Fungi Futures exhibition showcases work of Stuckeman architecture researchers

October 15, 2024

Three projects from researchers in the Penn State Stuckeman School that focus on the use of mycelium, the root of fungus, as sustainable architectural components are featured in the “Fungi Futures: Exploring Mycelium in Product Design and Crafts” exhibition in the gallery of the (con)Temporary CRAFTS STUDIO in Bremen, Germany.

Penn State researchers earn funding for sustainable weed and insect management

October 11, 2024

Three Penn State research teams have received awards totaling $1.78 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to investigate climate-smart approaches to pest control in agriculture.

New module to support caregivers of children who are neurodivergent

October 11, 2024

The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, in partnership with the Department of Defense, has launched a new parent-education module designed to help parents and caregivers navigate the journey with their children who are neurodivergent or who have autism spectrum disorder.

University fellowships awarded to 110 graduate students

October 10, 2024

The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State named 110 graduate students as recipients of the 2024-25 University Graduate Fellowships and Distinguished Graduate Fellowships. The students were honored on Oct. 3 at a reception held at the Bryce Jordan Center.

AI decodes microbes’ message in milk safety testing approach

October 10, 2024

By combining the genetic sequencing and analysis of the microbes in a milk sample with artificial intelligence (AI), researchers were able to detect anomalies in milk production, such as contamination or unauthorized additives. The new approach could help improve dairy safety, according to the study authors from Penn State, Cornell University and IBM Research.

'Stories from the Field' returns with new sessions for fall 2024

October 9, 2024

Penn State’s “Stories from the Field” conversation series is returning this fall with two new sessions. Topics will include a youth development program that stemmed from a football field revitalization project and a health clinic that provides care in medically underserved areas.

Three Minute Thesis competition provides lasting impact for graduate students

October 9, 2024

Graduate students took away positive experiences participating in Penn State’s inaugural Three Minute Thesis competition this past spring.

SustainPSU and Pa. GreenGov Council offer sixth annual monthly webinar series

October 9, 2024

Building on their ongoing partnership, Penn State Sustainability (SustainPSU) and the Pennsylvania GreenGov Council will renew their monthly webinar series to educate government officials, students and faculty about sustainability issues that affect Pennsylvania and the progress we as a state are making to address the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reed to discuss rational addiction to ultra-processed food on Oct. 16

October 9, 2024

Joshua Reed, doctoral candidate in energy, environmental and food economics at Penn State, will give the talk “Rational Addiction to Ultra-Processed Food in the Context of Extreme Consumer Heterogeneity” at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 16, in 157 Hosler Building on the University Park campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Adding fall blooming plants may help both managed and wild bees in cities

October 7, 2024

Honey bees are not native to the U.S., leading to concerns that managed honey bee populations might negatively impact wild bees. However, a Penn State research team found that of the 33 genera of native bees studied, only a small number seemed to be negatively affected by the presence of honey bees.

USDA to fund analysis of how U.S. businesses approach decarbonization

October 3, 2024

A team of researchers, led by two Penn State agricultural economists, will receive $650,000 over three years to study why, how and where U.S. businesses are developing and adopting renewable energy sources — a process known as decarbonization — and how these decisions could affect rural communities.

Plant compound used in traditional medicine may help fight tuberculosis

October 1, 2024

A compound found in African wormwood — a plant used medicinally for thousands of years to treat many types of illness — could be effective against tuberculosis, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State.

Q&A: Using a new approach to shine a light on hidden plant microbes

October 1, 2024

An approach called metagenomics — a type of DNA sequencing — may help scientists learn more about the microbes that affect plants, according to Penn State researchers.

One Health Microbiome Center launches new video series

September 30, 2024

The One Health Microbiome Center announced the launch of a new video series highlighting the use of the center's state-of-the-art resources, research capabilities and collaborative efforts in microbiome sciences.

Climate Consortium workshop leads to speak at Millennium Café this fall

September 27, 2024

This fall, the Millennium Café will feature researchers who were awarded Climate Solutions Accelerator workshops by the Penn State Climate Consortium. The talks will occur at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1, Oct. 22 and Dec. 3 on the third floor of the Millennium Science Complex.

New project to support, learn from Indigenous communities facing climate change

September 25, 2024

Natural disasters due to climate change have impacted over 2 billion people since the year 2000, with those in Arctic and Pacific communities disproportionally affected. An international team, including researchers from Penn State, has been awarded $1 million to compare climate risks and resilience in Arctic and Pacific Indigenous communities.

