<p>Penn State alumna Dana Cuomo and current graduate student Lily Houtman partnered to map student-reported experiences of gender-based violence at Lafayette College. </p>

Penn State alumna, graduate student partner on campus safety mapping project

<p>Despite having identical genetic instructions, female honey bee larvae can develop into either long-lived reproductive queens or short-lived sterile workers who help rear their sisters rather than laying their own eggs. Now, an interdisciplinary team led by researchers at Penn State has uncovered the molecular mechanisms that control how the conflict between genes inherited from the father and the mother determine the larva’s fate.</p>

How a genetic tug-of-war decides the fate of a honey bee

<p>A research team from Penn State has broken a 165-year-old law of thermal radiation with unprecedented strength, setting the stage for more efficient energy harvesting, heat transfer and infrared sensing. Their results, currently available online, are slated to be published in Physical Review Letters on June 23.</p>

Rewriting a scientific law to unlock the potential of energy, sensing and more

<p>Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In this Q&amp;A, W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology and Marie Underhill Noll Chair in Human Performance at Penn State, and doctoral candidate Olivia Leach discuss their research on the upper limits of heat and humidity that people can withstand based on their age, sex and health.</p>

Q&A: Who is in the most danger during a heatwave?

<p>Twenty Penn State World Campus students traveled to Hungary for a weeklong immersive experience in April as part of their course work for programs offered through the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations.</p>

Students travel to Hungary for international learning experience

<p>Penn State has named J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox as its 2025 Philanthropists of the Year. The award recognizes individuals, couples or families who have demonstrated exceptional generosity in the promotion and support of the University. In 2024, the couple made a landmark gift of $20 million to endow and name the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State.</p>

J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox honored as Penn State’s Philanthropists of the Year

<p>Six projects designed by Penn State graphic design students garnered awards in the worldwide Graphis New Talent Awards 2025 with two submissions receiving the competition’s highest honor and an additional 26 projects receiving Honorable Mention accolades.</p>

Stuckeman graphic design students shine in Graphis New Talent Awards

<p>Aviral Srivastava, who earned his master's degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations from the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, was selected as a 2025 RSA Conference Security Scholar. </p>

IST cybersecurity graduate named RSA Conference Security Scholar

<p>The history of the Boston Bruins’ failed move to New Hampshire in the early 1980s demonstrates that residents and politicians can fundamentally alter deals related to team locations and venues, according to a report by Aaron Bonsu, doctoral candidate in kinesiology at Penn State.</p>

Q&A: Sports arenas — the importance of politics, fan response and public money

<p>To better understand potential contamination of the groundwater feeding the 3.5 million people served by private well systems in Pennsylvania, a team of researchers from Penn State conducted a novel three-year citizen science study of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often referred to as forever chemicals — in 167 private wells across the commonwealth.</p>

‘Forever chemicals’ detected in 65% of sampled private wells in Pennsylvania

<p>A cosmic particle detector in Antarctica has emitted a series of bizarre signals that defy the current understanding of particle physics, according to an international research group that includes scientists from Penn State.</p>

Strange radio pulses detected coming from ice in Antarctica

<p>The Penn State Alumni Association will recognize this year's Volunteer Award recipients during a ceremony July 27 on the University Park campus. All Penn Staters can register for the livestream, during which the Alumni Association will present six individual awards, made possible by endowments from alumni, and nine group awards, two of which are endowed by alumni. </p>

Registration open for 2025 Alumni Association Volunteer Awards livestream

<p>The Graduate Student Writing Retreat is one of a number of events organized by Penn State University Libraries to address the specific needs of graduate students. “Our goals are to introduce students to library resources and support in an informal setting, and to create space and structure for them to expand their social and professional networks,” said Sara Kern, engineering librarian.</p>

Libraries writing retreat provides graduate students support, community

<p>Hazel Velasco Palacios, a doctoral candidate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded a writing fellowship to help support her research on health care access for Pennsylvania farmworkers in the mushroom and dairy industries.</p>

Penn State Ag Sciences doctoral student awarded competitive national fellowship

<p>In a world first, a team led by researchers at Penn State used two-dimensional materials, which are only an atom thick and retain their properties at that scale, unlike silicon, to develop a computer capable of simple operations. The advancement, published in Nature, represents a major leap toward the realization of thinner, faster and more energy-efficient electronics, the researchers said.</p>

World’s first 2D, non-silicon computer developed

<p>For the first time, a team led by researchers at Penn State has developed a method of “fingerprinting” plant compounds called procyanidins, introducing a more sophisticated and accurate way to analyze the perceptual variation in many foods and drinks, including wine and chocolate.        </p>

