February 2011 Archives

University Park, Pa. -- Four Penn State faculty have been selected to receive funds from the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Research Development Fund to participate in collaborative projects in 2011. An international partnership of 16 leading universities, WUN fosters research-based, interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty and students of its member institutions to address problems of global significance.

The four Penn State participating faculty are:

• Lee Kump, professor of geosciences, for an ocean acidification workshop in collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, and universities in the United Kingdom, Australia and Norway.
• Rudy Slingerland, professor of geosciences, for a project on earth surface sedimentary flow processes in collaboration with researchers at three universities in the United Kingdom, and universities in Australia and the U.S.
• Petra Tschakert, assistant professor of geography and associate of Penn State's Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, for a workshop and project on limits to climate change adaptation in collaboration with researchers from universities in Australia and South Africa.
• Nancy Tuana, professor of philosophy and director of Penn State's Rock Ethics Institute, who leads the WUN Gender and Climate Change Collaboration, for partnerships with researchers at universities in South Africa and Australia on public health and climate change.

The full story is available at Penn State Live.

University Park, Pa. -- Nominations are being accepted for the "Spirit of Internationalization" award, which acknowledges women from Penn State University and the local community who excel in academic achievements, artistic excellence, volunteerism in international organizations or dedication to advancing the status of women. The award will be presented by Penn State's University Office of Global Programs, at their fourth annual breakfast in celebration of International Women's Day. It is at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, in the boardroom of the Nittany Lion Inn.

The featured speaker this year is Lee Ann De Reus, associate professor of human development & family studies and women's studies at Penn State Altoona and Carl Wilkens Fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network.

Her presentation is titled: "Resist, Reclaim, Revolutionize: A Woman's Call to Action."

To make reservations for the breakfast, or for more information, contact Sandi Richter, special events coordinator, University Office of Global Programs, at (814)  863-5973 or smr274@psu.edu. Tickets are $12 per person. Donations will also be accepted for the Panze Foundation USA.

Read the full story on Penn State Live.

Next month's spring break will find some Penn State Beaver students scattered across the globe. Students will travel with their professors to Spain and Italy as others implement outreach and support services through Young People Who Care, Inc. of Frenchville, Pa., and the Caritas healthcare system.

Robin Bower, associate professor of Spanish at Beaver, and students from her Iberian Civilization and Culture class, will travel to Madrid, Spain, where they will visit the Prado Museum, home of major collections of the work of Spanish master artists El Greco, Diego de Velazquez, and Francisco Goya. The students also will view "The Garden of Earthly Delights,' one of Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch's most famous and recognizable paintings.

The full story is available at Penn State Live.

University Park, Pa. - Through volunteering in areas such as youth and community development to health and business information education, Penn State alumni are changing the world as Peace Corps volunteers. With 58 undergraduate alumni and two graduate alumni currently serving, Penn State ranks 20th on the Peace Corps' 2011 rankings of colleges and universities in the large school category

"It's exciting to me that students at Penn State have a strong interest in participating in service opportunities," Nellie Bhattarai, Penn State Peace Corps recruiter, said. "Peace Corps takes the skills and personality of an individual and uses it to impact others in a community-oriented manner. The skills that students gain here at Penn State have had a life-changing impact on communities throughout the world. This would never happen without students selflessly taking up the call to go and serve."

The full story is available at Penn State Live.

The Frisbey award honors and recognizes outstanding contributions to international understanding by graduate and undergraduate international students. To apply for the $1,000 award, download an application form or pick one up from 410 Boucke Building. The application deadline is March 21, 2011.

The University Office of Global Programs (UOGP) honors women from the University and local community with the Spirit of Internationalization Award at the upcoming International Women's Day Breakfast on Tuesday, March 15.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Lee Ann De Reus, associate professor of human development & family studies and women's studies at Penn State Altoona and Carl Wilkens Fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network. To nominate a woman deserving of this award, download an application. Click here to learn more about RSVPing for the Breakfast by the March 8 deadline.

Researchers need to use all available resources in an integrated approach to put agriculture on a path to solve the world's food problems while reducing pollution, according to a Penn State biologist. Changes in national and international regulations will be necessary to achieve this goal.

"Using resources more efficiently is what it will take to put agriculture on a path to feed the expected future population of nine billion people," said Nina Fedoroff, Evan Pugh Professor of Biology and Willaman Professor of Life Sciences, Penn State. "We especially need to do a better job using the nutrients, water and energy needed to produce food."

Read the full story at Penn State Live.

Penn State Harrisburg's International Film Festival is celebrating its 11th year with a program that includes notable films from around the world for adults and children.

Running Friday, Feb. 18 through Saturday, Feb. 26, the free movie screenings will be held in Penn State Harrisburg's Kunkel Auditorium, room C-213 of the Olmsted Building. Festival highlights include two matinee screenings from the New York International Children's Film Festival with innovative live-action and animation short films; a reception with filmmaker Lisa Gossels Thursday, Feb. 24, at which she will present her documentary "My So-Called Enemy," about the experiences of Israeli and Palestinian girls who participated in the women's leadership program Building Bridge for Peace; and "White Wedding," a romantic comedy on Feb. 18, the week of Valentine's Day.

The annual series supports Penn State Harrisburg's commitment to foster understanding of other cultures -- regionally, nationally and globally.

For the full story and schedule, visit Penn State Live.

For now, Timothy Silberg has chosen making memories over making money.

Recently the Bucks County, Pa., native had to decide between what he saw as cushy jobs with Tyson Foods or the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or embarking on a journey to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to be the sole manager of a farm.

Read the full story on Penn State Live.

The prestigious Gilman Scholarship was designed to ease the financial burden of studying abroad for American college students. Recipients receive up to $5,000, with the average award being $4,000, making the Gilman a very rewarding scholarship program.

By allowing more students to travel abroad for international study, the scholarship, awarded by the U.S. Department of State, is intended to better prepare students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world, according to the scholarship website.

Last year, 2,900 students applied for 850 awards from the national scholarship. Five Penn State students received the award -- two from the College of Agricultural Sciences.

For the full story, visit Penn State Live.

Low crop yields in developing nations remain a primary cause of world hunger. And with a constantly rising global population, food security is now a 21st-century problem. It's time, plant nutritionist Jonathan Lynch (professor of plant nutrition in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State) argues, for a second Green Revolution.

Read the full story on Penn State Live.