Nominations are being accepted by the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) for an award that honors Penn State staff members who go above and beyond their normal routines in resolving difficult dilemmas or who have been exceptionally creative and responsive to the needs of others. (more)
Penn State President Rodney Erickson appeared before the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee today (Feb. 22) in Harrisburg, Pa., to discuss the University's proposed appropriation for the 2012-13 fiscal year. In light of continued shortfalls in state revenue collections, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed a 30 percent across-the-board cut for Penn State, Temple and Pitt. Erickson, who was joined by leaders from Pennsylvania's other state-related universities, said he is mindful of the state's budget constraints, but stressed to lawmakers the impact such broad cuts would have on a university that educates more than 96,000 students a year. (more)
There are no definitive findings that Marcellus Shale drilling activity has affected crime rates in Pennsylvania, but more study is needed, according to a preliminary report conducted recently by the Justice Center for Research at Penn State. The report was produced in response to public concerns that crime rates may be on the rise in areas experiencing drilling-related population growth. (more)
A new episode of "Impact the World" will air at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, on the Big Ten Network. The latest episode, seventh in the eight-episode series, will demonstrate how Big Ten students and faculty rally together to make a difference in their communities. (more)
Many people fall victim to emotional eating, but it doesn't happen only when they're feeling bad, according to researchers. Having a good day at work, for example, can sometimes lead to a candy bar treat from the vending machine, according to Karen Winterich, assistant professor of marketing, Penn State Smeal College of Business, and Kelly Haws of Texas A&M University. At other times, positive feelings lead to choosing a healthier option, such as fruit. (more)
Penn State is strengthening a host of academic programs in its resolve to combat the widespread and complex social problems of child sexual assault, abuse and neglect. It also is broadening the study and awareness of sexual assault to include victims of all ages.
As an initial step, an inventory of undergraduate courses was compiled that identified courses and academic programs University faculty currently teach on topics addressing critical issues of sexual abuse. (more)
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems. Caffeine Zone, a software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns. The software takes information on caffeine use and integrates it with information on the effects of caffeine to produce a graph of how the caffeine will affect the users over time. (more)
For many study-abroad students, transferring the credits they earn in European Union schools back to the United States is a complicated and sometimes futile task. Jamie Myers and three of his graduate students collaborated with a European research team to examine how study-abroad credits are recognized by home institutions.
"Credit recognition matters for student mobility between the European Union and the United States," said Myers, professor of education at Penn State. "Students who do not have clear information about whether and how credit from abroad will be recognized or those who fear that their qualifications may not be adequately recognized when pursuing their studies abroad are less likely to be mobile or will opt for those countries where these risks are perceived as being lower." (more)
Penn State President Rodney Erickson and the University's Board of Trustees today (Feb. 13) announced the creation of a new "openness" website at http://openness.psu.edu online. (more)
When traveling abroad, experienced globetrotters know to expect a few glitches along the way. When a professor is traveling abroad with a handful of students or more, the Penn State Office of Global Programs knows all too well anything can happen. Last year alone -- with Egypt's political turmoil and natural disasters in Japan, New Zealand and Bangkok -- Global Programs' plans to ensure the safety of University students abroad were tested in a variety of ways. Several times a semester, Global Programs staff hold workshops to teach faculty what they've learned from these experiences. They also hold a a workshop focusing on issues traditionally handled by the Office of Student Conduct, held this year on Friday, Feb. 17. (more)
