June 23, 2025
Penn State recently held a seminar titled "Empathy and Engaged Youth Citizenship: What it Means and Why it Matters," presented by international visiting scholars Pat Dolan, professor and UNESCO Chair Emeritus at the University of Galway in Ireland, and Sean Campbell, CEO of Foroige, the largest youth development organization in Ireland. Mark Brennan, professor and UNESCO Chair on Global Citizenship Education for Sustainable Peace through Youth and Community Engagement at Penn State, hosted the event.
June 23, 2025
Herbicide-resistant weeds result in significant economic losses for U.S. soybean growers, according to the United Soybean Board, which has awarded $500,000 to a multistate research project to develop new diagnostic tools for herbicide-resistant weeds in soybean production. The team includes scientists from Penn State.
June 22, 2025
A team of Penn State students, accompanied by faculty from the College of Agricultural Sciences and educators from Penn State Extension, earned honors for their research at the 2025 Equine Science Society Symposium, which was held in Fort Collins, Colorado, in early June.
June 20, 2025
Despite having identical genetic instructions, female honey bee larvae can develop into either long-lived reproductive queens or short-lived sterile workers who help rear their sisters rather than laying their own eggs. Now, an interdisciplinary team led by researchers at Penn State has uncovered the molecular mechanisms that control how the conflict between genes inherited from the father and the mother determine the larva’s fate.
June 18, 2025
Businesses that take a strategic approach to design are up to eight times more likely to develop innovative products than those that don't, according to a study by scientists from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
June 17, 2025
During her years at Penn State, recent graduate Olivia Karoly did more than complete a degree in community, environment and development. From dancing at THON to presenting research at the Undergraduate Exhibition, Karoly embraced a variety of opportunities.
June 16, 2025
To better understand potential contamination of the groundwater feeding the 3.5 million people served by private well systems in Pennsylvania, a team of researchers from Penn State conducted a novel three-year citizen science study of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often referred to as forever chemicals — in 167 private wells across the commonwealth.
June 12, 2025
Hazel Velasco Palacios, a doctoral candidate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded a writing fellowship to help support her research on health care access for Pennsylvania farmworkers in the mushroom and dairy industries.
June 12, 2025
Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association co-hosted the 2025 Forest Products Equipment and Technology Exposition, June 6-7 at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site at Rock Springs. The college's dean, Troy Ott, was on hand to support the partnership among Penn State, the state's forest products industry, forest landowners and government agencies.
June 11, 2025
For the first time, a team led by researchers at Penn State has developed a method of “fingerprinting” plant compounds called procyanidins, introducing a more sophisticated and accurate way to analyze the perceptual variation in many foods and drinks, including wine and chocolate.
June 10, 2025
Members of the Penn State One Health Microbiome Center explaining how a “One Health framework” could unlock the full potential of microbiomes to enhance global health and sustainably manage ecosystems in this Q&A.
June 9, 2025
As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 20 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.
June 9, 2025
Kelly Piccioni, a horticulture extension educator, provides educational resources and support to commercial producers of Christmas trees, cut flowers and other horticultural crops in the region. Her role is especially significant given that Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for Christmas tree production.
June 6, 2025
Milk protein and cellulose derived from plants may be the next big thing in sustainability, thanks to a first-of-its-kind advancement made by researchers at Penn State. Using a manufacturing technique called electrospinning, the team created nanofibers 1,000 times thinner than a human hair and then manipulated those fibers into mats that hold promise for a variety of products, like biodegradable — and even edible — food packaging.
June 6, 2025
Veterans may carry a sense of isolation and the painful belief that their presence is a burden to those around them. When these thoughts persist over time, they could contribute to an increased risk of suicide, according to a new study by researchers at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State.
June 5, 2025
Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward program will hold its annual native tree and shrub sale this August, with pickup this fall in locations across the state. To provide an overview of the 24 native tree and shrub species offered in the sale, Extension’s urban forestry and Master Watershed Steward programs will host a webinar, “Native Tree and Shrub Sale Species Overview and Q&A,” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 10.
June 4, 2025
Pennsylvania Sen. Elder Vogel Jr. has been awarded the Penn State Alumni Association’s 2025 Friend of Penn State Legislative Award. The award, first given in 2006, recognizes Pennsylvania legislators who play a significant role in the further improvement of the University.
June 3, 2025
The key to trees' ability to adapt to varied growing conditions and, ultimately, their survival, may reside in the complex genetic makeup of replacement trees, according to forest geneticists tasked with reintroducing tree species. A study of one of the rarest pine trees in the world, Torrey pine, conducted by a team including Penn State scientists, has yielded what the researchers called valuable insight into the value of genetic diversity and the importance of ensuring locally adapted diversity is maintained for restoration.
May 30, 2025
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences was represented on the global stage as faculty and students participated in the United Nations’ 10th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, held at U.N. headquarters in New York City earlier this month.
May 30, 2025
After Christine Boyle retired in 2018, she began thinking about ways to remain active, keep learning and give back to her Luzerne County community. Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward program checked all the boxes.
May 29, 2025
Tara Mondock has been named the director of college relations and communications in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, effective June 2.
May 29, 2025
What started as free tickets to see a flamenco fusion band in Spain turned into an unexpected research opportunity for a team of researchers at Penn State, who discovered a unique example of the power of music to bridge generational divides.
May 28, 2025
Conservation district staff across Pennsylvania now have access to a new certification system aimed at increasing local capacity to implement agricultural conservation projects. The launch of the Practice Approval System, developed by the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission in partnership with the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, is administered by Penn State Extension.
May 27, 2025
As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 18 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.
May 23, 2025
Two students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences’ turfgrass science program recently were selected for highly competitive United States Golf Association Green Section internships.
May 23, 2025
Penn State undergraduates Charlie Colvin and Megan von Abo were named 2025 Astronaut Scholars, earning competitive national scholarships facilitated by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The scholarships provide up to $15,000 toward education for undergraduate students pursuing careers in engineering, math, or natural or applied sciences research.
May 23, 2025
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will convene leaders from academia, industry, government and stakeholder networks for a symposium focused on accelerating agricultural innovation through cross-sector collaboration. The event will take place June 12-13 at Penn State University Park.
May 22, 2025
With growing challenges facing honey bee health, Penn State Extension is working to equip beekeepers with science-based resources to help them raise resilient colonies — from beginner publications to advanced online training in breeding techniques.
May 21, 2025
Throwing a little heat on your meal might be an effective strategy for cutting back on calories, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.
May 21, 2025
Since 2012, the Student Sustainability Advisory Council recognizes a Penn State University Park student every spring semester, for their overall leadership in sustainability initiatives and for making a difference in the campus community. This year’s 2025 SSAC Tree Award recipient is agricultural engineering student Gavin Maxson.
