Group projects founder when students don't work well together. Here's the latest thinking on evaluating students on both content mastery and collaboration skills.

Penn State New Kensington will honor its fall 2023 and spring 2024 graduates on May 6 with an in-person ceremony at 10 a.m. The ceremony will also be livestreamed. Adis Juklo, alumnus and current meteorologist at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker.

Jacob Guerrini, a junior electro-mechanical engineering technology student at the New Kensington campus, was named the 2024 Berger Scholarship recipient.

Robert Howard and John DeRiggi inducted to the New Kensington Athletics Hall of Fame on April 17. 

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 14 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

Kevin Snider, who became chancellor of the New Kensington campus in 2008, will leave behind a legacy of innovation, fostering partnerships and community development when he retires from Penn State on Dec. 31.

Penn State students are experiencing a transformative way of learning thanks to a collaboration between Teaching and Learning with Technology Media Commons and Maker Commons, part of University Libraries, and College of the Liberal Arts faculty in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Together, they have developed project-based assignments that incorporate hands-on maker technologies, giving students a unique opportunity to enhance their technical and creative skills while promoting social justice and community values.

Erin Kitt-Lewis, associate director of education for the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing’s Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, has been named a 2024 Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. 

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus will host the 52nd annual Shakespeare Festival on Oct. 22-23. This event will feature an 80-minute production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" by The Linny Fowler WillPower Tour, followed by a Q&A session with the cast. The festival, free and open to the public, will be held in the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium, located in the Community Center.

Eric Wicklund, co-author of "Through a Convict’s Eyes: An Overlooked View of the Criminal Justice System," will visit Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus at 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 29 to discuss his insights on criminal rehabilitation. He will be joined by his co-author, Lavarr McBride, who has worked in the criminal justice field for 39 years and serves as a professor of criminal justice at Penn State Fayette.

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus will host 24 basketball games inside its Community Center Main Arena between Nov. 5, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2025.

Virtual reality goggles with a choice of soothing environments or guided meditations, a color-changing bubble wall, a prayer area, Zen garden and massage chair: These are all options provided by Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Counseling Services to help students relax and stay calm.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Friedman Art Gallery is preparing to open a new exhibit. “Photography of Protest” by photographer Michael Mirabito will open on Oct. 31 and continue until Dec. 3. The gallery is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre are invited to take part in the annual Mental Health Awareness Day, set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 18. The event is designed to promote mental health awareness and self-care, reduce stigma, and provide students with an opportunity to engage in self-care activities. 

Penn State Wilkes-Barre is hosting an open house for prospective students and their families from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 19.

They first met in kindergarten, and now they’re in college together. Caleb Balas, Nikolas Kistner and Alexis McGrady were educated at Hanover Area schools throughout elementary, middle and high school. Coming from a graduating class of 111 students, they frequently saw each other throughout school. Since they each made their college choice individually, they didn’t know they would continue to see each other at Penn State Wilkes-Barre — and all three said it’s nice seeing familiar faces.

High school students interested in science, technology, engineering, the arts or mathematics (STEAM) are invited to a day of hands-on STEAM activities at Penn State Wilkes-Barre at no cost. “Exploring STEAM Careers” will be held at the campus on Nov. 6. Sessions will be held in the areas of chemistry, engineering, information technology, mathematics and surveying engineering.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a popular community craft show coordinated by Arts at Hayfield on Nov. 3.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre held its first Surveying Career Summit on Oct. 16, providing high school students interested in surveying engineering with the opportunity to visit the campus and learn more about their field of interest.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre was selected as “Best College Campus” in a local media group’s annual readers’ choice awards program.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre has received a donation from the Pennsylvania Land Surveyors’ Foundation, enabling the program to purchase additional equipment.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a ceremony on Veterans Day to honor the bravery and dedication of our nation’s service members on Nov. 11 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. The event will also serve as a rededication for the Daniel S. Walko Memorial, which honors a fallen service member who was a campus alumnus.

