Graduate student excellence celebrated at virtual awards ceremony

April 8, 2021

Graduate student award recipients were celebrated during the annual Graduate Student Recognition Ceremony where 10 awards to more than 30 graduate students in recognition of outstanding achievement.

Graduate School alumna receives humanitarian award

April 8, 2021

Penn State Graduate School alumna Amelia Henry has received the Graduate School Alumni Society Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes an alumnus/alumna holding a graduate degree from Penn State who has made a positive societal impact on the welfare of humankind beyond the responsibilities of one’s profession.

Irmak to lead Penn State Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

April 7, 2021

Suat Irmak, Harold W. Eberhard Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been named head of Penn State's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, effective July 1.

Entomologist to examine how plant domestication influences pollinator evolution

April 7, 2021

A grant of nearly $1.4 million from the National Science Foundation will support Margarita López-Uribe, an entomologist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, in a study examining the influence of plant domestication on the ecology and evolution of wild pollinator species in agricultural landscapes.

Tech Tournament to showcase Penn State’s most disruptive innovations

April 6, 2021

Eight of Penn State’s most disruptive and promising early-stage technologies will compete for $150,000 in the Invent Penn State Tech Tournament, a signature event of the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference, at 2:45 p.m. on April 15

Registration is open for 'Food Science in Action' virtual symposium

April 6, 2021

The Department of Food Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the honor society Phi Tau Sigma are hosting “Food Science in Action,” a one-day virtual symposium to be held via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 23.

Stability of the food supply a huge factor in COVID vaccinations for ag workers

April 2, 2021

The impending vaccination of heretofore unvaccinated Pennsylvania food and agricultural workers against COVID-19 can go a long way toward ensuring business continuity and stable supply chains in one of Pennsylvania's top economic sectors, according to experts in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State employees traveling in lanternfly quarantine zone must take training

April 2, 2021

The spotted lanternfly has expanded its reach in Pennsylvania, prompting a reminder to Penn State employees about their role in stopping the spread of the pest.

Arboretum webinar to focus on survival, recovery of condor population

April 1, 2021

Chris Parish, wildlife biologist and co-founder of the North American Non-Lead Partnership, will describe his work to save California condors from extinction during a free Zoom webinar from 5 to 6 p.m. April 8. The event is sponsored by The Arboretum at Penn State's Avian Education Program and the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.

All-woman Nittany AI Challenge team creates solution to reach tech-life balance

March 31, 2021

Screen time burnout? Many people are feeling it these days because of extended use of technology due to remote learning and remote working situations. But excessive screen time did not start with the COVID-19 pandemic, and one Nittany AI Challenge student team is virtually stepping into the user’s world to suggest a life-tech balance that is as easy as a walk in the park.

Startup Week Competition winners congratulated by President Barron

March 31, 2021

Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC culminated with a celebration of student entrepreneurs and innovators in technology, health, sustainability, the arts, and global impact categories during the virtual student recognition reception on Thursday, March 25.

College of Ag Sciences courses aim to broaden cultural understanding

March 29, 2021

Faculty in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences continue to develop novel courses designed to increase cultural awareness and knowledge of food systems here in central Pennsylvania and throughout the world. Two of these courses will be offered in the fall 2021 semester.

Lanternfly's attraction to vertical silhouettes could help monitor, trap it

March 29, 2021

Like moths to a flame, spotted lanternflies are visually drawn toward and seemingly captivated by vertical objects such as utility poles, a behavior that could be valuable in predicting where the pests might be heading, according to entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Nutritional journal highlights research on micronutrient's disease-fighting role

March 25, 2021

The Journal of Nutritional Science designated a Penn State research paper on how a dietary antioxidant may fight chronic disease and aging as its “Paper of the Month” in February. The article suggested that incorporating more of the dietary amino acid ergothioneine into one’s diet may help stave off long-term health problems.

Researchers ask anglers' help with study of brook, brown trout colors, patterns

March 25, 2021

Penn State researchers, who are evaluating the colors, pattern variations and genetics of wild brook and brown trout across Pennsylvania, are asking anglers to help with their study.

