Penn State Abington was the host of the 2010 internationally acclaimed American Conference of Irish Studies (ACIS). The three day annual event was held May 5-8 at Toftrees Conference Center and Golf Resort, and the Penn Stater Conference Center. The theme of this year's meeting was, "Ireland: Then and Now."
Penn State Abington recently hired Chris Potash as its next men's basketball coach. Potash had been an assistant coach at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) since 2008.
For the first time in its nearly 100 year history the Sutherland Building on the campus of Penn State Abington is getting a facelift. The planned changes will indeed give a new look and presence to the building, but will have very little impact on the structure of the building itself. According to Dale Hollenbach, chief operating officer at Abington, the design calls for minor changes to the front entrance and the addition of a handicapped accessible entrance on the north side of the building. "All the other changes essentially enhance the front lawn and the approach to the building by adding a more formal plaza area where mostly blacktop paths previously existed," he said.
Two lecturers from Penn State Abington -- Steven N. Pyser and Ronald Costello -- enlightened the attendees of the Faculty of the Future Conference held at Bucks County Community College on June 4 by revealing the magic behind successfully teaching with an online learning community.
With the scope of campus safety and security becoming more complex across the nation, Penn State undertook an analysis of 21 of its 24 campuses to assess each location's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Penn State's 19 Commonwealth campuses as well as the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa., and the Great Valley campus are all part of the University's ongoing examination of emergency operations.
Penn State Abington will be celebrating its 60th anniversary throughout the 2010-11 academic year. The kick-off event will be held at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 24, near the duck pond on the wooded campus. Faculty, staff and students can join the party and share birthday cake and ice cream while Chancellor Karen Wiley Sandler and Student Government President Brian Martinowich reflect on the past and contemplate the future for this growing Penn State campus. Attendees will receive a commemorative photo collage poster with more than 100 images depicting campus life throughout the years.
Penn State researchers will receive $129 million over the next five years from several federal sources, including the Department of Energy, and an additional $30 million from Pennsylvania to develop ways to make buildings more energy efficient. The funds will create an Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which will involve a substantial number of researchers from academe, the private sector and two national laboratories in a concerted effort to save energy, cut carbon pollution and position the United States at the forefront of the industry.
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Chester County has announced a new outreach effort to provide support to the area's community gardens. Penn State Master Gardeners will now offer free on-site educational programs to help community gardeners get the most from their plots.
Comcast subscribers in the greater Abington area can tune in to "The Lion Roars," a new talk show-format television series all about Penn State Abington. The shows will air every Thursday from 7 to 7:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable channel 190. A new show begins the first Thursday of each month, which is then rebroadcast each Thursday for the remainder of the month. "The Lion Roars" season starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 2.
Looking for some educational and cultural enrichment this fall? Then living close -- or even not so close -- to Penn State Abington is a genuine advantage to those who want to keep learning long after their faded diplomas have been packed away. The wooded campus of Penn State Abington in Montgomery County has much to offer its neighbors in the surrounding communities. Beginning in September many free or low cost classes and cultural events will be offered to whet even the most intellectual of appetites.