Dean Bruce McPheron's Blog
Greetings from Lilongwe - Half Way Around a Flat World
Christopher Columbus demonstrated an important principle more than 500 years ago – that the world is round. In those ensuing 500 years, changes in society have changed that globe. Author Tom Friedman has stated the case clearly: the world is flat.
On the Road Again - Dean's Tour
What do honey, hydroponics, biofuels, veterinarians, and ketchup have in common? Sure, they are all components of agriculture, but more specifically they were the focus of tour stops on our most recent two-day Dean’s Industry Tour into southwestern Pennsylvania.
Think AGain - Our Students Are!
There are many ways to measure the quality of offerings in the College of Ag Sciences, but few are as significant as the number of students who are drawn to our academic programs. And the picture that's emerging this fall is encouraging indeed.
Hatching New Scientists
I still have a circular slide rule in my desk drawer; the plastic case is embossed with the motto “Physics is Phun.”
Research on Tour
Each year, shortly after the state budget passes – well, usually the state budget has passed – the Penn State Ag Council, an external advisory and advocacy group for the college, hosts a college research tour to highlight to our stakeholders some of our key research projects.
A September Saturday morning in Happy Valley
The students are back – they’ve been here for two weeks and are now, even the freshmen, “old pros” at navigating the campus. The campus is filling up, even 4 hours before game time, with alumni and friends here to see Penn State football.
Saturday Night at the Movies
I went to the movies on Saturday evening. The new film Food, Inc. opened in State College this past weekend, and a local group called Homegrown Happy Valley sponsored a panel to discuss the issues raised in the film.
Water, water, everywhere….
It poured Tuesday afternoon at the Ag Progress Days site. While we waited out the deluge in the College exhibit building, I and about 75 others had the chance to really look at the displays.
Ag Progress
I visited the Ag Progress Days site at the Russell Larson Agricultural Research Center one afternoon last week in the company of Bob Oberheim, event manager. As we talked about the upcoming APD activities, Bob also helped me understand how this event has changed during its 41-year year history. This got me thinking about “progress” and, specifically, about the meaning of “ag progress.”
Internationalization
“It changed my life.” “I didn’t know I could do something like this.” “I never dreamed I would see this.” “I thought their ideas would be different from mine.” “I know what I want to do with my life.” All phrases frequently heard from the lips of students experiencing their first international trip.
