Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Westinghouse Electric Company President Dan Sumner signed a new MOU on May 6, strengthening their partnership with a five-year agreement to continue advancing nuclear research, with specific focus on workforce education supporting the development and deployment of sustainable reactors.&nbsp;

Penn State, Westinghouse strengthen partnership to advance reactors, workforce | Penn State University

title

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Westinghouse Electric Company President Dan Sumner signed a new MOU on May 6, strengthening their partnership with a five-year agreement to continue advancing nuclear research, with specific focus on workforce education supporting the development and deployment of sustainable reactors. 

description

abstract

robots

https://psu-gatsby-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/16_9_1000w/public/2026/05/westinghousemou_handshake.jpg?h=84071268&itok=CJgdkQI1

Research

Penn State, Westinghouse strengthen partnership to advance reactors, workforce

Agricultural Sciences

College of Agricultural Sciences

In recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness month, Erika Machtinger, associate professor of entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, offered practical tips on protecting against ticks in this Q&amp;A.&nbsp;

Q&A: Tips to protect against ticks | Penn State University

In recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness month, Erika Machtinger, associate professor of entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, offered practical tips on protecting against ticks in this Q&A. 

https://psu-gatsby-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/16_9_1000w/public/LymeDiseaseNR.jpg?h=0363ce41&itok=OBsa-nKf

Q&A: Tips to protect against ticks

Eberly College of Science

Five Penn State professors have been named Evan Pugh University Professors, the University’s highest faculty honor, effective July 1. They are W. Niel Brandt, Eberly Family Chair Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics;&nbsp;Long-Qing Chen, Hamer Professor of Materials Science and Engineering;&nbsp;Runze Li, Eberly Family Chair Professor of Statistics;&nbsp;Karen Thole, professor of mechanical engineering; and&nbsp;Adri van Duin, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering.

Penn State names five new Evan Pugh University Professors | Penn State University

Five Penn State professors have been named Evan Pugh University Professors, the University’s highest faculty honor, effective July 1. They are W. Niel Brandt, Eberly Family Chair Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics; Long-Qing Chen, Hamer Professor of Materials Science and Engineering; Runze Li, Eberly Family Chair Professor of Statistics; Karen Thole, professor of mechanical engineering; and Adri van Duin, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering.

https://psu-gatsby-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/16_9_1000w/public/PUGH%20BUST%201.jpg?h=9a147e75&itok=ONmpfDby

Academics

Penn State names five new Evan Pugh University Professors

ai_sciencejournalhero

Adopting, advancing and adapting to AI

hero.jpg

Hail to the Lion: Penn State mascot’s spirit, legacy kept alive by a select few 

Han Tay, Pu Xiao, and Jie Yan

(Super) positioned for quantum tech

Chad Smies and Jiyeon Baek

The breadth of the brain

2024-psu-universitypark-fosteringlions-2.jpg

6_2_50.jpeg

Leading with determination: A journey from adversity to advocacy 

sprouts-shenango.jpg

Commonwealth Campuses promote wellness, education through gardens

24 4 11-Food Recovery Network-1007

Feeding a community: How one student is turning food waste into donated meals

medsim-hero-4x1-v2.mp4

central-line-simulation-training.jpg

Re-engineering medical simulation training for the next generation of physicians

mark-6_lr_la.jpg

Undergraduate learning assistants support their peers in the classroom

348593327_153737744195233_6925217822016495965_n.jpg

24-3-26-rodriquez-najee-0002.jpg

Advocating for fellow students 

Honey Queen crown

cheyenne-pst.png

Creating a buzz about agriculture

23 10 25-Student Farm Market_HUB-002wide

24 1 24-Jimmy Alamia-006

Making healthy food accessible: Student leads pay-what-you-can farmer’s market 

fungi-into-the-future_4x1-hero.mp4

fungi-pst-thumbbnail.jpg

Fungi into the future

julia-chen-banner.jpg

annealer.jpg

Hands-on experience: Undergraduate at the forefront of ‘cutting-edge innovation’

