Weekly Wrap: Community college agreement; life on Mars; seeking asylum

Muammar Mansor, who conducted research on Italy’s Frasassi Cave while earning his doctorate at Penn State, analyzed gypsum found in the cave to detect the presence of microbes there. This blueprint for identifying life can be applied to other planets, Penn State researchers said.   Credit: Zena Cardman. All Rights Reserved.

This week's top stories from across Penn State:

COMMUNITY COLLEGE: A new articulation agreement has made a Penn State degree more obtainable for students who begin their university studies at community colleges, furthering the University's commitment to access and affordability.

LOCALLY-SOURCED FOOD: In total, more than 16 percent of all food purchased by the University comes directly from Pennsylvania farmers, producers, manufacturers and vendors. “They’re a part of our community, just as we’re a part of theirs,” said Lisa Wandel, director of residential dining. 

WHITE HOUSE:  A Penn State journalism alumnus who has covered the White House for years helped make a trip to the nation’s capital special for a dozen students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

SPOTTED LANTERNFLY: Grape growers, orchardists, nursery operators, homeowners and others in southeastern Pennsylvania are bracing for infestations of spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest from Asia that appeared for the first time in the United States in Berks County nearly four years ago.

LIFE ON MARS: What can a massive cave in Italy tell us about life on Mars and other planets? According to new research by Penn State scientists, a whole lot.

SEEKING ASYLUM: When Ilias Ghandour, a 2017 graduate of Penn State Law, left his home and family in Iraq to continue his education by earning a law degree in 2012, he had every intention of returning to Iraq and seeking employment in the legal field there. 

ANTIHAZING LAW: Penn State leaders applaud the Pennsylvania Senate for passing the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, critical legislation that will strengthen the state’s anti-hazing provisions in support of student safety and well-being across the Commonwealth. 

PALMER MUSEUM: Since the opening of the "Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials" eight weeks ago at the Palmer Museum of Art, attendance to the museum has ballooned by a record-breaking 32 percent.

Last Updated April 19, 2018