Forty graduate students recognized with prestigious University awards

April 11, 2023

Recipients of the Alumni Association Dissertation Award are given the Distinguished Doctoral Scholar Medal engraved with the recipient's name and the words research, discovery, knowledge creation and innovation. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Thirteen graduate students honored with Alumni Association Dissertation Award

April 6, 2023

Thirteen graduate students received the Alumni Association Dissertation Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to Ph.D. candidates at the University. The award was made possible through a gift from the Penn State Alumni Association and provides funding and recognition to outstanding full-time research doctorate students who have passed their comprehensive examinations and have received approval of their dissertation topic.

First-gen students explore Costa Rica through College of Ag Sciences course

March 31, 2023

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience. However, first-generation college students may face additional challenges and feel that international experiences are out of their reach. A course in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences was created to help first-gen students achieve their travel goals.

Wildfire proximity associated with asthma cases in rural Alaska

March 30, 2023

It’s been widely reported that Alaska is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Penn State researchers are examining the resulting impacts, such as wildfires, and how they affect health conditions like asthma.

Princeton economist will present M.E. John Memorial Lecture on March 24

March 13, 2023

Janet Currie, Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, will speak at Penn State University Park on Friday, March 24, at 2 p.m. as this year’s M.E. John Memorial Lecture speaker.

Personal connections matter to families taking care of kin during opioid crisis

March 7, 2023

For family members unexpectedly taking care of a relative’s child during the opioid crisis, it can be difficult to navigate the legal waters of assuming custody. The process may be easier — and come with more support — if these caregivers have personal connections to local resource institutions, according to a study conducted by a Penn State faculty member.

Workshop series to focus on workforce development in animal agriculture

March 6, 2023

An interdisciplinary team of educators and faculty from Penn State Extension and Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is investigating methods to improve skill sets and increase diversity in the livestock production workforce, with the goal of eliminating workforce barriers and enhancing secure food animal production. As part of this work, Penn State Extension is offering a free monthly workshop series, from March to May, focused on workforce development in animal agriculture.

College of Agricultural Sciences hosts Ukrainian scholars at Penn State

March 3, 2023

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is hosting two visiting scholars from Ukraine during the spring semester, through efforts of a University-wide task force.

Penn State launches statewide environmental monitoring network

February 23, 2023

Penn State has established a publicly available environmental monitoring network to provide enhanced surveillance of atmospheric and soil conditions across Pennsylvania.

New grant will help empower small farms with sustainable practices

February 14, 2023

The Global Teach Ag Network at Penn State is partnering with the University of Tennessee at Martin on a new project to help empower small-farm owners with sustainable agriculture practices.

Recalls of fresh meat products may lower customer demand

February 9, 2023

Fresh meats such as chicken and beef are staples of many Americans’ diets, but demand may take a hit after these products are recalled, according to new Penn State research.

Penn State’s ‘Stories from the Field’ series announces spring lineup

February 8, 2023

Penn State’s “Stories from the Field” conversation series is returning this spring with three new sessions, with speakers sharing lessons for practitioner-academics, insights into how governments and communities can work together to tackle biosecurity threats, and stories that illustrate the importance of trust in vaccination-education efforts.

Center for Socially Responsible AI awards seed funding to 6 projects

January 11, 2023

The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence recently announced the results of its third seed funding competition. The center awarded $145,000 to advance six interdisciplinary research projects that feature researchers from eight colleges and institutes.

County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania extends Schmidt’s fellowship

December 19, 2022

As Cristy Schmidt, Penn State Extension applied research educator, nears the end of her two-year term as the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania’s Extension fellow, the organizations announced a yearlong extension of her fellowship, moving the end date to Dec. 31, 2023.

Penn State researchers battle food insecurity with native plants cookbook

December 14, 2022

Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have created a cookbook with information about wild food plants, including their nutritional values and recipes for how to cook with them, as a way to address food insecurity.

Donor brings arts and ag sciences together with Global Teach Ag Network Fund

December 6, 2022

Through a $25,000 gift, Hiram Larew created the Global Teach Ag Network Enhancement Fund, which is designed to enrich the Ag Sciences Global program through support specifically for the Global Teach Ag Network. This annually supported fund will be used to provide professional development for educators, programmatic and staffing support and research for domestic and global initiatives.

