October 19, 2017
Four new Fulbright Scholars, who arrived at the College of Agricultural Sciences in August, are looking to economics, sociology, and soil and plant science research for ways to put Colombia at the forefront of the world's cacao production. Under the guidance of faculty at Penn State, they will attempt to tackle some of the country's most pervasive issues, from education to production challenges and corruption.
October 6, 2017
When a new semester arrives at Penn State, professor Cal DuBrock makes a round of the school’s natural resource classes with a pitch: Whether it’s forestry, fisheries or wildlife, he says, join the professional society in your field.
September 29, 2017
Faculty and staff at Penn State DuBois welcomed members of the Wildlife Leadership Academy (WLA) on Sept. 18, providing a look at educational options available to those looking to start careers in wildlife conservation and research. In all, 15 students between the ages of 14 and 17 visited the campus to learn more about the Wildlife Technology Degree program at Penn State DuBois.
September 14, 2017
The rainy summer in Pennsylvania has set the stage for what could be an awesome autumn foliage display, according to forest ecologists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
September 13, 2017
Senior environmental resource management student Aaron Blakney spent the summer of 2017 analyzing the impacts of hazardous materials during an internship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
August 31, 2017
If a human mother is stressed while pregnant, research shows her child is much more likely to have emotional, cognitive or even physiological problems, such as attention deficit, hyperactivity, anxiety, language delay, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Conversely, the results of maternal stress on the offspring of other animals — particularly wildlife under threat from predators — is believed to be positive, and contributes to their survival.
August 23, 2017
There are an estimated 600,000 living Penn State alumni in the world, and Grae Buck is doing something none of the rest are: He's competing at the very top level of professional bass fishing, on the FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) Tour.
August 19, 2017
As conditions warm, fish and wildlife living at the southern edge of their species' ranges are most at risk, according to Penn State researchers who led a major collaborative study of how wood frogs are being affected by climate change.
August 1, 2017
Snowshoe hares in Pennsylvania — at the southern end of the species' range — show adaptations in fur color and characteristics, behavior and metabolism, to enable them to survive in less wintry conditions than their far northern relatives, according to a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
July 11, 2017
Attaining the goal of sending no materials to landfills after sporting events -- instead composting some refuse left by crowds and recycling the rest -- is as much a challenge of changing the culture and behavior of the fans as it is developing new, biodegradable packaging and eating utensils, according to Judd Michael, professor in the departments of Ecosystem Science and Management and Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
July 8, 2017
Alec Baker has had a lifelong interest and passion for the outdoors and its inhabitants, especially black bears. This passion set the Clarion native on a path to enroll in the wildlife technology degree program at Penn State DuBois, and eventually led him to earn the Erickson Discovery Grant from Penn State's Office of Undergraduate Education.
June 19, 2017
David Munoz, doctoral degree candidate in ecology, and Dr. David Miller, assistant professor of wildlife population ecology, are spearheading a four-year-old collaborative effort to assess the impact of a warming climate on the Eastern red-backed salamander, a creature that lives on or under the forest floor.
June 14, 2017
Sara Fitzsimmons, research technician in ecosystem science and management, and Kim Steiner, professor of forest biology, talk about the progress and challenges of restoring the American chestnut in Eastern forests.
June 12, 2017
The Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has received the Excellence of Science Award from the U.S. Geological Survey.
June 12, 2017
Among the 219 students who applied, 83 from across Penn State’s campuses will each be awarded a $3,500 Erickson Discovery Grant for summer 2017. Included are —Alec Baker, WFS, "Timing and Impact of Habitat Type on Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) Corn Crop Damage," working with Ms. Keely Roen, instructor in wildlife technology — Jennifer Heppner, WFS, "Effects of Maternal Stress in Offspring Performance Speed in the Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus),"working with Dr. Michael Sheriff, assistant professor of mammalogy and ecology — Richard Novak, WFS, "A Comparison of Macro-Invertebrate Communities Among Vernal Pools with Different Fire Histories," working with Dr. Margot Kaye, associate professor of forest ecology — Ana Turosky, ESOIL minor, "Does Glyphosate Affect Beneficial Soil Microbes?," working with Dr. Mary Ann Bruns, associate professor of soil science/microbial ecology.
