Remembering Carlo Pantano, former director of the Materials Research Institute
| psu.edu
The Penn State community mourns the loss of Carlo G. Pantano, a globally respected glass scientist, dedicated educator and former director of Penn State’s Materials Research Institute, who died on May 31. He was 74.
Penn State ranks 24th in US, 82nd globally in 2026 QS World University Rankings
| psu.edu
Penn State tied for No. 82 in the world in the recently released 2026 QS World University Rankings, placing the University in the top 6% worldwide among the 1,501 institutions ranked by QS. Penn State also placed, out of 192 ranked U.S. institutions, at No. 6 among Big Ten universities, No. 8 among U.S. public institutions, and No. 24 among all U.S. universities.
Penn State Health sets priorities for continued work to advance health equity
| psu.edu
Penn State Health will focus on three top-priority community health needs as it continues to work toward its broader goal of improving health equity in the communities it serves.
Penn State 3rd in US, 64th globally in 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings
| psu.edu
Penn State ranks No. 3 in the United States and No. 64 overall among the top international institutions assessed by the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings. These rankings aim to assess universities against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — global goals adopted by all U.N. member states that look to improve life for all people and protect the planet. Penn State is one of only four U.S. institutions to rank in the top 100 globally.
Millions in Pennsylvania may be drinking contaminated water
| newsweek.com
3.5 million people in Pennsylvania are served from private wells—65 percent of wells tested were found to contain 'forever chemicals.'
Q&A: Who is in the most danger during a heatwave?
| psu.edu
Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In this Q&A, W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology and Marie Underhill Noll Chair in Human Performance at Penn State, and doctoral candidate Olivia Leach discuss their research on the upper limits of heat and humidity that people can withstand based on their age, sex and health.
‘Forever chemicals’ detected in 65% of sampled private wells in Pennsylvania
| psu.edu
To better understand potential contamination of the groundwater feeding the 3.5 million people served by private well systems in Pennsylvania, a team of researchers from Penn State conducted a novel three-year citizen science study of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often referred to as forever chemicals — in 167 private wells across the commonwealth.
Commonwealth Campus faculty honored for excellence
| psu.edu
Five faculty members were honored with awards at the end of the spring semester – three given by the University College for research, teaching and service, and two from the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses in recognition of innovative teaching practices to enhance student learning.
Five named Big Ten Academic Alliance Department Executive Officer fellows
| psu.edu
The Big Ten Academic Alliance Department Executive Officers program has gained five additional fellows from the Penn State ranks.
Annual substance use conference examines psychiatric and opioid use disorders
| psu.edu
The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently hosted the sixth annual conference in the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at Penn State University Park.
Human microbiome pioneer to deliver World Microbiome Day lecture
| psu.edu
Curtis Huttenhower, professor of computational biology and bioinformatics at the Harvard School of Public Health, will deliver a lecture to the Penn State community in honor of World Microbiome Day. The lecture is open to all and will be held virtually over Zoom at 10 a.m. on June 27. Advanced registration is required.
Q&A: Has nature always been strange? The ‘eco-weird’ unmakes the familiar
| psu.edu
The eco-weird, an emerging genre pioneered by Penn State philosopher Brian Onishi, focuses on the strange feelings familiar places in nature can cause. In this Q&A, Onishi discussed the concept, which is detailed in his recently published book on the topic.