Weekly Wrap: Happy Valley LaunchBox; Weather champs; 2017 medical benefits

A look back at the top stories for the week of May 1

Following completion of his final exams, sophomore John Miller cleared out his dorm room and packed his car for the drive home to West Chester, Pennsylvania, at the conclusion of the spring semester. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

(Editor's Note: This is the final edition of the Weekly Wrap for the spring semester. The Weekly Wrap will resume with the start of fall classes.)

A look at the week's top stories from across Penn State:

HAPPY VALLEY LAUNCHBOX: Happy Valley LaunchBox celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of five startups on April 28 and announced the next group of 10 startups that will participate in LaunchBox's summer session.

WEATHER CHAMPS: For the fifth year in a row, Penn State students ousted more than 2,000 competitors in the national collegiate weather forecasting contest known as Wx Challenge.

2017 MEDICAL BENEFITS: Penn State's Health Care Advisory Committee is considering options for the University’s 2017 medical benefits plan design and cost sharing.

REMEMBERING TALLY: On Sept. 27, 2015, Penn State sophomore and IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon volunteer Tally Sepot died in a car accident returning from a THON canning trip. With a recent gift from her parents and close family friends, Tally’s memory will be kept alive at Penn State for years to come.

SEXY VOICES: Male voices are not deeply pitched in order to attract female mates, but instead serve to intimidate the competition, according to a team of researchers studying a wide variety of primates including humans.

ONLINE SCAMS: As cybercriminals seek new ways to steal personal and institutional information, it’s important to understand how to protect yourself from these increasingly sophisticated tactics. As part of the Secure Penn State series, this article explores spear phishing as well as tips on how to protect personal and institutional information from these scams.

GRAD'S PRIDE: Mandy Eagler personifies what it means to be dedicated to country and alma mater. Her story of Penn State pride comes full circle this week, as Eagler, a veteran and World Campus student, will graduate at Penn State Shenango while also serving as the commencement speaker. It's a well-deserved honor for a soft-spoken Penn Stater whose compelling story is now being shared on the national stage.

NEW MEDICAL DEVICE: People with atrial fibrillation are most commonly treated with long-term use of blood-thinning medications to reduce the risk of a stroke. But a newly approved device now being implanted by physicians at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center offers many of those patients hope that they may be able to discontinue use of blood-thinners.

Last Updated May 5, 2016