The Ag Alumni Society plays a vital role in supporting the college, its students, and alumni programming. Stay up to date and learn more about all the exciting news and events happening in the college and with the Ag Alumni Society.

Four Honored for commitment to Diversity in the College of Agricultural Sciences

June 23, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four individuals have received the 2021 Dr. William Henson Diversity Achievement Award from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, an honor that recognizes distinctive and outstanding teaching, research, extension or creative work that advances diversity in the college.

Team pitching hemp crop row covers to replace plastic wins Ag Springboard

June 23, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A pair of recent Penn State graduates planning to manufacture and sell crop row covers made of hemp fiber — instead of the typical plastic — won $7,500 toward their venture in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ 2021 Ag Springboard student business pitch contest.

Siegfried named associate dean for research in College of Agricultural Sciences

June 10, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Blair D. Siegfried, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida, has been named associate dean for research and graduate education and director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, effective Oct. 1.

Penn State Extension’s ‘Roadside Guide to Clean Water’ wins awards

June 10, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The “Roadside Guide to Clean Water,” a publication of Penn State Extension, has been recognized three times since being published in April 2020.

Metzger family names space in new building

June 10, 2021

The motivation to make a philanthropic gift to an organization is different for every donor, but in many cases, it boils down to the desire to make a positive impact. This rings true for Dr. Fred Metzger Jr. and his wife, Megan, who have made the first major gift to support the new Animal, Veterinary, and Biomedical Sciences Building. The seven-figure gift to name the general purpose classroom in the facility will provide funding for the departments of animal science and veterinary and biomedical sciences to support the state-of-the-art facility expected to open in the fall of 2021.

Penn State to ease masking and distancing measures, offer vaccination incentives

June 7, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has announced plans to transition its masking and physical distancing requirements on June 28 to more closely align with changes recently announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health that relax COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals. The changes will apply to all Penn State campuses except the College of Medicine. Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated — and share their vaccination status with the University — as soon as possible.

Acar receives Excellence in Academic Advising Award from College of Ag Sciences

June 7, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nüket Acar, coordinator of undergraduate advising for veterinary and biomedical sciences, has received the 2021 Excellence in Academic Advising Award from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Terry Etherton to retire with legacy of groundbreaking research, leadership

June 7, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Terry Etherton joined the Penn State faculty in 1979, the use of biotechnology for the improvement of animal species was in its infancy. More than four decades later, the still-evolving field has advanced greatly, thanks in part to Etherton's groundbreaking work.

Nineteenth annual Penn State Quarter Horse sale marks beginning of a new era

April 21, 2021

The 19th annual Penn State Equine Science Showcase and Quarter Horse Sale will take place in a virtual format again this year. With the help of Professional Horse Services LLC, bidding on the 14 horses will be open from April 27 through May 1.

Environmental Resource Management program, alumni celebrating 50 years of impact

April 21, 2021

Penn State’s Environment Resource Management program — referred to as ERM — was established in 1971 to meet the demand for people with the scientific and leadership skills needed to address the enormous environmental challenges that had become so apparent in the 1960s.

Nutritional journal highlights research on micronutrient's disease-fighting role

March 29, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Journal of Nutritional Science designated a Penn State research paper on how a dietary antioxidant may fight chronic disease and aging as its “Paper of the Month” in February. The article suggested that incorporating more of the dietary amino acid ergothioneine into one’s diet may help stave off long-term health problems.

Uniform drying time for goldenseal to enhance medicinal qualities of forest herb

March 29, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Developing a standardized drying protocol for goldenseal could lead to more predictable health applications and outcomes by preserving the alkaloids found in the plant, which is native to Appalachia, according to Penn State researchers, who conducted a new study of the medicinal forest herb.

Urban agriculture can help, but not solve, city food security problems

March 29, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While urban agriculture can play a role in supporting food supply chains for many major American cities — contributing to food diversity, sustainability and localizing food systems — it is unrealistic to expect rooftop gardens, community plots and the like to provide the majority of nutrition for the population of a metropolis.

Researchers ask anglers' help with study of brook, brown trout colors, patterns

March 29, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State researchers, who are evaluating the colors, pattern variations and genetics of wild brook and brown trout across Pennsylvania, are asking anglers to help with their study.

