New committee to oversee strategy to better manage resources and control costs

February 22, 2022

The Strategic Procurement Transformation project announced the launch of the Strategic Procurement Leadership Council as part of its long-term strategy to manage resources better and more effectively control costs. The newly formed council will support the University's procurement operations by overseeing key institutional procurement transformations and identifying opportunities for efficiency and cost savings. 

Warming climate to result in reduced corn production; irrigation blunts effect

February 21, 2022

No matter which of the widely accepted global circulation models ultimately comes closest to predicting the amount of warming caused by climate change, corn production will be reduced, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.

Omicron detected for first time in white-tailed deer

February 21, 2022

Some white-tailed deer living in Staten Island, New York, are actively infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2, according to new research led by scientists at Penn State. The team also found neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in one of the Omicron-infected deer, suggesting that, like humans, deer can be reinfected with the virus.

Penn State food scientist Greg Ziegler named distinguished professor

February 20, 2022

Penn State’s Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has named Greg Ziegler, professor of food science in the College of Agricultural Sciences, as a distinguished professor.

Karen Fisher-Vanden in College of Ag Sciences named distinguished professor

February 16, 2022

Karen Fisher-Vanden, professor of environmental and resource economics and public policy in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named a distinguished professor by Penn State’s Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

Colleagues mourn internationally renowned chemical ecologist James Tumlinson

February 16, 2022

Penn State's Department of Entomology, the College of Agricultural Sciences and the University community are mourning the loss of James H. Tumlinson, Ralph O. Mumma Professor of Entomology, who died Feb. 9 at the age of 83 after an extended illness.

New video series highlights game-changing life sciences researchers

February 16, 2022

The Huck institutes of the Life Sciences has launched a new monthly series of short video essays to feature highly innovative Penn State researchers who are pushing boundaries and forging new pathways in their respective fields. “Life From All Angles” tells the stories of these risk-takers in a condensed, easy to digest, 5-minute format.

Penn State Extension offers course for those who teach tractor safety to youth

February 15, 2022

Adults wishing to teach the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program to youth can benefit from an online course offered by Penn State Extension.

Penn State names 21 new distinguished professors for 2022

February 15, 2022

Penn State's Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has named 21 distinguished professors for 2022.

World’s first gene editing tools for ticks may help decrease tick-borne diseases

February 15, 2022

Reducing tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, may now be possible thanks to two new gene editing methods developed by researchers at Penn State; the University of Nevada, Reno; and the University of Maryland. The methods could allow scientists to alter parts of the tick genome that are involved in harboring and transmitting pathogens.

Study examines connection between availability of healthy food options, health

February 15, 2022

Limited availability of affordable and healthy foods can contribute to poor health outcomes, especially for residents of rural and low-income regions, according to an agricultural economist at Penn State who examined the food environment for residents in the Mississippi Delta, a region that has one of the highest obesity rates in the U.S.

Ag. Sciences students top all US universities with $1.1M in USDA funding

February 14, 2022

Seven students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have received predoctoral fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The students received a combined total of nearly $1.1 million — the most received for this year's fellowships among U.S. universities.

Student receives Fulbright to study honey bee health, behavior in Kenya

February 14, 2022

Darcy Gray, a graduate student in Penn State's intercollege graduate degree program in ecology, has received a Fulbright Study/Research Award to help beekeepers by examining how habitat and weather patterns drive bee migration and honey production in Kenya.

Penn State Extension holds ‘Farrowing Induction and Your Sows’ workshop/webinar

February 11, 2022

Penn State Extension invites pig producers and other agricultural industries to join the “Farrowing Induction and Your Sows” hybrid workshop/webinar event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 24 in Greensburg.

Penn State Berkey Creamery debuts new coffee flavors

February 10, 2022

There’s arguably no better way to start the morning than with a fresh cup of coffee. Luckily, the Penn State Berkey Creamery has various options, including three new flavors, “Waffle Shop,” “Blueberry Scone” and “Black Jack,” plus a fresh, updated look to its packaging.

New committee to oversee strategy to better manage resources and control costs

February 9, 2022

The Strategic Procurement Transformation project announced the launch of the Strategic Procurement Leadership Council as part of its long-term strategy to manage resources better and more effectively control costs. The newly formed council will support the University's procurement operations by overseeing key institutional procurement transformations and identifying opportunities for efficiency and cost savings. 

