September 1, 2023
Season 4 of the “Growing Impact” podcast opens with an episode that dives into plastic waste, specifically plastic film, and a potential biological solution of upcycling the material with fungi.
August 31, 2023
After nine years leading the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, on Sept. 17 Richard Roush will step down as dean of the college and serve as a special adviser to the interim dean through the end of 2023.
August 30, 2023
The Graduate School at Penn State welcomes 20 new National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program recipients for the 2023-24 academic year.
August 29, 2023
A dairy pricing policy originally proposed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic could have resulted in dairy farmers getting 10% more for their products if the policy had been passed, according to a Penn State study.
August 29, 2023
From childhood fishing excursions to his present-day passion for conservation, Don Horn always has valued water. In his retirement, Horn said he found purpose in becoming a Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteer, which allows him to give back to the community while positively impacting his own mental health.
August 29, 2023
Since 1982, the Franklin County 4-H Therapeutic Riding Center, created by Penn State Extension educator Robert Kessler, has provided recreational and therapeutic horsemanship activities to individuals of all ages with varying special needs. Thanks to a seven-figure estate gift to the center’s endowment from longtime volunteer, and Penn State alumna, Angela Weagly, the center’s future is now brighter than ever.
August 28, 2023
A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to spearhead a new initiative to create novel monitoring systems for insect populations, many of which are experiencing dramatic changes across the globe due to changes in land use, pollution and climate change.
August 28, 2023
Amid the recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry, all Pennsylvania 4-H animal project members are urged to practice stringent biosecurity measures both at home and during fairs, shows and other events. To promote good biosecurity practices, the Department of Animal Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is sponsoring a biosecurity kit for each county 4-H program in the state.
August 25, 2023
A diet including a carefully selected assortment of microgreens may help address an individual’s nutritional deficiencies, according to a Penn State researcher who led an international team that evaluated the mineral content in young specimens of 17 different plant species.
August 23, 2023
Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes and executive committee member of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center, was recently awarded two grants totaling $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lead teams of scientists in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension in studies of pathogenic threats to livestock and people.
August 22, 2023
The One Health Microbiome Center in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has named five recipients for its 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowships program, which aims to promote collaborative training opportunities for center members and research development.
August 21, 2023
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences graduate students received more predoctoral fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture than any other institution over the last five years. This year, five of the 11 recipients worked in the college’s long-term cover crop cocktails experiment.
August 21, 2023
Anyone interested in developing healthy habits and increasing stamina can benefit from a free Penn State Extension virtual walking program called “Everybody Walk Across Pennsylvania.” The statewide program will take place from Sept. 1 to Nov. 6.
August 21, 2023
Eleven Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences students have received predoctoral fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “This year, our college is No. 1 among its national peers in how many students received fellowships,” said Blair Siegfried, associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The students received a combined total of more than $1.6 million in funding.
August 21, 2023
A Penn State livestock emissions expert has received a grant from the Greener Cattle Initiative to develop actionable options to mitigate enteric (intestinal) methane emissions from cattle — which are produced via belching.
August 16, 2023
A global research team led by Penn State was the first to study how extreme heat waves affect the host-pathogen relationship between two species of solitary bees (Osmia cornifrons and Osmia lignaria) and a protozoan pathogen (Crithidia mellificae).
August 15, 2023
A team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has identified a compound in white button mushrooms that could potentially benefit gut health in mammals. They published their findings in the Journal of Functional Foods.
August 14, 2023
Attendees of Penn State’s five-day Chocolate Short Course learned about “bean-to-bar" chocolate production this June.
August 11, 2023
A protein in mouse ovaries regulates the formation of the ovarian follicle reserve — comprising a mammal’s egg cells and surrounding support cells, according to a study conducted by a U.S.-Canadian research team. The discovery provides a foundation for further research on premature ovarian insufficiency and menopause in women and reproductive problems in dairy cows.
August 9, 2023
A research team led by a Penn State faculty member has received a nearly $640,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study how produce can improve inflammatory bowel diseases.
August 9, 2023
The University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) began its new term for the 2023-24 year on Aug. 1, with new leadership, committee chairs and 12 new members joining the slate of existing council members.
August 8, 2023
Four students in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences were recently awarded the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to advance their research ambitions. The Schreyer Honors Scholars are Jackie Kiszka, Asha Spencer and Mallory Wickline, all third-year students majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science, and Bridget Reheard, who is also a third-year student and double majoring in geosciences and wildlife and fisheries science.
August 4, 2023
What do flax, art history and agriculture have in common? The public can find out during Ag Progress Days, when the Center for Virtual/Material Studies will exhibit materials about the relevance of flax and flax processing in the history of art outside the entrance to the Pasto Agricultural Museum during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 8-10.
August 3, 2023
The Penn State Pullers, a student engineering design team in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, won the Test and Development Award and Sportsmanship Award at the International Quarter Scale Tractor Student Design Competition in Peoria, Illinois, this June.
August 3, 2023
Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a Penn State-led research team in a new study uncovered clues that may lead to a better understanding of the role microbes play in forming a living skin over many semi-arid ecosystems around the world. The tiny organisms — and the microbiomes they create — are threatened by climate change.
August 2, 2023
An upcoming Penn State Extension land-use webinar will focus on lessons from 10 years of Pennsylvania Department of Health funding for walking, biking and accessibility. The webinar is scheduled for noon on Aug. 16.
August 2, 2023
Carolee Bull, professor of systematic bacteriology and plant pathology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been elected to the presidential lineage of the American Phytopathological Society.
July 31, 2023
Penn State’s Ag Progress Days is back with a full schedule of demonstrations, activities and learning for all ages, from a butterfly tent and corn maze for the youngest visitors to the latest in research and best practices for agriculture professionals and hobbyists. The expo will take place Aug. 8-10 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs in Ferguson Township, Centre County.
July 31, 2023
A flavor of ice cream at the Berkey Creamery is marking the 25th year since Penn State World Campus launched in 1998.
July 26, 2023
Honey bees are crucial for pollinating crops, but in Northeastern states, more than 40% of honey bee colonies die each winter partly due to susceptibility to parasites and pathogens. Honey bee instrumental insemination is a technique designed to enhance genetic resistance to harmful parasites and pathogens. To learn this advanced skill, participants attended a hands-on workshop July 20-22 at Penn State’s University Park campus.
