A September Saturday morning in Happy Valley

I saw a group of visitors, with Berkey Creamery ice cream in hand, pause to read the historical plaque that stands outside the entrance to the Agricultural Administration Building. That marker recognizes the role of what is now Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in conferring the first agricultural degrees in U.S. higher education – we granted baccalaureate degrees in 1861 and graduate degrees in 1863.

With the arrival of a new class of students this past month, we are continuing the tradition we started more than 150 years ago. From Agribusiness Management to Wood Products, we offer a wide range of programs of study that prepare the next generation of Pennsylvania, U.S., and world citizens with cutting edge science-based knowledge. Just as important to me, we prepare them beyond the classroom for the real world through a variety of extracurricular activities that provide the opportunity for students to take their classroom learning into complex problem-solving situations.

I’ve set a goal of stating that no less than 50% of our graduates will, within the next five years, be able to say that they have participated in some combination of internships, undergraduate research, international experiences, or service learning. Stay tuned – I’ll be reporting on a regular basis how we’re doing with regards to this goal.