‘Fingerprinting’ plant compounds helps explain food, drink tastes

<p>Environmental educators can improve teaching and leadership skills by acquiring knowledge from their students through youth-to-adult intergenerational learning, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management.</p>

How youth teach environmental educators through intergenerational learning

<p>Faculty members and graduate students from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications will once again play a prominent role at the annual International Communication Association conference. Their scholarly contributions will be featured across a variety of sessions at this year’s event, the organization’s 75th, which runs from June 12-16 in Denver, Colorado.</p>

Bellisario College scholars to share research at international conference

<p>Patrick Hickey, a spring 2025 graduate of the professional master of architecture degree program in the Stuckeman School, was named the winner of the Department of Architecture’s 2025 Jawaid Haider Award for Design Excellence in Graduate Studies for his thesis that questions how effective the Americans with Disabilities Act has been in the built environment since its establishment in 1991.</p>

Architecture alum honored for thesis examining ADA in the built environment

<p>The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named Evan Bozek, a doctoral candidate in engineering science and mechanics in the Penn State College of Engineering, one of 79 recipients of the 2025 DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research Award. Selected graduate students have the opportunity to continue their thesis research at a DOE facility for three to 12 months.</p>

Engineering grad student receives DOE award to research rock properties

<p>Two doctoral students from Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center have been selected to intern at QIAGEN's headquarters in Germany this summer. The internship program was developed as a collaboration between QIAGEN, a leading global biotechnology company, and the OHMC to foster trainee opportunities to develop skills in microbiome research and development.</p>

Two Penn State doctoral students selected for industry internship in Germany

<p>Data that has been lost in the weeds — or more accurately the turfgrass — could help improve estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from urban areas, according to a team led by scientists at Penn State.</p>

Lawn story: Turfgrass data may improve urban greenhouse gas emission estimates

<p>Milk protein and cellulose derived from plants may be the next big thing in sustainability, thanks to a first-of-its-kind advancement made by researchers at Penn State. Using a manufacturing technique called electrospinning, the team created nanofibers 1,000 times thinner than a human hair and then manipulated those fibers into mats that hold promise for a variety of products, like biodegradable — and even edible — food packaging.</p>

Edible, biodegradable fibers made from milk protein, cellulose

<p>More than 70 golfers participated in this year's golf outing, which raised $30,000 for scholarships to support graduate students at Penn State Great Valley. Penn State women's soccer head coach Erica Dambach spoke to reception attendees about the discipline of focusing on their attitudes. </p>

Penn State Great Valley golf outing raises $30,000 for student scholarships

<p>Thirteen Penn State engineering students from the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences took home several awards and scholarships from the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the American Association of Drilling Engineers this spring.</p>

Thirteen energy and mineral engineering students receive scholarships and awards

NSF grant funds re-surveying of Mood of the Nation Poll participants

<p>Data analytics alum Rahul Vemuri honed his skills in organizing large datasets predictive modeling to make sound business decisions. He showcased his skills during an industry partnership project and internship with PQ LLC. His talent in uncovering patterns and insights from the data impressed PQ’s leadership, leading to a full-time position as a data engineer specializing in market forecasting.  </p>

Great Valley grad harnesses the power of data for market demand forecasting

<p>The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) is seeking applications from graduate students, postdoctoral students and non-tenure-line faculty to contribute to research projects put forward by faculty. The projects seek to enhance ICDS core interests of artificial intelligence, computational and data sciences, digital twins or quantum sciences. Applications are due June 16.</p>

Interdisciplinary program announces funding opportunities for junior researchers

<p>The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) is seeking applications from graduate students, postdoctoral students and non-tenure-line faculty to contribute to research projects put forward by faculty. The projects seek to enhance ICDS core interests of artificial intelligence, computational and data sciences, digital twins or quantum sciences. Applications are due June 16.</p>

Interdisciplinary program announces funding opportunities for rising researchers

<p>The activation of Protein Kinase A (PKA) is a critical part in how the body responds to stress and starvation. Using a variety of imaging and biochemical techniques, a team of researchers from Penn State has revealed how the metabolic cycle that activates PKA resets itself between stressful events so the body is prepared to take on new challenges.</p>

Resetting the fight-or-flight response

<p>A team of Penn State Great Valley professors and students studied how well large language models, such as ChatGPT and Claude, can solve data science coding challenges. The researchers presented their work at the International Conference on Mining Software Repositories and won the Distinguished Paper Award from the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Software Engineering. </p>

