Mahsa Kazempour, associate professor of science education at Penn State Berks, has received the 2025 President’s Award for Engagement with Students. The award is given to a faculty member who goes beyond his or her responsibilities to engage and encourage students in learning. The honorees have made themselves available to interact with students outside class, link students to opportunities and help them build their confidence as learners and potential contributors to society.
Spring has sprung at Penn State Berks, and the college’s Sustainability Council will host its annual Earth Day celebration on Monday, April 21. Later that week, on April 23, the Sustainability Council will plant trees donated by PepsiCo in the student commuter parking lot. Then, Penn State Berks will host an event with Berks County's Parks and Recreation Department as part of the City Nature Challenge on Sunday, April 27.
Berks LaunchBox has announced the spring 2025 round of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund, this grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County.
In celebration of AI Week, Penn State Berks will host an evening exploring the transformative power of AI for small- to medium-sized businesses on Wednesday, April 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event will be held in the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Center, located within the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. Cost is $20 for dinner (exact payment accepted at the door) and is free for Penn State students with ID. All attendees must register in advance.
The Penn State Berks International Klub will host a Holi celebration from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, on Perkins Lawn. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register in advance.
Penn State Berks recently honored the Indigenous tribes who inhabited the land where the campus is currently located in Spring Township by holding a land acknowledgement ceremony. The event introduced the college’s land-acknowledgement statement, developed in partnership with the Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge. It also included remarks by Alice Funk of the Widoktadwen Center, presentations by two representatives of the Lenape nation, Chief Bluejay Barbara Michalski and Chief Gentlemoon Chuck DeMund, and a tree dedication ceremony.
Throughout 2024, Berks LaunchBox has continued accelerating startup growth in the Berks County community. In the last year, Berks LaunchBox has assisted 229 new entrepreneurs, taught new skills to 708 community members in its Makerspace, offered entrepreneurship classes to 463 community members, and impacted 339 students.
Joy Tac LLC, a student startup from Penn State Harrisburg, won first place and $15,000 in the 2025 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition. As a kickoff to Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC, six student teams from four Penn State campuses pitched their startups to a panel of judges, competing for prizes totaling $30,000 in funding.
Penn State Global has announced the 2024-25 recipients of its annual awards that recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and academic programs at Penn State who have contributed to advancing the University’s global engagement goals.
In recognition of Campus Pride Month, Penn State Berks will host its second Pride Prom, titled "Meadow Moonlit Ball," from 6:30-10 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, at the Janssen Conference Center, located off the corner of Broadcasting Road and Janssen Drive. The event is open to the public (age 17 and older). It is free for all Penn State Berks students with ID. Donations are requested but not required.
