Latest News

Laureate to explore Ernest Hemingway's art during first campus visits

Penn State Laureate Linda Patterson Miller, professor of English at Penn State Abington, will begin her journeys into western Pennsylvania, serving as a "laureate-in-residence" as she interacts with the campus communities at Penn State DuBois (Sept. 13); Penn State Erie, The Behrend College (Sept. 14); Penn State Shenango (Sept. 15); and Penn State Beaver (Sept. 16). Miller will be participating in individual classes and symposiums along with engaging larger audiences in public forums at these locations. "I invite anyone in these geographical areas to join with us for these public presentation as we variously explore the art of American diary-keeping, the lives and art of the 1920s Lost Generation, and the art of Ernest Hemingway as discovered in his letters and early prose," said Miller. Check in with Miller's travels and follow her literary dialogue, "Literary Landings," at http://laureate.psu.edu/Linda_Miller online. Today, Miller discusses how encounters with art can change lives, as it did for Miller when she first read Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" (1929). To watch a short video of Miller as she provides some background for understanding the transformative power of Hemingway's art, go to http://bit.ly/nVOzuO online.

The Medical Minute: Practice fireworks safety this Independence Day

Independence Day celebrations almost always include fireworks of some kind. The Prevent Blindness America organization recommends attending professionally organized fireworks displays rather than buying and setting off your own. This view is echoed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which collects and reports data on fireworks-related injuries every year. They report that 7,000 emergency room visits from fireworks-related injuries occurred during 2008, including seven deaths. In 2007, there were 11 deaths and 9,800 emergency room visits from fireworks-related injury.

The Medical Minute: Practice fireworks safety this Independence Day

Independence Day celebrations almost always include fireworks of some kind. The Prevent Blindness America organization recommends attending professionally organized fireworks displays rather than buying and setting off your own. This view is echoed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which collects and reports data on fireworks-related injuries every year. They report that 7,000 emergency room visits from fireworks-related injuries occurred during 2008, including seven deaths. In 2007, there were 11 deaths and 9,800 emergency room visits from fireworks-related injury.

Thousands keeping connected to Penn State through Facebook, Twitter

Well more than 100,000 students, alumni, friends and fans of Penn State are staying connected to the University through Penn State's official page on Facebook and through two accounts on Twitter. The University's official page on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/pennstate, is a hub of daily activity for more than 104,000 Penn Staters. On Twitter, thousands are following two official University feeds at http://www.twitter.com/pennstatelive and http://www.twitter.com/penn_state.

Thousands keeping connected to Penn State through Facebook, Twitter

Well more than 100,000 students, alumni, friends and fans of Penn State are staying connected to the University through Penn State's official page on Facebook and through two accounts on Twitter. The University's official page on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/pennstate, is a hub of daily activity for more than 104,000 Penn Staters. On Twitter, thousands are following two official University feeds at http://www.twitter.com/pennstatelive and http://www.twitter.com/penn_state.

Coating approach clears up fingerprints

CSI notwithstanding, forensics experts cannot always retrieve fingerprints from objects, but a conformal coating process developed by Penn State professors can reveal hard-to-develop fingerprints on nonporous surfaces without altering the chemistry of the print. "As prints dry or age, the common techniques used to develop latent fingerprints, such as dusting or cyanoacrylate -- SuperGlue -- fuming often fail," said Robert Shaler, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and director of Penn State's forensic sciences program.

Penn State sets $2 billion goal for campaign to help students

With more than $1 billion raised to date, Penn State has entered the public phase of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, with a goal that will make it the biggest fundraising effort in the University's history. At a celebratory event held on April 23, President Graham Spanier announced that Penn State will aim to secure $2 billion by 2014 to ensure that the University can continue to offer an outstanding education to students from every economic background while benefiting the public through research and service. "Penn State has made it possible for hundreds of thousands of individuals to sustain their families, advance their professions, and contribute to our country's strength," Spanier told more than 1,000 volunteers and donors gathered at the Bryce Jordan Center. "The For the Future campaign will ensure that we can continue to prepare our students for leadership in a world vastly different from any that previous generations have experienced."

Penn State sets $2 billion goal for campaign to help students

With more than $1 billion raised to date, Penn State has entered the public phase of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, with a goal that will make it the biggest fundraising effort in the University's history. At a celebratory event held on April 23, President Graham Spanier announced that Penn State will aim to secure $2 billion by 2014 to ensure that the University can continue to offer an outstanding education to students from every economic background while benefiting the public through research and service. "Penn State has made it possible for hundreds of thousands of individuals to sustain their families, advance their professions, and contribute to our country's strength," Spanier told more than 1,000 volunteers and donors gathered at the Bryce Jordan Center. "The For the Future campaign will ensure that we can continue to prepare our students for leadership in a world vastly different from any that previous generations have experienced."