News

New center to promote agricultural conservation in Pennsylvania

As part of an ongoing effort to promote soil and water conservation on farms, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has launched the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Andrew Read named interim senior vice president for research

Andrew Read, director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, has been selected to serve as interim senior vice president for research at Penn State during the two-year appointment of Lora Weiss as director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Research and Development Office. Read’s position will be effective July 1.

Heard on Campus: Martha Nelson on the SARS-CoV-2 virus in deer

“There don’t appear to be evolutionary adaptations required for human SARS-CoV-2 virus to transmit in deer so far,” said Eberly College of Science alumna Martha Nelson, reflecting on her past two years of work as a staff scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Lora Weiss selected to serve as CHIPS R&D director

Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research at Penn State, has been selected to serve as director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office for a two-year appointment beginning July 1, pending final clearance. During Weiss’ assignment, Andrew Read, currently director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Evan Pugh Professor of Biology and Entomology and Eberly Professor of Biotechnology, will serve as interim senior vice president for research.

Penn State Extension launches spotted lanternfly survey for the 2023 season

The Penn State Extension Grape and Wine Team is calling on farmers and vineyard owners in the mid-Atlantic region to participate in a survey aimed at tracking the spread and severity of spotted lanternfly populations during the 2023 season.

Essential process for SARS-CoV-2 viral replication visualized

During the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a long string of connected proteins is cleaved apart into individual proteins. This process is interrupted by an FDA-approved drug to treat COVID-19; however, the mechanistic details of this cleavage process are still unclear. Now, a team led by researchers at Penn State has produced the most detailed images to date of this process, revealing that these proteins are cleaved in a consistent order likely dictated by the structure of the protein string.

Penn State junior Ian Rivera earns Astronaut Scholarship

Ian Rivera, a junior Millenium Scholar from Caguas, Puerto Rico, majoring in mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, has earned a 2023 Astronaut Scholarship.

Predictive models show wildlife managers where to find destructive feral swine

Feral swine are considered one of the top invasive species of concern in North America because of the damage they do to agricultural and natural systems.

Penn State 3rd in US and 40th globally in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

Penn State remained in the top three in the U.S. and moved up globally from No. 47 to No. 40 out of nearly 1,600 international institutions that participated in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings.

Sustainability Institute recognized for service to State College Borough

The Penn State Sustainability Institute recently received the 2023 Arnold Addison Award during the annual Authorities, Boards, and Commissions (ABC) Dinner hosted by the Borough of State College.