Karen Barr is one of six Penn State faculty members who received the 2012 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching. Barr is a senior instructor in business at Penn State Beaver. The award, named after Penn State's seventh president, honors excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level. A member of the Penn State Beaver faculty since 2000, Barr receives consistently high Student Ratings of Teaching Effectiveness, particularly with respect to the clarity of her presentations, her interest in teaching the course and her willingness to help students make progress. 'I try to make students see it is not only important to get good grades, but it is also important to think of the class as a place to learn about life,' she said. Although her advising load is officially around 65 to 70 students per year, more than 90 students seek her assistance on a routine basis, according to one nominator. Barr can be contacted at kcb10@psu.edu or 724-773-3869. (more)
The disease known as Elm yellows threatens the health of over 200 majestic American elms on the Penn State campus. Elm yellows is just one of many tree diseases that contribute to the decline and death of trees in the United States. What are the main causes of American tree diseases and have we made progress in preventing and treating them? (more)
With about 95 million single adults in the United States, the online matchmaking industry is booming. Communication technologies such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype have created new ways to find and date potential partners. Despite all the digital bells and whistles, it still all comes down to a face-to-face encounter. Is dating fundamentally any different for young adults today than in our parents' and grandparents' days? (more)
Penn State President Graham Spanier was a guest speaker today (Oct. 24) at the Pennsylvania Press Club in Harrisburg, where he talked to a large crowd about the benefits of a complex research university -- such as Penn State -- to innovation, job growth, the economy and well-being of the Commonwealth and its citizens. The talk will be broadcast on PCN at 8 p.m. tonight. To read the text of his talk, click on the link to the full story. (more)
If you like rock 'n' roll and 80s music, mark your calendar for Saturday, Oct. 22, when Velveeta (the band, not the cheese), will perform at 7 p.m. in the ballroom at Heritage Hills Golf Resort and Conference. Velveeta, a popular band from State College, Pa., will be doing a one-night performance as part of Penn State York's Homecoming weekend activities. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The Penn State vs. Northwestern football game will be displayed on two big screens during the event. (more)
The Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association will host a free Penn State game watch at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Bowser's Restaurant, 1493 Old Brodhead Road, Monaca, Pa. The public is invited to attend. The Penn State Nittany Lions will take on the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Ill. For more information, contact Keith Poleti, alumni chapter president, at krp151@yahoo.com, or contact Beaver's Office of Campus and Community Relations at rxm70@psu.edu or 724-773-3815. (more)
Cirque du Soleil performers rehearsed today (Sept. 14) at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center in preparation for the opening of 'Quidam,' which opens tonight at the venue on the University Park campus. Cirque De Soleil will present seven performances at the Bryce Jordan Center from Sept. 14 to Sept. 17. For photos from today's rehearsal, visit http://live.psu.edu/flickrset/72157627547156857 online. The internationally recognized acrobats, musicians and characters of Cirque du Soleil will present "Quidam" from Sept. 14 to Sept. 17 at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's University Park campus. "Quidam" is the story of a young girl who has lost the meaning to her life. Seeking to fill the void, she falls into an imaginary world where she meets a variety of fascinating characters who encourage her to free her soul. (more)
Three Penn State Beaver students were featured in an interview Friday, July 15 on KDKA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh. Jon Delano, KDKA's money and politics editor and political analyst, interviewed the students for information on how the Penn State tuition increase will affect them at the Beaver campus. Students interviewed were junior Ryan Hudacsek, an administration of justice major from Freedom; sophomore John Mitchell, Division of Undergraduate Studies, Beaver Falls, and sophomore Amanda Palombo, a business major from Aliquippa. The students' interview with Delano also appeared on the KDKA/ CBS Pittsburgh website. For more information, contact Amy M. Krebs, director of campus and community relations, amk6@psu.edu or 724-773-3816. (more)
From tree ring investigation to pollination and sapling planting, an Arbor Day event held Friday, April 29, at the Arboretum at Penn State was a hands-on learning experience for nearly 300 grade-school students from throughout the Centre Region. For photos of the event, visit http://live.psu.edu/flickrset/72157626505236967 online. (more)
Mountaintop removal mining, a particularly destructive form of surface mining which involves literally blasting away the tops of mountains to get at the coal reserves below, impacts vast areas of West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky. Brad Woods, who received his doctorate in rural sociology and human dimensions of natural resources and the environment at Penn State in May 2010, describes his research into how mountaintop removal has impacted communities across Appalachia. (more)
