Biochar from agricultural waste products can adsorb contaminants in wastewater

November 17, 2020

Biochar — a charcoal-like substance made primarily from agricultural waste products — holds promise for removing emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals from treated wastewater. That’s the conclusion of a team of researchers that conducted a novel study that evaluated and compared the ability of biochar derived from two common leftover agricultural materials...

Dairy cows exposed to heavy metals worsen antibiotic-resistant pathogen crisis

November 17, 2020

Dairy cows, exposed for a few years to drinking water contaminated with heavy metals, carry more pathogens loaded with antimicrobial-resistance genes able to tolerate and survive various antibiotics. That’s the finding of a team of researchers that conducted a study of two dairy herds in Brazil four years after a dam holding mining waste ruptured, and it spotlights a threat to human health, the researchers contend.

Book co-edited by Penn State faculty explores gender relations in agriculture

November 16, 2020

While women represent a significant portion of the global agricultural workforce, they face many roadblocks to success, including limited access to land, technological advancements, education and financing. They also often are excluded from household-level and policy decisions that determine their future. These barriers, and ways to overcome them, are explored in a new publication, “Routledge Handbook of Gender and Agriculture,” co-edited by faculty in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State Extension provides free courses to young women in Kenya

November 10, 2020

In August, Penn State Extension (in the College of Agricultural Sciences) partnered with the Global Give Back Circle (GGBC), an organization focused on providing education and mentorship opportunities to young women in five African nations. Global Give Back Circle “leverage[s] the time and talent of women globally, through a Mentorship Program designed to help at-risk girls continue their education and embrace economic freedom,” according to their website.

International agriculture students address food security at global conference

October 16, 2020

Students in the international agriculture minor — commonly referred to as INTAG — in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are learning more about global hunger by attending the 2020 World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium, which is taking place virtually this week.

Reducing transmission risk of livestock disease

August 25, 2020

The risk of transmitting the livestock virus PPRV, which threatens 80% of the world’s sheep and goats, increases with certain husbandry practices but not herd size. A new study, led by researchers at Penn State, investigated how transmission of PPRV might change at different scales and identified specific husbandry practices associated with increased odds of infection.

INTAD Alumna Ariel Rivers Elected to Vice President of the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development

August 22, 2020

Global Programs honors faculty, staff and students

August 18, 2020

Global Programs has announced the 2020 recipients of annual awards that recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and academic programs at Penn State who have helped to advance the University’s global engagement goals. Faculty and students from the College of Agricultural Sciences received six of the ten awards presented. Awards included the college's work in gender, youth development, innovation in international education, and the nexus of water, energy, and food.

College of Ag Sciences students receive Gilman grant for international study

August 17, 2020

Two students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Janelle Answer and Justin Kurtz, have received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

Water-energy-food research event to explore US-Colombian partnership

August 3, 2020

As part of Penn State’s ongoing support of research in the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, an online information session focused specifically on WEF nexus efforts in Colombia will be held from 9 to 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 6. Siela Maximova, a global faculty fellow for Latin America for the College of Agricultural Sciences; Rachel Brennan, director of the Penn State WEF Nexus Initiative; and Paige Castellanos, assistant research professor of international agriculture and rural sociology, along with Warner, are hosting the information session via Zoom.

Plant scientist receives grant to improve corn defenses against fall armyworm

July 29, 2020

Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded funding from the U.S Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the improvement of corn defenses against the fall armyworm.

Global COVID-19 impact on gender inequities in agriculture is focus of new blog

July 22, 2020

Even under ideal conditions, rural farmers have their work cut out for them. This is particularly the case for women, who are responsible for a multitude of chores in the field and in the home. The coronavirus pandemic has made female farmers’ to-do lists more daunting as they manage added domestic responsibilities while ensuring a safe and ample food supply for their families and communities. Reflecting on the challenges, but more importantly, the triumphs of women in agriculture in the era of COVID-19 was the impetus for the blog, “Gender, Food, Agriculture, and the Coronavirus,” created by gender scholars in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Climate scientists increasingly ignore ecological role of Indigenous peoples

July 20, 2020

In their zeal to promote the importance of climate change as an ecological driver, climate scientists increasingly are ignoring the profound role that Indigenous peoples played in fire and vegetation dynamics, not only in the eastern United States but worldwide, according to a Penn State researcher.

Animal science embedded course gets creative with virtual experience

July 10, 2020

Although the travel portion of their study abroad class was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, animal science students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences still experienced a “virtual” Ireland while learning about the equine industry in Pennsylvania.

GEARE Initiative Launches Blog on Gendered Impacts of COVID-19

June 17, 2020

GEARE faculty launch a blog examining gendered impacts, specifically in the area of food and agriculture, due to the Corona virus pandemic.

