Urban sustainability inspires students' contribution to Pittsburgh neighborhoods

September 9, 2021

College of Agricultural Sciences student Capricia Williams said she learned something while enrolled in the City Semester Pittsburgh program that she could not find in a book, or a classroom, and it opened her eyes to the issues and realities caused by food apartheid.

Proposals sought for Lancaster-Lebanon Watershed Forum and Science Symposium

September 7, 2021

The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center will host the Lancaster-Lebanon Watershed Forum and Science Symposium on Nov. 19 and 20. Researchers, scientists and educators are invited to submit proposals for the first day of the event.

Task force created to significantly reduce Penn State's carbon emissions

September 3, 2021

A Carbon Emissions Reduction Task Force has been created to reconsider Penn State’s greenhouse gas emissions goal with a view toward setting a more aggressive target as well as a revised timeframe.

Short-term property rentals focus of Penn State Extension land-use webinar

September 2, 2021

Short-term property rentals, which have dramatically altered the landscape of guest accommodations and how they affect communities, will be the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.

Penn State Master Gardeners aid cleanup effort at Flight 93 National Memorial

September 2, 2021

More than 80 Penn State Extension Master Gardeners spent Aug. 13 weeding, pruning and removing plant debris at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County.

After 41-year Penn State career, plant science professor Kathleen Brown retires

September 2, 2021

Kathleen Brown, professor of plant stress biology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, recently retired after a 41-year career during which she helped break new ground in root biology, had a profound effect on many students and played an important role in the Department of Plant Science.

Penn State centers collaborate on pollinator education project

September 1, 2021

Center directors in the College of Education and the College of Agricultural Sciences have been awarded a grant that will support elementary students in understanding the science of pollinators and agriculture.

Cellular agriculture development has potential to change food industry, society

August 24, 2021

Depending on how it occurs, the development of cellular agriculture has the potential to either accelerate socioeconomic inequality or provide beneficial alternatives to the status quo. That’s the conclusion of a new study led by Penn State researchers.

Spotted lanternfly collective flights in late summer not dangerous to public

August 24, 2021

Scientists from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have been researching the spotted lanternfly's behavior, including its late summer/early fall dispersal flights involving legions of spotted lanternflies.

Will COVID-19 become a mostly childhood disease?

August 23, 2021

Within the next few years, as the SARS-CoV-2 virus becomes endemic in the global population, COVID-19 may behave like other common-cold coronaviruses, affecting mostly young children who have not yet been vaccinated or exposed to the virus, according to new modeling results. Because COVID-19 severity is generally lower among children, the overall burden from this disease is expected to decline.

No-till production farmers can cut herbicide use, control weeds, protect profits

August 23, 2021

Farmers using no-till production — in which soil never or rarely is plowed or disturbed — can reduce herbicide use and still maintain crop yields by implementing integrated weed-management methods, according to a new study conducted by Penn State researchers.

Meaty mission: Animal science facility at Penn State aids teaching, outreach

August 20, 2021

Penn State’s meat processing laboratory and retail operation in the College of Agricultural Sciences supports comprehensive research and teaching on all aspects of meat science.

Halls deepen commitment to Arboretum with new gift

August 19, 2021

For longtime State College residents and Penn State alumni Dennis and Sandra Parker Hall, The Arboretum at Penn State holds a special place in their hearts due, in part, to all it offers not only to them as locals and volunteers, but also to the surrounding community and visitors from near and far. With that firmly in mind, the couple pledged a gift of $75,000 to name the future Fountain Garden Terrace.

Plant pathology professor receives Excellence in Teaching Award

August 19, 2021

María del Mar Jiménez-Gasco, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, received this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the American Phytopathological Society. The honor came during the group’s annual meeting, Plant Health 2021, held virtually Aug. 2-6.

Researchers help track the growth of ginseng forest farming in Pennsylvania

August 19, 2021

There is good and bad news about ginseng collection and production in Pennsylvania, and likely much of Appalachia, according to a new study conducted by Penn State researchers.

