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.

The latest episode of "Growing Impact" explores how a research team is using computer modeling and animations to visualize future flood and levee failure scenarios.

Viral country singer-songwriter and former reality-star contestant Sam Barber will bring his “Restless Mind” tour to Happy Valley at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Joyce Henri Robinson has been named interim director of the Palmer Museum of Art, effective Dec. 1. She has been a curator at the Palmer since 1997 and has served as assistant director since 2018. Erin M. Coe, director since 2017, is stepping down to become the executive director of the Rockwell Museum (a Smithsonian Affiliate) in Corning, New York. A national search will be launched for a new permanent director.

Penn State’s Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research has designated its inaugural cohort of Assessment Champions for 2024-25. This new program recognizes individuals who are deeply committed to enhancing student learning through learning assessment.

Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), part of Penn State University Libraries, is accepting proposals for the 2025 TLT Symposium, scheduled for March 22, 2025. Open to Penn State faculty and staff, the event showcases ways technology can enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Attendees will share unique ways they use technology, network with colleagues, and generate new project ideas.

Lindsay Mitchell, a Penn State World Campus graduate who earned a bachelor's degree in accounting in May, is one of Pennsylvania’s newest auditors after securing a position through an intern-to-hire program. World Campus offers the undergraduate accounting program in partnership with the Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration.

Donna Palumbo-Miele, executive director of the Center for Supply Chain Research at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, has been awarded the 2024 Women in Supply Chain award by Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

Students are invited to expand their professional network and connect with businesses during the second annual Pittsburgh Connect: Penn State Student Networking Summit at the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25.

Dan and Robyn Ives recently made a $100,000 commitment to create the Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Initiatives Fund in the Penn State Smeal College of Business. Their annually funded gift will give Smeal’s eLearning Design and Innovation Group $20,000 a year over the next five years to explore the challenges and opportunities that AI presents for Smeal students, faculty and staff and to expand educational and experiential learning opportunities around AI.

Three Penn State Online MBA students attended the 2024 homecoming game — including one in an unconventional way.

Ron Gebhardtsbauer and Greg Wright hope their $1 million estate commitment will help Penn State attract the type of high-achieving student for whom a scholarship offer can be the deciding factor between attending Penn State or another institution.

President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk in New York to discuss investment opportunities in SA, the Presidency said on Tuesday.

A Kenyan court ruled on Friday that Facebook's parent company Meta could be sued in the East African nation over the dismissal of dozens of content moderators by a contractor.

Many executives have reservations about backing either candidate in the US presidential election.

Berlin must compensate Mozambicans who were not paid for working in the former East Germany, the top official in charge of atoning for the injustices of the communist dictatorship said on Monday.

Tencent Holdings and Ubisoft Entertainment SA's founding Guillemot family are considering options, including a potential buyout of the French video game developer, after it lost more than half its market value this year, according to people familiar with the matter.

The country’s clothes manufacturers are taking a beating from imported ‘preloved’ clothes and a struggling economy.

Dubai-based airline Emirates has banned pagers and walkie-talkies onboard its planes following sabotage attacks in Lebanon, and extended flight cancellations for Middle East destinations due to regional escalation.

Zimbabwe sought to assure citizens that its gold-backed currency would not suffer another steep devaluation and steps were being taken to assure its defence.

US-based academics Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson won the 2024 Nobel economics prize "for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.

China is trying to revive its economy from a COVID-era slump, but is it doing too little, too late?

In an extraordinary twist that has upended an already unpredictable election, the world's richest man has become Donald Trump's most influential supporter in his bid to return to the White House.

Kenya plans to re-introduce some of the tax hikes that sparked deadly protests earlier this year, the government announced Friday, while a new deputy president was sworn in after weeks of drama.

In a small neon-lit factory in Maputo, a dozen workers are hand-rolling premium cigars intended for the global market, seemingly undisturbed by the pungent tobacco smell.

SINGAPORE, Nov 8 - Asia and even China are shaping up as surprisingly resilient investment markets as Donald Trump returns to the White House, with fund managers optimistic the region can withstand tariffs better than Europe.

As 1 million people head to cast ballots, the election results are likely to be announced on Monday.

Trump's election as US president brings back a champion of the oil industry to the White House.

Michael Pittaro, director of corrections for Northampton County and associate professor of criminal justice at American Military University, shared stories about his experiences over his 35-year career in the field of corrections with Penn State Lehigh Valley criminal justice students recently.

Penn State Lehigh Valley criminal justice program adjunct instructor Corallys Fernandez's work in the juvenile probation field was recently recognized on a state level.

Faculty and staff from Penn State Lehigh Valley were among the slate of presenters and panelists at the annual Commonwealth Connections Instructor Days, a virtual event whose goal is to share strategies and tools for success in teaching.

A sweet dessert infused with tropical flavors took home the top prize in the 6th Annual Start Up Lehigh Valley pitch competition held on Oct. 15 at Baker Hall, Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem. The annual event recognizes and encourages new business ventures in the greater Lehigh Valley

Shifts in how reading is taught have led to declining reading literacy scores on standardized tests across U.S.

The dollar slid on Monday as investors braced for a potential pivot this week for the global economy as the United States chooses a new leader, and as it likely cuts interest rates again with major implications for bond yields.

The latest investment insights and market developments.

The dollar softened on Tuesday as traders squared positions on the day of the US presidential election, after recent polls dented some market bets on a victory for Republican Donald Trump.

The rand fell, while the dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high Wednesday while most US equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Donald Trump as results for the US presidential election rolled in.

Donald Trump has pledged to make the United States the "bitcoin and cryptocurrency capital of the world"

Mexico led a currency meltdown, while China spurred an equity selloff, as emerging markets trembled at Donald Trump's likely return to White House.

As Donald Trump appears poised to head back to the White House, the US dollar and stock market are seen as winners, but a Republican presidency could weigh on bonds, emerging markets, clean energy and sustainable investing.

Nov 6 - With Donald Trump heading back to the White House, Wall Street is anticipating the potential for lower taxes, deregulation and a U.S. president who is quick to sound off on everything from the stock market to the dollar. Trump made tariffs a