College of Ag Sciences to offer International Ag Speaker Series
8/24/12
The Office of International Programs in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is offering an International Ag Speakers Series, beginning Aug. 29.
Africa
Africa
Higgins, associate professor of English, interviewed on
8/21/12
MaryEllen Higgins, associate professor of English at Penn State Greater Allegheny was recently interviewed about her forthcoming book, "Hollywood's Africa after 1994," on the radio station WBEZ in Chicago.
Africa2Ag Week slated for Aug. 27-31 at University Park
8/17/12
The annual Africa2Ag week, sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, will be held at the University Park campus, Aug. 27-31, during the first week of the fall semester.
'A Taste of Africa' showcased heritage and culinary specialties
2/27/12
The Penn State Beaver community gathered at noon Feb. 6, to share in "A Taste of Africa." The event, which was held at noon in the Student Union Building Lodge, showcased the heritage, history, music and food of Africa to increase awareness and understanding of the continent's diversity.
Members of the Cultural Fiesta: A Taste of Africa Committee performed African music and dance, displayed posters highlighting the history of various African countries. Committee members hosted tables featuring popular African foods, and attendees were invited to sample them as well as take recipe cards for each item.
Night Lights
1/25/12
Satellite images of nighttime lights, normally used to detect population centers, also can help keep tabs on diseases in developing nations, according to new research. An international research team that includes Matthew Ferrari, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, found that the composited images accurately indicate fluctuations in population density—and thus the corresponding risk of epidemic—that can elude current methods of monitoring outbreaks. The research is expected to help medical professionals synchronize vaccination strategies with increases in population density.
Undergraduate spearheads program to decrease child mortality
11/30/11
After a service trip to Uganda in 2009, Ce Zhang, a biology major in his senior year in Penn State's Schreyer Honors College, returned to Penn State determined to raise awareness of how poor hand hygiene in Uganda spreads bacterial diseases. Convinced that a simple, low-cost hand washing device could help, he started a student organization aimed at raising funds to install these devices. For their efforts, Zhang and his research partner, fellow Penn State undergraduate Adam Mosa, won a first place award in the Penn State Undergraduate Research Exhibition.
Catching Up with Steven Schiff
3/29/11
Steven Schiff, director of Penn State's Center for Neural Engineering, discusses what insipred him to embark upon a project to improve the quality of medical care in East Africa.
Untangling an African Medical Mystery
3/23/11
Dr. Steven Schiff, director of Penn State's Center for Neural Engineering, discusses his project to improve the quality of medical care in East Africa.
African wildlife preservationist strikes up a 'conversation'
5/13/10
Jeannie Magill is the originator and co-producer of "Milking the Rhino," a documentary film that highlights the importance of maintaining biodiversity through community-based conservation. Magill talks about her interest in this topic and her work in Africa on the next episode of "Conversations from Penn State." The show will air on the Big Ten Network at noon Monday, May 24 and at 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 25. It also will air on WPSU-TV at 9 p.m. Thursday, May 20.
Southern African genomes sequenced; benefits for human health expected
2/17/10
Human genomes from Southern African Bushmen and a Bantu individual, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have been sequenced by a team of scientists seeking a greater understanding of human genetic variation and its effect on human health. The team is led by Stephan Schuster at Penn State University in the United States and Vanessa Hayes at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Human genomics is a powerful and rapidly emerging medical resource. The scientists say they need to learn the full range of human genetic variation in order to learn how genes affect health, and that Southern Africa is the place to look.
Education students undertake African Book Project effort
12/1/09
Penn State College of Education students are taking part in an international cause aimed at improving the literacy of students in the African nation of Swaziland. They are collecting used books in support of the African Book Project, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in New Orleans. The project provides much-needed reading materials to children around the world.
Renowned ichthyologist's research in Africa spans three decades
10/9/09
When Jay Stauffer began studying fish in Africa's huge Lake Malawi back in the early 1980s, it was really all about the finned creatures. He didn't recognize the immense social and economic implications of his research until later.
Graduate Research Spotlight: Bharti discusses work in biology
2/17/09
From science, technology and business to the arts and humanities, graduate student researchers at Penn State are making meaningful contributions in their fields and preparing for careers that make a difference.
We sat down recently with biology doctoral candidate Nita Bharti who described her experiences as part of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics.
African initiative trains students, explores geophysical mysteries
2/13/09
Earthquakes, volcanoes and the African superplume are only some of the phenomena under investigation through AfricaArray, a program that establishes geophysical observatories, trains African and American students and examines geophysical phenomena on the African continent. "In order to train masters and doctoral students there has to be a research effort," said Andrew Nyblade, professor of geosciences, Penn State and co-director of AfricaArray. "We started with geophysics but we think it is a good model to support all geoscience," he told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Friday (Feb. 13) in Chicago.
Altruistic Penn State student makes a difference in Tanzania
4/18/08
This summer will be Penn State senior Michael Dissen's second journey across the globe to the small village of Imbaseni, Tanzania. An elementary education major from Pittsburgh, Dissen's first trip to the eastern country in Africa was in 2007, with other Penn State students and professors in the women's studies department who were interested in outreach beyond conventional borders.
