De-stress Fest takes place at five branch libraries across the University Park campus and at 12 Penn State campuses across the commonwealth, offering free snacks, games, activities, art therapy and other stress-management options, which vary with location.
Jennifer Murphy, associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Berks, was recently awarded the 2023 Ken Peak Innovations in Teaching Award, given to one faculty member nationwide by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor criminal justice and criminology faculty members for innovative teaching methods.
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.
A new book written by Penn State Berks Professor of Latin American Studies Kirwin Shaffer explores how historical forces, people, and ideas traveled across political borders and bodies of water to shape Caribbean history. Titled "A Transnational History of the Modern Caribbean: Popular Resistance across Borders," the book discusses many of the same issues that are timely today, including same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights.
Sarah Hartman-Caverly, reference librarian and library liaison to the division of engineering, business and computing at the Penn State Berks Thun Library, was recently invited to chair the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Round Table Publications & Communications Committee for 2022-23.
Two Penn State Berks professors are working to help students in STEM majors garner the core skills and knowledge offered in the humanities in an effort to gain a more complex understanding of how their disciplines and careers relate to humanity and the fast-paced global economy. A $350,000 grant will help them implement the Keystone Certificate at several campuses.
Four Penn State campuses — Abington, Berks, Lehigh Valley and Mont Alto — awarded Penn State’s inaugural Open and Affordable Educational Resources (OAER) Champion Award during the spring 2022 semester. A collaboration between Penn State University Libraries and the University-wide OAER Working Group, the OAER Champion Award is a pilot initiative recognizing excellence, innovation and impact in OAER at Penn State campuses.
Rungun Nathan, professor and chair of the mechanical engineering degree program at Penn State Berks, was the winner of the Open Innovation Challenge, part of Penn State TLT's Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology, on March 19.
Each year, Penn State recognizes outstanding faculty and staff with annual awards in teaching and excellence. These awards highlight many of the faculty and staff who go above and beyond.