Tuesday, February 09, 2010
"Doo Wop Rocks!," starring Donny Most ("Ralph Malph" from Happy Days) and a host of popular doo wop singers, is coming to Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on May 1. Tickets for the promoter presentation are on sale now, online, by phone and at four State College, Pa., ticket locations. In addition to Most, the walk-down-memory-lane performance features Jive Five, Barbara Harris and the Toys, The Legendary Paragons, Cathy Jean and The Roommates, Johnny and Joe, Kayla Starr and George Galfo's Mystics. (more)
Monday, February 08, 2010
Project Haiti is a Penn State student organization created in 1997 by Father Fred Byrnes, with the intent to make Penn State students more aware of the economic differences between Haiti and the United States and to raise funds and awareness for Haiti. Every semester students from Project Haiti volunteer their time over spring break to live, work and play alongside Haitians. The students' goal is to be in "solidarity" with Haitians, which involves a true perseverance to helping the common good of all and not just a vague compassion of others' plight. (more)
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Four years ago, a few key people at Penn State had a vision to bring together students and alumni for a gala evening. That vision turned into the first Penn State President's Concert in 2007, featuring several of the School of Music's top performing ensembles in a special performance at Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall. Hosted by President Graham B. Spanier and sponsored jointly by the Alumni Association and the School of Music, the President's Concert was such a hit that it became an annual event. This year's President's Concert will feature the Penn State Philharmonic performing in America's most prestigious concert hall, New York City's Carnegie Hall, at 8 p.m. March 24. As with the previous concerts, there will be a pre-concert reception for alumni and friends. "It's definitely going to be something completely beyond anything else I've ever done as a musician," said percussionist and music education freshman Laura Brown. (more)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Jonathan Lynch, professor of horticulture at Penn State, investigates ways to increase crop yields through improving plant root systems. His work recently received a boost when philanthropist Warren G. Buffett offered him the use of a 50-acre field in South Africa along with a $1.5 million research grant. Having an experimental base in the Southern Hemisphere, Lynch said, will give him access to two growing seasons and the ability to study drought and other stress factors on a large scale. (more)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Nearly everyone has experienced deja vu, a brief sensation of having experienced a new situation or feeling in the past. Based upon recent study of epilepsy patients, researchers believe that deja vu originates in the temporal and frontal lobes, according to Claire Flaherty-Craig, a neuropsychologist at Hershey Medical Center and assistant professor with the College of Medicine. "Statistically it occurs more in late adolescence and frequency of episodes declines with age," she said. (more)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Humans are the only primates whose bodies are covered by mostly naked skin, not by fur. The evolution of our oddly bare bodies has been crucial in the development of other human traits. In the February issue of Scientific American magazine, Penn State anthropologist Nina Jablonski writes about the evolutionary origins of human hairlessness. Mammals possess ample body fur for insulation, protection from external elements, and social signaling. Though various underground or aquatic mammals have also evolved hairlessness, human hairlessness is unique because it evolved to help our bodies stay cool. (more)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a Web site than in a blog or a homepage, according to a study of college students. The findings highlight the relative importance of different online sources to people who seek health information on the Internet. "Most people look for health information online by keying disease symptoms into various search engines," said S. Shyam Sundar, distinguished professor of communications, Penn State. "But the results of that search could range from experts at the Mayo Clinic to somebody's personal blog." (more)
Friday, February 05, 2010
The Volvo Group has chosen Penn State as its first academic preferred partnership in North America to explore and resolve some of the serious issues in commercial transportation markets around the world. "We are very excited that our Academic Partner Program now covers Sweden, France and the U.S.A.," said Jan-Eric Sundgren, head, public affairs and environmental issues, Volvo Group. "This program shows our commitment to form a long-term strategic partnership that will strengthen the competitiveness of both the Volvo Group and our academic partners. Penn State already had ongoing activities in several areas such as student co-operative assignments, advanced engineering studies, biofuel research and vehicle system testing." (more)
Thursday, February 04, 2010
SCHREYER INSTITUTE TO HOLD SRTE WORKSHOP ON FEB. 10: The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State will hold a session on how SRTEs (Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness) can be used to improve teaching and learning from 9:15 to 11 a.m. on Feb. 10, in room 315 of the Rider Building on the University Park campus. Faculty who have questions about student ratings can discuss them at this session. Particular attention will be paid to how to interpret students' written comments, the statistics reported in SRTE summaries and other techniques for gathering feedback about teaching. To register, visit http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/Register/ online.
