Summer Founders program showcases record number of teams

September 1, 2020

Invent Penn State’s 2020 Summer Founders program, a 13-week student startup accelerator, wrapped up Aug. 12 in a virtual showcase after funding seven student-startup teams with $15,000 each to work on their startup, nonprofit, or social good full time over the summer. The program also matched teams with resources and entrepreneurial experts who provided mentorship.

10 new biotechnologies revealed at inaugural Penn State BioTech Discovery Day

September 1, 2020

On June 12, the first Penn State BioTech Discovery Day brought together Penn State researchers, industry experts and venture investors for a day of technology reveals and networking opportunities focused on accelerating the transfer of Penn State’s top BioTech innovations to the marketplace.

18 new NSF graduate researchers join the ranks at Penn State

August 31, 2020

Eighteen students were named National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipients for the 2020-21 academic year.

Security center announces Fall 2020 Grant Program

August 27, 2020

The Penn State Center for Security Research and Education is announcing its Fall 2020 Grant Program to support security-related scholarship and educational programs at Penn State. University faculty and researchers are eligible to apply by Nov. 2.

Growing drought causing trees to drop leaves; portends a poor foliage display

August 27, 2020

With little rain in the long-term weather forecast, a worsening drought in much of the Northeast portends trouble for Pennsylvania’s vaunted fall foliage display, at least in parts of the state, according to a Penn State forest expert.

Sánchez named to federal Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers

August 27, 2020

Elsa Sánchez, professor of horticultural systems management in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers.

Student completes virtual internship with state Fish and Boat Commission

August 26, 2020

Junior Matthew Bellia, an Environmental Resource Management major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, spent his summer completing a research-based internship with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Penn State black walnut trial turns 40, now ideal climate-change experiment

August 25, 2020

Few visitors to Penn State's University Park campus know about the Black Walnut Provenance Study, a two-acre grove of black walnut trees near the northeast border of campus which has an interesting backstory and a role to play in ongoing and future research.

Grant to enable creation of AI tools to improve adolescents’ diets and nutrition

August 25, 2020

With a $1.2 million grant from Fondation Botnar, an international team of researchers will assess the feasibility of creating and launching a global-scale artificial-intelligence app for mobile devices that diagnoses diet-related problems and offers nutritional advice to adolescent girls living in urban settings in Ghana and Vietnam.

Aspirin after calving can provide relief to dairy cows, increase milk production

August 25, 2020

Dairy cows that received a short course of anti-inflammatory medication after calving had lower metabolic stress and produced more milk than untreated cows, according to researchers, who say the regimen they tested could be adopted more easily by producers than previously studied treatment strategies.

Advanced biofuels show promise for replacing some fossil fuels

August 25, 2020

Plant-based biofuels can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and growing these crops in certain landscapes offers net climate benefits compared to other land use options, according to a team of international scientists.

Spotted lanternfly tree traps can be effective, but need careful installation

August 25, 2020

For homeowners dealing with spotted lanternfly infestations, tree traps can be a cost-effective, nonchemical option. However, there are important factors to consider when using tree traps, most notably how to avoid catching nontarget creatures such as bees, butterflies and mammals, according to a spotted lanternfly expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Bull elected fellow of American Phytopathological Society

August 24, 2020

Carolee Bull, professor of systematic bacteriology and plant pathology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been elected as a fellow of the American Phytopathological Society, an honor given to members in recognition of distinguished contributions to the discipline of plant pathology.

USDA-funded project focused on boosting enrollment of minorities in ag sciences

August 24, 2020

Penn State is among a group of land-grant universities embarking on a project that will support the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities and women in food, agricultural, natural resources and human sciences.

Reducing transmission risk of livestock disease

August 24, 2020

According to a new study, the risk of transmitting the livestock virus PPRV, which threatens 80% of the world’s sheep and goats, increases with certain husbandry practices, including attendance at seasonal grazing camps and the introduction of sheep and goats to the herd.

Extension educator: Late summer, early fall optimal time to treat tree of heaven

August 20, 2020

Like the spotted lanternfly that has a penchant for it, the rapidly growing Ailanthus altissima tree — better known as tree of heaven — can be tough for property owners to control.

Penn State Extension milk giveaways help local dairy farmers, families

August 19, 2020

Lisa Holden, associate professor of dairy science and Penn State Extension dairy team member, was one of the people who spearheaded a free milk giveaway, or milk drop, at the Nittany Mall on May 26.

Invasive shrubs in Northeast forests grow leaves earlier and keep them longer

August 19, 2020

The rapid pace by which invasive shrubs have infiltrated forests in the northeastern United States has made scientists suspect they have a consistent advantage over native shrubs, and the first region-wide study of leaf timing, conducted by Penn State researchers, supports those suspicions.

Parent-child separations focus of virtual symposium

August 19, 2020

The circumstances of parent-child separation due to parental incarceration, migration and deportation, and military deployment will be the focus of Penn State’s 28th Annual Symposium on Family Issues, being held virtually October 26 – 27.

Merit-based NSF grant extension supports expansion of gene-editing technology

August 17, 2020

Researchers who developed an improved method of gene editing for the study of arthropods will expand the technology for use in vertebrate species such as mice, fish and birds after receiving new funding from the National Science Foundation.

Cover crop mixtures must be 'farm-tuned' to provide maximum ecosystem services

August 17, 2020

Penn State researchers, in a recent study, were surprised to learn that they could take the exact same number of seeds from the same plants, put them in agricultural fields across the Mid-Atlantic region and get profoundly different stands of cover crops a few months later.

Research helps explain source of pathogen that causes bitter rot disease

August 13, 2020

A new way of looking at the fungal pathogen, Colletotrichum fioriniae, as a leaf endophyte — bacterial or fungal microorganisms that colonize healthy plant tissue — was the outcome of a two-year study conducted by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Cover crop roots are an essential key to understanding ecosystem services

August 12, 2020

To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants’ roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.

Etherton receives beef cattle organization's Industry Service Award

August 12, 2020

Terry Etherton, head of the Department of Animal Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, received the 2020 Industry Service Award from the Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association at its recent annual meeting.

Animal science students place first in National Quadrathlon

August 12, 2020

Animal science students from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences took first place in the American Society of Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon, held online in July as part of the American Society of Animal Science virtual annual meeting and trade show.

Forestry alumnus to receive 2020 Sir William Schlich Memorial Award

August 11, 2020

Richard Guldin, a 1970 graduate in forestry science from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected as the 2020 winner of the Sir William Schlich Memorial Award. The Schlich award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of forestry with emphasis on policy and national or international activities.

Brooks named Forensic Science program director

August 11, 2020

Jason W. Brooks, associate clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences at Penn State, has been named director of the Forensic Science program in the Eberly College of Science’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, effective Sept. 14.

College of Ag Sciences students receive Gilman grant for international study

August 10, 2020

Two students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Janelle Answer and Justin Kurtz, have received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

Flavonoids' presence in sorghum roots may lead to frost-resistant crop

August 10, 2020

Flavonoid compounds — produced by the roots of some sorghum plants — positively affect soil microorganisms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery is an early step in developing a frost-resistant line of the valuable crop for North American farmers.

Spotted lanternfly task force brings together expertise of scientists, agencies

August 7, 2020

Slowing the spread of the spotted lanternfly is the charge of the Cooperative Spotted Lanternfly Program in Pennsylvania. The task force includes scientists and extension specialists from the College of Agricultural Sciences, and government regulatory officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

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)