June 7, 2017
Kim Steiner, professor of forest biology and director of the Arboretum, Kate Reeder, Arboretum marketing and events coordinator, and Patrick Williams, Arboretum development director, talk about the Arboretum's current features and future plans.
June 6, 2017
Francis Alvaré, a forest ecosystem management major with a minor in military studies, assisted the National Guard's forestry department in a series of prescribed fires on training facilities as part of an independent study program in the spring of 2017.
June 5, 2017
A few degrees, on average, can make a huge difference in lakes and streams as aquatic species struggle to compete and in some cases survive, and that's why a warming climate is of concern to fisheries managers.
May 23, 2017
The recent announcement by the Pennsylvania Game Commission that it found 25 more wild deer with chronic wasting disease last year underlines the importance of studies being conducted by a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
May 23, 2017
Marvin Hall, a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is currently working a project to bring highly productive life back to damaged land by planting a crop — switchgrass — that can be used as an alternative fuel source.
May 18, 2017
Businesses and individuals interested in Pennsylvania's large forest-products industry can learn about goods, services, best practices and industry trends at the 2017 Forest Products Equipment and Technology Exposition, which will take place Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10, at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site at Rock Springs.
May 17, 2017
A new undergraduate certificate program offered by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will give students interested in agricultural stewardship an opportunity for classroom and hands-on learning in the sustainability of agricultural soil and water resources. The Agricultural Stewardship and Conservation Certificate program will provide critical coursework and practical experience that will help make students marketable for jobs in the public and private sector.
May 17, 2017
A group of institutions led by Penn State has received nearly $2.2 million for the first year of a planned four-year, $5 million project aimed at developing a model for engaging communities and stakeholders to ensure adequate supplies of good-quality water both for and from agriculture. Partners include the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, Arizona State University and the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
May 16, 2017
The nearly century-old effort to employ selective breeding to rescue the American chestnut, which has been rendered functionally extinct by an introduced disease — Chestnut blight, eventually will succeed, but it will take longer than many people expect.
May 1, 2017
Ismaiel Szink, a doctoral student in the intercollege graduate degree program in ecology, will use his fellowship to support research on tree roots and their exudates, which are compounds released by roots into surrounding soil. "Ismaiel is examining how roots and associated mycorrhizal fungi can influence weathering at the Susquehanna-Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory," noted his adviser David Eissenstat, professor of woody plant physiology.
April 27, 2017
In 2000, when a team of scientists led by Robert Ross studied the response of birds to the beginning of hemlock tree decline in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Matt Toenies was just seven years old, and the ecological havoc wreaked by invasive species was the farthest thing from his mind.
April 26, 2017
David Miller, associate professor of wildlife population ecology, and his master's degree advisee, Matt Toenies, talk about Toenies' research on how hemlock decline is affecting bird species.
April 21, 2017
The Arboretum at Penn State will host a discussion of the role of fire in ecosystem health and how Penn State uses controlled burns to manage and restore natural landscapes. The April 26 presentation precedes a controlled burn on a 12-acre portion of Arboretum lands adjacent to campus planned for this spring as part of an ongoing re-creation of a prairie/meadow containing native grasses and wildflowers.
April 19, 2017
Fragmentation of ecologically important core forests within the northern Appalachians — driven by pipeline and access road construction — is the major threat posed by shale-gas development, according to researchers, who recommend a change in infrastructure-siting policies to head off loss of this critical habitat.
April 16, 2017
Cover crops long have been touted for their ability to reduce erosion, fix atmospheric nitrogen, reduce nitrogen leaching and improve soil health, but they also may play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change on agriculture, according to a Penn State researcher.
