Weekly Wrap: Athletics facilities plan; Creamery Flavor Madness; $9.7M grant

      After a winter storm forced the cancellation of classes at University Park campus on March 14, a few students took advantage of the day off, trying to fashion makeshift sleds out of cardboard to play near Old Main. The storm caused a number of Penn State campuses, including University Park, to cancel classes. Credit: John Beale / Penn State. Creative Commons

      This week's top stories from across Penn State:

      FULBRIGHTS: Penn State tied for second place as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars for 2016-17.

      FLAVOR MADNESS: The Penn State Creamery launched 'Flavor Madness,' an online tournament where ice cream fans can vote for their favorite flavors.

      ATHLETICS MASTER PLAN: Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics has concluded its facilities master plan that focuses on creating conditions for success for its student-athletes and enhanced experiences for the Nittany Lions' passionate and loyal students, alumni, staff and fans.

      $9.7 MILLION GRANT: A $9.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to the College of Medicine aims to improve the lives of millions of people living with peripheral arterial disease.

      GRADUATE RANKINGS: Penn State's graduate school programs continue to perform well in the annual U.S. News & World Report "Best Graduate Schools" rankings, the latest of which were announced on March 14.

      HEALTH CARE: Penn State is continuing to explore options for its 2018 medical benefits plan, seeking to maintain high-quality health care while keeping costs affordable for faculty and staff.

      STRATEGIC PLAN FORUM: "Transforming Education" will be the topic of the next in a series of public forums focused on implementing the University's multi-year Strategic Plan. The forum will take place at 1 p.m. on March 22 at Penn State Berks.

      ENERGY CROPS: Growing sustainable energy crops without increasing greenhouse gas emissions may be possible on seasonally wet, environmentally sensitive landscapes, according to researchers.

      Last Updated March 16, 2017