The Ag Alumni Society plays a vital role in supporting the college, its students, and alumni programming. Stay up to date and learn more about all the exciting news and events happening in the college and with the Ag Alumni Society.

Grant to fund research on biological approach to manage soil pathogens and pests

October 25, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In an effort to boost the profitability and sustainability of organic specialty crop productions, a team of scientists is improving and optimizing a method for controlling soilborne pests and pathogens and promoting soil health that prevents oxygen from entering the soil.

Jim Finley: Forest protector, private forest center founder, professor emeritus

October 25, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jim Finley long will be remembered for his simple but powerful message: take care of the woods. And in conveying that idea to thousands of people across Pennsylvania and the nation over a five-decade Penn State career, the professor emeritus of forest resources persuaded many.

Food pantries essential for reducing hunger among middle-class in 2020

October 25, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food services played a critical role in helping Americans meet their food needs, especially during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research by a team of economists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. They found that middle-class Americans benefited the most from these services, demonstrating a key role these programs can play in times of crisis.

Popular perennial flowering plants can attract diverse mix of pollinators

October 25, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Popular species of perennial flowering plants vary widely in their attractiveness to pollinators, but homeowners and landscape managers who select certain perennial cultivars can support a diverse community of pollinators in their own backyards, according to a new study from a team of Penn State researchers.

Schreyer Scholar works to develop sustainable solution to food insecurity

October 18, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Vancie Peacock grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, but always dreamed of being on a farm. When she was 4 years old, she said, she became a vegetarian because she didn’t want to eat animals.

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners support bee-monitoring project in Pa.

October 18, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The decline of bee populations across the United States has become headline news and is a cause of great concern. The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are doing their part to increase the baseline knowledge of bee biodiversity in Pennsylvania and to help identify changes in bee communities in the commonwealth.

Plant pathologists at Penn State head investigation into tar spot disease in Pa.

October 18, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Plant pathologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are keeping a watchful eye on a corn disease new to Pennsylvania that has the potential to cause significant yield loss and reduce grain quality.

Penn State alumnus furthers agricultural education abroad despite pandemic

October 8, 2021

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering marks 100-year anniversary

September 27, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering has its roots in a global pandemic and will mark its centennial anniversary amid another — a unique organization bookended by unfortunate circumstances.

College of Ag Sciences senior finds path in environmental academics and action

September 27, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As a high school senior heading to Penn State, Elka Hoelsken wanted to pursue a degree in the University's Environmental Resource Management (ERM) program, which promised to feature hands-on learning and a comprehensive look at the environment.

Pasto Ag Museum offering 'Research Unplugged' events on October Thursdays

September 27, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pasto Agricultural Museum will host three “Research Unplugged” presentations Thursday afternoons in October, featuring Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences’ faculty talking about their studies in entomology.

Trustees hear updates on Advocate Penn State, government relations strategy

September 21, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Office of Government and Community Relations (OGCR) is preparing for the year ahead as both the state and federal governments return from summer recess. Advocate Penn State, the University’s broad-based advocacy initiative organizationally housed in OGCR, shared its strategies and plans for 2021-22 today (Sept. 16) with the Board of Trustees Committee on Outreach, Development and Community Relations.

After 41-year Penn State career, plant science professor Kathleen Brown retires

September 3, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Kathleen Brown, professor of plant stress biology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, recently retired after a 41-year career during which she helped break new ground in root biology, had a profound effect on many students and played an important role in the Department of Plant Science.

Penn State centers collaborate on pollinator education project

September 2, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Kathy Hill, associate professor of education (science education) in the College of Education and director of the Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS), and Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Center for Pollinator Research (CPR), are leading a team that has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant will allow the team to partner with elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania to develop cross-disciplinary curricula to support their students in understanding pollinator research in the areas of food, agriculture and natural resources.

Opportunity for increased dairy competitiveness Pennsylvania ranks 7th nationally in total milk production

August 20, 2021

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Senator Elder Vogel, Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, joined dairy leaders at Harrisburg Dairies today to highlight a new state law that strengthens dairy competitiveness in the marketplace by increasing consumer choice and reducing food waste. A recommendation of the Dairy Future Commission, Governor Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 434 into law on June 30, 2021which offers milk sell-by date and best-by date labeling flexibility to dairy processors.