Injecting manure into growing cover crops can cut pollution, support corn crops

September 25, 2024

To better guide farmers managing nitrogen in the soil, a team of Penn State agricultural scientists conducted a new study on dairy manure management strategies for ecosystem services in no-till crop systems. In findings recently published in Agronomy Journal, they report a new strategy that achieves multiple conservation goals while maintaining corn yield: injecting manure into a growing cover crop in early spring.

Plant scientist named Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology

September 25, 2024

Francisco Dini-Andreote, assistant professor of plant science in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, has been awarded the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology.

Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy seminar series continues Sept. 25

September 24, 2024

Praharsh Patel, doctoral candidate in energy, environmental, and food economics at Penn State, will give the talk, “Behavioral responses to two-part tariffs: evidence from the introduction of volumetric water pricing,” at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 25, in 157 Hosler Building at Penn State University Park.

$1M USDA grant to perfect weed killing method in organic crop production

September 24, 2024

Weeds are a major factor limiting yield in organic vegetable and other horticultural crop systems, and the lack of effective biological weed-management solutions is a significant obstacle to the adoption of organic farming practices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a four-year, $1 million grant to a team led by plant scientists and an economist from Penn State to investigate anaerobic soil disinfestation, a microbial-driven process to manage weeds, to support transitioning from conventional to organic production systems.

Wastewater monitoring can detect foodborne illness, researchers find

September 19, 2024

First used in the 1940s to monitor for polio, wastewater surveillance proved such a powerful disease monitoring tool that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the National Wastewater Surveillance System to support SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in September of 2020. Now, a team of scientists from Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Health have shown that domestic sewage monitoring is useful for a foodborne pathogen as well.

Food science researcher receives early career award

September 17, 2024

Jasna Kovac, associate professor and Lester Earl and Veronica Casida Career Development Professor of Food Safety in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected to receive the 2025 Award for Early Career Environmental Research by the American Society for Microbiology.

Three projects receive Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed Fund grants

September 11, 2024

The Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed (HITS) Fund initiative has awarded three high-risk, potentially high-impact project seed funding. 

College of Ag Sciences doctoral student wins national foundation award

September 4, 2024

Ram Neupane, a doctoral student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, received a $10,000 research award given by the Storkan-Hanes-McCaslin Foundation.

Teresa Sylvina named attending veterinarian for laboratories at Penn State

August 29, 2024

Teresa Sylvina has been named the new attending veterinarian for laboratory animals under the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research and research professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.

Research teams receive $1.1 million to study microbiomes in agriculture

August 28, 2024

Two Penn State-led research teams have received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for projects investigating the ways microbiomes — the microorganisms in a particular environment, such as in soil or a living organism — can affect disease dynamics in agriculture.

USDA grant to fund project developing AI-powered database on water quality

August 26, 2024

Nitrate, a common chemical compound that occurs naturally and is found in plants, water and soil, can break down into molecules harmful to human, animal and ecological health and accumulate as a pollutant. Nitrate contamination in streams, lakes and estuaries is a critical problem in many agricultural watersheds, but water-quality data is limited, making monitoring stream health and making management decisions difficult, according to researchers at Penn State. To enhance available data, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a four-year, $650,000 grant to a research team at Penn State.

Salamanders are surprisingly abundant in Northeastern forests, study finds

August 26, 2024

Two recent studies involving Penn State researchers shed light on the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders and confirmed that proactive measures could prevent costly impacts from a wildlife disease spreading across Europe that has not yet reached North America.

Testing confirms that Penn State dairy herd is free of avian influenza

August 23, 2024

After three weeks of testing as required under a voluntary state monitoring program for bird flu in dairy cattle, animal health experts in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences announced that the University’s dairy herd has been certified as free of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.

USDA grant funds cocoa benefits research to combat obesity-related health issues

August 22, 2024

Cocoa may be the dark horse in the race against obesity, according to researchers at Penn State. Nearly one in three adults are overweight and more than two in five have obesity in the U.S., both conditions that come with inflammation-related health concerns. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a research team, led by Joshua Lambert, professor of food science in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, a three-year, $650,000 grant to characterize the sex-specific beneficial effects of cocoa against obesity-related inflammation and fatty liver disease.

Office for Research and Graduate Education

Address

217 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802-2600

Office for Research and Graduate Education

Address

217 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802-2600