State College
Today
Thursday, May 21st, 2026
Good morning, State College. Here's your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 21st of May.
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ The Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education partners with Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County to invite Penn State students, faculty and staff to submit art-engineering works that connect creativity with technical design. Applications close Oct. 15 and the curated exhibit will run from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28. Penn State
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ Mary Tonge, a veteran and adult learner at Penn State, pursues three majors while working as an EMT and engaging with campus groups at University Park. She uses her military experience to enrich classroom discussions as she prepares to graduate in 2028. Penn State
- ➤ The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences has received a $1.3M NSF award to expand a secure statewide network linking researchers and cyberinfrastructure at under-resourced institutions; the two-year project will boost data transfers and foster collaborations with partners across Pennsylvania. Penn State
- ➤ Two Penn State engineering faculty and one alumna were honored at the Acoustical Society of America’s annual meeting from May 11 to 15 in Philadelphia (with Daniel Russell receiving the Rossing Prize for Excellence in Acoustics Education, Anthony Atchley earning the Gold Medal, and Whitney Coyle receiving the R. Bruce Lindsay Award). Penn State
- ➤ Professor Bharath Sriperumbudur at Penn State has been named a fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics for his work with kernel methods to study complex data. The honor recognizes his leadership in advancing research in statistics. Penn State
- ➤ Raymonde A. Brown, associate dean for undergraduate nursing education at Penn State, has been named the inaugural recipient of the ATI Academic Nurse Leader Award. She will retire this month after decades of leading academic programs that raised NCLEX pass rates across multiple campuses. Penn State
FINANCE NEWS
- ➤ A study led by Penn State researchers found that investment portfolios built with a focus on company headquarters location and housing market trends may yield three times higher returns than those based solely on growth stocks (as higher costs in pricey regions lower available returns). Penn State
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Eric Engelbarts was appointed president & CEO of the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau on Tuesday, May 20, taking over from Fritz Smith after eight years in the role; he is expected to lead the agency amid record tourism visitations and spending in Centre County. StateCollege.com
LIFESTYLE NEWS
- ➤ Local birders competed in the Birding Cup contest on the first weekend in May at Shaver’s Creek as teams counted 195 bird species in a single day. The friendly event raised funds for the center and highlighted the community’s growing passion for birding. StateCollege.com
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Yesterday, Penn State announced that longtime assistant Colin McMillan became the new head coach of the men’s volleyball team, replacing retiring coach Mark Pavlik after 19+ years of service. StateCollege.com
- ➤ The Nittany Lions will host Niagara on Dec. 31 for a two-game nonconference series in the upcoming 2026-27 season, and the teams will swap home venues for the second game on Jan. 2. Niagara is the second AHA opponent after Sacred Heart. Daily Collegian
- ➤ A Penn State student’s feature on a South Carolina town with a strong Little League legacy has been selected as one of five finalists for the new Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sports Writing; winners will be announced Sept. 17 in Texas. Penn State
- ➤ Penn State women's hockey announced its AHA conference schedule for the 2026-27 season. The team will open on Oct. 2-4 at Pegula Ice Arena against Robert Morris and will have matchups with Syracuse, Lindenwood, RIT, Mercyhurst, and Delaware through Feb. 13. Daily Collegian
- ➤ Penn State women’s hockey announced its 2026-27 Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) schedule with 12 games against RMU, Lindenwood, Delaware, Syracuse, Mercyhurst, and RIT. The season will begin at Pegula Ice Arena with home games on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3, and play continues through playoffs set to begin Feb. 18. Onward State
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Marisa Anderson Live Performance
6-9 p.m. — Manny’s Live Performance Space — $20 — Experience a unique blend of blues, country, and abstract sounds from one of the most distinctive guitar players of her generation.
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GITKIN Live Performance
7-10 p.m. — Manny's Live Performance Space — Tickets available — Experience the enchanting hybrid styles of Gitkin, the alter ego of Grammy-nominated producer Brian J.
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