Still Life

Firefighters battled a controlled blaze on the tarmac at Penn State's University Park Airport on May 23 during a full-scale emergency exercise. The exercise was designed to provide real-time training and recertification for emergency response personnel from around the Centre Region.

University Park Airport Emergency Response Exercise

A moment of levity: Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates celebrated with the Nittany Lion after commencement ceremonies, held May 5 at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa.

Commencement across Penn State: Spring 2012

New graduates of Penn State's Eberly College of Science listened to the commencement address provided by United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu during spring 2012 graduation ceremonies held May 5 at the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus.

Spring commencement 2012 under way

A Moroccan farmer taught Penn State students about the properties of vetiver grass, including its ability to clean wastewater. The grass could be used as part of a solution to water-quality problems being experienced in Assoul, Morocco, where students spent time recently.

Penn State, Moroccan students problem-solve together

Anjelica Fortunato, left, and Jeffrey Lu reviewed for their Anatomy 129 final exam on May 1 on the HUB-Robeson Center Lawn on Penn State's University Park campus. Penn State students are preparing for and taking final exams throughout the week as spring semester 2012 comes to a close.

Finals Week Spring Semester 2012

Featured Video

Painting the Lines at Beaver Stadium

Painting the Lines at Beaver Stadium

Did They Get It Right? - RedTails

Did They Get It Right? - RedTails

Iconic Penn State elm taken down over spring break 2012

Iconic Penn State elm taken down over spring break 2012

We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)

We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)

Disease stricken matching elm tree slated for removal

Disease stricken matching elm tree slated for removal

Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone

Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone

recoveryrecovery Feed

Probing Question: How do we know a recession has ended?

Quarterly GDP growth from 1951 to 1955, showing the Recession of 1953 in the United States.
Thursday, October 21, 2010

"Technically, if the economy starts growing again, no matter how
slowly, the economy has left the recession period," explained Anthony
Kwasnica, associate professor of business economics. "People tend to think we've recovered only when we've returned to where we started from. Most would agree that the growth since June of 2009 has not been very robust." (more)

Ignoring stress leads recovering addicts to more cravings

H. Harrington Cleveland
Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Recovering addicts who avoid coping with stress succumb easily to substance-use cravings, making them more likely to relapse during recovery, according to behavioral researchers. "Cravings are a strong predictor of relapse," said H. Harrington Cleveland, associate professor of human development at Penn State. "Whether you avoid problems or analyze problems not only makes a big difference in your life but also has a powerful impact on someone who has worked hard to stay away from alcohol and other drugs." (more)

'Your brain on drugs': Fishhooks of addiction

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Depending on which study you read, the relapse rate for drug and alcohol addiction ranges from 50 to 90 percent. These numbers do not surprise Kyung-An Han, associate professor of biology, whose primary work seeks to understand how molecules in the brain mediate behavior. Han argues that addiction has nothing to do with willpower. She says, "Addiction is a problem of the brain that can be chronic and progressive. It is not a moral issue. Our behavior is largely controlled by brain function." (more)