Latest News

September 9, 2026

Varieties of cacao plants — which give rise to chocolate — differently mitigate and manage a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in the plants' soil. Researchers have now identified genetic differences in how two varieties manage metal uptake and facilitate the metal’s movement throughout the plant, which could help inform breeding practices.

September 8, 2026

Michael Sherman has joined Penn State Extension as an educator on the livestock team based in Lycoming County. In this role, he will work with beef cattle and small ruminant producers throughout northcentral Pennsylvania and beyond, providing research-based education and practical solutions to help strengthen livestock operations.

September 4, 2026

The Great Insect Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept 12, in Penn State’s Snider Agricultural Arena, located at 800 E. Park Ave., State College.

September 4, 2026

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences celebrated 30 years since its 1996 founding as the Life Sciences Consortium with a reception at the Bryce Jordan Center’s 1855 Club.

September 2, 2026

Ava Ciabattoni, a fourth-year student majoring in pharmacology and toxicology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected for the Rachel Carson Council’s 2026-27 National Environmental Leadership Fellowship.

September 2, 2026

Three years of working in Penn State’s Dairy Barns have been impactful for Hannah Mansfield, a spring 2026 College of Agricultural Sciences graduate who is pursuing a master’s degree in animal science.

September 2, 2026

The plot of "Finding Nemo," a film that features an overprotective single father fish taking on dangers at sea to care for his son, may be more reflective of actual fish dad behavior than was previously known. A new study led by a Penn State scientist found that baby freshwater fish, when raised by dutiful fathers, fare far better than their non-dad-raised peers in life-or-death situations.

September 1, 2026

Marine heatwaves — periods of abnormally warm ocean temperatures — may have negative health effects on children who live in coastal communities in low- or middle-income countries, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

September 1, 2026

Jingzhou Wang, a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State, will give the talk “Flood Risk and Housing Markets without Flood Insurance: Evidence from 1930s Pittsburgh,” at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State's University Park campus.

August 31, 2026

For months, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners across Pennsylvania have been growing native plants for a special purpose — to honor the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93. These flowers will be given to their families at Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, where one of the planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001.

August 28, 2026

Starting as Master Gardeners and wanting to help protect local waterways, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program volunteers Jim and Teddy Emberg, of Westmoreland County, have taken that interest and applied themselves to the program in more ways than one.

August 28, 2026

The Penn State Museum Consortium invites students and the public to visit University museums and special exhibits during "Night at the Museums," Sept. 3 from 4 to 8 p.m.

August 27, 2026

Different cover crops may affect how plants can defend themselves against pests — including attracting more insects that eat harmful caterpillars, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

August 27, 2026

Senior food science major Maggie Will is heading to The Hershey Co. after graduation. She's been a leader in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and completed two internships with Hershey prior to getting a job offer.

August 27, 2026

Farmers in West Africa have long used a mixture of traditional plants to reduce fungi in grain storage, but the true impact of this approach was unknown, according to an international team led by Penn State food scientists. Now, that team has found that a formulation made from an evergreen tree called neem, lemongrass, garlic and hot chili plants effectively inhibits the growth of two kinds of Fursarium fungus in corn.

August 26, 2026

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension are working together to turn research, innovation and insights from farmers into practical solutions for Pennsylvania agriculture.

August 25, 2026

Anyone interested in developing healthy habits and increasing stamina can benefit from a free Penn State Extension virtual walking program called “Everybody Walk Across Pennsylvania.” The statewide program will take place from Sept. 14 through Nov. 9.

August 25, 2026

With the invasive emerald ash borer beetle decimating black ash across North America, according to the U.S. Forest Service, a team led by Penn State researchers conducted an expansive study of genetic diversity in black ash seeds collected across the tree’s geographic range and stored in seed banks. As part of the research, the team established three large common gardens — experimental plantings — of black ash that someday may play a role in producing seeds needed to bring the species back.

August 20, 2026

While they are on opposite sides of the country, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York and California’s Pebble Beach Golf Club have at least two things in common. They are both hosting the U.S. Open Golf tournament and they both now seed their greens with a weed that most of the nation’s golf clubs spent decades eradicating.

August 19, 2026

Three Penn State alumni now working at the Institute of Energy and the Environment are using the hands-on experiences, mentorship and technical training they gained as students to advance environmental research.

August 18, 2026

For three days in August, Rock Springs once again became a meeting place for the people, ideas and innovations shaping Pennsylvania agriculture. This year’s Ag Progress Days carried added significance, marking 50 years since Penn State’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center became the show’s permanent home.