From left to right: Adam Krick, class of 2006, 2024 Volunteer Service Award winner; Penn State Berks Chancellor Radha Pyati; Chellby Kilheffer Johnson, class of 2012, 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni Award winner; and Peter J. Rio III, class of 2010, 2024 Alumni Achievement Award winner.
From left to right: Adam Krick, class of 2006, 2024 Volunteer Service Award winner; Penn State Berks Chancellor Radha Pyati; Chellby Kilheffer Johnson, class of 2012, 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni Award winner; and Peter J. Rio III, class of 2010, 2024 Alumni Achievement Award winner.
The Swiftie Empowerment Experience, taught by Michele Ramsey, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and women's, gender, and sexuality studies, is one of many diverse camps offered this summer at Penn State Berks.
Penn State Berks hosted the 26th Careers with Math Options Conference, featuring a keynote delivered by Janelle Larson, professor of agricultural economics and Engineering, Business and Computing division head. The college hosted roughly 200 students from 14 area schools.
Penn State Altoona students traveled to Loíza, Puerto Rico through the campus’ Alternative Spring Break program. In this picture, they take a break for a quick pose during clean-up efforts at a local Boys & Girls Club. Soon after, the youth participants arrived on site for their after-school program, during which the Penn State students engaged with them by playing Bingo, shooting hoops, playing soccer and simply being in the moment with them.
Bhagawat Dulal, a senior studying computer science at Penn State Harrisburg, traveled to Germany as part of a faculty-led embedded course. The tour, which focused on World War II history, included exploring Nuremberg; seeing the Dachau concentration camp site; viewing exhibits at the Obersalzberg Documentation Center; viewing art at Neues Schloss Schleibheim; and standing atop Zugspitze, the tallest peak in Germany. “The trip to Germany through study abroad was an amazing experience," Dulal said. "Seeing the history and culture up close taught me so much, and it’s something I’ll always remember."
Grace Bonnell, a sophomore studying industrial engineering at University Park, traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, for the Entrepreneurship Business Fundamentals embedded global program at Penn State. “I loved experiencing the culture of the vibrant city of Taiwan firsthand and learning a small part of its history as we visited museums and toured the city of Taipei," Bonnell said. "We went on educational excursions at various companies located in Taiwan, including the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) — which is the largest company in Taiwan — ViewSonic, Taiwan Electronic System Design Automation (TESDA), and OnLogic. We also got a tour of Taiwan Tech Arena, which is Taiwan’s flagship startup ecosystem building program.”
Kaelonnah Darlich, a sophomore studying biology in the Eberly College of Science and a Millennium Scholar, traveled to the Florida Keys as part of BIOL 483, where she conducted hands-on research and gained invaluable fieldwork experience at the Key Largo Marine Research Laboratory. “Before the trip, I participated in several lab sessions focused on molecular biology and sequencing techniques, which laid a strong foundation for our field work in Key Largo. As part of the course, our class was divided into research teams to explore diverse topics. My group focused on analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA) to investigate the bacterial communities associated with the upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana)," Darlich said. "This was a valuable hands-on research experience through which I gained practical skills, lasting friendships, and a deeper understanding of marine science. The course reaffirmed my goal of pursuing a PhD in marine biology, fostering a greater appreciation for the ecosystems I hope to study and protect.”
Jose Armando Murphy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Penn State Lehigh Valley in 2020 and completed his MBA at Penn State Harrisburg in May 2025, participated in a finance study tour in London with classmates and faculty members over spring break. The trip included meetings at financial institutions such as Barclays, ICE (Intercontinental Exchange), London Metal Exchange and Lloyd's of London; tours of the city’s financial district; and excursions to Oxford University and Mersea Island. “As a first-generation student this entire experience was eye opening, and it’s something that I will cherish forever," Murphy said. "I have a true appreciation and grasp of what finance and insurance companies do from a business standpoint and what that entails.”
