Agricultural museum namesake and associate dean emeritus dies at 97
4/5/13
Jerome K. Pasto, associate dean emeritus in the College of Agricultural Sciences and founder and namesake of the Pasto Agricultural Museum, died March 17 at the age of 97.
Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural Sciences
Royer named director of Agriculture and Environment Center
4/5/13
Matthew Royer, an environmental attorney, with experience working for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, has been named as the new director of the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Webinar to focus on effective citizen engagement in land-use planning
4/5/13
Penn State Extension will offer a Web-based seminar showing community leaders how to better engage local citizens in issues surrounding land-use planning.
To be presented at noon and 7 p.m. on April 17, "Developing More Effective Citizen Engagement: A How-To Guide for Community Leaders," will give participants thoughtful suggestions for dealing with and involving citizens in land-use decision making.
Entomologist receives Black Award for Excellence in Research
4/5/13
Matthew Thomas, professor of entomology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Huck Scholar in Ecological Entomology, has been chosen to receive the 2012-13 Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research. The award, which includes a $1,500 cash stipend and a plaque, recognizes significant accomplishments in agricultural research at Penn State.
Speaker to address 'triple bottom line' of food and agriculture policy
4/5/13
Between rising costs, a sluggish economy and a changing climate, these are uncertain times for those involved with food, agriculture and health. David Wallinga will reveal the hidden opportunities in the midst of these challenges when he delivers a talk as part of the M.E. John Lecture Series. The event will take place at 2:30 p.m. April 19, in 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building on the University Park campus.
Ag Day 2013
4/3/13
The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences celebrated Ag Day on April 3, 2013, with events in Alumni Hall at the HUB-Robeson Center and on the Berkey Creamery lawn at University Park. Now in its fifth year, Ag Day showcases opportunities in the college and presents information about agricult
Jones, Laliberté honored with Kopp International Achievement Award
4/1/13
Kristal Jones, a doctoral candidate in agricultural economics, sociology and education in the College of Agricultural Sciences, and Nicole Laliberte, a doctoral candidate in geography and women's studies, have been honored as co-recipients of the 2013 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award for graduate students. The award recognizes graduate students who have contributed significantly to the advancement of the international mission of the University. It is named in honor of the late deputy vice president for international programs.
Hoover honored with Kopp Award for undergraduate students
4/1/13
Allison Hoover, a junior majoring in agricultural and extension education in the College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded the 2012 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award for undergraduate students.
Henry, Passiment named 2013 Hetzel Award recipients for leadership
4/1/13
Michael Henry, a senior majoring in immunology and infectious disease in the College of Agricultural Sciences, and Michael Passiment, a senior majoring in public policy in the Capital College at Penn State Harrisburg, have been named recipients of the 2013 Ralph Dorn Hetzel Memorial Award.
Student group's fundraiser helps get lawnmowers ready for spring
3/29/13
The student chapter of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers will hold its annual lawnmower maintenance clinic on April 5 and 6.
Food Science students place high at national product development event
3/29/13
Penn State Culinology team finished third in national competition in Charlotte, N.C.
Changes to fall turkey-hunting season urged to bolster research project
3/29/13
Wildlife ecology adjunct associate professor Duane Diefenbach is conducting research on hunter harvests of wild turkeys in fall seasons.
Penn State team recognized for 4-H, nutrition research databases
3/28/13
A Penn State team has received accolades for developing research databases related to 4-H and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, also known as EFNEP. Led by Jan Scholl, associate professor of agricultural and extension education, and Amy Paster, associate librarian in the Penn State University Libraries, the team was selected to receive the 2013 Oberly Award for Bibliography in the Agricultural or Natural Sciences from the Association of College and Research Libraries.
Bug Camp opens kids' eyes to fascinating world of insects
3/28/13
Children attending one summer camp this year will encounter a lot of bugs. But they won't have to pack insect repellent. Young bug enthusiasts can satisfy their curiosity about insects by attending Penn State's Bug Camp for Kids, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 24-27.
Student Stories: Forest science major studies Aussie ecosystem
3/28/13
Darcy McKinley Lester does not like baked beans and spaghetti on toast for breakfast, but she said that dish is hard to avoid when you study abroad in Australia. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native studied at the Australian National University in Canberra last spring.
