"Diversity in STEAM from a Real-Life Guardian of the Galaxy"

Moogega Cooper visited the University Park campus on Thursday, February 23, to share her personal journey and the obstacles she has overcome throughout her career. Cooper focused on her responsibility of keeping the red planet safe from Earth's contaminants as part of NASA's Planetary Protection Team. She also shared the importance for people from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of leaders in the fields of science and technology. 

Cooper's seminar was cosponsored by the Penn State Eberly College of Science, the Colleges of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, the Office of Educational Equity, and the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium and supported by the John M. Chemerda Lectures in Science.

Podcast: A Beautiful Day to Save Lives with Piedmont Transplant Institute Director Dr. Eric Gibney

Dr. Eric Gibney joined the Schreyer podcast, "Following the Gong," to discuss careers in medicine and organ transplant science and care. Dr. Gibney graduated from the Eberly College of Science in 1994 with a B.S. in biology and with honors in nutrition and then earned his doctor of medicine degree from the Emory University School of Medicine in 1998. He now serves as the director of the Piedmont Transplant Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, where he specializes in internal medicine with a focus on nephrology and transplant care with a special emphasis on kidney transplants. Eric shares his experiences at Penn State (including Lion Ambassadors), lifeguarding, and the Disney College Program before turning his attention to giving insights on med school and mentorship. He also shares an overview of the transplant process—making this episode of interest to any Scholar and not just those interested in health care. Listen to the podcast and read Dr. Gibney's bio.

Three Penn State Faculty Members Named Inaugural Atherton Professors

Penn State has recognized three faculty members as Atherton Professors, a new distinction created by the University to recognize the continuing high level of scholarly or creative activity Evan Pugh University Professors may pursue after their retirement. George Andrews, Evan Pugh University Professor Emeritus of Mathematics; Abhay Ashtekar, Evan Pugh University Professor Emeritus of Physics; and James Kasting, Evan Pugh University Professor Emeritus of Geosciences, have been named the inaugural Atherton Professors, with an initial appointment of three years. Read the full article.

O’Brien Named Kavli Fellow

Ed O’Brien, professor of chemistry and co-hire of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, has been selected to participate in the National Academy of Sciences' thirty-third annual Kavli Frontiers of Science symposium as a newly inducted Kavli Fellow. The symposium is to be held in Irvine, California, in March. 

Attendees are selected by a committee of National Academy members from among young researchers who have made significant contributions to science, including identified future scientific leaders and recipients of major national awards and fellowships. Read the full article.

Kwapis Appointed Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences

Janine Kwapis, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, has been appointed as the first Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences in recognition of her research contributions, teaching, and service to the Department of Biology and the Eberly College of Science. The professorship was created through an endowment established by the late Paul Berg, a 1948 Penn State graduate who was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1974 and earned the Nobel Prize in 1980 for developing a method to map the structure and function of DNA. The purpose of the early career professorship is to provide the holder with financial support and encouragement during the initial years of their academic careers. Read the full article.

Brandt Selected as Holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Astronomy and Astrophysics

W. Niel Brandt, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and professor of physics at Penn State, has been appointed as the Holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Astronomy and Astrophysics, one of the highest honors awarded to faculty members in the Penn State Eberly College of Science. He was appointed to the Chair by the Office of the President, based on the recommendations of colleagues and the Dean, in recognition of his national and international reputation for excellence in research and teaching. Read the full article.

McGraw Elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

Elizabeth "Beth" McGraw, professor and department head of biology and Huck Scholar in Entomology at Penn State, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group and think tank within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
Fellows of the Academy are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. Academy Fellows are eminent leaders in the field of microbiology and are relied upon for authoritative advice and insight on critical issues in microbiology. Read the full article.

Nobel Prize-Winning Penn State Alumnus Paul Berg Dies

Penn State alumnus Paul Berg, who received the 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry, died February 15 at his home in Stanford, California, surrounded by loved ones. He was 96. Berg’s research impact, through his groundbreaking research involving nucleic acids, is felt by many every day in the science community. Read the full article.

Discovery of Massive Early Galaxies Defies Prior Understanding of the Universe

Six massive galaxies discovered in the early universe are upending what scientists previously understood about the origins of galaxies in the universe. “These objects are way more massive​ than anyone expected,” said Joel Leja, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, who modeled light from these galaxies. “We expected only to find tiny, young, baby galaxies at this point in time, but we’ve discovered galaxies as mature as our own in what was previously understood to be the dawn of the universe.” Read the full article.