Pages
College of Ag Sciences to offer International Ag Speaker Series
8/24/12
The Office of International Programs in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is offering an International Ag Speakers Series, beginning Aug. 29.
Higgins, associate professor of English, interviewed on
8/21/12
MaryEllen Higgins, associate professor of English at Penn State Greater Allegheny was recently interviewed about her forthcoming book, "Hollywood's Africa after 1994," on the radio station WBEZ in Chicago.
Africa2Ag Week slated for Aug. 27-31 at University Park
8/17/12
The annual Africa2Ag week, sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, will be held at the University Park campus, Aug. 27-31, during the first week of the fall semester.
'A Taste of Africa' showcased heritage and culinary specialties
2/27/12
The Penn State Beaver community gathered at noon Feb. 6, to share in "A Taste of Africa." The event, which was held at noon in the Student Union Building Lodge, showcased the heritage, history, music and food of Africa to increase awareness and understanding of the continent's diversity.
Members of the Cultural Fiesta: A Taste of Africa Committee performed African music and dance, displayed posters highlighting the history of various African countries. Committee members hosted tables featuring popular African foods, and attendees were invited to sample them as well as take recipe cards for each item.
Night Lights
1/25/12
Satellite images of nighttime lights, normally used to detect population centers, also can help keep tabs on diseases in developing nations, according to new research. An international research team that includes Matthew Ferrari, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, found that the composited images accurately indicate fluctuations in population density—and thus the corresponding risk of epidemic—that can elude current methods of monitoring outbreaks. The research is expected to help medical professionals synchronize vaccination strategies with increases in population density.
Undergraduate spearheads program to decrease child mortality
11/30/11
After a service trip to Uganda in 2009, Ce Zhang, a biology major in his senior year in Penn State's Schreyer Honors College, returned to Penn State determined to raise awareness of how poor hand hygiene in Uganda spreads bacterial diseases. Convinced that a simple, low-cost hand washing device could help, he started a student organization aimed at raising funds to install these devices. For their efforts, Zhang and his research partner, fellow Penn State undergraduate Adam Mosa, won a first place award in the Penn State Undergraduate Research Exhibition.
Catching Up with Steven Schiff
3/29/11
Steven Schiff, director of Penn State's Center for Neural Engineering, discusses what insipred him to embark upon a project to improve the quality of medical care in East Africa.
Untangling an African Medical Mystery
3/23/11
Dr. Steven Schiff, director of Penn State's Center for Neural Engineering, discusses his project to improve the quality of medical care in East Africa.
African wildlife preservationist strikes up a 'conversation'
5/13/10
Jeannie Magill is the originator and co-producer of "Milking the Rhino," a documentary film that highlights the importance of maintaining biodiversity through community-based conservation. Magill talks about her interest in this topic and her work in Africa on the next episode of "Conversations from Penn State." The show will air on the Big Ten Network at noon Monday, May 24 and at 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 25. It also will air on WPSU-TV at 9 p.m. Thursday, May 20.
Southern African genomes sequenced; benefits for human health expected
2/17/10
Human genomes from Southern African Bushmen and a Bantu individual, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have been sequenced by a team of scientists seeking a greater understanding of human genetic variation and its effect on human health. The team is led by Stephan Schuster at Penn State University in the United States and Vanessa Hayes at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Human genomics is a powerful and rapidly emerging medical resource. The scientists say they need to learn the full range of human genetic variation in order to learn how genes affect health, and that Southern Africa is the place to look.
Education students undertake African Book Project effort
12/1/09
Penn State College of Education students are taking part in an international cause aimed at improving the literacy of students in the African nation of Swaziland. They are collecting used books in support of the African Book Project, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in New Orleans. The project provides much-needed reading materials to children around the world.
Renowned ichthyologist's research in Africa spans three decades
10/9/09
When Jay Stauffer began studying fish in Africa's huge Lake Malawi back in the early 1980s, it was really all about the finned creatures. He didn't recognize the immense social and economic implications of his research until later.
Graduate Research Spotlight: Bharti discusses work in biology
2/17/09
From science, technology and business to the arts and humanities, graduate student researchers at Penn State are making meaningful contributions in their fields and preparing for careers that make a difference.
We sat down recently with biology doctoral candidate Nita Bharti who described her experiences as part of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics.
African initiative trains students, explores geophysical mysteries
2/13/09
Earthquakes, volcanoes and the African superplume are only some of the phenomena under investigation through AfricaArray, a program that establishes geophysical observatories, trains African and American students and examines geophysical phenomena on the African continent. "In order to train masters and doctoral students there has to be a research effort," said Andrew Nyblade, professor of geosciences, Penn State and co-director of AfricaArray. "We started with geophysics but we think it is a good model to support all geoscience," he told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Friday (Feb. 13) in Chicago.
Altruistic Penn State student makes a difference in Tanzania
4/18/08
This summer will be Penn State senior Michael Dissen's second journey across the globe to the small village of Imbaseni, Tanzania. An elementary education major from Pittsburgh, Dissen's first trip to the eastern country in Africa was in 2007, with other Penn State students and professors in the women's studies department who were interested in outreach beyond conventional borders.