Natural gas-powered tractor to boost ag science research at Penn State
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Faculty and students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will soon have expanded opportunities for hands-on learning and research with the addition of New Holland’s fully methane-powered tractor.
Penn State’s 2025 Ag Progress Days a success in showcasing innovation, impact
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Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, held Aug. 12-14 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, was a successful showcase of agricultural innovation, research and technology, according to leaders in the College of Agricultural Sciences, which sponsored the event.
GPS-outfitted birds and citizen sightings to inform a better migration model
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Birds of a feather flock together, often traveling over enormous distances that can cross international borders. This can make managing and conserving critical populations of migratory birds extremely difficult, according to scientists at Penn State leading a team working to improve the understanding of migration movement at regional, continental and global scales. The team recently received a $848,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to support their work, which focuses on integrating two tracking methods into one powerful tool called an Integrated Movement Model.
Broken bones regrow quickly with help of biodegradable implant
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For most broken bones, bone cells regrow on their own while patients wear a cast or brace to keep the injury steady. More complex injuries require more complex solutions, though. Collaborating with orthopedic surgeons, a team led by biomedical engineering researchers at Penn State created CitraBoneQMg, an implantable biodegradable scaffold to support bone regrowth made by combining magnesium and glutamine with citric acid.
Stedelin appointed assistant VP for research strategy and solutions at Penn State
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Michael Stedelin, senior director for strategic optimization and IT solutions, has been promoted to assistant vice president for research strategic planning and solution development at Penn State, effective Aug. 15. In this role, Stedelin will provide senior leadership in integrating mission planning, systems and solutions within the research domain so that organizational capabilities are prioritized, adopted and scaled effectively to meet the University’s research goals.
College of Information Sciences and Technology welcomes 11 new faculty members
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The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology welcomed 11 new faculty members in July. They represent the college's three departments, including Human-Centered Computing and Social Informatics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems and Privacy and Cybersecurity Informatics.
Bacteria strains infecting cattle and humans in US are highly similar
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Researchers at Penn State investigated how strains of Salmonella Dublin — a type of bacteria that can cause severe illness and death in cattle and blood infections and hospitalization in humans — are evolving and spreading across humans, cattle and the environment in the United States.
Mechanical engineering professor receives national aerospace education award
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Jacqueline O’Connor, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been honored with the Aerospace Educator University Award from Women in Aerospace for her leadership in aerospace education and mentorship. She will receive the award at WIA’s 40th Annual Awards Ceremony in October 2025.
What traits matter when predicting disease emergence in new populations?
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When a disease-causing virus or other organism is transmitted from one species to another, traits of early virus spread help determine if a virus will ultimately persist in a new population, according to new research from Penn State and the University of Minnesota Duluth.
New director appointed at Huck Institutes Genomics Core
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Research Professor Cheryl Keller has been named the new director of the Genomics Core Facility in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.
Managing data privacy with math and statistics
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Many important insights can be gained through the study of complex datasets, for example from census and medical data, but these datasets often contain sensitive personal information. So, how can scientists use the data while ensuring that personal privacy isn’t compromised? Statisticians like postdoctoral researcher Shurong Lin study data privacy and develop algorithms that allow vital information to be mined from big datasets using techniques that mitigate privacy risks under a framework of statistical privacy.
Penn State releases new guide on identifying bees in Pennsylvania
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A new Penn State Extension publication, "Bees of Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Genera," is intended for those interested in learning to identify and learn about the diversity of over 440 bee species in Pennsylvania ecosystems.