Penn State's Google Plus page will host a Hangout at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday (April 11) with Kevin Furlong, Penn State professor of geosciences, to discuss earthquakes in light of the massive temblors off the coast of Sumatra Wednesday. Furlong is an internationally sought-after expert who has studied the causes and consequences of earthquakes around the world. Among his research interests are plate tectonics and lithospheric geodynamics -- processes that drive many natural hazards. He is also director of Penn State's Natural Hazards Center. (more)
The Penn State Beaver Spring Faculty Speakers Series will continue with a presentation by LaVarr McBride, instructor in administration of justice, on "How to Avoid the Harms of Social Media," at noon Thursday, March 22, in Room 16 of the Student Union Building. The program is free and open to the public.
McBride will discuss the potential dangers of modern technology and social media, including sharing personal information and photos on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, texting, cyber bullying and cell phone use. In addition, he'll review the importance of personal responsibility when using social media. (more)
The Penn State Beaver Spring Faculty Speakers Series will continue with a presentation by LaVarr McBride, instructor in administration of justice, on "How to Avoid the Harms of Social Media" at noon on Thursday, March 22, room 16, Student Union Building on campus. The program is free and open to the public. McBride will discuss the potential dangers of modern technology and social media, including sharing personal information and photos on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, texting, cyber bullying, and cellphone use. In addition, he'll review the importance of personal responsibility when using social media. McBride can be contacted at lwm13@psu.edu or 724-773-3866. (more)
A Penn State Tumblr blog launched this winter showcases for a young audience the University's research and teaching in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Big Black Glasses gears its content and design to a pre-college crowd. With a name that highlights Tumblr-trending topics such as "geek chic" and "nerdy swag," the blog features University research in a boldly visual manner. Regularly updated with current material, it uses dynamic images, short animations and intriguing STEM subjects that intersect with pop culture. Drawing from the rich resources of Penn State research, Big Black Glasses also features NASA, Scientific American, Wired Magazine and other scientific sources. (more)
The Penn State Beaver Spring Faculty Speakers Series will continue next month when LaVarr McBride, instructor in administration of justice, presents "How to Avoid the Harms of Social Media," noon, Wednesday, March 14, in room 16, Student Union Building. The program is free and open to the public. McBride will discuss the potential dangers of modern technology and social media, including sharing personal information and photos on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, texting, cyber bullying, and cell phone use. In addition, he'll discuss the importance of personal responsibility when using social media. McBride can be contacted at lwm13@psu.edu or 724-773-3866. (more)
LaVarr McBride, instructor in administration of justice at Penn State Beaver, will be the featured guest speaker at the Beaver Rotary Club's luncheon meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 29, at the Wooden Angel, in Bridgewater. McBride also is the program coordinator and internship supervisor for the program which is delivered jointly with Penn State New Kensington and Penn State Shenango. (more)
Alumnus Jerry Rizzo has turned his social media skills and an aggressive approach into a full-time job coordinating social media efforts for the Philadelphia 76ers. Now Rizzo, who graduated in 2011 with a degree in public relations, is demonstrating his broad skill set as the social media coordinator for the Philadelphia 76ers. He manages everything regarding the team's online presence, and Rizzo is hoping to re-energize the Philadelphia basketball community through his work on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Flickr and YouTube. Rizzo created a lot of buzz in December when he landed a job with the Sixers after he and friend, Hunter Coleman, who earned his Penn State degree in kinesiology in 2011, took it upon themselves to promote the team's new mascot contest. (more)
Social media's role in the rise of the Arab Spring will be examined during the Schreyer Honors College's third annual Oxford Debate, being held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the HUB Auditorium on Penn State's University Park campus. The debate will follow a format established by Britain's Oxford Student Union. Two teams, each consisting of a Penn State faculty member and two Penn State students, will present opening statements before answering questions posed by those in the audience. The resolution being debated is "the presence of social media is responsible for the Arab Spring." (more)
A unique and innovative analysis of how social media can affect the spread of a disease has been designed and implemented by a scientist at Penn State studying attitudes toward the H1N1 vaccine. Marcel Salathe, an assistant professor of biology, studied how users of Twitter -- a popular microblogging and social-networking service -- expressed their sentiments about a new vaccine. He then tracked how the users' attitudes correlated with vaccination rates and how microbloggers with the same negative or positive feelings seemed to influence others in their social circles. The research is considered the first case study in how social media sites affect and reflect disease networks, and the method is expected to be repeated in the study of other diseases. The results will be published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology. (more)
Today (June 30) is World Social Media Day. Celebrate with Penn State by joining the conversation with hundreds of thousands of fellow Nittany Lions. With 218,000 fans, Penn State's official page on Facebook is one of the most popular university pages in the world, more than doubling its fan count in the past year. See what other Penn Staters are talking about while enjoying news, photos, videos and more at facebook.com/pennstate. On Twitter, join the thousands who already follow @penn_state for news and discussion and @pennstatelive for a feed of the University's latest news headlines. And check out University photos, videos, professional networking and more. (more)
