Faculty, staff and students from across Penn State and especially in the College of Engineering and Materials Research Institute are mourning the loss of Russ Messier, graduate alumnus and professor emeritus of engineering science and mechanics, who died on Oct. 11 at age 80 in Nashua, New Hampshire.

To build the interest of students in pre-K through grade 12 in STEM fields, a team of aerospace engineering undergraduates built a fleet of LEGO models of vertical flight vehicles and demonstrate them at outreach events.

Richard Wilson has been named the fall 2024 student marshal for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at Penn State. He will receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Penn State College of Engineering with a minor in military studies.

Two high-powered N.Y. officials have put out a blueprint for overhauling teaching in the state, aiming for more-coherent policies for the profession.

With the U.S. facing the largest pay gap between teachers and similar professionals of any country surveyed by the OECD, Marc Tucker asks when we will finally address the embarrassingly obvious.

Teachers coming from alternative programs leave the profession at higher rates than their traditionally certified peers, and that gap is growing, a study finds.

As teacher strikes sweep the nation, Marc Tucker compares the trajectory of teaching to that of the nursing profession, one of high standards of entry and rigorous preparation.

This week, you'll hear from guest blogger and longtime reader favorite Heather Harding. Heather kicks off the week by discussing reforms to identify, retain, and prepare high-quality teachers—and why it's still important that we pay attention to these things.

Over the last two decades, STEM teachers have become increasingly more likely to be female and well-qualified.

Building off of his piece last week, Marc Tucker looks at how the economics of higher education and lacking state governance combine to weaken schools of education.

Public libraries are moving deeper into digital learning, often in partnership with schools and other institutions, to help prepare students for the skills they'll need for college and careers.

U.S. Department of Education money will help public television develop projects promoting math and literacy for children ages 2 to 8.

Summer programs that use multimedia may improve student literacy, numeracy, phonics skills, and math vocabulary, according to a study released by WestEd, a nonprofit education research organization. The report examines the Electric Company's Summer Learning Program, which is sponsored by the Sesame

This interactive map offers a quick way to examine state-by-state grades and summary data.

This national map tracks each state's mandates or recommendations on K-12 school closures and openings related to the coronavirus.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded a $96,099 grant to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Dunham Children’s Learning Center to help reduce fees for eligible students whose children are enrolled at the early childhood education facility in 2024-25.

A 1948 Tucker repaired by students at Pennsylvania College of Technology earned honors at the recent Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Division National Fall Meet in Hershey. The vehicle won the First Junior Award, meaning it was ranked the best among all cars judged for the first time in its class: limited production and prototype vehicles through 1998.

Mary Michael Shelley has been carving out a life in Ithaca, New York, since she graduated from Cornell University in 1972. The folk artist is sharing works representing the evolution of her 50-plus-year career in an exhibition at The Gallery at Penn College through Nov. 26.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge has recognized Pennsylvania College of Technology for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections and for its commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life.

A Pennsylvania College of Technology freshman is one of five students nationwide to receive a BASF Techs for Tomorrow scholarship.

About 15 automotive restoration and collision repair students at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently refurbished an iconic car to award-winning results. For one of those students, the experience was more than satisfying – it was personal. Ty M. Tucker, of Columbia, is the great-great grandson of Preston Tucker, the legendary automotive figure responsible for the 1948 Tucker that the students repaired to win the First Junior Award at the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Division Fall Meet in Hershey.

Tina Marie Kline, associate professor of nursing at Pennsylvania College of Technology, recently completed a doctorate in nursing education and administration from William Carey University.

A newly discovered protein naturally houses an unusual binding site that can differentiate between rare earth elements, and researchers at Penn State have made it even better. Rare earth elements are key components used in everything from modern tech to gasoline production. The protein, called LanD, enriches neodymium and praseodymium over other similar rare earth elements and has the potential to revolutionize industrial mining, researchers said.

Lu "Lucy" Bai, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of physics has been selected as the Verne M. Willaman Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded funding to four research projects that look to put promising climate solutions into action through interdisciplinary partnerships. 

Penn State announced the recipients of the inaugural Commonwealth Campus Undergraduate Community-Engaged Research Awards, a new program designed for faculty who specifically support undergraduate student participation in research that aims to improve community well-being.

Penn State University Libraries’ Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) has named 13 recipients of the 2024 Faculty Engagement Award with this year’s theme of “Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Teaching.” Recipients will collaborate with TLT staff to identify potential uses, constraints and best practices for using generative AI for teaching purposes. Faculty will utilize available generative AI tools including Microsoft Copilot and Adobe Firefly to assist in content creation, course planning and content delivery.

Penn State Hazleton Benefiting THON, the campus’ THON chapter, will host a designer purse and gift card bingo on Sunday, Oct. 20. Doors open at 1 p.m. and games will start at 2 p.m. in the Dr. Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium in the Physical Education Building. The event is open to the public. 

