The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently received a $53,000 grant from the County of Berks. Working with Furniture Soup, Berks LaunchBox will use most of the funding to revamp the coworking space with new desks, storage and sound dampening, and to add a small meeting space for entrepreneurs to work collaboratively, as well as other purposes.
The program supports entrepreneurs who have a small business or are developing a business related to the arts. Funding ranges from $500 to $2,000, which must be used to support business formation or development. Eligible entrepreneurs must have at least one consultation with Berks LaunchBox staff to review their business plan.
Penn State Berks is showing support for the six student dancers who are representing the college at THON, the dance marathon to benefit families battling pediatric cancer, with “Dancer Week” from Feb. 13 to 17. The week will culminate with a dancer send-off on Thursday, Feb. 16, where faculty, staff, and fellow students gather to wish the dancers well and send them off as they head to University Park to represent Penn State Berks.
The Penn State Berks Advisory Board Annual Scholarship will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students who are enrolled or who plan to enroll at Penn State Berks. First preference shall be given to students who graduated from a high school located within the Penn State Berks service area.
Penn State Berks is celebrating its history while preparing students for the future through National Engineers Week events and activities, to be held Feb. 20 to 24. While the college’s roots in engineering date back to 1927, Penn State has offered engineering degrees for more than 125 years.
Over the winter break, Penn State Berks Housing and Food Services installed three self-order kiosks at Tully’s Dining Center to streamline the ordering process for customers and workers.
Mike Fidanza, professor of plant and soil sciences at Penn State Berks and former editor-in-chief of the International Turfgrass Society Research Journal, served as the editor of “Achieving Sustainable Turfgrass Management” — a new textbook centered on implementing eco-friendly initiatives in maintaining turfgrass.
Penn State Berks alumna Britany LaManna, who earned a degree in communication arts and sciences in 2012, has parlayed the knowledge and skills she acquired at the college into a successful career in the insurance industry. She was recognized as a “Rising Star” in the field by Insurance Business America magazine in December 2022, and she was named to the Millionaires Club 2022 for The Loomis Co., where she has worked for the last 11 years.
In honor of Black History Month, the Penn State Berks campus community is invited to a virtual event titled "The Frederick Douglass Project," and the Penn State Berks Black Student Union will hold two events.
Students in the Penn State Berks mechanical engineering and occupational therapy programs collaborate each year to create devices to meet the needs of individuals with physical challenges as part of the Pfreimer Adaptive Equipment Project.
