How can you snorkel between two tectonic plates, hike along a canyon hundreds of feet deep and enjoy a bonfire in the mountains­ — all in the same day, and all while learning about sustainability? Shaylee Traugh has the answer.

Ann Taylor always wanted the experiences of being Penn State University Faculty Senate chair but knew her job duties as assistant dean for distance learning and director of the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute wouldn’t allow for the time commitment. So the guru of nontraditional learning found a way to make it work.

The Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery on the ground floor of the Deike Building at University Park will extend its hours to be open prior to Penn State home football games. The museum and art gallery will be open from 9-11 a.m. for afternoon games and from 2-4 p.m. for evening games.

In accepting the GEMS (Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences) Alumni Achievement Award, Rick Abegg thanked his parents — both educators — for instilling in him the drive to work hard while elevating those around him. That’s precisely why Abegg, who balanced a successful and diverse career at Chevron with more than a decade of mentoring and service at Penn State, was honored with the award.