2023-05-10-baseball-psuac-champions-hero.jpg

Commonwealth Campus athletics offer students community, opportunity

lionglass-sample.jpg

A new glass for the future: Taking LionGlass out of the lab and into the market

5-22-23-critical-minerals-hero.mp4

Mission critical: To get critical minerals and rare earth metals from coal waste

Resiliency in disaster recovery

Resiliency in recovery: Exploring structural strength in devastated communities

03-07-23-solari-yucatan-hero-480-v1.mp4

Worlds Collide: Art history and materials science in the Yucatán

mcphillips-_videoheaderv1.mp4

Greening the grey: Engineering natural solutions for stormwater management

StreamSample-VariousPlastic.jpg

Sounding the alarm on microplastic pollution

Adaptive Architecture hero v3

Designed to Adapt: Living materials are the future of sustainable building

Ron Markle with student

Eberly College of Science works toward better health care, one student at a time

Heard on Campus: Experiential learning a ‘high-impact practice’ tied to student success

Four Altoona women’s tennis players picked for CSC academic honors

Faculty Senate holds special meeting  

Sabine Klahr, vice provost for Global at Penn State, to retire

History major builds inclusive spaces through campus leadership

Penn State Forum announces 2026 Fall Speaker Series lineup

Five Penn State Altoona baseball student-athletes earn AMCC honors

Penn State’s employee assistance program, SupportLinc, launches updates 

Geography research helps undergraduate student connect policy and place

Penn State Schuylkill celebrates third annual Nursing Pinning Ceremony

Collaboration drives community-based bioeconomy innovation in Brazilian Amazon

Penn State Prime experience turns Smeal student ideas into real brand work 

Harshly parented children show poorer development of stress regulation

New reactor design produces renewable methane from carbon dioxide

Six Penn State Altoona softball student-athletes earn AMCC honors

Road to Commencement: Shirley Yang

Latest News

2026-Commencement-GreaterAllegheny

2026-Commencement-University Park_Smeal01

sp-2026-top-picture.jpg

2026.05.01-penn-state-crew.jpg

2026 Blue-White Practice Rocco Becht and James Peoples

04132026_Bring your child to work day

041126 men's lacrosse vs Michigan 01

2026.03.31-suw-design-and-build-challenge-124.jpg

Graduate Exhibition 2026 - Performance Night

03062026_POTD_Equine Foal

Around Campus

More research news

The surface of a distant rocky planet about 30% bigger than the Earth may resemble a larger version of the moon or the planet Mercury, according to a new study using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

First look at distant rocky planet reveals moon-like world | Penn State University

The surface of a distant rocky planet about 30% bigger than the Earth may resemble a larger version of the moon or the planet Mercury, according to a new study using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

https://psu-gatsby-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/16_9_1000w/public/2026/05/hu_mercury.jpeg?h=f6505cb6&itok=mk7EpV_T

First look at distant rocky planet reveals moon-like world

An international research team developed a scalable reactor system that efficiently converts carbon dioxide and renewable electricity into methane, advancing long-term renewable energy storage solutions.

New reactor design produces renewable methane from carbon dioxide | Penn State University

An international research team developed a scalable reactor system that efficiently converts carbon dioxide and renewable electricity into methane, advancing long-term renewable energy storage solutions.

https://psu-gatsby-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/16_9_1000w/public/2026/05/reactor.png?h=dc37da01&itok=Jg-Fa9n6

Invasive woody plants present a major ecological challenge in eastern U.S. forests by outcompeting native species and spreading quickly, forming dense thickets that crowd out native plants and disrupt ecosystems. Land managers have tried, with some success, to use prescribed fire to kill them, but is it effective? Researchers at Penn State reported mixed results when it comes to two of the most aggressive colonizers across North American landscapes, burning bush and border privet.

Scorched shrubs sprout anew, researchers find in controlled fire study | Penn State University

Invasive woody plants present a major ecological challenge in eastern U.S. forests by outcompeting native species and spreading quickly, forming dense thickets that crowd out native plants and disrupt ecosystems. Land managers have tried, with some success, to use prescribed fire to kill them, but is it effective? Researchers at Penn State reported mixed results when it comes to two of the most aggressive colonizers across North American landscapes, burning bush and border privet.

https://psu-gatsby-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/16_9_1000w/public/2026/05/2-photos-repaired-final.jpg?h=98f4dcdd&itok=sBp0_sD1

Scorched shrubs sprout anew, researchers find in controlled fire study

Featured Research

The FinServ Foundation is trying to fix the talent pipeline problem in the wealth management industry through scholarships for students, including those who learn online through Penn State World Campus.

