February 6, 2020
How communities can provide affordable housing will be the topic of a web-based land-use seminar offered by Penn State Extension at noon on Feb. 19.
February 5, 2020
Penn State and the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg have announced the selection of two proposals for a novel initiative in piloting an online classroom project between the two universities.
February 4, 2020
Jessica Chou, a senior majoring in environmental resource management, has been an active member of the Student Farm Club since she was a freshman. She now is the executive director of the club.
February 3, 2020
Weighing in on a debate that has raged for decades, Penn State researchers, after conducting a series of ultra-detailed comparisons, have declared that shipping pallets made of wood are slightly more environmentally friendly and sustainable than those made of plastic.
January 31, 2020
To promote equine activities at both the 4-H and collegiate levels and ensure a lasting legacy, the Tioga Valley Saddle Club, also known as T.V. Saddle Club Inc., has established the Tioga Valley Saddle Club 4-H Horse Endowment and the Tioga Valley Saddle Club Scholarship in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.
January 31, 2020
Continuing a tradition of support for and commitment to students, the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society at Penn State has created the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society First-Year Scholarship.
January 30, 2020
Mindy Brashears, deputy undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be the speaker at the Penn State Department of Food Science seminar at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, in 252 Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building on the University Park campus.
January 29, 2020
Flow rates and time of year must be taken into account to better understand the potential risks posed by emerging organic contaminants in rivers and streams, according to Penn State researchers who studied contaminant concentrations and flow characteristics at six locations near drinking water intakes in the Susquehanna River basin.
January 29, 2020
In 2017 and 2018, Penn State hosted three young innovators as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. The fellowship empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training and network opportunities.
January 23, 2020
"Dojo," a group photography exhibition featuring works by Stephanie Swindle Thomas and her interns, ranging in age from 7 years old to 27 years old, will open at the Huntingdon County Arts Council with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7. The show will feature a photograph by each participant from their personal practice to demonstrate the diversity of their style and subject matter. There also will be a portrait wall and a sales wall.
January 23, 2020
American households waste, on average, almost a third of the food they acquire, according to economists, who say this wasted food has an estimated aggregate value of $240 billion annually. Divided among the nearly 128.6 million U.S. households, this waste could be costing the average household about $1,866 per year.
January 23, 2020
The Penn State-Ingredion Plant-based Yogurt Alternative Short Course took place last fall and was deemed a success. During the two-day workshop, 31 attendees, hailing from 11 states and four countries, gained insight into the challenges of formulating plant-based yogurt alternatives, the breadth and functionality of plant proteins, and the nitty-gritty details of bringing a product to market.
January 21, 2020
A technology that uses dielectric heating and radio frequency energy to destroy destructive pests lurking within wood products is closer to reaching the marketplace after a recent commercial trial at Penn State’s University Park campus.
January 21, 2020
An industrial chemical — phased out since 2002, but previously used in stain and water-repellent products and firefighting foam — alters the gut microbiome of mice and could have implications for human health, according to an international team of researchers.
January 21, 2020
The Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology at Penn State has announced a new round of seed grant funding for interdisciplinary research, curricular development, or educational activities in the broad area of industrial biotechnology through its 2020 IMPACT Seed Grant Program. Full-time faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply; the application deadline is Feb. 7.
January 21, 2020
During the past 20 years, insecticides applied to U.S. agricultural landscapes have become significantly more toxic — over 120-fold in some midwestern states — to honey bees when ingested, according to a team of researchers, who identified rising neonicotinoid seed treatments in corn and soy as the primary driver of this change. The study is the first to characterize the geographic patterns of insecticide toxicity to bees and reveal specific areas of the country where mitigation and conservation efforts could be focused.
January 19, 2020
A novel composite film — created by the bonding of an antimicrobial layer to conventional, clear polyethylene plastic typically used to vacuum-package foods such as meat and fish — could help to decrease foodborne illness outbreaks, according to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
January 16, 2020
Penn State will host Study Abroad Week 2020 during the week of Jan. 20-24 on the University Park campus. Students who attend can learn more about the process of applying, what funding is available, and career enrichment opportunities; and meet other students who have gone abroad.
January 16, 2020
Urban growth boundaries, which aim to decrease negative impacts on people and the environment, can have a reverse effect on water quality, according to a Penn State researcher.
January 15, 2020
If not contained, the spotted lanternfly potentially could drain Pennsylvania’s economy of at least $324 million annually and cause the loss of about 2,800 jobs, according to a study carried out by economists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
January 13, 2020
The benefits of studying abroad range from expanding students’ world views to helping them find a career after graduation. Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will join the University's Office of Global Programs to showcase education-abroad opportunities during Study Abroad Week, slated for Jan. 20-24 at the University Park campus.
January 9, 2020
When Jay Stauffer made his first trip to Lake Malawi in 1983, just before joining the faculty in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, he never dreamed that the trip would be the genesis of his career focus and that it would yield valuable partnerships for the University.
January 3, 2020
Pennsylvania state agencies that manage public forest lands increasingly have employed prescribed fire as a management tool, but significant challenges exist for private landowners to do the same. Now, Penn State Extension is launching a program to help them use prescribed fire, too.
January 2, 2020
Ukraine is called the “breadbasket of Europe,” a moniker earned because of the fertile, black soils that blanket its landscape. As a longtime professor of environmental soil science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Rick Stehouwer has studied this famed “chernozem” soil, knowledge he acquired through books, lectures and lab samples. He had the opportunity to expand his understanding and see the soil for himself thanks to a philanthropic program through the college’s Office of International Programs that paved the way for him to visit the Eastern European country this past July.
January 2, 2020
Conventional measures of innovation suggest that only big cities foster new ideas, but a more comprehensive measure developed at Penn State shows that innovation is widespread even in rural places not typically thought of as innovative. This “hidden” innovation brings economic benefits to businesses and communities, according to researchers, whose findings will help decision makers think in new ways about innovation and how they can support it.
January 2, 2020
The Department of Animal Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received a $10,000 student recruiting grant from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation. The grant, made possible in part by Perdue Farms Inc., will be used to support youth programs in poultry and help recruit students interested in the poultry industry.
January 2, 2020
Craft breweries may be fueling an unprecedented geographic expansion of hop production across the U.S., according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Toledo. Their findings suggest that as more craft breweries emerge around the country, so may new opportunities for farmers.
December 20, 2019
Penn State Extension has developed curriculum materials for Plain Sect (Amish, Mennonite) growers to help them meet training requirements established in the federal Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule.
December 18, 2019
Robert Roberts, professor and head of food science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, was one of 26 academic and industry leaders recognized as Fellows of the Food Systems Leadership Institute during a ceremony at the recent annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities in San Diego.
December 18, 2019
The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences held its inaugural Eva J. Pell Interdisciplinary Lecture on Plant Health on Dec. 9. The topic for this year’s lecture — “Where do Abiotic and Biotic Stress Overlap?” — focused on research that could mitigate the impacts of climate change on abiotic and biotic stress in plants.
