The Penn State Berks global studies program will host a global forum titled “India Today” from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, in the first-floor Multipurpose Room in the Perkins Student Center. During this Zoom presentation, Sourav Kumar Nag, assistant professor of English literature and culture studies and head of the department of English at Onda Thana Mahavidyalaya in West Bengal, India, will address the influences of colonialism and history on modern Indian society and politics. He also will discuss the roles and status of women in modern India.
Penn State Berks kicked off the 2024-25 academic year with its sixth annual convocation ceremony for incoming and transfer students to welcome the members of the Class of 2028 to campus. The ceremony was held Aug. 26 under the tent on Perkins Plaza.
Penn State Berks will welcome approximately 360 first-year students to its residential community as part of the campus' annual orientation program beginning on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students should refer to the campus map for move-in directions. Returning students will move in from Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25. Welcome Weekend programs and activities will be held from Aug. 23 through Aug. 25.
Penn State University Libraries’ Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) has named 13 recipients of the 2024 Faculty Engagement Award with this year’s theme of “Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Teaching.” Recipients will collaborate with TLT staff to identify potential uses, constraints and best practices for using generative AI for teaching purposes. Faculty will utilize available generative AI tools including Microsoft Copilot and Adobe Firefly to assist in content creation, course planning and content delivery.
The 2024 awardees of Penn State’s Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research initiative comprise five collaborative projects that connect Penn State researchers with colleagues from Morgan State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the University of Texas Health Brownsville Campus, all minority-serving institutions
The Berks LaunchBox recently announced the first five recipients of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund, this grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County.
Two Penn State Berks students, Vinh Lu and J'Kaia Reynolds, had an opportunity to explore careers in health care through internships with the Berks County Medical Society as Pat Sharma President’s Scholars. Lu and Reynolds participated in the six-week summer internship, June 3 to July 12, at Reading Hospital and its outpatient facilities.
Applications are now being accepted for the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania (TCCP) Women in Mentoring program. Students, faculty and staff across all Penn State campuses have free access to virtual technology programming thanks to a partnership with TCCP spearheaded by Penn State Harrisburg, a longtime member of the council.
When Kamala Harris announced her candidacy for president, two questions were at the forefront of social media memes: Who would she select for her running mate, and had Maya Rudolph cleared her schedule to reprise her Harris impression for Saturday Night Live? Politics permeates pop culture, and vice versa, especially during presidential elections. Penn State News spoke with three faculty experts to learn more about how people can best parse politics in pop culture, as well as how to take care in a saturated media landscape.
Penn State announced the recipients of the inaugural Commonwealth Campus Undergraduate Community-Engaged Research Awards, a new program designed for faculty who specifically support undergraduate student participation in research that aims to improve community well-being.
