Penn State Berkey Creamery expands ice cream availability to Beaver Stadium

August 14, 2017

Fans attending football games will, for the first time, have access to Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream in Beaver Stadium when the Nittany Lions kick off their season on Sept. 2.

Huddle with the Faculty series to kick off 25th year on Sept. 2

August 14, 2017

The Penn State Alumni Association’s Huddle with the Faculty series will enlighten and inform alumni, friends and fans on home fall Saturdays this football season, the program’s 25th year.

Grant enables study of mosquito virus as a genetic lab tool, malaria biocontrol

August 14, 2017

A virus that infects a species of malaria-transmitting mosquito could help scientists gain a better understanding of mosquito biology and eventually could lead to methods for stopping or slowing the spread of the disease, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology, has received a grant of $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health to study the virus, called AgDNV.

So, you want to raise sheep or goats? Attend this workshop

August 8, 2017

Southwestern Pennsylvania provides an ideal environment to raise sheep and goats. Rolling hills may not be suitable for crop production, but they can provide high-quality pasture for sheep and goat production.

Land-use webinar to focus on aligning transportation with local planning

August 7, 2017

How the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is connecting transportation projects with local municipal land-use planning initiatives will be the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.

Reducing reliance on herbicides the objective of research at Penn State

August 7, 2017

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are developing strategies to combat weeds while reducing reliance on herbicides.

Journalism student tells stories with an entrepreneurial flair

August 7, 2017

Student combines passions, utilizes internship as another step to hone her skills on career path as an "entrepreneurial journalist."

Institutes of Energy and the Environment seed grant recipients announced

August 4, 2017

The 2017 Institutes for Energy and the Environment seed grants have been awarded to a pool of interdisciplinary researchers at Penn State. Thirteen grants totaling more than $312,000 have been awarded to 42 researchers that addressed four research themes: Climate and Ecosystem Change, Future Energy Supply, Smart Energy Systems, and Water and Biogeochemical Cycles.

Video: Penn State researchers find new solution to combat age-old bedbug problem

August 3, 2017

A team of Penn State scientists has developed a potential game-changer in the war against bedbugs — a naturally derived, fungal-based pesticide that uses the bugs’ own natural tendencies to humankind’s advantage.

Plant pathology professors receive $1.2 million to study, catalog Fusarium fungi

August 2, 2017

David Geiser and Seogchan Kang, professors of plant pathology and environmental biology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, received a grant from the National Science Foundation to perform the first new synthesis of taxonomy for species of the genus Fusarium in the past 30 years.

Tree-of-heaven's prolific seed production adds to its invasive potential

August 2, 2017

Ailanthus, also called tree-of-heaven, is a voracious invasive plant species that is rapidly affecting more and more forests in the United States, according to plant pathologists. These researchers recently found that Ailanthus not only produces lots of viable seeds, but also that the species produces seeds earlier in its lifespan and keeps producing seeds, in some cases, more than a century later. Recognizing the invasive potential of Ailanthus may help forestry experts control it.

Pennsylvania snowshoe hares differ from those in Yukon

August 1, 2017

Snowshoe hares in Pennsylvania — at the southern end of the species' range — show adaptations in fur color and characteristics, behavior and metabolism, to enable them to survive in less wintry conditions than their far northern relatives, according to a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Plant Disease Clinic at Penn State provides diagnostic, management services

July 28, 2017

The Plant Disease Clinic in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences provides clinical diagnoses of plant diseases for Pennsylvania's agricultural producers, gardeners and homeowners.

Senior capstone projects teach students skills for the industry

July 25, 2017

For their senior capstone projects, biological engineering students at Penn State designed possible solutions to real problems in agriculture and the environment.

Free insect identification and soil health workshop on Aug. 5

July 24, 2017

The Student Farm is hosting a free insect identification and biological soil health workshop on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. The workshop will led by Dr. Mary Barbercheck, professor of entomology, Penn State.

Researchers receive USDA grant to study new riparian buffer strategy

July 20, 2017

A team led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has received a nearly $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a three-year study of a new flexible strategy to ramp up installation of riparian buffers.

