PRESENTATIONS SOUGHT FOR PENN STATE SECURITY CONFERENCE 2012: Penn State network administrators, systems administrators, database administrators, Web developers and technical managers are invited to submit a proposal for presentation at the Penn State Security Conference 2012, to take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 2 and Tuesday, April 3, at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57653 online.
WEBINAR TO EXAMINE MARCELLUS DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS ON TRANSPORTATION: A Web-based seminar sponsored by Penn State Extension will examine how Marcellus shale natural-gas development in Pennsylvania is affecting transportation patterns in the state. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57591 online.
CORED TO HOST WORKSHOP ON DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM: Religious diversity in a contemporary global context is potentially one of the most galvanizing topics in any curriculum. Consequently, instructors often try to avoid it, but at what cost to students? The Penn State Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity (CORED) will hold a workshop on dealing with diversity in the classroom titled "Dealing with Controversy in the Classroom: Take Religion," from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in Room 129 Waring Hall on the University Park campus. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57647 online.
PENN STATE ALL-SPORTS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS: The Penn State All-Sports Museum has announced three events being held as part of Black History Month. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57680 online.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY STUDENT SYMPOSIUM TO BE HELD MARCH 30-31: The 15th annual Environmental Chemistry Student Symposium will be held March 30-31 on Penn State's University Park campus. The symposium brings together students from various departments to present research addressing environmental understanding and concerns. Faculty and postdoctoral scholars who wish to join the judging committee should contact one of the symposium's co-chairs. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57668 online.
PROTOCOL IN PLACE TO ERADICATE BED BUGS IF THEY APPEAR ON CAMPUSES: Penn State has developed a protocol to very carefully monitor and address any potential presence of bed bugs on its campuses. Last year bed bugs turned up about a dozen times at the University, primarily in student housing; all were eradicated. In the rare case where bed bugs are inadvertently taken to the office or other work area, their detection will require the awareness and assistance of all employees. Someone who suspects bed bugs may be in their work area should contact the Work Reception Center at 814-865-4731 at University Park, or the campus business office at all Commonwealth Campuses. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57671 online.
SCHREYER INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE ANNOUNCES UPCOMING EVENTS: The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence has announced several upcoming events. To read the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/57665 online. (more)
Nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania is covered by forests, with more than 70 percent of those woodlands privately owned. Recent estimates indicate Pennsylvania has more than 600,000 private forest landowners, representing about one out of every nine households.
To better serve these landowners and advise them about forest conservation, Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has created the Center for Private Forests. (more)
Over-reliance on glyphosate-type herbicides for weed control on U.S. farms has created a dramatic increase in the number of genetically-resistant weeds, according to a team of agricultural researchers, who say the solution lies in an integrated weed management program. "I'm deeply concerned when I see figures that herbicide use could double in the next decade," said David Mortensen, professor of weed ecology, Penn State. Since the mid-1990s, agricultural seed companies developed and marketed seeds that were genetically modified to resist herbicides such as Roundup -- glyphosate -- as a more flexible way to manage weeds, Mortensen said. About 95 percent of the current soybean crop is modified by inserting herbicide-resistant genes into the plants. (more)
Farmers markets at medical centers may contribute to greater wellness in surrounding communities while adding public health value to a market's mission, say Penn State College of Medicine researchers who have developed and evaluated a market created at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "Farmers markets are serving public health by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, revitalizing neighborhoods, strengthening local economies and empowering community members to learn more about the items they buy," said Daniel George, assistant professor in the Department of Humanities. "Markets are increasingly viewed as one part of the solution to national chronic health problems." (more)
An assistant professor at Penn State has created a new statistical model that may enable fingerprint evidence to withstand greater scrutiny in court. Currently, some fingerprints that could be key pieces of evidence in court are not being considered because of shortcomings in the way this evidence is reported. Cedric Neumann, assistant professor of forensic science and statistics at Penn State, has devised a statistical model to enable the weight of fingerprint evidence to be expressed in quantitative terms, paving the way for its full inclusion in the criminal-identification process. (more)
Penn State's Office of Human Resources has announced changes to the staff job announcements process. Beginning Feb. 29, all new staff job announcements will be posted on a daily basis, Monday through Friday, on the employment opportunities website at http://www.psu.jobs/. This site has been renamed to reflect the new, streamlined process that combines both the current internal job posting website and the public jobs website. (more)
People who are more physically active report greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active, according to Penn State researchers. People also are more likely to report feelings of excitement and enthusiasm on days when they are more physically active than usual. "You don't have to be the fittest person who is exercising every day to receive the feel-good benefits of exercise," said David Conroy, professor of kinesiology. "It's a matter of taking it one day at a time, of trying to get your activity in, and then there's this feel-good reward afterwards." (more)
For the eighth consecutive year, students from the College of Communications will give those who cannot attend the annual Penn State Dance Marathon an opportunity to experience the 46-hour event with a live webcast.
Nearly 40 students have already begun preparation for a webcast of the two-day dance marathon, known as THON. The webcast will include live coverage as well as 10 three-minute "behind the scenes" features that will air during times of low-activity. These features will explore topics such as THON's history, involvement at Commonwealth Campuses and profiles of different fundraising organizations. (more)
Looking for an item in a large department store or mall can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but that could change thanks to a hybrid location-identification system that uses radio frequency transmitters and overhead LED lights, suggested by a team of researchers from Penn State and Hallym University in South Korea. "LED lights are becoming the norm," said Mohsen Kavehrad, W.L. Weiss Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering and director of the Center for Information and Communications Technology Research at Penn State. "The same lights that brighten a room can also provide locational information." (more)
Comparing yourself to others with the same health problem can influence your physical and emotional health, according to researchers who conducted a qualitative synthesis of more than 30 studies focusing on the relationship between social comparisons and health. "If you've ever looked at another person and thought, 'Well, at least I'm doing better than he is,' or 'Wow, I wish I could be doing as well as she is,' you're not alone," said Josh Smyth, professor of biobehavioral health and of medicine at Penn State. (more)