Geneticists close to grasping how plant communities may adapt to climate change

February 8, 2022

A century after scientists first noted that the environment contributes to the evolution of adaptive differences among plant populations, scientists are on the verge of figuring out how that adaptation happens — by combining results from huge “common garden” experiments with genomic sequencing.

Soil tillage reduces availability of ‘longevity vitamin’ ergothioneine in crops

February 7, 2022

Soil tillage on farms may significantly reduce the availability in crops of ergothioneine, an amino acid produced by certain types of soil-borne fungi and bacteria that is known as a “longevity vitamin” due to its potent antioxidant properties, according to new research by an interdisciplinary team at Penn State.

Golf Course Turfgrass Management alumnus Frank Dobie honored by USGA

February 4, 2022

The U.S. Golf Association recently bestowed its Green Section Award on Penn State alumnus David Franklin “Frank” Dobie, who graduated from the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Golf Course Turfgrass Management Certificate Program in 1960.

Consumer support of food-waste solutions focus of agricultural economist's study

February 2, 2022

When it comes to reducing food waste, consumers most favor solutions that involve making food donations easier and establishing standards for food date labels. That is one finding of a study — among the first to examine support and perceived effectiveness for popular food waste solutions — led by an agricultural economist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Webinar to focus on COVID-19 and residential property sales

February 2, 2022

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential property sales in rural Pennsylvania will be the focus of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension at noon Feb. 16.

Dope Labs podcast creators to host science communication workshops at Penn State

February 1, 2022

Dope Labs podcast creators and hosts Titi Shodiya and Zakiya Whatley will present Dope Labs Science Communication Week at Penn State, a four-day remote event that will introduce researchers to the broader science communication community and teach them to use social media, storytelling and a web presence to network with other scientists and engage with broad audiences. The event takes place Feb. 7-10.

Sales of temporarily renamed creamery flavor to aid breast cancer organization

February 1, 2022

The Penn State Berkey Creamery temporarily will rebrand its traditional strawberry flavor as “PA Pink Zone Strawberry” in honor of the Pennsylvania Pink Zone, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting cancer awareness and empowering survivors.

Penn State Extension offers watershed training for citizens around the state

January 28, 2022

Anyone interested in protecting water quality in local watersheds can benefit from a Penn State Extension program that will offer training around the state this spring.

Penn State Extension offers free webinar on sheep, goats grazing season Feb. 22

January 28, 2022

Penn State Extension invites sheep and goat producers, as well as other agriculture industries, to join the “Wrangling More Days Out of the Grazing Season for Sheep and Goats” web-based seminar Feb. 22. 

EarthTalks: Tom Richard to discuss the path to a carbon-negative bioeconomy

January 27, 2022

Tom Richard, director of the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, will discuss how agriculture, food and forest systems can support a bioeconomy that reverses climate change during a talk at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31.

Penn State Extension offers free 12-week email journey for heart health

January 26, 2022

February is American Heart Month, a time when the nation brings awareness to heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. To help make heart health a priority, Penn State Extension is offering a free, 12-week email series — “A Journey to a Healthier Heart” — that focuses on small lifestyle changes to improve heart health.

Ash trees may be more resilient to warming climate than previously believed

January 26, 2022

Since the 1990s, scientists have been predicting that North American tree species will disappear from portions of their ranges within the next 50 to 100 years because of projected changes in climate. A new study led by Penn State forest biologists found that when transplanted to warmer environments, ash trees can survive increased temperatures of 7 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes even up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit, suggesting that these trees may be more resilient to climate warming than previously believed.

The Symbiotic Podcast returns live with 'game-changer' David Hughes

January 26, 2022

The Symbiotic Podcast kicks off season three, "Risk-Takers and Game-Changers," with a livestream interview and Q&A with David Hughes at noon on Jan. 27.

Five Penn State faculty named AAAS Fellows

January 26, 2022

Five Penn State faculty members in areas ranging from the ecology and evolution of fish and coral reef ecology to bone regeneration and intrinsically disordered proteins have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society. This year a total of 564 individuals are being recognized with this lifetime honor, bestowed by their peers, for their extraordinary achievements in advancing science.

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)