Gary Abdullah

Gary Abdullah retired from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in 2012 as a producer for Penn State Agriculture Radio and podcasts, and a writer for PENN STATE AGRICULTURE magazine. A native of Philadelphia, Abdullah attended Penn State University, where he was a founding member of PSU’s Black Caucus (1971) and a 1974 graduate with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He returned to Penn State in 1975, and was employed in writing and production positions in several university departments. He came to the College of Agricultural Sciences in 1998 from a stint as on-air news host, jazz host and operations specialist for WPSU-FM, Penn State's public radio station.

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Abdullah is a founding elder of Unity Church of Jesus Christ in State College, and helped establish the musical group ECCLESIASTES. He was the staff advisor for Penn State’s United Soul Ensemble student gospel choir and for the Alpha Nu Omega Christian sorority.  He has taught Protestant Sunday School and volunteered at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview for more than 40 years. He also is a former member of the local fusion-jazz band, URBAN FUSION, and former staff advisor to the TOTALLY GOSPEL radio program on The Lion 90.7.

 

Gary is a past-president of Penn State's Forum on Black Affairs, has co-chaired the University's 1996 Martin Luther King Commemorative Dinner, and has served on a number of University committees. He was awarded the inaugural Diversity Award by Penn State Distance and Continuing Education in 1994, and garnered national NUCEA awards in 1992 and 1993.

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Currently, Gary serves as chairman of the Racial Equity Advisory Commission for the Borough of State College and plays with the Byrne/Lovett Fusion band of State College.