Flathead catfish — native to the Mississippi River basin — were first detected in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania in 2002, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the two decades since then, the invasive species has spread throughout the river basin. The impact of the large predator on the waterway’s food webs and ecology was unknown, but now a team including researchers from Penn State is beginning to understand what Susquehanna flatheads are eating and how their presence is affecting native aquatic species in the river.

Penn State Hazleton Associate Professor Joseph Ranalli developed a method to identify mislabeled equipment in solar plants by analyzing cloud motion, significantly reducing labor and costs for a large energy provider and enriching the educational experience for his engineering students by demonstrating real-world applications of data analysis. His collaboration with Principal Research Engineer Will Hobbs from Southern Co. has resulted in the publication of two articles and open-source software. 

One of the most traditionally time-consuming, labor-intensive processes of apple production is blossom thinning, which involves manually pruning flowers so that remaining blooms can reclaim the plant’s resources to grow better fruit. More recently, the process has shifted to broad chemical spraying, which can have harmful environmental impacts. To assist producers and mitigate environmental harm, the USDA has awarded a three-year, $601,125 grant to a team of Penn State researchers for the development of a robotic precision spraying system.

U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, was honored with the 2024 Leadership Award presented by the Penn State Ag Council at its fall meeting in State College. Also recognized were members of the Pennsylvania in the Balance initiative and undergraduate student Jessica Herr.

In 2014, Jane Cook joined the second-ever training class of Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteers. She was already active in the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, but since then, she has logged more than 1,000 volunteer hours educating the public and restoring local watersheds.

Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor of plant nutrition, retired this fall after an innovative and impactful 33-year career in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, focused on conducting research to alleviate world hunger and enhance crop production by subsistence farmers in developing countries.

A Penn State Extension land-use webinar on Nov. 20 will guide local officials on the ins and outs of implementing “active transportation plans.”
 

Penn State Centre Stage will produce Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” with book and lyrics by Hugh Wheeler, music directed by Anne Van Steenwinkel, Nov. 12–22, at the Playhouse Theatre on the University Park campus.

Michael Barasch and Dr. Ravi Shah were part of different sections during their time in the Blue Band, but today they are giving back in the same way, by establishing scholarships for Blue Band instrumentalists. They have pledged funds to establish five scholarships each to be awarded annually over the next five years.

Longtime School of Music faculty member Daryl Durran and his wife, Lois Durran, a violinist, have made an estate commitment of $750,000 to establish the Daryl and Lois Durran Endowment for the School of Music, which will provide scholarship support to undergraduate and graduate students in the school. Daryl Durran, professor emeritus of pedagogy and performance in bassoon, retired in 2022 after 39 years on the faculty.

Viral country singer-songwriter and former reality-star contestant Sam Barber will bring his “Restless Mind” tour to Happy Valley at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Joyce Henri Robinson has been named interim director of the Palmer Museum of Art, effective Dec. 1. She has been a curator at the Palmer since 1997 and has served as assistant director since 2018. Erin M. Coe, director since 2017, is stepping down to become the executive director of the Rockwell Museum (a Smithsonian Affiliate) in Corning, New York. A national search will be launched for a new permanent director.

Lindsay Mitchell, a Penn State World Campus graduate who earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in May, is one of Pennsylvania’s newest auditors after securing a position through an intern-to-hire program. World Campus offers the undergraduate accounting program in partnership with the Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration.

A new professional development course explores how Penn State faculty members and staff can help the parents, guardians and spouses of online learners while following federal and University privacy policies.

Donna Palumbo-Miele, executive director of the Center for Supply Chain Research at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, has been awarded the 2024 Women in Supply Chain award by Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

In the latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast, host Ryan Newman interviews Peter Cocoziello, chairman, founder and CEO of Advance Realty Investors, a company specializing in real estate development, construction and property management.

Students are invited to expand their professional network and connect with businesses during the second annual Pittsburgh Connect: Penn State Student Networking Summit at the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25.

Penn State’s Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation has awarded its inaugural seed grants. These grants are designed to support interdisciplinary research projects that foster collaboration led by Penn State researchers, aiming to make a significant impact on the future of the built environment and real estate practice. 

Ron Gebhardtsbauer and Greg Wright hope their $1 million estate commitment will help Penn State attract the type of high-achieving student for whom a scholarship offer can be the deciding factor between attending Penn State or another institution.

Many executives have reservations about backing either candidate in the US presidential election.

Dubai-based airline Emirates has banned pagers and walkie-talkies onboard its planes following sabotage attacks in Lebanon, and extended flight cancellations for Middle East destinations due to regional escalation.

US-based academics Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson won the 2024 Nobel economics prize "for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.