Pursuing a PhD as an older student – is it too late?

Adrienne Darrah holds a Ph.D. in mass communications from the Penn State Bellisario College of Communications and serves as teaching faculty for the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. Adrienne’s research centers on communications in philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. As an avid consumer of television and movies, Adrienne is also interested in the sociocultural impact they have on society, particularly as they relate to women. A first-generation college graduate, Adrienne holds a BA in art history, an MBA, and a MPA all from Penn State. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Adrienne spent her career in a fundraising, working in the arts at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and in higher education at the University of Virginia, the University of Portland, the University of Oregon, and Penn State. Adrienne lives in State College, PA, with her husband Bob and their son Turner and cats Lucifur and Mazikeen.