PENN STATE'S ROCK ETHICS INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE FORUM: The Penn State Rock Ethics Institute is introducing a new online forum that is open to all Penn State students, faculty, staff, alumni and community residents. The forum encourages everyone to "Speak Up" in order to address the ethical challenges that confront them and to share their experience and insight with the community. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44354 online.
ROCK ETHICS INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES FACULTY ETHICS SEMINARS: Rock Ethics Institute announces faculty ethics seminars: The Rock Ethics Institute has announced a seminar fellowship opportunity for faculty who currently are teaching or would like to teach in the Schreyer Honors College. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44277 online.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POLLINATOR BIOLOGY ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS: Registration is open for the first International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Heath and Policy, being hosted by the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research from July 24 to 28, on Penn State's University Park campus. According to Christina Grozinger, associate professor of entomology and director of the center, the focus of the conference will be current research on pollinator biology and health, as well as policies related to pollinator conservation. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44285 online.
POWWOW SET FOR APRIL 10 AND 11; VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Penn State and the State College Area School District (SCASD) are hosting a traditional American Indian powwow celebration on April 10 and 11, at the Mount Nittany Middle School in State College, Pa. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. The Powwow Committee is looking for volunteers to assist with the logistical aspects of the event. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44251 online.
'BEST PRACTICES FOR ADULT LEARNERS' CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE MAY 10: Serving the educational needs of the growing numbers of adult learners at Penn State is the focus of the annual Hendrick Best Practices for Adult Learners Conference, set for May 10 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. The theme for the conference is "INNOVATION 2010: Opportunities for the New Decade." For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44350 online.
SUSTAINABILITY SEED GRANT PROGRAM PUTS OUT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: Penn State Institutes of Energy and Environment (PSIEE) has formed a partnership with Penn State Outreach, the Office of Physical Plant (OPP), and several colleges to establish a significant source of funds to support a one-time Sustainability Seed Grant Program. For the full story and for information on how to submit a proposal, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44346 online.
SECOND ANNUAL MATERIALS VISUALIZATION COMPETITION ANNOUNCED: The Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute at Penn State have announced the Materials Visualization Competition, a scientific visual and artistic competition created to celebrate the quality of research in materials at Penn State. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44356 online.
PALATE RECEPTION TO BE HELD AS PART OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONFERENCE: At 5:15 on Feb. 23, food and beverage culinary professionals will gather at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel for an evening of tasting and networking at the PA Palate Reception. The event is open to the public and other industry professionals. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44342 online.
SCHOOL OF THEATRE TO PRESENT 'SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE': The Penn State School of Theatre's University Resident Theatre Company will present "Sunday in the Park with George" at 7:30 p.m. from Feb. 16 to March 3, at the Citizens Bank Theatre in the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, located at 146 S. Allen St. in State College, Pa. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44349 online.
DOCUMENTARY STARRING PENN STATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS PREMIERES FEB. 6: Ron Galloway, creator of the documentary "Why Wal-Mart Works," will premiere his latest documentary featuring Penn State researchers and students titled "Rethinking PowerPoint" at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, at The State Theatre on 130 W. College Ave., State College, Pa. For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44267 online.
BJC ANNOUNCES MARCH 31 VISIT BY BAND DAUGHTRY: Three-time American Music Award-winners Daughtry will bring their North American tour to Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center at 7:30 p.m. on March 31, with special guest Cavo. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Feb. 5; the price is $39.75 for all seats. Daughtry, fronted by Chris Daughtry, a finalist on season five of the popular television series American Idol, is out in support of its sophomore album, "Leave This Town." For the full story, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/44282 online. (more)
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Penn State's Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment, along with Rodney Erickson, the University's executive vice president and provost, will recognize the work of new improvement teams and other quality initiatives at the annual Quality Issues Forum and Luncheon, to be held April 30, at the Nittany Lion Inn at the University Park campus. Any work unit or department that has improved a process which has resulted in cost savings, better service or increased efficiencies in the past 12 months can submit this information for possible recognition. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 22. (more)