Pages
Biting the Plant that Feeds You
9/1/98
She's part pilgrim and part vampire, purplish black and pear-shaped. Moments after her April birth, the aphid creeps along the smooth witch hazel leaf until she finds a suitable intersection of veins. She thrusts her needle mouth into the junction and begins to feed, sucking the sweet sap from the plant.
Agricultural museum namesake and associate dean emeritus dies at 97
4/5/13
Jerome K. Pasto, associate dean emeritus in the College of Agricultural Sciences and founder and namesake of the Pasto Agricultural Museum, died March 17 at the age of 97.
Penn State places 6th in U.S. National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest
5/10/13
A Penn State student team recently placed sixth at the National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest in Wisconsin.
Webinar to examine effect of shale-gas development on rural roads
5/10/13
The impact that natural-gas development in deep shale formations has on rural Pennsylvania roads will be the focus of a free, Web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.
Pasto Agricultural Museum to be open for events in May, June
5/10/13
The Pasto Agricultural Museum will be open for two upcoming public events that bring the Ag Progress Days grounds, where it is located, to life this spring.
Online beekeeping course receives international recognition
5/9/13
A Web-based Penn State Extension course designed to help beginning and experienced beekeepers gain the knowledge they need to be successful has been recognized for online excellence. Beekeeping 101 was named an official honoree in the 2013 Webby Awards. The course was one of 11 honorees in the Education category.
Van Saun receives 2013 Excellence in Academic Advising Award
5/9/13
Robert Van Saun, professor of veterinary science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected to receive the college's 2013 Excellence in Academic Advising Award.
Webinar to examine environmentally sustainable stormwater management
5/8/13
Penn State Extension will offer a Web-based seminar focusing on low-impact development, a stormwater-management strategy designed to mitigate the impacts of increased runoff and resulting pollution.
Mysterious insect to emerge in parts of Pennsylvania
5/8/13
One of the world's most mysterious insects is about to invade the skies over wooded areas in eastern Pennsylvania and other states, but an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says it's not a cause for alarm. Residents of 17 Pennsylvania counties soon will see an emergence of periodical cicadas, commonly but mistakenly called 17-year locusts.
Student Stories: 'Bird scientist' does unique work in Hawaii
5/8/13
Mike Lohr early on knew exactly what he wanted to be. When he was a kid, he called it a "bird scientist." Now he knows the proper title is avian ecologist. The 2005 Penn State alumnus currently is involved in a groundbreaking conservation project at the Ka'ena Point Coastal Reserve in Hawaii.
Bonnie Ford accepts the 2013 Dairy Laboratory of the Year Award
5/3/13
Bonnie Ford, quality assurance laboratory specialist in Penn State's Department of Food Science, recently accepted the 2013 Dairy Laboratory of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Milk, Food, and Environmental Sanitarians. Ford is responsible for the operation of the Berkey Creamery's Dairy Testing Laboratory.
Number of foodborne illness cases largely unchanged in U.S.
5/3/13
Recently released reports about the frequency of foodborne illness -- commonly known as food poisoning -- show that the risks have not changed much in recent years, according to an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Penn State to host international conference on pollinator health
4/29/13
With populations of wild and domesticated pollinators, such as honeybees, in decline, some of the world's foremost scientists in the field will converge on Penn State this summer to discuss the latest research aimed at understanding and overcoming challenges to pollinator health. Hosted by the Center for Pollinator Research in the College of Agricultural Sciences, the second International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy will be held August 14 to 17 at The Nittany Lion Inn.
CED major, honors student named College of Ag outstanding senior
4/27/13
A community, environment and development major who is a Schreyer Honors College student has been named the outstanding senior in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Class of 2013.
Changing cellulose-forming process may tap plants' biofuel potential
4/26/13
Changing the way a plant forms cellulose may lead to more efficient, less expensive biofuel production, according to Penn State engineers. "What every biofuel manufacturer wants to do is to get to the sugars," said Jeffrey Catchmark, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering. "But the structure of cellulose itself can be an obstacle."