Hoover named interim development director
Monday, February 14, 2011Marissa Graby Hoover has been named interim director of development and alumni relations at Penn State Harrisburg, effective Jan. 31, 2011. (more)
Still Life
University Park Airport Emergency Response Exercise
Commencement across Penn State: Spring 2012
Spring commencement 2012 under way
Penn State, Moroccan students problem-solve together
Finals Week Spring Semester 2012
Painting the Lines at Beaver Stadium
Did They Get It Right? - RedTails
Iconic Penn State elm taken down over spring break 2012
We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)
Disease stricken matching elm tree slated for removal
Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone
appointment
Dunham named as vice president and general counsel
Stephen S. Dunham has been named vice president and general counsel for Penn State, pending approval by the Board of Trustees at its July meeting. He will take over for Cynthia Baldwin, who agreed to establish the office and serve on a transitional basis. President Rodney Erickson cited Dunham's breadth of experience and expertise in higher education as key factors in his appointment. "Steve's practice has included diverse topics including intellectual property, higher education issues, employment litigation and counseling, accounting disputes and general commercial litigation. His practice has been in both state and federal courts, and he has provided legal services to numerous universities and higher education associations. That experience is an asset for us as we move forward in dealing with the issues before us currently," he said. (more)
University hires Clery compliance coordinator
Penn State Police and Public Safety has hired Gabriel Gates to be its new Clery compliance coordinator. Gates, who began his new duties on March 26, will report to Steve Shelow, assistant vice president for Police and Public Safety, in order to provide administrative and advisory support to senior management and the University-wide community.
"I am excited to be part of a dedicated and passionate team working to ensure Penn State remains an institution of excellence and honor," Gates said. "The administration has made it clear to me that the safety and security of the Penn State community is of paramount importance and will not be compromised for any reason." (more)
Schneider appointed department head in Eberly College of Science
Donald P. Schneider, distinguished professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has been appointed as head of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Penn State's Eberly College of Science. Schneider succeeds Lawrence W. Ramsey, who has served as head of the department since 2003.
Schneider, whose primary research interest is observational cosmology, perhaps is best known for three of his accomplishments: He developed a new technique to measure distances to galaxies; he was the first to detect Comet Halley as it approached Earth in 1982, at a greater distance than any comet had ever been detected up to that time; and he has broken his own and others' records numerous times in the discovery of the most-distant known object in the universe.
Schneider now is particularly interested in finding and determining the properties of distant quasars, which are thought to be massive black holes that are swallowing stars as they venture to close to the black hole. He uses optical telescopes as time machines to view the distant past, when the universe was only a small fraction of its current size and age.
For the past two decades, much of his research effort has been devoted to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which is a large international effort to produce a comprehensive digital map of the sky. Schneider has served as the chairman of the quasar science group and as the science publications coordinator for the project. The first two phases of the survey, completed in July 2008, identified 100,000 quasars -- the most luminous objects known in the universe -- and have measured the distances to over a million galaxies. During the third phase of the survey, which is ongoing until May 2014, Schneider is serving two roles: as the project's survey coordinator and as a member of its Management Council. Since 2004, Schneider also has served as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Scientist. (more)
John O'Neill named director of the School of Hospitality Management
John O'Neill has been named the director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State. He succeeds Bert Van Hoof on July 1. A member of the Penn State faculty since 2001, his research focuses on strategic management, lodging management and development, real estate valuation, work-life balance in the lodging industry and hotel branding. (more)
Singh named associate dean for diversity
Wednesday, June 29, 2011Harjit Singh, professor of radiology, surgery, and medicine, and program director of education for the Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute, has been appointed to the position of associate dean for diversity, a position he has held on an interim basis since it was created in November 2009. (more)
Rudy named police chief at Penn State Berks
Kevin Rudy was recently named to the position of police chief at Penn State Berks, effective Aug. 1. In this position, he will be responsible for the overall operation, management, and administration of campus law enforcement and safety services, including the enforcement of national, state, and local laws, as well as University regulations through investigation, apprehension and prosecution of violators. (more)
New athletic director named at Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Brian Stanchak has been appointed to the position of athletic director at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. (more)
College of Ag Sciences names associate dean for research
Gary Thompson, head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Oklahoma State University, has been named associate dean for research and graduate education and director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The appointment is effective April 1. (more)
IST appoints new director of recruiting
Thursday, February 17, 2011The College of IST would like to welcome Moradeyo "Deyo" Olorunnisola to her new position as director of recruiting.
In her 16 years at Penn State, Olorunnisola has worked in the College of Communications, the Graduate School and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She joined the IST team on Feb. 7.
(more)