Eberly Alumni

Newsletter

OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

This summer has been a unique one here in State College, but we keep finding new ways to stay connected.

With the fall semester upon us we encourage you to check for updates on the status of Penn State’s latest plans for a return to classes and work on campus, Penn State has launched a new section of its virus information website dedicated to keeping Penn Staters informed. Alumni and community members can visit the Back to State page for the latest information as University leaders continue to plan for a phased return to in-person activities.

The Back to State page will be updated regularly as planning for fall 2020 continues. For general information and to gain a greater sense of Penn State’s response during this global pandemic visit virusinfo.psu.edu.

Have you tuned in to any of the Alumni Association Virtual Coffee Hours? August 19, 9am – 10am the Alumni Association will be hosting the next one featuring Randy Houston \ ’91 Liberal Arts alum and President of the Penn State Alumni Association. Topics of discussion will include what Randy’s learned during his time as president, his experiences working for Complex and more.

In addition here are a few updates from around the university community

· Mask Ordinance in State College: https://onwardstate.com/2020/08/05/borough-council-passes-state-college-coronavirus-mitigation-ordinance/
· President Barron’s support/statement: http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/barron-backs-borough-ordinance-on-gathering-limitations-masking,1483807/; https://news.psu.edu/story/627423/2020/08/03/administration/barron-letter-supports-borough-proposal-reduce-covid-risks
· Symptom checker: https://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_2c2bc7ba-db18-11ea-88a1-470769abd8a6.html

Stay safe and stay connected! We would love to hear from you consider sharing your stories from home, from work… from work at home. Let us know how you are doing.

New Physics Building to support advanced research and teaching

"This is a dream come true. It really is. For 30 years or more, I heard about a new physics building on the horizon, but now it looks like it’s really going to happen."

The new building will be located on what is currently the Osmond parking lot, at approximately 105,000 gross square feet, and will house a significant number of research laboratories, faculty and graduate student offices, administrative support areas, and a 350-seat lecture hall. Read more on t he new physics building.

Research and awards update

WPSU nominated for Mid-Atlantic Emmy award for Science-U at Home videos
WPSU Penn State — central Pennsylvania’s public media station — has been nominated for six 2020 Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards, including a series of videos about the college's Science-U at Home outreach program. The awards honor excellence in the television and media industries and are granted by Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Lasers could speed up coronavirus diagnostics

Researchers identify evolutionary origins of
SARS-CoV-2
Will these viruses be capable of jumping directly from bats into humans or will an intermediate species be required to make the leap? According to Robertson, for SARS-CoV-2, other research groups incorrectly proposed that key evolutionary changes occurred in pangolins.

H ow did life begin?
Some things are alive and some things are not. Seems like an easy and obvious concept, but drawing the line that separates “alive” from “not alive” is not quite as straightforward as you might think. What makes something alive?

COVID-19 resources you can trust

·Penn State coronavirus info
·Eberly coronavirus contingency resources
·ASK CIDD - The Penn State Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics answers submitted questions on the topic of COVID-19.
·U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
·World Health Organization (WHO)

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