January 15, 2026
As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 20 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.
January 15, 2026
In early December, students enrolled in a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences course partnered with high school students in the South Fayette Township School District in McDonald to design innovative outdoor learning spaces that promote wellness and hands-on learning.
January 15, 2026
Estelle Couradeau, a microbiologist at Penn State, is undertaking a collaborative study of whether microbial communities in arid ecosystems can maintain resilience in the midst of changing monsoon regimes. The project is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Allen Family Philanthropies, which was formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
January 14, 2026
Penn State Extension has unveiled a new artificial intelligence-powered tool, called Tilva, at the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show, aimed at giving farmers around-the-clock access to research-based guidance.
January 14, 2026
Anyone interested in managing weight while eating satisfying, nutritious foods can learn about a science-based way to accomplish those goals by attending a six-part Penn State Extension series, “The Volumetrics Weigh of Life: Weight Management Plan.”
January 9, 2026
Penn State's agricultural and extension education program was well represented at this year’s National Association of Agricultural Educators National Convention, where multiple faculty, students and alumni participated in workshops and were recognized with awards.
December 22, 2025
Penn State students hoping to learn more about the chemistry of food will have the opportunity to get a hands-on learning experience in Taipei, Taiwan, during an embedded course next spring.
December 22, 2025
In early November, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Engineering partnered to host a BUILD Night at the Penn State Learning Center. Attendees worked in teams to map challenges, brainstorm solutions and build prototypes to combat food insecurity by reducing post-harvest waste.
December 19, 2025
Jan Scholl-Kennedy, associate professor emerita of agricultural and extension education and former 4-H extension specialist in the College of Agricultural Sciences, has been recognized nationally for a project she spearheaded to document the existence of research that undergirds the 4-H youth development program.
December 19, 2025
Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program volunteer Eve Puhalla, of Montgomery County, is working to restore the pond at Camelot Park, a 102-acre recreational park with sports fields and walking trails in East Greenville.
December 18, 2025
The Center for Plant Excellence, a new initiative supporting Pennsylvania’s plant industries, announced recipients of its 2025-26 grants, awarding $125,000 across seven projects.
December 18, 2025
Penn State food safety expert Martin Bucknavage comments on kitchen fails and serves up food safety tips for the holidays.
December 17, 2025
A plant’s success may depend on how well the three sets of genetic instructions it carries in its cells cooperate, according to a new study led by plant scientists at Penn State. They found that when those genes are better matched in hybrid plants, the plant is more resilient to changing environments.
December 17, 2025
“Plant Yourself in Ag” Day returned to Penn State this fall with major changes aimed at connecting even more students to the world of agricultural science.
December 16, 2025
Earlier this month, empathy experts, youth representatives, youth-serving organizations and policy makers took part in a three-day summit on how empathy research can be translated into both government policy and into classrooms worldwide, as well as in non-formal, experiential learning environments.
December 16, 2025
Earlier this month, empathy experts, youth representatives, youth-serving organizations and policy makers took part in a three-day summit on how empathy research can be translated into both government policy and into classrooms worldwide, as well as in non-formal, experiential learning environments.
December 16, 2025
Two graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences traveled abroad and gained experience in food safety research over the summer thanks to funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
December 16, 2025
Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, policy staff and representatives from leading health care organizations attended the Veterans’ Solutions Forum hosted by the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State on Dec. 10 at the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
December 15, 2025
Learning more about the genome structure of defective virus copies has the potential to reveal clues about the virus’s biology, but researchers found that five tools available to identify these defective genomes from data obtained through next generation sequencing datasets may be inconsistent.
December 15, 2025
Megan Zipprich, an animal science major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, was among the 10 recipients of the All-American Livestock Judging Award during the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest, held in November in Louisville, Kentucky.
December 13, 2025
A love of teaching and working with youth is what initially attracted Tracy Hoover to a career in agricultural education. After about 40 years of impacting the lives of aspiring agriculturists, her passion for ag education has not dimmed as she retires from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, effective Jan. 16, 2026.
December 12, 2025
Jessica Grembi, an assistant professor of pharmacology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has received a $500,000 grant from the Gates Foundation to investigate the role of the microbiome in environmental enteropathy — a condition characterized by inflammation of the small intestine that affects nutrient absorption.
December 12, 2025
The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences' Mid-Scale Seed Grant Program has awarded eight teams of Penn State researchers for projects that will contribute to one or more of the institute's research hubs or affiliated centers.
December 11, 2025
In 2026, food inspectors and sanitarians, quality assurance managers, food plant managers and food engineers can learn the latest developments in food science with short courses offered by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
December 11, 2025
Five students in Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for a week-long immersion in global food security at the World Food Prize event.
December 9, 2025
Exceptional educators in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have been honored with the college’s 2025 teaching awards, recognizing their impact in and out of the classroom.
December 9, 2025
At the Pennsylvania Farm Show, to be held Jan. 10-17, 2026, in Harrisburg, faculty and extension educators from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will offer interactive activities and expert guidance on topics ranging from mental wellness and food preservation to invasive species and water quality.
December 8, 2025
Francisco Dini-Andreote and Andrew Patterson in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are among the most highly cited researchers in 2025, according to the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Group.
December 8, 2025
Associate degree programs in forest technology and wildlife technology – currently located only at Penn State Mont Alto and DuBois, respectively, and offered through Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences – have been approved to open at Penn State Altoona, maintaining these unique and historic offerings at Penn State for a new generation of learners.
December 8, 2025
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) — a type of pneumonia — is the leading cause of death for dairy calves after they become accustomed to food other than their mothers’ milk, resulting in economic losses at over $1 billion annually for the U.S. cattle industry. To detect BRD in dairy calves before they show obvious symptoms and reduce those costly losses, a team of researchers, funded by a new three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, intend to create a system that uses modern sensing technologies and advanced artificial intelligence.
