January 17, 2025
Christina Grozinger has been appointed as the new director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State, succeeding interim director Patrick Drew. Globally recognized for her research in pollinator genetics and insect biodiversity, Grozinger's leadership is expected to significantly advance the institute's research capabilities and collaborative efforts across diverse scientific disciplines.
January 17, 2025
The delegation of Penn State faculty and students who went to Azerbaijan for the United Nations’ annual climate meeting known as the Conference of Parties, COP29, will take part in a panel discussion from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, at Penn State University Park. The event, called Climate Conversation Café, is supported by the Penn State Climate Consortium.
January 16, 2025
A new storage technique can keep protein-based drugs and vaccines stable without keeping them cold. The discovery, led by researchers at Penn State, could eliminate the need for refrigeration for hundreds of life-saving medicines like insulin, monoclonal antibodies and viral vaccines.
January 16, 2025
Identifying two dozen new species of gall wasps was a crowning achievement of Louis Nastasi’s Penn State graduate education experience. A doctoral candidate in entomology, Nastasi and his collaborators have discovered more than 20 new species of gall wasps through their research.
January 15, 2025
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State has been awarded a $100,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments to support the evaluation of four prominent national nonprofit programs — Hiring Our Heroes, Hire Heroes USA, VetJobs and Onward to Opportunity— dedicated to improving veteran-employment outcomes.
January 14, 2025
At the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Military Appreciation Day, Jan. 9, Penn State Extension announced the launch of its Military Program. Running through March 31, the program provides active military members and veterans with free access to eligible workshops, webinars, conferences, online courses, and guides and publications.
January 13, 2025
For those interested in learning about how beekeeping is practiced in different parts of the world, Penn State Extension is offering a free, six-week webinar series. “Beekeeping Around the World" will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays from Feb. 6 to March 13.
January 10, 2025
Thirteen graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received research grants recently awarded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
January 9, 2025
In the next Virtual Speaker Series from the Penn State Alumni Association, David Hughes, Huck Chair in Global Food Security at Penn State, will discuss PlantVillage, an AI-enabled "land grant in a phone" that uses data sharing to help smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia and the Americas adapt to climate change. This free event will be held on Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. on Jan. 21. Registration is open now.
January 9, 2025
Veteran-serving providers can now access a free, innovative, evidence-based tool designed to improve outcomes for veterans and their families across multiple life domains, including employment, education, financial, physical and mental health, and social relationships. On Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. the Veteran Evaluation and Research Applications Network within the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness, with funding from the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, will host a free webinar introducing the Veteran Transition Screener.
January 9, 2025
Emily Stapleton, a first-year agricultural and biorenewable systems management major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is working toward a career in sustainable food production. At Penn State, she’s found a place to pursue her academic interests and love of competitive cycling.
January 8, 2025
The invasive emerald ash borer, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was first found in the United States in southeast Michigan in 2002. In the decades since, the wood-boring beetle has spread east and west across the U.S. and Canada, killing tens of millions of ash trees, causing one of the costliest forest insect invasions to date. Researchers at Penn State are working with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners to identify and develop ash trees genetically able to withstand the beetles’ onslaught and strategize how to restore ash to forests.
January 6, 2025
Different species of bees may be attracted to different flower traits when it comes to deciding where they’re going to get their next meal, according to a recent study led by researchers at Penn State.
January 6, 2025
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State has received a $181,080 grant from The Heinz Endowments to develop and enhance policies in support of Pennsylvania’s military veterans. This funding will support efforts to strengthen state-level policy discussions, harness veterans' economic potential and evaluate the state’s workforce system to facilitate the successful integration of military veterans into Pennsylvania's workforce.
January 2, 2025
Foodborne illness outbreaks and food recalls have occurred with troubling frequency in recent times, according to Penn State Extension food safety experts, who noted that one foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, has been of particular concern. To help food processing operations reduce risk, Penn State specialists have created an online, self-paced course designed for managers, supervisors, sanitation workers and line operators who want to gain a better understanding about this important foodborne pathogen and how it can be controlled.
January 2, 2025
The January episode of “Growing Impact” discusses cement replacements made from leftover agricultural materials that could be more environmentally friendly.
December 23, 2024
A team of researchers from Penn State have found that household dogs are an overlooked transmission point for Salmonella, a pathogen that can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, with some infections potentially having life-threatening complications. However, they said, better awareness of the risk and proper hygiene could potentially help mitigate cross-species infections.
December 19, 2024
The Crop Science Society of America recently announced that Michael A. Fidanza, professor of horticulture at Penn State Berks, has been honored with the Fred V. Grau Turfgrass Science Award. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to crop science through education, national and international service, and research.
December 19, 2024
Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth’s most prolific pollinators — and new research led by Penn State scientists suggests they are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.
December 18, 2024
A concentrated sugar solution could be just as effective as antibiotics at treating a common infection in dairy cows, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.
December 18, 2024
Two new studies led by Penn State researchers analyzed the experiences of residents in a rural Pennsylvania community after the closure of several essential places.
December 18, 2024
Members of the National Grape Research Alliance, a national nonprofit organization that supports America’s grape industry, joined Penn State’s spotted lanternfly research and extension team this fall for a two-day field trip to address the growing threat of the invasive pest jeopardizing the U.S. grape industry.
December 17, 2024
Mental Health awareness is an important factor in knowing how to help those in crisis find the help and care they need. With “Mental Health First Aid Training,” participants can increase their comfort level in offering initial support to an adult experiencing a mental health challenge or substance misuse problem and help connect them with appropriate resources. As certified instructors, Penn State Extension educators teach the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s Mental Health First Aid course.
December 17, 2024
A new literature review by Penn State researchers synthesizes findings on nematodes from previous studies, suggesting that implementing advanced biosecurity measures could reduce infestation rates in crops by up to 70%.
December 17, 2024
The Global Teach Ag Network at Penn State has been awarded the "Bringing the World to Pennsylvania: K-16 Collaboration Award" from the Pennsylvania Council for International Education.
December 16, 2024
Penn State Extension educators recently completed a grant-funded project that tackled workforce retention, pesticide safety and food safety challenges for specialty crop farmers.
December 12, 2024
Ayse Akyildiz, a doctoral student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, recently returned from a research training trip to the Arctic, during which she and the other participants learned more about the region and the complex challenges it faces in a warming world.
December 12, 2024
Mental health challenges are a significant and growing concern for the nation’s farmers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As much as farming is often a family affair, programs and resources to support mental health in agriculture have focused on the primary producers, of whom nearly 64% are men. Women have always played a crucial role in agriculture, yet, Penn State Associate Professor Florence Becot said, their mental health and well-being — much like their essential contributions to agriculture — largely have been overlooked.
December 12, 2024
The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, in partnership with the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Installation Management Command, has successfully developed a comprehensive toolkit to support the Army's Relocation Readiness Program. This innovative resource aims to streamline services and provide consistent, high-quality support to soldiers and their families across all Army installations.
December 10, 2024
The Extension Foundation’s AgriProspects Workforce Development Network recently awarded Penn State Extension a competitive mini-grant to support its “Success Skills in Spanish 4 Ag” project, which focuses on workforce development for Spanish-speaking tree-fruit growers and poultry farmers.