Wireless sensors track sanitizer use, optimize replacement and refill operations

March 25, 2021

An interdisciplinary team of Penn State College of Engineering and College of Agriculture researchers worked to optimize OPP’s Building and Grounds’ sanitizer management and maintenance operation by designing and developing a wireless sensor system.

Urban agriculture can help, but not solve, city food security problems

March 24, 2021

While urban agriculture can play a role in supporting food supply chains for many major American cities — contributing to food diversity, sustainability and localizing food systems — it is unrealistic to expect rooftop gardens, community plots and the like to provide the majority of nutrition for the population of a metropolis.

Uniform drying time for goldenseal to enhance medicinal qualities of forest herb

March 22, 2021

Developing a standardized drying protocol for goldenseal could lead to more predictable health applications and outcomes by preserving the alkaloids found in the plant, which is native to Appalachia, according to Penn State researchers, who conducted a new study of the medicinal forest herb.

College of Agricultural Sciences faculty member to host Marie Curie Fellow

March 19, 2021

Estelle Couradeau, assistant professor of soils and environmental microbiology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, will host a Marie Curie Fellow. The award will fund postdoctoral scholar Jose Raul Roman to study for two years in Couradeau’s Penn State lab.

Master Gardeners to celebrate pollinator-friendly garden program milestone

March 18, 2021

Master Gardeners are taking action to protect pollinators by planting pollinator-friendly gardens and providing education for the gardening public. Home gardeners in Pennsylvania are invited to join the effort by having their property certified as “Pollinator Friendly.”

Hand-dipped ice cream is back at Berkey Creamery beginning March 22

March 18, 2021

For Penn State Berkey Creamery customers who have been pining for hand-dipped ice cream, the wait is almost over. The creamery will begin offering the retail-store staple starting Monday, March 22, noted Jim Brown, creamery sales and marketing manager.

New master's fellowship to train food microbiologists in big-dataset analyses

March 17, 2021

A new fellowship for underrepresented graduate students offered by the Department of Food Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will prepare four master’s degree candidates interested in food microbiology to analyze large-scale datasets.

Tool can provide swine producers with early diagnosis of often-fatal 'Strep zoo'

March 17, 2021

A team led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has developed a diagnostic test that can identify virulent forms of the swine bacterial pathogen Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus — often referred to as "Strep zoo" — which can cause severe illness and death in pigs, other animals and rarely people.

Two food science faculty receive awards from Institute of Food Technologists

March 17, 2021

Two faculty members in the College of Agricultural Sciences have received awards from the Institute of Food Technologists.

Record-breaking Global Teach Ag Network event reaches 50 states, 40 nations

March 16, 2021

Hosted by the College of Agricultural Sciences' Global Teach Ag Network, the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference 2021 conference brought together educators worldwide who share a vision of providing global learning opportunities in food, fiber and natural resources for their learners. The event is hosted by the Global Teach Ag Network in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

CESU workshop to highlight opportunities to work with federal agencies

March 15, 2021

Researchers whose work addresses natural and cultural resource management topics can learn about partnering opportunities with federal agencies at the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Program Workshop on March 30.

Popular Flavor Madness contest is back at Penn State Berkey Creamery

March 15, 2021

Penn State Berkey Creamery fans who want to make sure their best-loved ice cream flavor “scores the most baskets” are invited to take part in what has become a popular springtime tradition in Happy Valley and beyond — Flavor Madness.

A wing and a prayer: Chickens, praying mantises among likely lanternfly enemies

March 15, 2021

Potential predators of the spotted lanternfly are being brought into focus thanks to shutterbugs who have captured images of birds, insects, mammals and even fish consuming the invasive planthopper.

Penn State, National University of Battambang project will aid food security

March 12, 2021

Improving the economic and household nutrition prospects of women farmers and their families in Cambodia is a key focus of a new partnership between Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the National University of Battambang and the World Bank.

Insights from Experts: COVID-19 case rates in rural and urban PA

March 11, 2021

In this post, Penn State Researchers Raeven Chandler, Katrina Alford, and Leif Jensen describe the unique dynamics making rural residents more vulnerable, provide a comparison of COVID-19 trends in rural and urban areas in Pennsylvania, and offer insight as to why the COVID-19 pandemic highlights and magnifies the longstanding factors contributing to rural-urban health disparities.

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)