College of Ag Sciences minority alumni return to campus, discuss their journeys

December 5, 2022

Four graduates of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently returned to campus to discuss success in class to success in life as guest speakers on a minority alumni panel, hosted by the college’s Office of Multicultural Affairs.  

Internships earn awards for College of Agricultural Sciences students

December 2, 2022

Twelve Penn State students have been selected as College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society 2022 Internship Award winners. The award, which includes a $1,000 stipend, was established to encourage students to participate in a credit or noncredit educational internship program related to their field of study.

Dr. Carrie Castille delivers the 2022 McDowell Lecture

December 1, 2022

Hosted in Food Sciences (Erickson) Building, Penn State students, faculty, and staff joined Dr. Carrie Castille, Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), to discuss challenges faced by the extension system and to shed light on the future of land grants in the 21st century. The running theme throughout Dr. Castille’s McDowell Lecture was the importance of partnerships. If universities and extension programs are going to address the challenges faced by agriculture today and in the future, intent on sustaining natural resources and supporting growing populations, partnerships are going to be a vital part of any successful initiative.

Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health honors rural health champions

November 28, 2022

Glenn Sterner is a graduate of the RSOC program and was recently awarded the Rural Health Hero award.

CEDEV program marks 15 years online with World Campus

November 22, 2022

For the past 15 years, the community and economic development program has helped students confront the challenges faced by community economic development practitioners.

Penn State’s 'Stories from the Field' series announces 3rd session

November 10, 2022

Penn State’s “Stories from the Field” conversation series is wrapping up its fall season with a session Nov. 17 featuring Darren Marshall, Southern Queensland Landscapes’ vertebrate pest and wildlife management lead. The session will be via Zoom and is free and open to anyone interested in attending, but registration is required.

College of Ag Sciences student elected secretary of National FFA officer team

November 10, 2022

Jessica Herr, a first-year student at Penn State, has been elected to the National FFA Organization’s officer team as secretary for 2022-23. Herr, who is majoring in agricultural science with a minor in leadership development in the College of Agricultural Sciences, and the other officers were elected in late October during the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Faculty in College of Ag Sciences recognized for research achievements

November 8, 2022

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences lauded outstanding accomplishments in research during the college’s inaugural Research Awards Ceremony, held Oct. 25 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

Backlash to racial justice movements may boost risk of high BMI, obesity

November 1, 2022

Penn State research found that Black people who lived in areas where anti-Black Lives Matter sentiments were more common were more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI) or obesity.

Fighting fire with fire: Study gauges public perception of prescribed burns

November 1, 2022

Prescribed fires can reduce wildfire risks and support habitat restoration, but to be successful these policies also require public support. A new study may fill in gaps in understanding public perception toward prescribed burns in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic, where these fires are increasingly used. 

2022 assessment grants awarded to three faculty members

October 31, 2022

The Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence have announced the recipients of the 2022 assessment grants. Assessment grants provide funding for activities that support academic learning outcomes assessment at Penn State, including assessment activities and action plans developed as a result of prior assessment findings.

Penn Staters with Impact: Shah Chowdhury

October 31, 2022

Shah Chowdhury graduated from Penn State in 2018 with a degree in environmental economics and policy. He co-founded an organization called Footsteps, was part of the Youth Assembly at the United Nations, was a Diana Award recipient, and was nominated for Forbes "30 Under 30" list for Asia.

Penn State one of only two U.S. universities with two UNESCO chairs

October 24, 2022

A UNESCO chair provides opportunities for connection, funding, and program support from UNESCO to create and implement programs on an international level. It is a way to provide opportunities for research to create impact on a broad scale in a short amount of time. Penn State holds the honor of being one of two universities in the United States, along with Universidad de Puerto Rico, that is home to two UNESCO chairs.

Lower than normal rainfall linked with a higher chance of food insecurity

October 24, 2022

Food insecurity is a growing problem in certain parts of the world, especially as climate change affects weather conditions around the globe. New research led by Penn State found that a lack of rainfall was associated with the highest risk of food insecurity in Tanzania.