This week's top stories from across Penn State:

BRANDYWINE GROUNDBREAKING: Penn State Brandywine kicked off construction of its first residence hall and a new student union building on March 29. The two new buildings are scheduled to open in August 2017.

GRAD STUDENT HEALTH CARE: As graduate students begin planning for the new academic year, they will also need to consider their options for health insurance, which is required for all adults under the Affordable Care Act.

UNDERGRAD RESEARCH: Twelve Penn State students from across the Commonwealth were among those invited to showcase their research at the Pennsylvania Capitol on April 5 as part of the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol Conference in Harrisburg.

CROPS VS. CATERPILLARS: Plants employ several strategies to ward off hungry insects, but the insects fight those defenses with weapons of their own -- many of which are in their saliva.

SHARKEY NAMED RESEARCH VP: Penn State President Eric Barron will ask the Board of Trustees to approve naming Neil Sharkey as the University's vice president for research. Sharkey has been serving in an interim capacity since 2013.

HALL OF FAMER: Cumberland "Cum" Posey Jr., recognized as the first African-American student-athlete at Penn State, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

IST STARTUP WEEK: IST Startup Week celebrates its fifth anniversary as it kicks off a week's worth of activities on April 11.

PENN COLLEGE AT DERBY: Twenty-five Pennsylvania College of Technology students will head to Kentucky in May to join the Churchill Downs culinary team in preparing food for more than 170,000 guests at the Kentucky Derby.