2021: A year in photographs at Penn State

Many of the special events and highlights of the year 2021

A photo gallery highlighting some of the events and special moments at Penn State in 2021. See gallery here. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

A gallery of photographs highlighting some of the events and special moments at Penn State in 2021.

Penn State began to offer COVID-19 vaccinations throughout the state in January 2021. First-line workers, including healthcare employees and sports trainers, were the first to receive their vaccinations. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

THON 2021 was held at a nearly empty Bryce Jordan Center due to COVID-19 restrictions. Although the arena was not filled as in past years, THON 2021 was a success once again, bringing in $10,638,078 and providing financial support, spreading awareness, and ensuring additional funding for critical research in the continuing battle against childhood cancer. Credit: 2021 THON Committee. All Rights Reserved.

Students at Penn State Harrisburg sit socially distanced in the gymnasium and patiently await their COVID-19 test results. COVID-19 test centers were set up at locations both at Commonwealth Campuses and at University Park. Credit: Penn State Harrisburg. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State student Keiva Smith, a biobehavioral health major, participated in the 'Mindful Making' series on March 11, 2021, at the HUB-Robeson Center. The 'Mindful Making' series was hosted by Health Promotion & Wellness and Student Engagement Programs, both departments within Penn State Student Affairs. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The third-generation Old Willow tree came down on the Old Main lawn during a windstorm in March of 2021. Office of Physical Plant crews cleaned up the debris and took cuttings away to ensure a fourth-generation Old Willow can one day live on campus. The iconic tree was the third-generation descendant of the original Old Willow, planted by Professor William Waring in 1859. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Masked students finding areas to study that provided social distancing was a common site at Penn State in 2021. Credit: Ava Leone. All Rights Reserved.

Spring commencement ceremonies were held at Penn State's Beaver Stadium in May of 2021. The ceremonies were moved outdoors for the first time in many years in accordance with state and federal guidelines for gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Volunteers from Penn State and the community gathered at the new Pollinator Garden at The Arboretum at Penn State for a spring day of planting and grooming. Construction of the three-acre Pollinator and Bird Garden was completed in the spring of 2021. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

President Eric Barron looks on as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf leads a press conference at Beaver Stadium to discuss the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) bill that was passed in Harrisburg in summer of 2021. NIL legislation provides college athletes with varying degrees of new opportunities to benefit from their name, image and likeness. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Despite the many CDC health and safety requirements at Penn State and nationwide, the Berkey Creamery continued to produce their famous dairy products for online ordering and officially reopened to the public in July of 2021. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State President Eric Barron, center, joined Penn State Lehigh Vallery Chancellor Tina Q. Richardson for a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Lehigh Valley campus' $14 million expansion project. The 2021 expansion project includes new dining facilities, student resource areas, and a state-of-the-art STEM wing. Credit: Rachel Wolf Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields poses for photographs at the team's annual Media Day at Beaver Stadium on Aug. 8. Penn State earned seven wins during the 2021 season and will play in the 2022 Outback Bowl on Jan.1, 2022. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Palmer Museum of Art on Aug. 27, 2021, was hosted by Erin Coe, director of the Palmer Museum of Art. The new museum will provide indoor and outdoor courtyards for social gathering, dynamic learning and creative spaces, along with restorative framed views of the nearby Arboretum grounds. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

A giant set of hay bales designed to look like the Nittany LIon was a very popular photo stop for visitors to the 2021 Ag Progress Days. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences hosted the three-day event in August of 2021, welcoming visitors from around the state of Pennsylvania. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The Penn State men's soccer team entered the 2021 Big Ten Tournament as top-seed and went on to defeat three-seeded Indiana in the title game, earning the program's first conference title in 16 years. Credit: Mark Selders. All Rights Reserved.

The POW/MIA Chair of Honor inside Penn State's Beaver Stadium was officially dedicated on Sept. 8, 2021, and will serve as a constant reminder to never forget those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces but have not returned home. The Chair of Honor, located in the section SLU, above the student section of the stadium, will remain empty to honor all prisoners of war/missing in action (POW/MIA) service members. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The Penn State Cheerleading Team got the capacity crowd at the annual 'White-Out' game at Beaver Stadium roaring prior to kickoff vs. Auburn. The Nittany LIons defeated the visitors from the Southeast Conference 28-20. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The Phoenix, Arizona, chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association proudly marched in the 2021 Homecoming Parade on the evening of Oct. 22, 2021. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Malcolm MacKenzie played the role of Oberon in the Penn State Centre Stage presentation of 'A MidSummer Nights Dream' at the Pavilion Theatre. The production was part of the fall series of plays produced by Penn State Centre Stage and the School of Theatre. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Donald P. Bellisario visited the Penn State College of Communications and the recently opened, state-of-the-art Bellisario Media Center in November 2021.The facility was made possible with a gift from Bellisario and his wife, Vivienne. Bellisario joined Sue Paterno, left; Marie Hardin, dean of the College of Communications; and Vivienne Bellisario, for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting during his visit and tour. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State, the College of the Liberal Arts, and the Department of Anthropology went online in 2021 with the new Penn State Ancient Biomolecules Research Environment (PSABRE). Current projects in the new laboratory are focused on retrieving ancient DNA. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State began to offer COVID-19 vaccinations throughout the state in January 2021. First-line workers, including healthcare employees and sports trainers, were the first to receive their vaccinations. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

THON 2021 was held at a nearly empty Bryce Jordan Center due to COVID-19 restrictions. Although the arena was not filled as in past years, THON 2021 was a success once again, bringing in $10,638,078 and providing financial support, spreading awareness, and ensuring additional funding for critical research in the continuing battle against childhood cancer. Credit: 2021 THON Committee. All Rights Reserved.

