February 1, 2021
Winter survival of honey bee colonies is strongly influenced by summer temperatures and precipitation in the prior year, according to Penn State researchers, who said their findings suggest that honey bees have a "goldilocks" preferred range of summer conditions outside of which their probability of surviving the winter falls.
January 31, 2021
Research carried out by faculty in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is helping commercial poultry operations — some with multiple buildings each housing between 20,000 and 50,000 hens — convert from traditional caged housing to noncaged systems while safeguarding animal and employee safety.
January 28, 2021
Regina Vasilatos-Younken, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School, will retire from Penn State on Dec. 31 after 45 years at the University. A national search will begin immediately to identify her successor.
January 28, 2021
In 2016, a team of researchers from the Department of Entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences launched an intensive effort to solve the problem in southeast Pennsylvania caused by mushroom phorid flies. Now their effort is expected to pay off big time.
January 25, 2021
Ten students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences were among the recipients of scholarships awarded by the Pennsylvania Farm Show Scholarship Foundation.
January 22, 2021
For the thousands of Pennsylvanians who have been left by the wayside on the information superhighway, help in the form of high-speed internet is en route, thanks, in part, to an alliance between Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
January 21, 2021
Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, will receive the National Academy of Sciences' 2021 Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for her work addressing global declines in pollinator populations.
January 20, 2021
As the spotted lanternfly extension associate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Heather Leach hears stories or “myths” about management or the biology of the pest.
January 19, 2021
Understanding the genetic and environmental factors that enable some feral honey bee colonies to tolerate pathogens and survive the winter in the absence of beekeeping management may help lead to breeding stocks that would enhance survival of managed colonies, according to a study led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
January 19, 2021
Each year the Penn State World Campus Outstanding Alumni Awards recognize the success of alumni as leaders in their field and the impact they have on society and their profession. From a career in service by securing the homeland, to inspiring others by overcoming the odds, all are attributes of this year’s recipients, retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. and American Airlines Captain Linda Wackerman and William “Monty” Elam.
January 19, 2021
Thirteen Penn State students have been selected as College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society 2020 Internship Award winners. The award, which includes a $1,000 stipend, was established to encourage students to participate in a credit or noncredit educational internship program that relates to their field of study.
January 18, 2021
An innovative assessment of food waste at a U.S. school by an international team of researchers suggests that American school cafeterias waste more food than those in other developed countries, and the true costs extend well beyond just the weight of food not eaten.
January 18, 2021
Penn State Extension is offering a web-based seminar for anyone who has ever thought about serving on a school board, borough council or township board.
January 18, 2021
Agricultural sciences and leadership are top priorities for Penn State sophomore Mikara Anderson. As the 2019 Pennsylvania State Fair Queen, 2020 FFA state president and active member of the Penn State Dairy Science Club, Anderson continues to build her resume and network as part of the exclusive Presidential Leadership Academy at Penn State.
January 13, 2021
The NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium is currently accepting applications to its graduate research fellowship program. The program offers funding to outstanding students in the STEM, education and humanities fields who are conducting research related to NASA’s science and outreach missions.
January 13, 2021
The NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium is accepting applications for the 2021-22 Undergraduate Scholarship Program. The statewide program awards a limited number of one-year scholarships to rising juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time at an accredited Pennsylvania college or university. Online applications, including all supporting materials, are due by midnight on March 1.
January 13, 2021
Pulsed ultraviolet light can be an effective alternative to some of the antimicrobial technologies now used by the poultry industry to kill pathogens on eggshells, according to Penn State researchers, who simulated production conditions to test the technology.
January 13, 2021
Helping communities make quality choices about the deployment of broadband services is the topic of a web-based seminar to be offered by Penn State Extension at noon on Jan. 20.
January 12, 2021
Pennsylvania's largest farms claimed the lion's share of agricultural product sales and net farm income between 2012 and 2017, but the state's many small farms made significant contributions beyond their economic impact, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
January 12, 2021
Wild bees are more affected by climate change than by disturbances to their habitats, according to a team of researchers led by Penn State. The findings suggest that addressing land-use issues alone will not be sufficient to protecting these important pollinators.
January 11, 2021
With the hope of helping Penn State's Pasto Agricultural Museum grow and ensure its future, Glenn Carter and his wife, Doris Longwill Carter, have pledged an estimated $100,000 estate gift in support of the museum.
January 11, 2021
The first-ever study of the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the saliva of newborn white-tailed deer fawns yielded surprising results, and that has Penn State researchers suggesting that predation on very young fawns may not be limiting deer herds.
January 11, 2021
During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Penn State Extension has offered discounts on its online programs to support customers during a difficult year. For the month of January, extension will continue that support by offering a 50% discount on online course enrollment.
January 8, 2021
One of the silver linings — or scoops, so to speak — of the coronavirus pandemic for the Penn State Berkey Creamery has been its growing outreach to the University community through virtual speaking engagements, team-building events and membership drives.
January 6, 2021
Penn State Extension is offering a suite of online courses — developed with the support of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association — designed to help landscape companies educate new and seasonal employees and help more experienced employees move into leadership roles.
January 4, 2021
An online, town-hall-style event featuring the dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the secretary of the state Department of Agriculture will highlight Penn State programming during the 2021 Pennsylvania Farm Show, which will be held virtually Jan. 9-16. Penn State Extension also will offer 29 live webinars during the virtual show.
December 23, 2020
The finding of relatively high levels of the antimicrobial compound clovamide in the leaves of a disease-resistant strain of cacao has significant implications for breeding trees that can tolerate black pod rot, according to Penn State researchers who conducted a novel study.
December 22, 2020
A self-administered "scratch-and-sniff" test for COVID-19 may be around the corner, according to researchers at Penn State, the University of Florida and Arizona State University. The team, which received $912,000 from the National Institutes of Health, will analyze two different smell tests with a goal of developing inexpensive, at-home tests to help identify new cases of COVID-19 and provide a warning sign of a community outbreak in time to thwart it.
December 22, 2020
A new pilot course, “Agricultural and Extension Education 597: Innovation and Critical Thinking Practicum,” offered by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, provides the opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and to cultivate relationships with professionals in their desired career field.
December 21, 2020
Bumble bees found in low-quality landscapes — characterized by a relative lack of spring flowers and quality nesting habitat — had higher levels of disease pathogens, as did bumble bees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives, according to research led by Penn State scientists.
