Thousands of Penn State students from campuses across Pennsylvania will be headed to the Bryce Jordan Center Friday afternoon, Feb. 18, as Penn State's 48th annual Dance Marathon, known to most as THON, kicks off at the University Park campus. From the 708 selected for the honor of being THON dancers to the thousands of volunteers who have helped them raise money and are making sure they stay safe, fed and entertained and even can share the THON experience worldwide via streaming video, Penn State students are investing all of their energies FTK -- "For the Kids" -- toward conquering pediatric cancer. (more)
Researchers need to use all available resources in an integrated approach to put agriculture on a path to solve the world's food problems while reducing pollution, according to a Penn State biologist. Changes in national and international regulations will be necessary to achieve this goal. "Using resources more efficiently is what it will take to put agriculture on a path to feed the expected future population of nine billion people," said Nina Fedoroff, Evan Pugh professor of biology and Willaman professor of life sciences. "We especially need to do a better job using the nutrients, water and energy needed to produce food." (more)
Once likened to a confusing tower of Babel, speaking more than one language can actually bolster brain function by serving as a mental gymnasium, according to researchers. Recent research indicates that bilingual speakers can outperform monolinguals--people who speak only one language--in certain mental abilities, such as editing out irrelevant information and focusing on important information, said Judith Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Penn State. These skills make bilinguals better at prioritizing tasks and working on multiple projects at one time. (more)
A shift in the global research landscape will reposition the United States as a major partner, but not the dominant leader, in science and technology research in the coming decade, according to a Penn State researcher. However, the U.S. could benefit from this research shift if it adopts a policy of knowledge sharing with the growing global community of researchers. (more)
An interview with Nina Fedoroff, Evan Pugh professor of life sciences and the Verne M. Willaman chair in life sciences at Penn State, will air on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation Science Friday" program at 3 p.m. today (Feb. 18). To listen to the interview, visit http://www.wpsu.org/ and click on the "WPSU-2" link on the right side of the page. (more)
The United States' preoccupation with national security, including counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and cyber security, is also a concern of higher education, according to Graham Spanier, president of Penn State University. (more)
Penn State Public Broadcasting announced that Coach Joe Paterno's necktie from his 400th career win was auctioned off for $10,200 at last weekend's 19th Annual Connoisseur's Dinner. Angelo and Matilda Illuzzi of DuBois, Pa., offered the winning bid. This year's silent and live auctions raised more than $56,000 for Penn State Public Broadcasting. The annual fundraising dinner was held Saturday night (Feb. 12) at the Nittany Lion Inn. Paterno wore the auctioned tie during the Nittany Lions' historic 35-21 comeback win over Northwestern on Nov. 6 in Beaver Stadium. A Penn State football signed by Paterno and Penn State's 1973 Heisman Trophy recipient, John Cappelletti, brought in $2,750 and a framed/autographed series of photos of Paterno through the years went for $3,000. (more)
Penn State Cooperative Extension, in conjunction with the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and Penn State's Department of Accounting, is sponsoring the U.S. Internal Revenue Service's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, from now through April 14 on the University Park campus. (more)
More than 170 students from the College of Communications will produce coverage of the Penn State Dance Marathon this weekend. A webcast, regularly updated photos, multimedia reports and more will be available at http://psucommedia.com/ online. (more)
For many, the changing of the seasons means cozy dark evenings of winter and enjoying holiday light displays. But perhaps for you, the shortening of the days signals a time when you feel down, sad or withdrawn. You may notice that you sleep more and eat more, and even gain weight. You may feel a lack of energy, or have problems with your memory. You may cry at unexpected times. You may feel hopeless and even lose the will to live or think of suicide. If these symptoms interfere with everyday life, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). (more)
