Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) 

The Eberly College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) provided financial support for 20 students to start or continue their undergraduate research at Penn State over the summer. The program supported 1 interdisciplinary student (B.S./M.B.A.), 1 in mathematical sciences (statistics), 6 in physical sciences (astronomy and astrophysics, chemistry, and physics), and 12 in life sciences (biology, and biochemistry and molecular biology). The program focuses on providing upper-class (third- and fourth-year) students with research opportunities. Nearly 70 percent of the cohort was rising juniors and seniors. Unlike federal research grants, the Eberly College of Science SURE program provides paid research opportunities for international students, and the funding supported 5 international students. Another focus of the SURE program was to assist transfer or change-of-campus students find a research mentor. Five students who participated in the program transferred to Penn State or were a change-of-campus student.

Student Welcome Day

Volunteers from the Eberly College of Science Alumni Society Board staffed the student Welcome Day on Sunday, August 20. Students were greeted by Dean Tracy Langkilde and attended an involvement fair where Eberly alumni distributed information about the Mentor Program.

You can make an impact on a student's life by becoming a mentor. Mentors serve as guides to students, answering questions, giving advice, and helping them to learn more about their field of interest and about themselves. Learn more and register to mentor a student.

Emeritus Professor C.R. Rao, World-Renowned Statistician, Dies at 102

C.R. Rao, emeritus holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Statistics at Penn State, died Tuesday, August 22, at the age of 102, under hospice care at his daughter's home in Amherst, New York.

Rao made pioneering contributions to statistics research and education during his career, which began in 1945. Just this year, he was honored with the International Prize in Statistics, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in the field of statistics. Rao served as a faculty member at Penn State from 1988 until his retirement in 2001. He became emeritus holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Statistics and continued to participate as an active member of the department until 2010. Read more.

Penn State Graduate Student and Adviser Pair Awarded HHMI Gilliam Fellowship

Colin Howe, a doctoral student in biology at Penn State, and Mónica Medina, professor of biology and Howe’s adviser, have been selected to receive the James H. Gilliam, Jr. Fellowships for Advanced Study by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). This distinguished fellowship aims to foster leadership among historically excluded and underrepresented individuals in their respective fields.

Out of a pool of nearly 300 applicants, HHMI selected 50 adviser-student pairs who demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and a strong commitment to cultivating inclusive environments for all. Recipients of this esteemed fellowship are granted an annual award, which includes a stipend, training allowance, and a diversity and inclusion allowance for the adviser. Additionally, the adviser is offered comprehensive mentorship development training for an entire year. Read more.

Presidential Leadership Academy Announces 2023 Cohort of Students

Penn State’s Presidential Leadership Academy (PLA) has selected its new cohort of 30 second-year students. It is the 14th group of new PLA members since 2009 when the academy was founded by alumni Edward R. and Helen S. Hintz.

This year, 141 students applied to the PLA. Among them, 75 individuals were selected to undergo a comprehensive, two-part interview process, which included both a virtual one-on-one interview and a virtual group interview. After careful evaluation of their critical-thinking ability, communication skills, and diverse perspectives, the group was further refined, resulting in the final selection. Read more.

Global Health Minor Student Completes Education Abroad Experience

When Shannon Sager, a student in Penn State's Eberly College of Science, chose to apply for the global health minor, she knew it would change her life, she said. This summer, she experienced an education abroad program for five weeks in Ecuador studying global health. She shadowed local doctors and learned about the healthcare system differences between Ecuador and the United States.

"It was incredible to be selected for this experience,” she said. “I knew this minor would be the steppingstone into my future career.” Read more.

City Semester Student Spends Summer Monitoring Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers

Penn State student Jacob Levendosky invested time on the three rivers in Pittsburgh to help ensure others could have a safe summer. As a biology major in the Eberly College of Science, he spent his summer semester as an intern with Three Rivers WaterKeeper—a nonprofit organization that monitors and supports clean water standards on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers and watersheds. It is one of the nonprofit organizations working in collaboration with the Penn State Center Pittsburgh to offer experiential learning for students enrolled in City Semester Pittsburgh. Read more.

Starnes Selected as Eberly College of Science’s Summer 2023 Student Marshal

William “David” Starnes of Kennett Square was honored as the student marshal for the Eberly College of Science during Penn State’s summer commencement ceremonies on Saturday, August 12, on the University Park campus.

Starnes graduated with a 3.94 grade point average and a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a focus on neuroscience. He was a Schreyer Scholar in the Schreyer Honors College and was included on the Dean’s List for eight semesters. Read more.

New Address For Donor and Member Services

Donor and Member Services has moved. Please use this new address when sending donations to Penn State:

Donor and Member Services
329 Innovation Blvd., Suite 311
State College, PA 16803