students with hands-on learning experiences in museums, galleries, performing arts organizations, and other creative fields. This endowed fund will make available at least three internships annually for students pursuing careers as artists, performers, writers, teachers, or arts professionals.
“We believe providing students with a chance to explore their interests through internships is a valuable component of the college experience,” the Biernats noted. “It has been gratifying to learn of internship projects that students have been pursuing as well as the support they are getting from faculty.”
The Biernats are no strangers to supporting student internships. In 2021, they established the Susan ’77 and Joseph ’75 Biernat Internship in Schmucker Art Gallery and Special Collections, which continues to create impactful opportunities for students today. Last spring, Biernat intern Ava Prickman ’28 curated “The World Turned Upside Down: Chinese Posters from the Cultural Revolution,” an exhibition now on view at Schmucker Art Gallery. Past Biernat interns have included Miriam Glatfelter ’24 and Sarah Louise Huebschen ’26, each of whom have had curated exhibits previously on display in Schmucker Art Gallery.
As alumni deeply involved in the arts during their student days—Joseph as a biology major active in Owl & Nightingale Players, band, and the radio station, and Susan as a music major performing in orchestra, band, and choir—the Biernats have nurtured a lifelong passion for creative expression.
“We have nurtured a lifelong interest in the arts and feel strongly that music, art, and theatre enrich a person’s life,” they said. “It is our great pleasure to have the opportunity to support teaching focused on creative endeavors.”
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By Corey Jewart
Photos by Abbey Frisco, Diptiman Das ’27, William Oehler ‘26/The Gettysburgian
Posted: 10/01/25