Using a pig model to study chronic diseases may help minimize drug failure rate

July 20, 2017

Pigs have gut bacterial profiles and immune systems similar to humans. Using a pig model, in addition to mice models, may help minimize the failure rate of drugs for diseases linked to high-calorie diets, such as colon cancer and type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

Shale gas development spurring spread of invasive plants in Pa. forests

July 20, 2017

Vast swaths of Pennsylvania forests were clear-cut circa 1900 and regrowth has largely been from local native plant communities, but a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has found that invasive, non-native plants are making significant inroads with unconventional natural gas development.

High-fat ice cream may not necessarily mean tastier ice cream

July 19, 2017

Ice cream with higher fat amounts are typically called "premium" ice creams. However, Penn State researchers found that most people can't tell the difference between ice creams with certain levels of fat. The findings may help ice cream producers and entrepreneurs make recipes that are tasty, but less expensive.

Soil filters out some emerging contaminants before reaching groundwater

July 17, 2017

There is considerable uncertainty surrounding emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems and groundwater, and a recent Penn State study of compounds from pharmaceuticals and personal care products didn't add much clarity. But it did provide insight into the transport of the chemicals, according to researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Twitter data changing future of population research

July 17, 2017

Guangqing Chi, associate professor of rural sociology and demography and public health sciences in Penn State's Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education and director of the Computational and Spatial Analysis (CSA) Core in the Social Science Research Institute, and his team have collected over 30 terabytes of geo-tagged tweets over the last four years.

Penn State teams excel in food science competitions

July 11, 2017

Three teams of food science students from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences came out on top in national product-development competitions and a trivia bowl in June.

Meet Susan Watson, the friendliest face at Arts Fest

July 11, 2017

Susan Watson is a staple at the Penn State Berkey Creamery tent at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. She has been running, staffing and supervising the tent's operations for nearly 30 years.

Researchers to develop new gene-editing method for the study of arthropods

July 10, 2017

A grant from the National Science Foundation will enable a Penn State-led team of entomologists to develop and disseminate a technology they say could bring gene-editing capabilities within reach of everyday scientists, regardless of the arthropod species they study. The $2.5 million award is part of NSF's Enabling Discovery through GEnomic Tools (EDGE) program.

Researchers working with sports venues to make them 'greener,' sustainable

July 6, 2017

Ecosystem and bioproduct researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are working with professional sports franchises to make their venues "greener" and reduce the environmental impact of their events.

Extension associate director named fellow with county commissioners organization

July 6, 2017

Tara Mondock, Penn State Extension associate director for client relations, was appointed as the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania's Extension Fellow, effective July 1. As the CCAP/Extension Fellow, Mondock will work with the association in Harrisburg, providing expertise to commissioners in the state's 67 counties to enhance the statewide partnership between the association and Penn State, while learning more about county and state agencies and offices.

College of Ag Sciences names outstanding students for 2017

July 6, 2017

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recognized the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award, as well as Outstanding Students in golf course turfgrass management, forest technology and wildlife technology for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Recipients of 2017 Human Health and the Environment seed grants announced

July 5, 2017

The Human Health and the Environment seed grants for 2017 have been awarded to a pool of interdisciplinary researchers at Penn State. These seed grants were funded by eight separate Penn State research entities and institutes which collectively contributed over $500,000. “We had an exceptional pool of proposals from faculty across the university,” Tom Richard, director of the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, said. “The projects address emerging contaminants well as legacy environmental problems that seriously impact human health.”

Land-use webinar to focus on 'placemaking' as economic development tool

July 3, 2017

How local municipalities can use an economic development strategy known as "placemaking" will be the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension on July 19.

Buchholz named to direct business operations for Penn State Extension

June 29, 2017

Penn State Extension has named Stephen Buchholz, formerly vice president for institutional effectiveness and advancement at Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City, South Dakota, as associate director for business operations. The appointment is part of recently announced changes to Penn State Extension's organizational structure, product development and program delivery.

Media Contacts

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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)