Great Valley team’s research on artificial intelligence for coding wins award

<p>Researchers in the Penn State Department of Kinesiology developed and validated a brief, online questionnaire that can be used by athletic directors, doctors, dietitians, coaches, athletes or any interested person to determine whether an active, adult woman may be at risk for energy deficiency.</p>

New online tool predicts risk of energy deficiency in young, exercising women

<p>Two students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences’ turfgrass science program recently were selected for highly competitive United States Golf Association Green Section internships.</p>

Turfgrass science students selected for US Golf Association internships

<p>Tamara Peyton, who earned a doctoral degree from the College of Information Sciences and Technology in 2016, was recently named dean of the School of Media and Information Technology at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. </p>

IST doctoral alum named dean of Canadian iSchool

<p>Low breast and cervical cancer screening rates in Nepal may be associated with a lack of women’s autonomy to make health-related decisions on their own, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State Department of Health Policy and Administration.</p>

Women’s autonomy in health decisions may be a driver of cancer screenings

<p>Throwing a little heat on your meal might be an effective strategy for cutting back on calories, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.</p>

Looking to cut calories? Try adding chilies, study suggests

<p>Dan Bransfield is a recent master of public policy graduate of Penn State. His campus involvement and policy experiences prepared him to pursue law at Duke University this fall.</p>

Liberal Arts graduate prepares to tackle policy and law

<p>Ashlie Crosson, a Penn State College of Education alumna and English and journalism teacher at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, was named National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers and will spend the next year serving as a representative and advocate for educators across the country.</p>

College of Education alumna prepares to serve as National Teacher of Year

<p>Penn State geography doctoral student Harman Singh is giving back to the program that shaped her academic journey by mentoring undergraduates through the Department of Geography’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Connection. Through her leadership, Singh helps students gain research experience and professional development while strengthening her own mentorship skills.</p>

Graduate student mentorship helps undergraduates build research skills

<p>Pedro Robles, assistant professor of cyber analytics and operations at Penn State Lehigh Valley, and Daniel J. Mallinson, associate professor of public policy and administration at Penn State Harrisburg, were honored by the American Society for Public Administration with a best article award.</p>

Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg professors win best research article award

<p>Jason Lucas, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in informatics at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, credits his mentors for helping him define his interdisciplinary research path. </p>

Penn State connections lead doctoral student to interdisciplinary College of IST

<p>Each semester, staff across Penn State's colleges pull off what seems like an impossible task: Host the perfect ceremony to cap off every student's journey toward a degree. But commencement ceremonies are an undertaking that can't happen overnight. It takes the dedicated work of commencement coordinators and college staff to plan, prepare for and execute the biggest annual event at University Park.</p>

In photos: Setting the stage for Penn State's commencement ceremonies

<p>On May 9, Penn State Great Valley held a commencement ceremony honoring 474 students who have completed their graduate degrees this past academic year. MBA alumna Rina Desai, principal/owner of Eigen X, a professional services firm focused on data and technology, gave the keynote address.</p>

Penn State Great Valley honors graduates at 2025 commencement

<p>A Penn State pilot course brought police officers and community members together in Philadelphia to enhance law enforcement de-escalation skills and foster community connections through effective communication and trust building.</p>

Bridging the communication gap between police and the community

<p>A new one-year fellowship program created by Penn State’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) aims to give students and early-career professionals hands-on experience in taking scientific discoveries from the lab to the marketplace. The Next-Gen Innovators Program, a paid fellowship opportunity, is designed to train the next generation of leaders in technology commercialization through a cross-sector experience that includes rotations with a venture capital firm, a technology-based startup company and OTT.</p>

New fellowship program in research commercialization

<p>Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11, will mark a time of transition at the Penn State Smeal College of Business as the college bids farewell to more than 2,000 graduates.</p>

Penn State Smeal to award more than 2,000 degrees during spring 2025 commencement

<p>For the first time, scientists have discovered fossils of a living, endangered tropical tree in Borneo, revealing that Asia’s rainforests have sheltered these ancient giants for millions of years and highlighting the need for their conservation. The team was led by researchers at Penn State.</p>

First fossil evidence of endangered tropical tree discovered

<p>Nominations are now open for the first round of scholarships made possible through The Endowment for The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School. The first round includes general scholarships, dissertation completion awards, summer research funding, and military and veteran student scholarships.</p>

Fox Graduate School opens nominations for first scholarships from Fox endowment