Recent fatalities in Ohio a tragic reminder of manure storage dangers

August 18, 2021

The recent tragic deaths of three adult brothers — all in their 30s — who reportedly lost consciousness while performing maintenance in a manure pit, is a grim reminder of the dangers associated with manure handling, according to an extension specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Study of structural variants in cacao genomes yields clues about plant diversity

August 16, 2021

An exhaustive and painstaking comparison of the genomes of multiple strains of the cacao tree by a team of researchers has provided insights into the role genomic structural variants play in the regulation of gene expression and chromosome evolution, giving rise to the differences within populations of the plant.

Penn State Butcher School seeks applicants for 2nd session, starting in January

August 13, 2021

The Penn State Butcher School, offered by Penn State Extension, is now seeking applications for its second session, starting in January 2022.

Global food security professor named to 'Most Creative People in Business' list

August 10, 2021

David Hughes, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security and professor of entomology and biology, has been named to Fast Company's list of "The Most Creative People in Business, 2021" for his innovative and impactful PlantVillage project.

Penn State Extension has been preparing pork producers for AFS for several years

August 10, 2021

The late-July disclosure that African swine fever was discovered in Dominican Republic pigs — the first time the disease has been found in the Western Hemisphere in 40 years — rocked the pork-production industry, but Penn State Extension has been preparing for the disease’s arrival for nearly three years.

Penn State Extension Victory Garden Program supports Latino community

August 9, 2021

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners expected there would be a renewed interest in home gardening in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, they developed the 10-part “Victory Garden Reinvented!” webinar series to support gardeners across the country.

Community forestry workshop offered in webinar series by Penn State Extension

August 9, 2021

Penn State Extension is offering a Community Forestry Institute workshop in a series of web-based seminars intended for the members of municipal shade tree commissions, municipal staff, arborists and foresters, community tree advocates, and volunteers.

Land-use webinar to focus on making riparian buffers work in your community

August 9, 2021

Making riparian buffers work for your community is the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.

Rosses support agricultural and biological engineering with graduate fellowship

August 9, 2021

With a desire to support the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, its graduate program and the next generation of leaders in the agricultural engineering field, Penn State alumnus David S. Ross and his wife, Debbie Ross, have created a graduate fellowship through a gift of $400,000.

Nitrous oxide emissions, coming from legume cover crops, manure, can be reduced

August 2, 2021

The application of manure after the growth and demise of legume cover crops in rotations is a recipe to increase nitrous oxide releases during ensuing corn growth, according to a team of Penn State researchers who conducted a new study. They suggest that innovative management strategies are needed to reduce these emissions.

Ag Progress Days attendees can gain insight into agricultural issues and policy

July 30, 2021

Visitors at Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 10-12, will have opportunities to learn about issues and policies affecting Pennsylvania agriculture as well as governmental services and programs that may help them address production or economic challenges. A variety of planned events and exhibits will feature representatives from state and federal agencies, state legislators and cabinet officials, and a federal lawmaker.

Master Gardeners, Delaware Valley University pilot 'Grow-Save-Repeat' project

July 28, 2021

Consumers’ growing interest in gardening — and seed saving — has spurred a new project by Penn State Extension’s Master Gardener program, called "Grow-Save-Repeat."

Researchers identify a gene that regulates the angle of root growth in corn

July 28, 2021

The discovery of a gene that regulates the angle of root growth in corn is a new tool to enable the breeding of deeper-rooting crops with enhanced ability to take up nitrogen, according to an international team of researchers, led by Penn State.

Educators offer tips on how to manage spotted lanternflies on ornamental trees

July 28, 2021

The first step in deciding how to manage spotted lanternflies on residential properties and public spaces begins with a risk assessment, according to a Penn State Extension horticulture educator.

Retired avian biology professor is named fellow of Poultry Science Association

July 27, 2021

Alan Johnson, former Walther H. Ott Professor in Avian Biology in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, has been named a fellow of the Poultry Science Association.

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)