Research aided by Penn State faculty to explore the impact of pandemic on youth

June 15, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively affecting all segments of society, and young people — whose educational, financial and social lives have been hindered — are no exception, leaving many of them anxious about the future. Supporting those youth — and empowering them to play an active role in addressing the challenges left in the pandemic’s wake — is the focus of a global research initiative supported by faculty and students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Research team to study food resilience in the face of catastrophic global events

June 9, 2020

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all become aware of how a global crisis can affect our access to food. But imagine the food security impacts of an even worse scenario — an all-out nuclear war, a large asteroid strike or a supervolcano eruption. Such catastrophes could block out sunlight, alter rainfall patterns and contaminate water supplies, which could drastically affect our food systems. An interdisciplinary team of Penn State professors has received $3 million from Open Philanthropy to study food resilience in the face of such catastrophic global events.

International agriculture minor to celebrate anniversary with virtual reunion

May 19, 2020

Richart named outstanding senior by College of Agricultural Sciences

May 13, 2020

Olivia Richart is the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award for the 2019-20 academic year in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. The Outstanding Senior Award, sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Coaly Society, honors the senior who best balances outstanding academics, extracurricular activities, work experience and communication skills. Candidates are selected based on resumes, grades, interviews and a short essay.

'Feed the Future' grant to support women's empowerment research project in Ghana

May 4, 2020

A $450,000 grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut Research will aid researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences as they explore the potential to empower women farmers in northern Ghana through peanut production.

Behring receives Distinguished Alumni Award from alma mater

April 20, 2020

Deanna Behring, assistant dean and director of international programs in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is a recipient of the college's Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor that recognizes alumni who have demonstrated excellence in career achievements and contributions to community and humanity.

Learn what Penn State Extension’s Latinx Ag Network offers on new Facebook page

April 14, 2020

Penn State Extension is connecting with Latinx agriculturists in essential food businesses to provide timely outreach and science-based education on farm production, food safety and workplace risk management.

Outreach of 'Global Teach Ag!' helps teachers bring global learning to classroom

March 5, 2020

Started in 2018, Global Guides is a seven-month professional development program for teachers in any discipline. It is a partnership between the World Food Prize Foundation, an international organization that recognizes achievements in food security, and "Global Teach Ag!" at Penn State, an initiative that aims to develop capacity in teachers for global impact in food, fiber and natural resources through youth development and education programming.

Penn State responds: App aids UN efforts to control Africa's locust infestation

March 2, 2020

Through a memorandum of understanding with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO), David Hughes, Penn State professor of entomology and biology and creator of PlantVillage, an initiative to empower farmers with agricultural knowledge and technologies, is answering a UN call for a rapid response to the growing locust threat to East African crops. With U.N. support, he and his colleagues are fast-tracking the creation of a mobile app that locates and tracks the insects in order to assist in early warning and targeted spraying efforts.

Mandela Washington Fellows continue to succeed after Penn State experience

January 30, 2020

In 2017 and 2018, Penn State hosted three young innovators as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. The fellowship empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training and network opportunities. The fellowship is the top program of the Young African Leaders Initiative, and past fellows have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities and countries. These young leaders represent the diversity of Africa, including equal numbers of women and men, individuals with disabilities, and people from both urban and rural areas.

Technology that destroys pests in wood moves closer to commercialization

January 24, 2020

A technology that uses dielectric heating and radio frequency energy to destroy destructive pests lurking within wood products is closer to reaching the marketplace after a recent commercial trial at Penn State’s University Park campus.

A Composite Antimicrobial Film Could Take a Bite Out of Foodborne Illnesses

January 23, 2020

A novel composite film — created by the bonding of an antimicrobial layer to conventional, clear polyethylene plastic typically used to vacuum-package foods such as meat and fish — could help to decrease foodborne illness outbreaks, according to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. The antimicrobial lining of the film is comprised of a pullulan-based biopolymer produced from starch syrup during a fermentation process, which is already approved for use in foods. Development of the composite antimicrobial film is important because 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses occur each year in the U.S. alone, resulting in 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NIFA helped supported this research.

Students gain firsthand international development experience in Kenya

October 29, 2019

New project offers circular-economy solutions for refugee and host communities in East Africa

October 25, 2019

A new three-year project that will pilot and scale locally viable and gender-responsive circular-economy solutions was launched on 24 September in Nairobi, Kenya.

Students support fusarium research in strategic partnership with Penn State

October 21, 2019

Two graduate students from South Africa recently had the opportunity to expand their research, develop a mentorship network and increase multicultural fluency as a result of a strategic partnership between the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria.

Ag Sciences Global

Address

106 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802

Ag Sciences Global

Address

106 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802