News
Libraries offering $1,250 award for 2025 outstanding undergraduate thesis
Penn State University Libraries invites submissions for the 14th annual competition for the Robert F. Guentter Jr. Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award. The University-wide competition is open to all spring 2025 graduating Penn State students and recent graduates from summer and fall 2024 who have completed an undergraduate thesis.
Penn State undergraduate Nate Carey earns Marshall Scholarship
Nate Carey has earned a 2025 Marshall Scholarship, which is among the most competitive U.K. scholarships for U.S. students and recognizes academic excellence and leadership and ambassadorial potential.
Behind the crime: Liberal Arts student explores psychology of criminal behavior
Through coursework, education abroad and research, Elisabeth Egeli is taking a deeper dive into human behavior. The third-year student is double majoring in criminology and psychology and minoring in sociology.
Engineering Learning Factory to host fall cornerstone, capstone project showcase
The Penn State Learning Factory will host its end-of-semester showcase at the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 10 and its virtual showcase Wednesday, Dec. 11, through Friday, Dec. 20. Both versions of the event are free and open to the public.
Undergraduates can now apply for an Erickson Discovery Grant
Undergraduates from all Penn State majors and campuses can now apply for an Erickson Discovery Grant to fund summer 2025 opportunities. Applications close Feb. 16.
The search to replace a critical semiconductor
China recently limited the export of gallium nitride, a type of semiconductor used to manufacture a variety of consumer power electronics, such as cell phones and computers, as well as medical devices, cars, wind turbines, solar farms, LED lightbulbs and more. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Patrick Lenahan, distinguished professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, $1 million to investigate the possibility of replacing gallium nitride-based devices with boron nitride.
Biology and Ecology Student Research Showcase winners announced
The Biology and Ecology Student Research Showcase, hosted by the Biology Graduate Student Association and Ecology Graduate Student Organization on Nov. 1, featured poster and podium presentations from nearly 30 graduate and undergraduate students.
Brick by brick, LEGOneering team builds interest in STEM careers
To build the interest of students in pre-K through grade 12 in STEM fields, a team of aerospace engineering undergraduates built a fleet of LEGO models of vertical flight vehicles and demonstrate them at outreach events.
Mechanical engineering, chemistry major named College of Engineering marshal
Hannah Priller has been named the fall 2024 student marshal for the Penn State College of Engineering. She will receive bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering and in chemistry from the Eberly College of Science at the University’s undergraduate commencement ceremony, which will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22 in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State undergrads place in regional, national civil engineering competitions
Penn State civil engineering student teams and one individual placed first or second in five categories at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Region 2 Mid-Atlantic West Symposium in April at George Mason University. Two of those teams were invited to compete at the National ASCE competitions in June at Brigham Young University, where one team went on to place third.