Course prepares students to boil down maple sugaring process for community
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A class of Penn State students recently got a hands-on experience working with with community as "maple harvest interpreters" during Shaver's Creek's annual Maple Harvest Festival. For many, the experience was as sweet as the syrup they were teaching about.
Penn State assistant professor a keynote speaker at Iceland Alien Species event
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Deah Lieurance, assistant professor of invasive species biology and management in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, was one of five keynote speakers at the Alien Species in Iceland Workshop hosted by the Marine and Freshwater Institute in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, on March 16-17, sponsored by the Natural Science Institute of Iceland and Fulbright Iceland.
April 1 talk to focus on national and local migration patterns
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Gabriel Agostini, doctoral student in information science at Cornell Tech, will give a public talk, “Inferring Fine-Grained Migration Patterns across the United States,” at noon on Wednesday, April 1, in 157 Hosler Building on the Penn State University Park campus.
Low-cost sensor system could warn farmers of salt stress in plants
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Excessive salts in soil can restrict a plant’s water and nutrient uptake, hindering crop growth and reducing yields on roughly 30% of U.S. irrigated land. To help growers identify and mitigate salt stress, in a proof-of-concept study, a team led by Penn State researchers built a low-cost sensor system that detects signals released by plants in trouble.
Engineering professor named scholar for collaborative national lab program
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Christopher Kube, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, has been named a 2026 Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Kube will collaborate with LANL researchers to explore the use of quantum computing to simulate elastic wave propagation, advancing research at the intersection of wave physics and quantum science.
Kump to conclude deanship, legacy marked by new presidential award
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Lee Kump, the John Leone Dean of the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has announced his decision to step down as dean, effective June 30. Kump, who has served as dean for nearly nine years and is celebrating 40 years of service to the college and University in 2026, will remain at Penn State as professor of geosciences on the College of EMS faculty after his deanship concludes. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi has announced the creation of the Lee Kump Presidential Award in his honor.
Recreation, park, and tourism management faculty receive national honors
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Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management Department Head Lauren Duffy and Suzie and Allen Martin Professor Derrick Taff received national honors, being named fellows at The Academy of Leisure Sciences 2026 conference, held Feb. 11-13 in Philadelphia.
Penn State Altoona earns Level I Arboretum accreditation from ArbNet
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Penn State Altoona has earned Level I Arboretum accreditation from ArbNet, recognizing the campus’ extensive tree inventory and participation in the University’s Commonwealth Arboreta Network.
Engineering Dean Peeples to serve as special adviser to provost on student success
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Tonya L. Peeples, the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, is stepping down from her role as dean effective July 1 to serve as special adviser to the executive vice president and provost, helping to shape the creation of the University’s new office of student success. Peeples also will continue to serve on the college’s faculty.
Penn State engineers on multiple major projects funded by federal health agency
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Penn State has been named as a sub-awardee on four teams selected for funding by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), with more than $4 million supporting the work at Penn State. Three of the projects are funded through the ARPA-H Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total Health (BREATHE) and aim to enhance indoor air quality, and one of the projects is funded through the ARPA-H Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) program and aims to bioprint organs on demand.
Penn State community invited to attend 2026 Graduate Exhibition on March 27
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The Penn State community is invited to attend the 2026 Graduate Exhibition — the premier annual showcase of graduate research, scholarship and creative activity at the University — featuring a research poster, design and art session, as well as a performance night and online video gallery, on Friday, March 27. All events are free and open to the public.
Climate policies can reduce emissions from economic growth in wealthy nations
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Climate policies can help economies grow without increasing greenhouse gas emissions, but only under strict conditions and mostly for the world’s wealthiest nations, according to a study by a Penn State researcher.