National

Alumnus ensures 2013 U.S. Open goes off without a hitch

6/13/13

As did most fledgling golfers in the mid-1990s, Sean Palmer grew up admiring Tiger Woods, one of the most successful golfers in the history of the sport. So when, decades later, Woods arrived at the Merion Golf Club on the outskirts of Philadelphia to practice for the U.S. Open (set to take place at the club from June 13 to 16), Palmer -- now a first assistant golf professional -- was more than pleased.

Image of the front of Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital

Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital again ranked as one of nation's best

6/11/13

Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital has been ranked in five specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2013-14 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. Children’s Hospital ranked in cancer, urology, orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery, and cardiology and heart surgery -- two more specialties than last year.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Juliana Mercer is shown on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Penn State's veteran students eligible for priority registration for spring 2014

6/10/13

Veterans who have been honorably discharged from all branches of the U.S. military will be eligible to sign up for priority registration for Penn State classes beginning this September for Spring Semester 2014. Once the system is in place, qualifying students need only fill out and return a form to receive priority registration.

Nuclear security program announces first graduates

6/7/13

An effort to meet the growing need for trained nuclear security professionals passed a milestone recently as the first graduates from a joint effort by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Penn State, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Texas A&M were announced.

Law professor discusses implications of DNA evidence ruling by Supreme Court

6/6/13

After attending the oral arguments in Maryland v. King, a case that came before the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with DNA evidence, Penn State Dickinson School of Law professor and preeminent expert on DNA and statistical evidence David Kaye predicted that the lower court ruling would be overturned. Kaye talks briefly about the outcome of the case, why he would have focused on different issues than the majority and what issues unresolved by this ruling will likely come before the Supreme Court.

Announcement of 2012-2013 CMN campaign total

CMN raises a record $3.4 million for Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital

6/3/13

Children’s Miracle Network raised a record-breaking $3,408,112 for Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital in 2012-13. The total was announced during the 29th annual Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, which aired this past weekend on WGAL-TV8.

Shaver’s Creek witnessing collapse of Pennsylvania bat population

6/3/13

Doug Wentzel can count the number of little brown bats at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center on one hand. Wentzel, a naturalist and program director at Penn State’s nature center, has been observing the flying creatures for years and in the past, he’s seen thousands make their summer homes in central Pennsylvania. At last check, the bat boxes at Shaver’s Creek house only three bats.

Bat population suffers at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center

6/3/13

White-Nose Syndrome is decimating bat populations across the Northeast. Estimates show the fungal disease has killed millions of bats since 2006.

Nathaniel Bastian, a industrial engineering doctoral student, received a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship.

Industrial engineering graduate student receives NSF fellowship

6/3/13

Nathaniel D. Bastian, a doctoral student in the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, is the recipient of a 2013 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.

Video: Civil War expert sets stage for prelude to the Battle of Gettysburg

5/29/13

In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, faculty from Penn State's George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center recorded videos of their insights into the battle's significance and Penn Staters' role in it. In this first installment, William Blair, professor of history director of the Richards Civil War Era Center, takes a brief look at the forces that coalesced to make the Battle of Gettysburg one of the most important in U.S. military history. Watch the video at http://goo.gl/OBMII/.

One of the densest objects in the universe, a neutron star about 10,000 light years from Earth, has been discovered suddenly putting the brakes on its spinning speed.

Super-dense star is first ever found suddenly slowing its spin

5/29/13

One of the densest objects in the universe, a neutron star about 10,000 light years from Earth, has been discovered suddenly putting the brakes on its spinning speed. The event is a mystery that holds important clues for understanding how matter reacts when it is squeezed more tightly than the density of an atomic nucleus -- a state that no laboratory on Earth has achieved.

Robert P. Brooks (right) receives the 2013 National Wetlands Award for Science Research

Environmental Law Institute recognizes Penn State wetlands scientist

5/20/13

The Environmental Law Institute has announced that Robert P. Brooks, a wetlands scientist at Penn State, has received the 2013 National Wetlands Award for Science Research. Brooks and six other award recipients were honored at a ceremony at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., on May 9.

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project under way at The Navy Yard

5/13/13

A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center — a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Spearheaded by Penn State with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), the GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Structure is the first phase of the GridSTAR Center.

Houck appointed to sexual assault response panel

5/8/13

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has appointed retired Adm. James W. Houck, distinguished scholar in residence at Penn State Law and School of International Affairs, to a Congressionally-mandated panel charged with conducting an independent review of Department of Defense systems used to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate allegations of sexual assault in the military.

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.