40 groups will band together to push principles for "modernizing and elevating" teaching, but many of the groups have contrasting agendas.

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 why and how U.S. teacher education is holding our teachers, the profession and our schools back.

Building off of his piece last week, Marc Tucker looks at how the economics of higher education and lacking state governance combine to weaken schools of education.

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

The U.S. Department of Education awarded a $96,099 grant to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Dunham Children’s Learning Center to help reduce fees for eligible students whose children are enrolled at the early childhood education facility in 2024-25.

A physical therapy clinic — staffed by students supervised by licensed professionals and offering free services to volunteer community participants in need — is planned for fall 2025 at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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

A 1948 Tucker repaired by students at Pennsylvania College of Technology earned honors at the recent Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Division National Fall Meet in Hershey. The vehicle won the First Junior Award, meaning it was ranked the best among all cars judged for the first time in its class: limited production and prototype vehicles through 1998.

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.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Diesel Performance Club has captured another first place in drag race competition. The club's 1959 B-61 Mack drag truck, known as “Accelerated Learning,” won top honors in the “Big Rig Auto” bracket at the October Truck Fest at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey. That victory qualified the truck for the “King of the Island” bracket race, where it finished in second place.

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 Pennsylvania College of Technology freshman is one of five students nationwide to receive a BASF Techs for Tomorrow scholarship.

As a kid, Eli R. Rush fell in love with roller coasters. As an adult, he’s turned that passion into a livelihood. The Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus is a designer for a renowned manufacturer and builder of coasters.

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

Pennsylvania College of Technology has been awarded a $600,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry to develop a new sector apprenticeship in transportation. The apprenticeship will train bus mechanics, addressing the shortage of skilled bus service technicians and ensuring the consistent operation of public transit in urban and rural areas across the commonwealth.

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.

About 15 automotive restoration and collision repair students at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently refurbished an iconic car to award-winning results. For one of those students, the experience was more than satisfying – it was personal. Ty M. Tucker, of Columbia, is the great-great grandson of Preston Tucker, the legendary automotive figure responsible for the 1948 Tucker that the students repaired to win the First Junior Award at the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Division Fall Meet in Hershey.

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.

A newly discovered protein naturally houses an unusual binding site that can differentiate between rare earth elements, and researchers at Penn State have made it even better. Rare earth elements are key components used in everything from modern tech to gasoline production. The protein, called LanD, enriches neodymium and praseodymium over other similar rare earth elements and has the potential to revolutionize industrial mining, researchers said.

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.

A team of researchers from Penn State College of Medicine found that misfolded versions of a protein exhibit tissue-specific toxicity linked to cell degeneration that may be linked to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study is a step forward in understanding the physiological processes that may contribute to ALS development and progression and identifies a potential therapeutic target, the researchers said.

First and second-year medical students at the Penn State College of Medicine participated in a simulated rope rescue of an injured climber.

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. 

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded funding to four research projects that look to put promising climate solutions into action through interdisciplinary partnerships. 

Penn State announced the recipients of the inaugural Commonwealth Campus Undergraduate Community-Engaged Research Awards, a new program designed for faculty who specifically support undergraduate student participation in research that aims to improve community well-being.

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's trick-or-treating is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the Sports and Recreation Field at the campus. Children attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

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.

U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, was honored with the 2024 Leadership Award presented by the Penn State Ag Council at its fall meeting in State College. Also recognized were members of the Pennsylvania in the Balance initiative and undergraduate student Jessica Herr.

In 2014, Jane Cook joined the second-ever training class of Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward volunteers. She was already active in the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, but since then, she has logged more than 1,000 volunteer hours educating the public and restoring local watersheds.

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.