Founder of Penn State Extension’s Better Kid Care was a visionary in education

February 23, 2022

James Van Horn, an esteemed faculty member in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the founder of Penn State Extension’s Better Kid Care program, is being remembered by colleagues as an innovator in childhood development and education. Van Horn died on Feb. 8.

Karen Fisher-Vanden in College of Ag Sciences named distinguished professor

February 16, 2022

Karen Fisher-Vanden, professor of environmental and resource economics and public policy in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named a distinguished professor by Penn State’s Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

Penn State names 21 new distinguished professors for 2022

February 15, 2022

Penn State's Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has named 21 distinguished professors for 2022.

Study examines connection between availability of healthy food options, health

February 15, 2022

Limited availability of affordable and healthy foods can contribute to poor health outcomes, especially for residents of rural and low-income regions, according to an agricultural economist at Penn State who examined the food environment for residents in the Mississippi Delta, a region that has one of the highest obesity rates in the U.S.

Ag. Sciences students top all US universities with $1.1M in USDA funding

February 14, 2022

Seven students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have received predoctoral fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The students received a combined total of nearly $1.1 million — the most received for this year's fellowships among U.S. universities.

Consumer support of food-waste solutions focus of agricultural economist's study

February 2, 2022

When it comes to reducing food waste, consumers most favor solutions that involve making food donations easier and establishing standards for food date labels. That is one finding of a study — among the first to examine support and perceived effectiveness for popular food waste solutions — led by an agricultural economist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Integrated modeling of climate impacts on electricity demand and cost

January 17, 2022

A team of researchers led by Penn State has developed a coupled water–power–economy model to capture how the impacts of climate-related water stress and temperature changes can cascade through energy systems.

Pa. pre-COVID jobs picture marked by resilience, industry-specific gains, losses

January 7, 2022

Pennsylvania's labor economy showed resilience throughout the first two decades of the 21st century, with overall modest employment growth and relatively low joblessness by the end of 2019. But certain industry sectors and regions of the state continued along a trend line of job loss in the run-up to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to economists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Students in CED 309 Land Use Economics and Policy contributed the Penn State's Sustainability Expo

January 5, 2022

Students in CED 309 partnered with the City of Harrisburg planning office to explore land economics, land use, and related issues such as housing equity and transportation.

Penn State secures funding to continue assisting farmers with disabilities

December 13, 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded funding to Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences to help farmers with disabilities remain productive and successful. The grant of nearly $184,000 will support AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians, which is a collaboration between Penn State Extension and United Cerebral Palsy of Central Pennsylvania.

Remembering Lou Moore: Agricultural economics mentor, extension educator

December 6, 2021

Long-time Penn State faculty member Lou Moore was highly regarded for his vast knowledge of agricultural economics and policy, his enthusiasm for helping others, and his dedication to building the next generation of agricultural and extension leaders.

College of Ag Sciences junior grows ag education knowledge through internship

November 24, 2021

Morgan Bear, a third-year agricultural and education extension major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, exchanged a typical classroom setting for a mobile agriculture education lab last summer as an educational intern for the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation.

College of Ag Sciences professor elected president of professional association

November 23, 2021

Karen Fisher-Vanden, professor of environmental and resource economics and public policy in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been elected president of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.

Rileys create endowment supporting Penn State Intergenerational Program

November 18, 2021

For Tony and Jeanne Riley, longtime supporters of the College of Agricultural Sciences, it was through the connections the college made possible that they found the inspiration for their most recent $50,000 commitment supporting the work of Matthew Kaplan, professor of intergenerational programs and aging and director of the Penn State Intergenerational Program.

National 4-H Hall of Fame inducts two retired Penn State 4-H educators

October 26, 2021

A retired Penn State 4-H extension educator and a retired faculty member were inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on Oct.12 for their lifetime achievements and contributions to 4-H.

Fulbright award recipient in College of Ag Sciences conducting research in Ghana

October 20, 2021

Kaitlin Fischer, a doctoral degree candidate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is supporting research designed to help women farmers in Ghana. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Research Award and Africana Research Center grant.

Penn State student feels at home as a Beef-Sheep Center live-in worker

October 18, 2021

Blair Steele, a fourth-year student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is using the knowledge and skills she has acquired from her work at Penn State's Beef-Sheep Center to advance her career goals.

Penn State alumnus furthers agricultural education abroad despite pandemic

October 6, 2021

After his plans to serve with the Peace Corps were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Manny Catala pivoted quickly to continue his service to students abroad. Catala, a 2019 graduate of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, will teach in Ghana this year as part of the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program.

USDA grant supports Penn State research on mushroom industry automation

September 28, 2021

A nearly $4 million grant awarded to Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will support an interdisciplinary, multi-university team of researchers as they investigate technologies designed to address labor shortages on mushroom farms.

Windon to lead Ukraine Rural and Agricultural Development program at Penn State

September 21, 2021

Suzanna Windon, assistant professor in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been appointed director of the college’s Ukrainian Rural and Agricultural Development Program.

Study explores link between earthquakes, rainfall and food insecurity in Nepal

September 9, 2021

The effects of monsoon rainfall on food insecurity in Nepal vary by earthquake exposure, with regions that experienced both heavy earthquake shaking and abundant rainfall more likely to have an inadequate supply of nutritious food, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Cellular agriculture development has potential to change food industry, society

August 24, 2021

Depending on how it occurs, the development of cellular agriculture has the potential to either accelerate socioeconomic inequality or provide beneficial alternatives to the status quo. That’s the conclusion of a new study led by Penn State researchers.

Which Nittany Lions Have Qualified For Tokyo’s Summer Olympics?

July 2, 2021

Photo Credits: Matt Sniegowski | Onward State

Small farms have large impact on Pennsylvania agriculture, reports suggest

June 30, 2021

Despite vastly outnumbering large farms, small farms produce only a tiny fraction of Pennsylvania's total agricultural output. However, these smaller operations support billions of dollars worth of economic activity while helping to preserve farmland and adding to the diversity of the state's agriculture, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

College of Ag Sciences names Roy C. Buck Faculty Award recipients

June 25, 2021

Two faculty members in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have been named the recipients of the 2021 Roy C. Buck Faculty Award, which recognizes exceptional articles accepted or published by refereed scholarly journals in the social and human sciences within the past two years.

College of Ag Sciences students recognized in Diversity Essay Contest

May 18, 2021

Three students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have been recognized for their commitment to diversity as winners of the second annual Undergraduate Diversity Essay Contest, which is sponsored by the college’s Diversity Coordinating Council.

Lydia Carey, a CED / INTDV major, recently won a John Roe Student Sustainability Award!

April 27, 2021

Sustainability awards recognize student leadership, commitment

Gillian S. Warner - Student Marshall

April 16, 2021

Gillian has been named the Student Marshall for AESE for Spring 2021 commencement. The Student Marshall holds a high honor and must be a graduating student with the highest GPA in the department.

College of Ag Sciences courses aim to broaden cultural understanding

March 29, 2021

Faculty in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences continue to develop novel courses designed to increase cultural awareness and knowledge of food systems here in central Pennsylvania and throughout the world. Two of these courses will be offered in the fall 2021 semester.

Record-breaking Global Teach Ag Network event reaches 50 states, 40 nations

March 16, 2021

Hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences' Global Teach Ag Network, the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference 2021 conference brought together educators worldwide who share a vision of providing global learning opportunities in food, fiber and natural resources for their learners. The event is hosted by the Global Teach Ag Network in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.