College of Agricultural Sciences alum reflects on lessons learned at Penn State

June 29, 2020

Nelson Gaydos, an outreach specialist with the American Association of Meat Processors, credits his education and experiences at Penn State for helping him to meet the challenges of the food industry.

Project to study pandemic impacts on Alaskan salmon season

June 26, 2020

Penn State is part of a research team conducting surveys with fishery participants and residents to better understand the costs and benefits of varied mitigation policies and developing pandemic preparedness scenarios in Bristol Bay, Alaska, home to the world's largest commercial sockeye salmon fishery.

Pollinator project supports biodiversity at Penn State Orchard Road solar array

June 25, 2020

An innovative project is creating a buzz around Penn State’s University Park campus, especially among the many species of pollinators that call Centre County home.

Penn State Extension educator offers advice on insecticide use for lanternflies

June 25, 2020

As summer progresses — and spotted lanternflies make themselves at home just about anywhere, including on residential properties — frustrated homeowners might find themselves wrestling with the idea of using insecticides to vanquish the insect interlopers. Before doing so, homeowners should do their research, weigh the pros and cons, and seek professional advice if needed

New products available at Penn State Berkey Creamery

June 24, 2020

The Penn State Berkey Creamery is offering new items that are guaranteed to make summer, or any season, much cooler.

Sunnier but riskier

June 23, 2020

Conservation efforts that open up the canopy of overgrown habitat for threatened timber rattlesnakes are beneficial to snakes but could come at a cost, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State.

From research to outreach: Tool tests students' readiness for public engagement

June 23, 2020

A new online resource developed by faculty at Penn State can help educators better identify students who need additional support in honing the communication skills they need when interacting with the communities they hope to improve.

University Libraries honors employees with annual awards

June 22, 2020

Penn State University Libraries recently recognized five outstanding faculty and staff from among its more than 500 employees, this year representing the Penn State Harrisburg and University Park campuses, and continuing a tradition spanning at least 46 years.

Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program inducts six new fellows

June 17, 2020

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program in 2020-21 will include six new fellows from Penn State.

Asian giant hornets currently not a concern for Pa., eastern North America

June 17, 2020

Recent alarming news reports aside, Asian giant hornets — sometimes referred to, hyperbolically, as "murder hornets" — are not an immediate concern in the Northeast, nor are they likely to be for a long time, if ever, according to an entomologist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Master Gardeners grow interest in home gardening through Victory Garden series

June 17, 2020

The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are growing interest in home gardening through their 'Victory Garden Reinvented' webinar series.

Penn State Extension webinar series to explore topics on private water supplies

June 16, 2020

A Penn State Extension webinar series, which begins June 24 and continues through Aug. 12, will help rural homeowners address common water supply management problems.

Penn State Extension webinars focus on bee biology, ecology and management

June 16, 2020

An eight-part webinar series developed by Penn State Extension aims to teach people all about bees, discussing topics as diverse as colony survival, queen bee rearing and transforming one’s garden into a pollinator-friendly habitat.

New members elected to Water Council

June 16, 2020

Shirley Clark and Susan Boser were elected by their peers as new members of the University’s Water Council and will begin their terms on July 1, 2020.

Alumni Association announces new home for virtual programming

June 15, 2020

With Penn State Alumni Association Presents, alumni and friends have a new go-to place to connect with people, places and events that will inspire and entertain Penn Staters of all generations.

Tuberculosis spread from animals to humans greater than previously thought

June 15, 2020

The number of human tuberculosis cases that are due to transmission from animals, as opposed to human-to-human transmission, may be much higher than previously estimated, according to an international team of researchers. The results could have implications for epidemiological studies and public health interventions.

Check it out: Resource can aid citizens in stopping spread of spotted lanternfly

June 12, 2020

A printable checklist developed by Penn State Extension and the state Department of Agriculture can help citizens tick all the boxes when it comes to preventing the spread of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that is threatening the agricultural, timber and ornamental industries.

Pandemic germinates Master Gardener support for nonprofits, health care workers

June 11, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused Penn State Master Gardeners across Pennsylvania to cancel annual plant-sale fundraisers and other gardening events this spring, they made their local communities the beneficiaries of the resulting glut of unsold plants, donating them to various nonprofit groups, school programs and other organizations.

Bedrock type under forests greatly affects tree growth, species, carbon storage

June 10, 2020

A forest's ability to store carbon depends significantly on the bedrock beneath, according to Penn State researchers who studied forest productivity, composition and associated physical characteristics of rocks in the Appalachian ridge and Valley Region of Pennsylvania.

Researchers aim to help cities prioritize interventions for public transit

June 10, 2020

Researchers at Penn State aim to help minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread by identifying specific subway stations in which intervention resources — such as setting up testing sites, allocating additional personnel to disinfect frequently touched surfaces in subway stations, and distributing masks and hand sanitizer — could be of greatest benefit.

College of Ag Sciences recognizes Shannon for excellence in academic advising

June 9, 2020

Tammy Shannon, academic advising coordinator for the environmental resource management program, has received the 2020 Excellence in Academic Advising Award from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Plant sciences student finds new ways to cultivate goodwill in her community

June 8, 2020

Rising senior Amanda Grub is using her education in the College of Education to bring community-supported agriculture to her hometown, while also building little libraries and completing a virtual internship with the University's Agriculture and Environment Center.

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

June 8, 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.

Many factors may contribute to steep, decades-long muskrat population drop

June 8, 2020

Muskrat populations have declined sharply across North America over the last 50 years or so, and wildlife scientists have struggled to understand why. A new study by a Pennsylvania research team is investigating whether pathogens, parasites, environmental contaminants and disease may be contributing to this decline.

Christina Grozinger named scholar-in-residence at Sustainability Institute

June 4, 2020

Christina Grozinger, distinguished professor of entomology and director of the Center for Pollinator Research, has been named scholar-in-residence at the Sustainability Institute.

Larger streams are critical for wild brook trout conservation

June 3, 2020

The Latin name for brook trout — Salvelinus fontinalis — means "speckled fish of the fountains," but a new study by Penn State researchers suggests, for the first time, that the larger streams and rivers those fountains, or headwaters, flow into may be just as important to the brook trout.

College of Ag Sciences honors Student Diversity Achievement Award winners

June 2, 2020

Ryley Lehew and Tyler Jones received the Dr. William Henson Student 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.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days expo cancelled in wake of coronavirus pandemic

June 1, 2020

Penn State's 2020 Ag Progress Days exposition, which was scheduled for Aug. 11-13, has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, organizers in the College of Agricultural Sciences announced.

Students develop resources for immigrant communities during COVID-19

June 1, 2020

The Penn State Center Philadelphia, Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, and faculty in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State worked with students in Penn State Law on a project designed to address the needs of immigrant communities in the context of COVID-19.

Graduate students advised by College of Ag Sciences faculty receive NSF awards

May 29, 2020

Two graduate students advised by faculty in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have received prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, and three other students received honorable mentions.

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)