Uncertainty surrounds U.S. livestock methane emission estimates

November 30, 2017

A new study of methane emissions from livestock in the United States — led by a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences — has challenged previous top-down estimates.

Landscape contracting student blazes his own trail

November 29, 2017

Elliot Redding, a junior in landscape contracting, is taking full advantage of his time at Penn State to dig into the world of agriculture and find a career he is passionate about.

NIH grant supports exploration of plasma medicine capabilities in blood

November 28, 2017

Researchers in Penn State’s Colleges of Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, and Medicine have been awarded a grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering to investigate how low-temperature plasma can treat infectious bacterial growth on human tissue and prosthetic implants in the cardiovascular system.

The Arboretum at Penn State to host winter celebration Dec. 8

November 27, 2017

The Arboretum at Penn State invites the campus and community to welcome the holiday season at its annual Winter Celebration on Dec. 8.

Internships earn awards for College of Agricultural Sciences students

November 27, 2017

Ten Penn State students have been selected as College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society 2017 Internship Award winners. The award, which includes a $1,000 stipend, was established to encourage students to participate in a credit or noncredit educational internship program that relates to their field of study.

Eight selected to receive Distinguished Alumni Awards in 2018

November 21, 2017

On Nov. 10, the Penn State Board of Trustees selected eight Penn State alumni to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the University's highest honor presented to its alumni. The following individuals have been officially notified of their selection by the Board and are invited to accept the award from the University in June 2018.

Corn genetics research exposes mechanism behind traits becoming silent

November 21, 2017

For more than a century, plant geneticists have been studying maize as a model system to understand the rules governing the inheritance of traits, and a team of researchers recently unveiled a previously unknown mechanism that triggers gene silencing in corn.

Phospholutions selected for Innovation Showcase on Capitol Hill

November 20, 2017

Penn State startup company Phospholutions was one of 20 startups to participate in Association of Land Grant Universities' first-ever University Innovation Showcase, to help inform Capitol Hill staffers about the impact of research on economic development, held last weekend in Washington D.C.

Penn State team receives $7M award to enlist insects as allies for food security

November 20, 2017

A Penn State-led research team is hoping to enlist insects as allies in an effort to make crops more tolerant of environmental stressors, after the crops are already growing in the greenhouse or field.

Say cheese, Penn State! Cheese Club evolves, looks forward to continued growth

November 17, 2017

The Cheese Club was founded in 2013 by animal science students with an interest in dairy science. Since then, involvement fairs and word-of-mouth advertising have helped club members reach students from across the University who share their love of cheese.

Clearinghouse releases veteran needs report

November 17, 2017

The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State has just released “Supporting United States Veterans: A review of veteran-focused needs assessments from 2008-2017.” The report reviewed veterans needs assessments from the past decade and identified the most common needs.

Researchers aim to develop best practices for organic beekeeping industry

November 17, 2017

A nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will support Penn State researchers in determining best management practices for organic beekeeping by comparing organic and chemical-free to conventional management systems. The funding comes from the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Penn State food safety expert offers tips on safe handling of holiday leftovers

November 16, 2017

Leftovers from holiday meals — if not properly handled, including prompt refrigeration — can lead to foodborne illness, according to a food safety specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Ag Alumni Council alumnus endows Open Doors Scholarship

November 15, 2017

Capt. Kenneth R. Haas, of Oakton, Virginia, a retired U.S. Navy officer and a 1953 Penn State dairy science alumnus, has paid tribute to his alma mater by establishing the Haas Family Scholarship in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Major gifts benefit College of Ag Sciences entrepreneurship and innovation

November 10, 2017

The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences today (Nov. 10) announced two $1 million gifts to endow positions in its Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) Program. Both gifts have received matching funds from the university.

Webinar will examine estimating the number of abandoned oil and gas wells

November 9, 2017

What is a reasonable estimate of abandoned natural gas wells in Pennsylvania? That will be the focus of a web-based seminar to be presented by Penn State Extension.

Mushrooms are full of antioxidants that may have antiaging potential

November 9, 2017

Mushrooms have more ergothioneine and glutathione together than any other food. Both of these are important antioxidants that previous research has linked to anti-aging treatments and strategies. Researchers are also exploring whether the antioxidants play a role in brain health.

