December 2022 Issue
Eberly Alumni
Newsletter
Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Tracy Langkilde Shares Perspective on Trail Running and Pursuing Passions
In a video series titled “Perspective: Leaders at Penn State,” Tracy Langkilde, Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College of Science, reflects on her love for trail running as an opportunity to pursue a passion and reach new heights with others.
Watch and learn how Langkilde emphasizes the value of having a community of researchers to tackle big questions, encouraging students to engage in team-based research and experience the excitement of forging new ground together.
Events
Startup Week: March 20–23, 2023
Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC is a University-wide event that takes place every spring and brings some of the leading minds in entrepreneurship and innovation to Penn State campuses across the commonwealth. Past Penn State Startup Week events have featured entrepreneurial workshops; networking events; student pitch competitions; and presentations from startup founders and corporate innovators, including many Penn State alumni. Please complete our interest form if you are interested in participating in an Eberly College of Science panel for Startup Week. Read more about Penn State Startup Week here.
Winners of the Biotech Boardroom Competition
The Biotech Boardroom competition on November 11 was a great success!
Team Biofi won the competition with their biosensor system for monitoring plant health. It uses spider silk proteins in conjunction with conducting polymers to fabricate a full organic, flexible, and degradable biosensor that can detect and quantify calcium. In short, their product can stop blossom end rot on tomatoes, which would allow farmers to double their crops.
Team Biofi: Grace Buddle, Brian Yu, Aditi Pallod, and Urvi Gadgil
The Biotech Boardroom is a pitch competition for biotechnology students to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas to alumni judges and mentors. The program
- develops an avenue for students to learn about the intersection of biotechnology and entrepreneurship;
- explores the benefits and growth opportunities that come from taking academic passions to the next level and creating something from scratch;
- inspires students through competitions, a fast-paced environment, and connections to successful alumni;
- introduces biotechnology as a basis for successfully launching new high-tech ventures;
- creates a mutually beneficial network of students and alumni to accelerate opportunities for growth; and
- helps students understand the huge scope of biotechnology, from agricultural to medical to therapeutic applications and how they can be applied to sustainability.
December Tails and Treats Event
The Eberly College of Science Alumni Society Board hosted a Tails and Treats event on Thursday, December 1. Students, faculty, and alumni were invited to enjoy coffee and refreshments with their furry friends in an effort to de-stress and encourage camaraderie. The Alumni Society Board hopes to host another Tails and Treats event in the spring. View more photos from this event.
Faculty News
Michael Axtell Named Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology
Michael Axtell, Distinguished Professor of Biology at Penn State, has been named the Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology in the Eberly College of Science. The chair is designed to enhance Penn State’s position of leadership in plant biology. Read more here.
Jessenia Chavez Awarded Inaugural GSK Graduate Fellowship
Jessenia Chavez, a fifth-year graduate student in the Penn State College of Medicine, has been awarded the very first GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Graduate Fellowships in the Penn State Eberly College of Science!
Chavez was first exposed to the power of computational biology in an advanced microbiology course which, in part, motivated her to pursue a graduate degree in biomedical sciences. She works under the guidance of principal investigator Zhonghua Gao to investigate the regulation and function of Polycomb repressive complexes during neurodevelopment and in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Congratulations, Jessenia!
Doctor Doctor: Acing the M.D./Ph.D. Program with Pediatrician Dr. Kristin Lambert
A recent episode of the "Following the Gong" podcast featured Dr. Kristin Lambert, now a pediatric resident at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, who earned her B.S., M.D. and Ph.D. from Penn State. She shared her thoughts on why she chose Penn State, participating in THON, and mentorship. Listen to the podcast here.
Penn State News
The #CollegeGivesBack Campaign
Calling all alumni! Considering donating a gift or toy to Four Diamonds families this holiday season using the gift registry at toydrive.thon.org.
Simply select an item from the wish list and have it shipped directly to the THON office address on the registry. Be sure to
include which academic college you are supporting in the gift notes. Make a difference in the life of a child today with #CollegeGivesBack.
You help put the “We” in “We Are Penn State!”
Join our community of alumni and friends today! For more than 150 years, we have been keeping alumni connected to the University and to each other.
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