Academics

Six Penn State faculty members have received the 2021 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching. They are Julia Kregenow, associate teaching professor of astronomy and astrophysics in Eberly College of Science; Andrew Mowen, professor of recreation, park and tourism management in the College of Health and Human Development; Mary Napoli, associate professor of reading at Penn State Harrisburg; Marietta Scanlon, associate teaching professor of engineering at Penn State Berks; Sven Schmitz, associate professor of aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering; and Johnathan White, assistant teaching professor of history at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

Julie Ealy, associate professor of chemistry at Penn State Lehigh Valley; Eric Hudson, associate professor of physics in Eberly College of Science; and Kirwin Shaffer, professor of Latin American studies at Penn State Berks; have received the Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching and have been named 2021 Penn State Teaching Fellows.

The Penn State Berks Office of Career Services and the Penn State Berks Aspiring Scholars Program have partnered with representatives from several organizations to host a discussion of diversity in hiring practices among employers.

Penn State Berks Chancellor George Grant Jr. recently announced the appointment of Todd A. Migliaccio as the associate dean for academic affairs following a national search. Migliaccio will begin his appointment on July 15, 2021.

A new video series on the "Keep Learning" website provides tips for students who wish to form virtual study groups with their peers.

Berks is offering 80 great ways for students to spend their summer. The first summer session will begin on May 17 and continue through June 25, and the second seven-week session runs from June 30 to Aug. 11.

Penn State Berks will celebrate National Biomechanics Day on April 7. This year the event will be virtual in the form of a LionSide Chat webinar designed to introduce prospective students and their families to fields that comprise biomechanics, including engineering, kinesiology and health science.

The Penn State Berks Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society has partnered with the Lehigh Valley Section of the American Chemical Society to offer a virtual after-school chemistry enrichment program for middle and high school students via Zoom.

The Story Powered Initiative is a newly relaunched, nationally focused initiative that addresses stigma and discrimination through sharing individual stories surrounding the opioid epidemic, founded and led by assistant professor of criminal justice and Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse-affiliated faculty member Glenn Sterner.

Although the recent 2021 FIS Snowboard World Championship in Rogla, Slovenia, took place during a global pandemic, Penn State Berks junior Kaiya Kizuka emerged victorious -- finishing second among American women and emerging as the fastest American female on the red course in the Giant Slalom event. She also took third place among American female snowboarders in the Parallel Slalom.