Penn State research expenditures reach all-time high of $863 million

November 8, 2017

Penn State’s research expenditures reached a record high of $863 million for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, an increase of $27 million, according to Vice President for Research Neil Sharkey. The total included $534 million in federal funds, and $329 million from a combination of private funders, the Commonwealth, and university sources.

James Clapper talks national security at inaugural Security Center event

November 8, 2017

On the evening of Nov. 6, Penn State’s new Center for Security Research and Education hosted its inaugural guest speaker, Gen. James Clapper, former director of national intelligence in the Obama administration, in the Sutliff Auditorium of the Lewis Katz Building on the University Park campus of Penn State.

Graduate unionization hearing transcripts now available

November 8, 2017

Several weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) provided Penn State and the Coalition of Graduate Employees (CGE) with the transcripts from the PLRB hearings that were held on the petition filed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) to unionize Penn State graduate students.

Schreyer Scholar aims to create cost-effective policies that protect environment

November 8, 2017

Schreyer Scholar Aaron Blakney hopes to create policy solutions that will help protect the environment but are also fiscally responsible.

Exposure to chemical during pregnancy may cause health problems for offspring

November 8, 2017

A chemical used in plastic packaging may get passed from mother to offspring during pregnancy, affecting the gut bacteria of the young. Researchers suggest this could increase the possibilities of inflammation-related conditions, such as colon cancer and type 2 diabetes, for the offspring later in life.

'Virtual farm' website provides a plethora of dairy sustainability information

November 7, 2017

Farmers can see sustainability principles in action with just a few mouse clicks, thanks to an interactive "virtual farm" web site developed by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension, in partnership with the project's lead, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell University and the Dairy Innovation Center.

Penn State researchers take aim at invasive, 'pernicious' spotted lanternfly

November 7, 2017

As populations of the invasive spotted lanternfly explode — and the state-imposed quarantine area in southeastern Pennsylvania expands — researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are looking for solutions to help stop the insect's spread and save agricultural crops from serious damage.

'Zombie ant' brains left intact by fungal parasite

November 7, 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A fungal parasite that infects ants and manipulates their behavior to benefit the fungus' reproduction accomplishes this feat without infecting the ants' brains, according to a study led by Penn State researchers.

Use of glow sticks in traps greatly increases amphibian captures in study

November 7, 2017

With amphibian populations declining around the world and funds to find the causes scarce, a team of Penn State researchers has shown that an unorthodox tactic will make it easier and therefore less expensive to capture adult salamanders and frogs.

Internship strengthens Penn State's ongoing relationships in China

November 6, 2017

A new summer internship, which will be available to undergraduate students with a veterinary research interest, is the most recent in a series of collaborations spanning a century-old partnership between Penn State and South China Agricultural University.

Student takes on challenges, earns degree and sets sights on medical school

November 6, 2017

Student Mannaa I. Mannaa he has had more than his share of challenges during his academic journey at Penn State. Instead of giving up, the alumnus of the College of Agricultural Sciences continued on and hopes to attend medical school.

A half-century later, Ag Sciences roommates establish scholarship together

November 2, 2017

Thomas Mischen, of Gibsonia, and Sylvester "Sy" Tanner, of Turtlepoint, were randomly placed together as roommates during the fall of 1966 -- the first semester of their freshman year at Penn State -- and have been close friends ever since. To commemorate their enduring friendship, the friends recently established the Mischen/Tanner Scholarship Fund in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State hosts international E. coli research experts

November 1, 2017

With its 50-year-old E. coli Reference Center, Penn State long has been at the forefront in isolating bacteria from animals, humans and the environment. The University will continue its leading role Nov. 6-8 when it hosts an international group of experts to propose how to transition one of the most fundamental tests for E. coli into a genomics-based assay.

Media Contacts

  • Senior Public Relations Specialist/News Editor
  • Associate Director of Communications
  • Public Relations Specialist/Science Writer
  • Science and News Writer
  • Penn State Extension Writer (Marketing Communications Specialist)

Media Contacts

  • Senior Public Relations Specialist/News Editor
  • Associate Director of Communications
  • Public Relations Specialist/Science Writer
  • Science and News Writer
  • Penn State Extension Writer (Marketing Communications Specialist)