Halls deepen commitment to Arboretum with new gift

August 20, 2021

For longtime State College residents and Penn State alumni Dennis and Sandra Parker Hall, The Arboretum at Penn State holds a special place in their hearts due, in part, to all it offers not only to them as locals and volunteers, but also to the surrounding community and visitors from near and far. With that firmly in mind, the couple pledged a gift of $75,000 to name the future Fountain Garden Terrace.

Plant pathology professor receives Excellence in Teaching Award

August 20, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — María del Mar Jiménez-Gasco, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, received this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the American Phytopathological Society. The honor came during the group’s annual meeting, Plant Health 2021, held virtually Aug. 2-6.

Ag Progress Days

August 18, 2021

At the 45th annual Ag Progress Days, hosted by the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, visitors enjoyed exhibits, presentations, and of course, milkshakes!

Butcher School

August 17, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Butcher School, offered by Penn State Extension, is now seeking applications for its second session, starting in January 2022.

Pollinator and Bird Garden opens in the Arboretum at Penn State

June 28, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — People strolling through The Arboretum at Penn State are likely to see more winged creatures visiting the many flowering plants with the opening of the long-awaited Pollinator and Bird Garden the week of June 28.

Four Honored for commitment to Diversity in the College of Agricultural Sciences

June 23, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four individuals have received the 2021 Dr. William Henson Diversity Achievement Award from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, an honor that recognizes distinctive and outstanding teaching, research, extension or creative work that advances diversity in the college.

Team pitching hemp crop row covers to replace plastic wins Ag Springboard

June 23, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A pair of recent Penn State graduates planning to manufacture and sell crop row covers made of hemp fiber — instead of the typical plastic — won $7,500 toward their venture in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ 2021 Ag Springboard student business pitch contest.

Siegfried named associate dean for research in College of Agricultural Sciences

June 10, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Blair D. Siegfried, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida, has been named associate dean for research and graduate education and director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, effective Oct. 1.

Penn State Extension’s ‘Roadside Guide to Clean Water’ wins awards

June 10, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The “Roadside Guide to Clean Water,” a publication of Penn State Extension, has been recognized three times since being published in April 2020.

Metzger family names space in new building

June 10, 2021

The motivation to make a philanthropic gift to an organization is different for every donor, but in many cases, it boils down to the desire to make a positive impact. This rings true for Dr. Fred Metzger Jr. and his wife, Megan, who have made the first major gift to support the new Animal, Veterinary, and Biomedical Sciences Building. The seven-figure gift to name the general purpose classroom in the facility will provide funding for the departments of animal science and veterinary and biomedical sciences to support the state-of-the-art facility expected to open in the fall of 2021.

Penn State to ease masking and distancing measures, offer vaccination incentives

June 7, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has announced plans to transition its masking and physical distancing requirements on June 28 to more closely align with changes recently announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health that relax COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals. The changes will apply to all Penn State campuses except the College of Medicine. Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated — and share their vaccination status with the University — as soon as possible.

Acar receives Excellence in Academic Advising Award from College of Ag Sciences

June 7, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nüket Acar, coordinator of undergraduate advising for veterinary and biomedical sciences, has received the 2021 Excellence in Academic Advising Award from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Terry Etherton to retire with legacy of groundbreaking research, leadership

June 7, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Terry Etherton joined the Penn State faculty in 1979, the use of biotechnology for the improvement of animal species was in its infancy. More than four decades later, the still-evolving field has advanced greatly, thanks in part to Etherton's groundbreaking work.

Nineteenth annual Penn State Quarter Horse sale marks beginning of a new era

April 21, 2021

The 19th annual Penn State Equine Science Showcase and Quarter Horse Sale will take place in a virtual format again this year. With the help of Professional Horse Services LLC, bidding on the 14 horses will be open from April 27 through May 1.

Environmental Resource Management program, alumni celebrating 50 years of impact

April 21, 2021

Penn State’s Environment Resource Management program — referred to as ERM — was established in 1971 to meet the demand for people with the scientific and leadership skills needed to address the enormous environmental challenges that had become so apparent in the 1960s.

Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Kelly Praskovich
  • Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Development and Alumni Relations

Address

240 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802