Penn State Berks recently received a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program. The grant will be used to create the Penn State Berks Leveraging Innovation and Optimizing Nurturing STEM Scholars Program, which will provide support in the form of a four-year renewable $6,250 scholarship to talented engineering students with demonstrated financial need. Students who meet the requirements will receive $25,000 over four years.
Francian Cooke’s interest in nursing began when she was growing up in Jamaica and caring for her terminally ill father. On Friday, Dec. 17, her dream was realized when Cooke graduated from the practical nursing program at Penn State Berks.
When Genesis Muñoz Arias was a student at Reading High School, she was introduced to Penn State Berks through the Upward Bound program, which provides support to participants in preparation for college. Now that she is graduating from Penn State Berks, she is putting her degree to work to help Reading residents.
The Penn State Berks Campus Activities Board received multiple awards at the National Association for Campus Activities Mid Atlantic Virtual Awards Recognition ceremony on Nov. 18.
Brooke Chiappetta was born into a Penn State family, so when she was applying to colleges, Penn State was at the top of her list. On Dec. 15, she will join the ‘lion’s pride’ when she walks across the stage as student marshal –– graduating magna cum laude –– to receive her diploma from Penn State Berks.
Many returning adult learners credit their children as their motivation, and Bianca Marie Ruiz is no exception. A first-generation college student, mother of three, and now a graduate of the occupational therapy program at Penn State Berks, Ruiz and her fellow graduates will celebrate their achievements during the fall commencement ceremony on Dec.15 at the Santander Arena.
On Dec. 8, nearly 50 people attended the Berks LaunchBox open house. This was the first event to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Berks LaunchBox and Invent Penn State, the commonwealth-wide initiative that established campus innovation hubs, which was launched by Penn State President Eric J. Barron in 2016.
It’s not unusual for graduates to experience a career change in their lifetimes, but it’s not so common to hear about a career “refocusing.” Britton Reider’s return to Penn State to pursue a bachelor’s degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology at the Berks campus helped to push his career to the next level.
The winning selections from Penn State University Libraries Short Stories’ “Through the Woods” fall 2021 contest have been announced, representing five Penn State campuses. Each of the four Editorial Board winners and the People’s Choice winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card. All winning entries, including nine honorable mentions, will be added to the Libraries’ Short Edition short-story dispensers
Erin Horack, a first-year biotechnology major at Penn State Berks, recently won two first place awards for her research studying the spotted lanternfly. She was named a 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar and she also took first place honors at the National FFA Agriscience competition for her research.
