Penn State Berks celebrated three outstanding alumni at its annual Gratitude Gathering, honoring Peter J. Rio III, class of 2010; Chellby Kilheffer Johnson, class of 2012; and Adam Krick, class of 2006, with awards for the year 2024.
This gallery of photos shows the variety of ways Penn State students enriched their education in faraway places or participated in service projects in communities around the world during spring break. From providing hurricane relief in North Carolina to gaining hands-on international reporting experience in Kazakhstan, students took advantage of numerous experiential learning and service opportunities offered through the University.
Penn State University Libraries presented the 2025 Undergraduate Research Awards: Excellence in Information Literacy honors to 104 students at 20 undergraduate Penn State campuses this spring.
Penn State's AI Week, held April 14-17 across Penn State campuses, showcased faculty and student research and excellence through panels, research showcases, immersive workshops and a poster session. The weeklong event is coordinated by the Penn State AI Hub, which is housed under the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences.
Brandon Everett did not take the traditional path to earning a bachelor’s degree by enrolling immediately after high school. Although his life has taken a winding path, with detours serving in the military, working as a professional dancer, and studying at a local community college, he eventually found his way to Penn State Berks, where he found support for his startup, Bapanda, and much more. He will walk in the college’s commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena.
As a U.S. marine, Kevin Michaels has dedicated his life to serving his country. But his service came at a cost: He developed post-traumatic stress disorder during his time in Afghanistan. Now, it is his mission to use his experience to help others. Michaels will graduate from Penn State Berks with a bachelor’s degree in psychology at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena in Reading.
Many people know what artificial intelligence is but not how it works. Christian Clarke has made it his mission to learn all about it, enrolling in Penn State after he already had one bachelor’s degree under his belt and had started a successful career. Clarke will graduate from Penn State Berks with a bachelor’s degree in information science at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Santander Arena in Reading.
Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Viktoriia Vozharenko moved to Lancaster with her family in 2018. Despite living in the U.S. for a short time before graduating from high school, she was accepted to all the colleges to which she applied, but she said that Penn State was her first choice.
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.
