With a transformational joint gift to Penn State Berks, two Penn State alumni couples have launched a comprehensive new scholarship program and raised the bar for private giving to the campus.
The 329 elementary and middle school students who participated in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Challenge used the competition elements as building blocks to learn about teamwork, problem-solving and gracious professionalism.
Penn State Berks students will be honored at the Central PA African American Museum (CPAAM) annual awards luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at The DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading, Pennsylvania. The theme is “Honoring Those Who Are Making a Difference.”
In 1991, Shaka Senghor was sent to prison for second-degree murder. Today, he lectures at universities, is a leading voice on criminal justice reform, and an inspiration to thousands. He will give two presentations at Penn State Berks on Wednesday, March 14: the first at 12:15 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room and the second at 7 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. Both lectures are free and open to the public.
Fifty-five third graders from Glenside Elementary School in Reading will visit Penn State Berks on Feb. 27 for a fable workshop beginning at 9:45 a.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. The workshop is a joint initiative of the college’s elementary and early childhood education and theatre degree programs, and coordinated by David Bender, associate professor of educational psychology.
Two Penn State Berks faculty members were recently honored by the American Society for Engineering Education. Their paper titled, "Assessment of Progressive Learning of Ethics in Engineering Students Based on the Model of Domain Learning," co-authored by Sadan Kulturel-Konak and Abdullah Konak, among others, was recognized as the ASEE Best Zone I Paper for 2017.
Dr. Chidi Achebe, physician executive and the son of the late Chinua Achebe, author of the novel "Things Fall Apart," will present two lectures at Penn State Berks on Feb. 21. The first is part of the Global Studies Forum, titled “Investment in Nigeria” at 12:15 p.m. The second is part of the college’s Arts and Lecture Series, titled “Inequalities in Health Care in the United States: Why We Should Care” at 7 p.m. Both lectures will be held in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room and are free and open to the public.
Penn State Berks is celebrating its history while preparing students for the future through National Engineers Week events and activities, held Feb. 19–23. Penn State Berks, the only college in Berks County to offer baccalaureate degrees in engineering, is celebrating its 60th anniversary throughout 2018.
While majoring in engineering and minoring in theatre may seem like an odd combination at first, three Penn State Berks Engineering students with theatre minors find that it is opening doors for them in unexpected ways. They recently had the opportunity to expand their technical knowledge by participating in the 50th Annual Region 2 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival hosted by Indiana University of Pennsylvania in January.