Students at Penn State Harrisburg sit socially distanced in the gymnasium and patiently await their COVID-19 test results. COVID-19 test centers were set up at locations both at Commonwealth Campuses and at University Park. Credit: Penn State Harrisburg. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State student Keiva Smith, a biobehavioral health major, participated in the 'Mindful Making' series on March 11, 2021, at the HUB-Robeson Center. The 'Mindful Making' series was hosted by Health Promotion & Wellness and Student Engagement Programs, both departments within Penn State Student Affairs. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The third-generation Old Willow tree came down on the Old Main lawn during a windstorm in March of 2021. Office of Physical Plant crews cleaned up the debris and took cuttings away to ensure a fourth-generation Old Willow can one day live on campus. The iconic tree was the third-generation descendant of the original Old Willow, planted by Professor William Waring in 1859. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Masked students finding areas to study that provided social distancing was a common site at Penn State in 2021. Credit: Ava Leone. All Rights Reserved.

Spring commencement ceremonies were held at Penn State's Beaver Stadium in May of 2021. The ceremonies were moved outdoors for the first time in many years in accordance with state and federal guidelines for gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Volunteers from Penn State and the community gathered at the new Pollinator Garden at The Arboretum at Penn State for a spring day of planting and grooming. Construction of the three-acre Pollinator and Bird Garden was completed in the spring of 2021. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

President Eric Barron looks on as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf leads a press conference at Beaver Stadium to discuss the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) bill that was passed in Harrisburg in summer of 2021. NIL legislation provides college athletes with varying degrees of new opportunities to benefit from their name, image and likeness. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Despite the many CDC health and safety requirements at Penn State and nationwide, the Berkey Creamery continued to produce their famous dairy products for online ordering and officially reopened to the public in July of 2021. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State President Eric Barron, center, joined Penn State Lehigh Vallery Chancellor Tina Q. Richardson for a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Lehigh Valley campus' $14 million expansion project. The 2021 expansion project includes new dining facilities, student resource areas, and a state-of-the-art STEM wing. Credit: Rachel Wolf Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields poses for photographs at the team's annual Media Day at Beaver Stadium on Aug. 8. Penn State earned seven wins during the 2021 season and will play in the 2022 Outback Bowl on Jan.1, 2022. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Palmer Museum of Art on Aug. 27, 2021, was hosted by Erin Coe, director of the Palmer Museum of Art. The new museum will provide indoor and outdoor courtyards for social gathering, dynamic learning and creative spaces, along with restorative framed views of the nearby Arboretum grounds. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

A giant set of hay bales designed to look like the Nittany LIon was a very popular photo stop for visitors to the 2021 Ag Progress Days. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences hosted the three-day event in August of 2021, welcoming visitors from around the state of Pennsylvania. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The Penn State men's soccer team entered the 2021 Big Ten Tournament as top-seed and went on to defeat three-seeded Indiana in the title game, earning the program's first conference title in 16 years. Credit: Mark Selders. All Rights Reserved.

The POW/MIA Chair of Honor inside Penn State's Beaver Stadium was officially dedicated on Sept. 8, 2021, and will serve as a constant reminder to never forget those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces but have not returned home. The Chair of Honor, located in the section SLU, above the student section of the stadium, will remain empty to honor all prisoners of war/missing in action (POW/MIA) service members. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The Penn State Cheerleading Team got the capacity crowd at the annual 'White-Out' game at Beaver Stadium roaring prior to kickoff vs. Auburn. The Nittany LIons defeated the visitors from the Southeast Conference 28-20. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

The Phoenix, Arizona, chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association proudly marched in the 2021 Homecoming Parade on the evening of Oct. 22, 2021. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Malcolm MacKenzie played the role of Oberon in the Penn State Centre Stage presentation of 'A MidSummer Nights Dream' at the Pavilion Theatre. The production was part of the fall series of plays produced by Penn State Centre Stage and the School of Theatre. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Donald P. Bellisario visited the Penn State College of Communications and the recently opened, state-of-the-art Bellisario Media Center in November 2021.The facility was made possible with a gift from Bellisario and his wife, Vivienne. Bellisario joined Sue Paterno, left; Marie Hardin, dean of the College of Communications; and Vivienne Bellisario, for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting during his visit and tour. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State, the College of the Liberal Arts, and the Department of Anthropology went online in 2021 with the new Penn State Ancient Biomolecules Research Environment (PSABRE). Current projects in the new laboratory are focused on retrieving ancient DNA. Credit: Patrick Mansell. All Rights Reserved.

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