Ottar Bjørnstad elected to Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters

March 24, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ottar N. Bjørnstad, distinguished professor of entomology and biology and J. Lloyd & Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair of Epidemiology at Penn State, has been elected to the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters. Bjørnstad was recommended as a result of his significant contributions to the fields of population ecology and quantitative epidemiology.

Agricultural Sciences student research highlighted in virtual Global Gallery

March 8, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Faculty and graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will showcase their international research during the third annual Global Gallery, a symposium hosted by the international agriculture and development dual-title graduate program, known as INTAD, and its student association.

Food science student honing leadership, public speaking skills as Ag Advocate

March 8, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Madalyn Arthur, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, a junior majoring in food science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is elevating the image of agriculture and the college as an Ag Advocate.

Lake turbidity mitigates impact of warming on walleyes in upper Midwest lakes

March 5, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Because walleyes are a cool-water fish species with a limited temperature tolerance, biologists expected them to act like the proverbial “canary in a coal mine” that would begin to suffer and signal when lakes influenced by climate change start to warm. But in a new study, a team of researchers discovered that it is not that simple.

Smell-check cards help call attention to common COVID-19 symptom

March 3, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students, faculty, staff and others visiting well-traveled areas of Penn State campuses across the state may have noticed or received postcards with a "peel-and-sniff" area prompting them to detect and identify a particular aroma. If their olfactory senses fail them, they may be infected with COVID-19.

Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity space named for alumnus and donor

February 16, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State alumnus Jeffrey A. Conrad has made a $1 million gift to support facility renovations and enhanced programming for the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity at University Park. As the largest gift in the center’s history, Conrad’s commitment will provide an expanded home for the campus’s LGBTQ+ and ally communities while enhancing its future programming. In recognition of his support, the renovated space will be named The Jeffrey A. Conrad Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity.

Report suggests Pa.'s agricultural diversity is key to understanding its impact

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvania's largest farms claimed the lion's share of agricultural product sales and net farm income between 2012 and 2017, but the state's many small farms made significant contributions beyond their economic impact, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Longtime volunteers establish estate gift to Pasto Ag Museum

January 26, 2021

With the hope of helping Penn State's Pasto Agricultural Museum grow and ensure its future, Glenn Carter and his wife, Doris Longwill Carter, have pledged an estimated $100,000 estate gift in support of the museum. The gift from the Carters has been designated for the museum’s endowment fund to help support the staff and operations.

College of Agricultural Sciences students earn internship awards

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thirteen Penn State students have been selected as College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society 2020 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.

Levels of stress hormone in saliva of newborn deer fawns may predict mortality

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The first-ever study of the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the saliva of newborn white-tailed deer fawns yielded thought-provoking results that have Penn State researchers suggesting predation is not the only thing in the wild killing fawns.

Climate change reduces the abundance and diversity of wild bees, study finds

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Wild bees are more affected by climate change than by disturbances to their habitats, according to a team of researchers led by Penn State. The findings suggest that addressing land-use issues alone will not be sufficient to protecting these important pollinators.

Pulsed ultraviolet light technology to improve egg safety, help poultry industry

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pulsed ultraviolet light can be an effective alternative to some of the antimicrobial technologies now used by the poultry industry to kill pathogens on eggshells, according to Penn State researchers, who simulated production conditions to test the technology.

Spotted lanternfly experts debunk myths about the prodigious, pestilent pest

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the spotted lanternfly extension associate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Heather Leach often receives calls and emails from concerned citizens about the insect interloper.

Feral colonies provide clues for enhancing honey bee tolerance to pathogens

January 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Understanding the genetic and environmental factors that enable some feral honey bee colonies to tolerate pathogens and survive the winter in the absence of beekeeping management may help lead to breeding stocks that would enhance survival of managed colonies, according to a study led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Phospholutions Raises $10.3 Million in Series A Funding

January 22, 2021

Happy Valley’s Phospholutions, Inc., a sustainable fertilizer start-up based in the Technology Center Incubator at Innovation Park at Penn State, has announced $10.3 million in Series A funding led by Continental Grain Company. Other investors include: Tekfen Ventures; Maumee Ventures, LLC, the venture capital subsidiary of The Andersons, Inc.; Ag Ventures Alliance Cooperative; and 1855 Capital. - Happy Valley Indusrty

College of Agricultural Sciences students earn internship awards

January 22, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thirteen Penn State students have been selected as College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society 2020 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.

Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Kelly Praskovich
  • Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Development and Alumni Relations

Address

240 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802