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

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said that half of Chicago teachers were "illiterate" in a 2011 email, recently released to a city newspaper.

Marc Tucker explores the critical importance of trust in successful education systems and how trust was lost in U.S. education.

Education Week reporters Alyson Klein and Sean Cavanagh discuss the races to watch.

Participate in a chat about how multimedia tools are transforming teaching and learning in core academic subjects.

Sandra Gorka, professor of computer information technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology, recently addressed a national conference for IT educators.

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.

A former computer engineer turned motivational speaker will share his dynamic insights on “Bridging the Digital Divide: Unlocking Access and Opportunity in Education” during a Nov. 6 presentation of the Technology & Society Colloquia Series at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The Plastics Innovation & Resource Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology conducted a flurry of workshops in October, delivering training to 25 professionals, representing 14 companies, four states and Canada.

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 federal grant that enhanced services for veteran students at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently ended, but its benefits will endure.

More than 100 middle and high school students and teachers from throughout the state learned valuable lessons during the recent Cyber Challenge Day at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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.

Paul Frank Baum, Evan Pugh University Professor of Mathematics at Penn State, has been honored by Penn State with the title of Atherton Professor. The University created the Atherton Professorship to recognize the continuing high level of scholarly or creative activity Evan Pugh Professors may pursue after their retirement.

David Radice, associate professor of physics and of astronomy and astrophysics, has been selected to receive a Sustainment Award from NASA to advance an open-source code called AthenaK for computational astrophysicists. The grant will provide nearly $920,000 over three years.

Using a new method to turn stripped-down plant cells into other types of cells, Penn State biologists explored how structural banding patterns increase the stability of cell walls. They also explored how their assembly goes astray in mutant plant cells, which could inform methods to break down plant cells for biofuels.

According to a new study led by Penn State biologists, the composition of beneficial microorganisms within the mouth differs over a range of subsistence strategies — from nomadic hunter gatherers to farmers to industrialized groups. Additionally, lifestyle factors like smoking and diet can shape the oral microbiome.

A new method, developed by Penn State researchers, can test the activity of thousands of RNA enzymes, called ribozymes, in a single experiment.

Alaina G. Levine, president of Quantum Success Solutions LLC, professional speaker, STEM career coach, and author, will give the fall 2024 A. Dixon and Betty F. Johnson Lecture in Scientific Communication at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 in 100 Thomas Building on the Penn State University Park campus. The free public lecture is open to the Penn State community.

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.

Poor sleep is linked to cardiometabolic disease, depression and anxiety, among other concerns. Sleep disturbances can begin in childhood, but insomnia symptoms in children aren’t always taken seriously — and how childhood symptoms develop into a persisting disorder remains elusive. Learn more from Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, professor at the College of Medicine, in the next Virtual Speaker Series from the Penn State Alumni Association from noon to 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 18. 

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. 

At the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona, a garden yields fresh produce such as corn, tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini and peppers. It is part of the Seed to Supper program, a Penn State Extension Master Gardener initiative that teaches adults on a limited budget how to grow their own food. For one veteran in hospice care, the garden became a lifeline.

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.

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.

The effectiveness of national voluntary programs asking companies to pledge to lower their pollution and greenhouse gas emissions depends on pressure from the public, according to a new study led by a Penn State researcher.

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.

The latest episode of "Growing Impact" explores how a research team is using computer modeling and animations to visualize future flood and levee failure scenarios.

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.

Penn State’s Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research has designated its inaugural cohort of Assessment Champions for 2024-25. This new program recognizes individuals who are deeply committed to enhancing student learning through learning assessment.

Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), part of Penn State University Libraries, is accepting proposals for the 2025 TLT Symposium, scheduled for March 22, 2025. Open to Penn State faculty and staff, the event showcases ways technology can enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Attendees will share unique ways they use technology, network with colleagues, and generate new project ideas.

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.

Penn State World Campus is hosting a virtual leadership summit this month and invites students from across the University to attend.

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.

Matthew Gustafson, Robert and Judith Klein Professor of Finance in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State, will give the talk, “The Biodiversity Protection Discount,” at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in 157 Hosler Building on the University Park campus. Lecture is free and open to the public.

Dan and Robyn Ives recently made a $100,000 commitment to create the Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Initiatives Fund in the Penn State Smeal College of Business. Their annually funded gift will give Smeal’s eLearning Design and Innovation Group $20,000 a year over the next five years to explore the challenges and opportunities that AI presents for Smeal students, faculty and staff and to expand educational and experiential learning opportunities around AI.

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. 

Three Penn State Online MBA students attended the 2024 homecoming game — including one in an unconventional way.

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.

A Kenyan court ruled on Friday that Facebook's parent company Meta could be sued in the East African nation over the dismissal of dozens of content moderators by a contractor.

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

Berlin must compensate Mozambicans who were not paid for working in the former East Germany, the top official in charge of atoning for the injustices of the communist dictatorship said on Monday.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has become an AI powerhouse after securing Silicon Valley's largest-ever funding round. The company now faces the challenge of delivering on its promise to become the next Apple or Google.

Tencent Holdings and Ubisoft Entertainment SA's founding Guillemot family are considering options, including a potential buyout of the French video game developer, after it lost more than half its market value this year, according to people familiar with the matter.