In This Issue

Letters and email from readers remind me of the lasting effects of Abraham Lincoln signing the Morrill Land-Grant Act in 1862 -- and how his actions continue to affect our lives today.

New faculty member and researcher Andrew Patterson talks about metabolomics (you'll find out what that means) and the impact it could have on work throughout the college.

A new academic structure for the college was approved by the Board of Trustees in November 2011. Restructuring academic departments reduced their number from twelve to nine. The plan will formally take effect on July 1 of this year.

Three College of Agricultural Sciences faculty members, Nicole Brown, James Endres Howell, and Dan Stearns, talk about how their teaching methods help students succeed now and in the future.

Penn State Extension works with farmers and government agencies to help with renewed efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and make sure the latest research and technology is available to meet new regulatory challenges.

Three graduates of the College of Agricultural Sciences bring their education and expertise to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina to help keep the vision of George Vanderbilt II alive.

Sandeep Prabhu and Robert Paulson think a compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease.

Researchers find that obese mice that consume a compound found in green tea while eating a high-fat diet gained weight at a significantly slower rate than mice that didn't receive the green tea supplement.

A study examining the prevalence of the Fusarium fungus in bathroom sink drains suggests that plumbing systems may be a common source of human infections.

From the Final Exam Test your knowledge of food and food chemistry. John Coupland, professor of food science, provided a few questions faced by students in a junior-level class, Food Science 400.

Animal sciences major Emily Blade was working on a research paper about wolf-dog hybrids for class when she stumbled upon her dream internship working with wolves at the Wolf Education and Research Center in Idaho.

Every summer a select group of students in the college travels to central Mexico for four weeks of immersive Spanish, a language that’s a growing part of the agricultural industry.

When millions tune in to watch the Green Bay Packers play at home on Lambeau Field, they’ll be looking at turf maintained by fields chief Allen Johnson, graduate of the Advanced Certificate in Turfgrass Management.

Seventy percent of Pennsylvania’s forestland is held by individuals, families, hunting clubs, and other private groups. Many of the trees we see around us and enjoy are there because someone has a personal affinity for the land and its trees and a commitment to caring for them. Heirs usually want to maintain the legacy of previous generations, but often they don’t feel included in decision making and lack preparation for becoming the next forestland owner.

A new publication from Penn State Extension, Common Urban Pests: Identification, Prevention, and Control, encourages homeowners to use integrated pest management (IPM) techniques to control pest-related problems.

High Tunnels in the City High tunnels offer an inexpensive way to extend the growing season for produce. They can also help eradicate a “food desert” in the southeast corner of the state if collaboration between Penn State Extension and community partners in Philadelphia are successful.

The PAgricultural Rescue Training Program received the 2011 Rural Health Program of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. The program teaches trauma care and rescue procedures for unusual circumstances, such as accidents involving heavy farm machinery or entrapments in confined spaces.

The House Consumer Affairs Committee is considering a bill which would create standards for water well construction. Pennsylvania is currently one of just a few states that do not have statewide requirements for the construction of private water wells.

To cover state revenue shortfalls approaching $500 million, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has announced a statewide budget freeze, including a five percent holdback in Penn State's academic funding.

Three student teams were recently selected and awarded $7,000 in a business plan competition held by the college.

Christopher Raines, assistant professor of meat science and technology, was one of the college’s pioneers in the use of social media as an educational and communication tool. Raines was building a growing national reputation as an important voice in the agricultural community when he was killed in an automobile accident on December 18 at the age of 29.

Dr. Tawfik Y. Sharkasi and his wife, Magda Fehema-Sharkasi, have pledged $150,000 to create the Sharkasi Family Student Research Endowment in Food Science.

Consuelo De Moraes, professor of entomology in the college, has been named a 2011 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Taken at the end of 1861, eleven of the men in this senior class picture would go on to become the first graduates of Penn State. Four left before graduating because of illness and two others joined the staff of General William Tecumseh Sherman.

New faculty member and researcher Andrew Patterson talks about metabolomics (you'll find out what that means) and the impact it could have on work throughout the college.