Penn State Ranks Fourth in US in 2024 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability

Penn State tied for No. 4 among 210 ranked universities in the United States in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability for 2024, released December 5. Internationally, the University ranked No. 37 out of 1,403 participating institutions worldwide.

Penn State also tied with the University of Minnesota Twin Cities for No. 1 among Big Ten institutions and No. 2 among all US public universities. Read more.

David Simpson Named Eberly College Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion

David Simpson, associate teaching professor at Northeastern University, has been named the associate dean for diversity and inclusion in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, effective January 1, 2024.

Prior to joining Northeastern in 2023, Simpson served as an assistant professor for biological engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology. His administrative experience includes serving as special assistant to the provost for faculty success and as provost initiatives coordinator of inclusive excellence at Wentworth Institute of Technology. He also served as chair of the faculty senate. Read more.

Research Expenditures in the Eberly College of Science Reach Record $129 Million

The Eberly College of Science surpassed last year's record of credited sponsored research expenditures, with a total of $129 million for credited sponsored research expenditures during the current fiscal year. This is Eberly's highest total ever and a 17.2 percent increase from the previous year.

Penn State’s total research expenditures reached a record high of $1.239 billion in fiscal year 2022–23, a 14 percent* increase from the previous year and driven by a $98 million jump in federal funding for research—by far the largest in the University’s history.

This funding enables Penn State faculty, staff, and students to conduct cutting-edge research and drive innovation that positively impact people’s lives, both locally and around the globe. Read more.

Science Alumna Featured on "Following the Gong" Podcast

Dr. Elizabeth Zona, a 2002 graduate with a B.S. in premedicine, was recently featured on the Schreyer Honors College podcast series, "Following the Gong."

Zona is the medical director for anesthesiology at Three Rivers Endoscopy Center and Medical Director for Addiction Medicine Services at Laurel Care Treatment Center, both in the Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, area.

In 2016, after losing a friend to opioid overdose, Zona decided to take on the additional education and training in addiction medicine and became board certified in 2019. She has been active with addiction prevention efforts and treatment, while advocating for those in recovery, for over six years now. Listen to the podcast.

Heard on Campus: James Balog on the Anthropocene

“Science often boils down to computer models and graphs, [but I try and] turn science into something everyone can connect with,” said James Balog, an internationally renowned photographer, Emmy Award-winning documentarian, explorer, environmentalist, and founder/president of the Earth Vision Institute.  

At the State Theatre on October 26, 2023, during an event titled “A Time Capsule from the Anthropocene: A Conversation with James Balog,” Balog shared numerous photographs highlighting the Anthropocene and humankind’s impact on the Earth. Read more.

Research Highlighted in Media Features Eberly Graduate Student, Alumnus, and Professor

A discovery recently published in the journal Science by a team of researchers including Eberly graduate student Megan Delamer, alumnus Guðmundur Stefánsson, and Verne M. Willaman Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Suvrath Mahadevan garnered a video spotlight on Penn State's YouTube channel as well as highlights in popular science media, including the website Live Science.

Read the article, written by Mahadevan, Stefánsson, and Delamer for The Conversation, explaining their team's discovery.

2023–24 I AM STEM Student Speaking Contest

Congratulations to our 2023–24 I AM STEM Student Speaking Contest winners: Qyunh Nhu Lee, first place; Unnati Akhouri, second place; and Reese Petrosky, third place!

Our first- and second-place winners, Qyunh Nhu Lee and Unnati Akhouri, will present keynote speeches at the ENVISION: STEM Career Day Supporting Young Women event on February 24, 2024!

Congratulations, all!

2023–24 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Graduate Fellowship

We are grateful to Lamont Terrell, who joined us in the college last month to participate in a “Corporate Diversity Conversations: LinkedIn and Lunch” student talk as part of our Diversity in STEM Corporate Partners Program.

Lamont also presented bioinformatics and genomics doctoral student Edmundo Torres-Gonzales with the 2023–24 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Graduate Fellowship. 

Congratulations, Edmundo, and thank you, Lamont! 
 
Read more about the Diversity in STEM Corporate Partners Program and 
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Graduate Fellowship.

Results of Giving Tuesday Campaign

The Eberly College of Science is pleased to share that thanks to the generosity of our donors, we raised a total of $7,475 during our Giving Tuesday campaign! This money will go to the Office of Science Engagement in the Eberly College of Science to assist students with study abroad and research endeavors.

These donations are a testament to the power of our alumni, family, and friends, and the shared commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of the students we serve. Read more about how these funds will be used.