PSU Newswire

It's a safe bet that Christina Sharkey will be busier than any other new college graduate this Saturday (Aug. 14). She is one of approximately 2,168 Penn State graduates being honored in the Bryce Jordan Center at the 10 a.m. University Park campus summer commencement. However, after Sharkey graduates with three degrees, she has to change out of ...

David Hall, who has served as interim dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) since Jan. 1, has been appointed dean of the college, pending approval of the Board of Trustees at their Sept. 17 meeting. "In the process of searching nationally, we found that we had an outstanding leader already at the helm. Dr. Hall has done ...

Effective Sept. 1, Penn State Harrisburg athletic teams will compete as active members of the NCAA Division III. The NCAA's Division III Management Council accepted the college as an active member on June 20. Penn State Harrisburg joins the campuses of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Penn State Altoona; Penn State Berks and Penn State ...

After more than a half-century of involvement sending humans into space, the United States is now preparing for the shut down of NASA's human space flight programs. Findings from the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, known as the Augustine Commission, report that the current human space program, the Constellation ...

When Jennifer Pohl first walked into the macaw enclosures at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, she was bombarded with shrieks and screams. She was a potential threat to the birds. However, after a few weeks of bringing them food, and using calming phrases coupled with visual cues, the shrieking subsided and she was greeted by most of the birds with ...

From the headlines, you might think America was under attack by an army of millimeter-sized parasites. Media reports have bed bug "epidemics" plaguing cities from New York City to Bloomington, Ind., to Los Angeles. Similar upticks in bed bug populations have been reported in recent years, an apparent resurgence after almost 50 years of relative ...

Most scientists see members of their research team on a daily basis, but not Kasia Kordas. Kordas, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, always has been interested in working internationally and helping other institutions improve their own research programs. For four years she has been building up a research program in ...

L. Eric Cross, Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering, Penn State, is the recipient of the 2010 Von Hippel Award from the Materials Research Society. The Von Hippel Award is the society's highest honor and is "conferred annually to an individual in recognition of the recipient's outstanding contribution to interdisciplinary ...

On the next episode of "Conversations from Penn State," filmmaker Ken Burns talks about what it's like to "wake the dead" by bringing to light a diverse assortment of American stories and presenting them in a way that can appeal to everyone. The show will air at noon on Monday, Aug. 23 on the Big Ten Network. It also will air at 9 p.m. on ...

A community garden in the Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pa., is set to become part of Carver's Secret Garden. Carver's Secret Garden is a 4-H educational outreach program of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The program was initiated by Dauphin County cooperative extension to address the specific needs of urban and ...

The birth of a baby is the birth of a new family. Having a new baby is an exciting time for everyone in the family. Most families agree that breastfeeding gives a new baby the best start in life with health benefits that last a lifetime. New mothers and fathers often look to friends and family for support and encouragement with breastfeeding. ...

Micelle Emery of Fairfax, Va., is ready to take a semester off after the year she has had. She got divorced, became a single mother of five children ages 7 to 15, moved and started a new job and faced several personal health issues. Her father also died. This Saturday (Aug. 14), Emery will get a break from school when she picks up her bachelor of ...

Penn State's Joe Paterno has been nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. The nomination was made by U.S. Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA, 5th), who sent President Barack Obama a letter with 17 additional signatures asking that Paterno be rewarded for his efforts serving his team, ...

Parents understand the challenge of getting infants to sleep through the night, and now Penn State researchers show that being emotionally receptive can reduce sleep disruptions and help infants and toddlers sleep better. "Bed time can be a very emotional time. It heralds the longest separation of the day for most infants," said Douglas Teti, ...

Seven members of the faculty and staff in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences received an Honor Award from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Aug. 3 for their efforts in helping to wipe out plum pox virus in Pennsylvania. USDA Honor Awards recognize accomplishments that help ensure access to safe, nutritious and balanced meals ...

Big-box stores are featuring prominent and colorful displays of back-to-school gear, hoping for excited parents to quickly make choices and move on. But by budgeting for back-to-school clothing and supplies, a family can purchase exactly what is needed and save money, according to experts in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Cathy ...

Although many Internet services and sites allow customization and personalization that make visits online more efficient and enjoyable, two recent studies found that privacy concerns limit how both the most technology-savvy users and those with less expertise utilize opportunities to customize or personalize their online experiences. Results of ...

Training can alleviate some of the pain that occupational injuries bring to the long-term care industry, according to Penn State researchers. The study looked at injuries among home health aides. Home health aides typically visit patients' homes to assist with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and eating. Many people enrolled ...

Robin Becker, the 2010-11 Penn State laureate and professor of English and women's studies, will be sharing several of her poems during the following year, aiming to engage people "in the deep pleasures of poetry -- language crafted and shaped from words, the 'ordinary' material we all use every day," to explore how and why poems move us. In this ...

On the heels of consecutive Top 10 finishes, Penn State is ranked in the Top 15 entering the 2010 campaign. With the season opener four weeks away, the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches' preseason poll, which was announced today. The Nittany Lions enter Joe Paterno's 45th season as head coach coming off their second ...