With the trend in locally raised food, the "heritage turkey" is experiencing a surge in popularity. R. Michael Hulet, associate professor of poultry science at Penn State, said many of these colorful birds (with equally colorful names such as Black Spanish, Bourbon Red, and Slate) are the commercially-bred turkeys of yesteryear. Heritage turkeys are a niche market, and "they are expensive to grow, because they don't produce as much meat per feed," said Hulet. "They allow local producers to diversify what they farm, and people say that, because they take longer to grow, there's a little more texture and 'turkey-ish' taste to the meat." (more)
Instructors who are concerned about the potential effect of the flu in the classroom, on their personal health or on their ability to teach are invited to attend a workshop from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 3. Sponsored by the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, the brown-bag workshop as part of the Noontime Roundtable Discussion series. It will originate from 315 Rider Building on Penn State's University Park campus. Polycom locations are Berks, Erie, Fayette and Hazleton. To register, visit http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/register/Multi-item-Registration.aspx?ID=10239 online. (more)
For 2009-10, Penn State is again a national leader in the number of faculty receiving Fulbright grants. According to a recent article in "The Chronicle of Higher Education," the University is tied for second nationwide among research universities with 11 faculty receiving Fulbright awards for the 2009-10 academic year; two of these faculty members are from Penn State Berks. (more)
As part of a psychology class project, Penn State Berks students were assigned the task of creating a design depicting motivational concepts for a children's T-shirt. About 50 students participated in the project, resulting in as many different T-shirt designs. The class will present the shirts to staff representatives of the Children's Home of Reading at 9 a.m. on Dec. 7, in room 109 of the Franco Building. (more)
Alumni and friends of Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute can now view the WPI Book of Years online. The project began in February when the University Libraries Digital Review Team called for proposals for projects. With the advent of La Vie being available online as of April 23, 2009, it seemed fitting to request to have the yearbook of the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute made available in digital format as well. (more)
In each year of its four seasons of league participation, the Penn State Berks Men's Rugby Club has reached the championship game of the Division 3 Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union competition. After a shaky start in the first half of this year's playoff match, strong defense and smart tactical kicking led to an overwhelming 36-0 victory over Lehigh University at home to get them back to another championship game. (more)
Dr. Roger A. Egolf, professor of chemistry at Penn State Lehigh Valley, will present his talk entitled, "Should Chemistry Undergraduates Study Engineering? The Early Twentieth Century Debate," during the upcoming Division of Science Colloquium on Friday, November 20, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen building. This event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served. (more)
Every year, a group of students, faculty and staff from Penn State Berks volunteer at the Police Athletic League (PAL) Feed-a-Friend Dinner. This year's dinner will be held from 3:15 to 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 19, at the Police Athletic League. This event feeds an estimated 200 children. In addition to enjoying a full Thanksgiving dinner, the children also participate in craft time with the volunteers. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076. (more)
Nov. 19 is this year's Great American Smokeout. Since the Surgeon General identified the dangers of smoking, Americans have gradually quit, yet about 1 in 5 Americans still smoke. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 4,000 young adolescents start smoking every day and 6 percent of middle school students are smokers. If ever there were a time to think about quitting smoking, it's now. (more)
The Reading Crowne Plaza in Wyomissing will be the site of the final football tailgate party this year for the Penn State vs. Michigan State game on Nov. 21. Sponsored by the Penn State Berks Alumni Society and the Berks County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, in conjunction with the Reading Crowne Plaza, the football tailgate will begin one hour prior to kickoff. The cost is $3 per person; children under 13 are free. (more)
