Thank you to all who participated in the 2025 Penn State Today spring photo contest! We received an incredible selection of photos showcasing spring at Penn State. The winning photo was submitted by Bethany Stitzer, an undergraduate student studying biomedical engineering at University Park, and highlights spring blossoms surrounding Old Main on a quiet April morning. See more top submissions, as selected by Penn State Today editors, in this photo gallery.
This summer, Penn State Berks gives youth and young adults the opportunity to explore, create and innovate at the college’s STEM, humanities and arts-focused camps. Whether they’re interested in robotics, coding, engineering or storytelling and communications, these camps provide hands-on learning experiences that inspire curiosity and foster problem-solving skills. In addition to stimulating STEM activities, youth and young adults will have the opportunity to develop teamwork, creativity and critical thinking – all while having fun in a safe and supportive environment.
Many students at Penn State Berks take advantage of the opportunity to conduct research, working one-on-one with faculty members on campus. To celebrate these students’ success, Penn State Berks recently held its first Berks Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium on April 25. The next day, students presented at the Higher Education Council of Berks County Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference, hosted by Reading Area Community College.
Isabella Romig, a Penn State Berks psychology major with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Spanish for health care, was selected as this year’s student marshal. She will deliver a speech titled “The Horrors Persist but So Do I” at the college’s commencement ceremony at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena.
During finals week, De-stress Fest takes place at five branch libraries across the University Park campus and at six Penn State campuses, offering free snacks, games and activities. At Pattee Library, visit the Leisure Reading Room in Central Pattee Library from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 4, through Tuesday, May 6, for free coffee, snacks and crafts.
Penn State Berks is offering many great ways for students to spend their summer and get a jump on their fall semester. The first six-week summer session will begin on May 19 and continue through June 27, with final exams on June 30. The second six-week session runs from July 2 to Aug. 13, with finals on Aug. 15.
Penn State Berks hosted the “Symposium on Community-Based Participatory Research: Food Security and Access for Healthy Futures” on March 19. The objective was to determine how institutions of higher education and community partners can collaborate more effectively to address challenges related to food access and nutritional health. This symposium is part of the “Food Bank Operations Optimization: Data-driven Societal Impact Approach (FOODSIA)” project.
Three Penn State Berks students — Samantha Acker, Kimberly Nicholas and Michelle Surine — received accolades and honors for their research presentation at the Eastern States Communication Association (ECA) in Buffalo, New York, from March 27 to 30.
A new class of approximately 200 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena in downtown Reading, when Berks hosts its spring 2025 commencement ceremony. The honorary keynote speaker this year will be U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan.