Giving Next-Gen Advisors A Seat At The Table - And A Path Into The Industry

New research by a team that includes Penn State biologist Gui Becker demonstrates how connected habitats can help wildlife fight disease.

Diversity vs Disease: Connected habitats favor more diverse, disease-preventing frog microbiomes

Kathryn Spearman, assistant professor at the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, writes in The Conversation that recent high-profile killings in Virginia and Louisiana reflect a broader pattern of intimate partner violence with well-established warning signs. She explains how early recognition, safety planning and targeted interventions can help to mitigate this violence.

Intimate partner homicide has clear warning signs – and is often preventable, research shows

A new study, led by a team from Penn State College of Medicine, found that when teenagers go to sleep and when they wake up may be the driving force behind what teenagers eat and how much they move. Teens who went to sleep later and woke up later were more likely to consume more calories, snack more and be less physically active — especially when in school compared to on break from school.

Study: Teens' sleep patterns affect their diet, exercise

Gillian Russell, an instructor at Penn State Abington and assistant research professor in the Greater Philadelphia Office of the Criminal Justice Research Center, discussed her work investigating the surge in online gambling among younger men, and an Abington student shared his personal experience.

In On The Action: The high stakes of youth gambling

A thick layer of haze around the ultra-low-density planet Kepler-51d likely obscures not only the strange planet’s composition, but also its origin, according to a new study. A team led by Penn State researchers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to take a deeper look at the “super-puff” planet that defies planetary formation models.

'Cotton candy’ planet hides its secrets beneath a massive layer of haze

A team led by Penn State astronomers used NASA's James Webb Telescope to take a closer look at an unusual "superpuff" planet.

JWST Peers Into the Haze Surrounding an Unusual Cotton Candy-Like Planet

An assistant superintendent and Penn State student explains why cutting unit geometry and clip frequency are just as important as height of cut.

Why reel geometry and clip rate matter more than you think

Lightning formation and the conditions triggering it have long been shrouded in a cloud of mystery, but new research led by Penn State scientists is lifting the fog. Using mathematical calculations, the researchers discovered that lightning-like discharge doesn’t require a storm cloud — it could be made inside everyday material on a lab bench.

Researchers make mini-lightning in a block of plastic

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi shared her thoughts in a new blog in Forbes highlighting the importance of valuing people in the age of AI — and how universities like Penn State are preparing students for the workplaces of the future.

Why People Are The Smartest AI Investment—And What It Means For Universities

For most students, finishing a degree at Penn State means closing a chapter. For World Campus students Robert Billings and Jenna Baker, it meant logging off from full-time jobs, returning to State College, and stepping onto the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center for 46 hours at Penn State THON.

Beyond University Park: World Campus Students Dance For THON

Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, may be better suited by a new name: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy. Unlike the fictional ragtag team of unenthusiastic heroes, the microscopic animals are providing real insight into how humans could adapt extraterrestrial resources to support space exploration, as well as whether such resources could help protect against the Earthly contaminants that humans might shed. This is according to an international study co-led by Penn State Altoona Professor of Microbiology Corien Bakermans.

‘Water bears’ reveal potential for adapting, protecting Martian resources

Thunderstorms often illuminate the night sky with flashes of lightning. They also seem to make treetops glow and sparkle — although the phenomenon is pretty much invisible to the naked eye. In a study led by Penn State published Feb. 12 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, scientists provide the first direct observations of the weak electrical discharges around trees in nature.

Scientists capture first-ever ultraviolet 'sparkles' from treetops

Penn State World Campus undergraduate student Braden Fleagle shares his experience as a Four Diamonds beneficiary and childhood cancer survivor.

Cancer survivor become Penn State THON dancer, calls it 'world's largest family'

Penn State researchers have developed a new high-temperature polymer capacitor that can store four times more energy than conventional designs while operating at temperatures up to 482 degrees Fahrenheit. The advance could improve power systems in electric vehicles, data centers, aerospace systems and other high-heat environments where today’s capacitors quickly fail.

New plastic material could solve energy storage challenge, researchers report

A new study offers a look at how the building blocks of life might have originated in the cosmos. Penn State scientists suggest that the amino acids found on the asteroid Bennu did not require warm, liquid water to form, as previously assumed. The team analyzed tiny samples, consisting of roughly 4.6-billion-year-old rocks, delivered by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to Earth in 2023.