Penn State researchers explain what election and campaign finance laws say about Kamala Harris becoming the presumed presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket.

Penn State Law in University Park welcomed 131 first-year juris doctor students to the Lewis Katz Building on Aug. 21-22 for J.D. Orientation.

Michael Helbing, executive director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy and adjunct professor of law at Penn State, will give the talk, “Flying into the future: sustainable aviation fuel and the policies impacting its development,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, in 112 Walker Building at Penn State University Park.

The Penn State School of Music will host internationally acclaimed classical guitarist Julia Trintschuk for a two-day residency, Nov. 15-16, featuring a masterclass and recital that are free and open to the public.

Accomplished writer and Penn State alum Jami Nakamura Lin will read from her works at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, in Foster Auditorium as part of the 2024-25 Mary E. Rolling Reading Series.

Roebuck will discuss his past and future projects, many of which were filmed in the Lehigh Valley.

The Emily Dickinson Lecture featuring acclaimed poet Ilya Kaminsky will now take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in Paterno Library's Foster Auditorium.  The event — rescheduled from an earlier date — is free and open to the public.

The Penn State Berks theatre department will present “8 at Eight” — a collection of eight light-hearted, eight-minute plays at 8 p.m. Nov. 13-16 in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

Penn State School of Music announces the inaugural performance of its Opera Workshop, led by new faculty members Dawn Pierce and Parker Konkle. The performance, titled "Seasons of Love," will take place on Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the School of Music’s Recital Hall. This unique presentation will explore a range of lyric repertoire, offering an avant-garde experience that merges music, movement, and storytelling. 

The Woskob Family Gallery will host “Hands-on History: The Experience of Braiding a Lost Inca Rope” from Nov. 15-17, where participants will learn ancient braiding techniques and contribute to the reconstruction of a centuries-old Incan rope. The workshop will be open to the public each day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and participants are encouraged to dedicate at least one hour to the workshop.

Patients like it more when "AI doctors" recall their social information and offer privacy control, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.

Offices in need of digital communications assistance for the spring 2025 semester can receive support from CommAgency, Penn State’s student-run media production agency. Clients for spring 2025 should inquire by Nov. 17, 2024.

Like in the Parable of the Sower, many people play an important role in Andrea’s life as she as she comes to faith in Christ.

Sharing about Christ isn’t bound to a location, experienced OM team members in Buenos Aires, Argentina, recently.

The healing of her son, and one worker’s patient witness, leads an Argentine women to repent and accept Christ as her Saviour.

A group of 35 children from an underprivileged area in Buenos Aires enjoy a camp in the countryside, organised by OM team members.

Team members in Buenos Aires see a hunger for God's Word in a children's home and start using Bible-story colouring booklets to teach the kids.

The Penn State DuBois Office of Student Engagement will welcome students and members of the public to Hiller Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 3, to hear from leadership speaker Tom Krieglstein.

Before the fall semester started, 19 honors students from Penn State DuBois embarked on an unforgettable journey across Europe, visiting Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. The weeklong trip, part of the honors scholar program, allowed students to immerse themselves in new cultures, savor local cuisines, explore historical landmarks, and encounter diverse wildlife.

First- and second-year students are invited to attend sessions through Link Penn State to learn more about the change-of-campus process. 

The Penn State DuBois men’s basketball team started the 2024-25 season on a high note, winning its first two games over the weekend in strong showings against Bucks County Community College and Central Penn at Penn State Mont Alto.

The Penn State DuBois basketball season is off to a competitive start, with both the men’s and women’s teams showcasing their skills in early games. The women’s team began its campaign on a high note, capturing a commanding victory, while the men’s team fought a hard battle in a closely contested home opener.

In Qatar, there is a sudden interest in the Korean language and culture.

Do we only see isolated radicalism, or can we see a beautiful destiny for Arabs as well?

A follower of Jesus stands up for his faith in the midst of opposition.

Senior leader shares valuable insights about tent making in the Arab world, learned from 14 years of experience working cross culturally.

How prayer changed a situation to an opportunity to share God's word.