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.
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.
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.
Swipe Out Hunger will run from Sunday, April 20, through the end of the spring 2025 semester for students to continue to donate their leftover dining dollars.
Penn State University Libraries recognized 13 outstanding faculty and staff on April 10. Faculty and staff based at the Penn State Berks, Harrisburg, Hershey and University Park campuses were recognized.
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.
