In preparation for the departure from campuses after in-person instruction ends on Nov. 20, Penn State has announced an aggressive fall departure plan offering all students COVID-19 testing, at no cost to students. Penn State is partnering with Vault Health for departure testing, which will be conducted either in person at predetermined testing sites on certain campuses or via self-administered test kits. Students can now book their appointment to receive an administered test or to pick up a self-test by using the Return Home Event on the Penn State Go App or by visiting virusinfo.psu.edu/departure-testing.
Each year in the United States, nearly 12 million people are the victims of some form of intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic abuse. In this post, researchers write about a marked increase in IPV incidence, particularly within the first few months of the pandemic, with some cities showing a double digit increase in 911 calls for domestic violence.
A variety of events have been held in the past to celebrate during National Adult Learner/Nontraditional Learner Week, such as the networking event in 2019 pictured here, but this year’s virtual format offered organizers the opportunity to to collate all the events to better support each other and their students.
Virtual event featured speakers from the University, Westmoreland County, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and more, as well as a unique sneak peek inside the eventual building.
A rendering of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington, a state-of-the-art digital innovation lab to be built in New Kensington, PA and open by the end of 2021. The project is a partnership between Penn State New Kensington and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland. The building is designed by R3A Architecture of Pittsburgh.
Kevin Snider, chancellor of Penn State New Kensington and seated at the WPSU studios, leads a panel discussion during the virtual groundbreaking of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington on Oct. 28. The project, a collaborative initiative of the campus and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, was awarded $5.5 million from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Panelists during the event included (clockwise from top left of the television screen): Jozef Petrak, manager of design at R3A Architecture; Jim Smith, president of the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland; Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation; Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation; and Sherri McCleary, director of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington.
Sherri McCleary has been named the inaugural director of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington, a state-of-the-art digital lab, which is a partnership between Penn State New Kensington and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland. McCleary brings more than 30 years of leadership and experience in manufacturing, engineering and technology to her newest role.
Penn State has updated its public COVID-19 dashboard with the University's on-demand testing and random testing results from tests administered during the period of Oct. 2 to 4, as well as new University testing results from the prior week. These numbers are evolving as many test results are still pending, which will then be validated and uploaded.
Sundance Award-winning filmmakers Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera will participate in a discussion after an online screening of their film "The Infiltrators" at 6:30 p.m. this Friday, October 9, open to all campuses and their communities. The event is co-presented by the Latina/o Studies Program and Penn State’s Sustainability Institute as part of the "Intersections: How We Respond" film series and Penn State’s Hispanic Heritage Month. Attendees can sign up at: intersections.psu.edu/the-infiltrators.
