Good morning, State College.

Downtown State College Improvement District received the Community Innovation Award from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center for its Calder Way Pop-Up (a space at 236 E.

Calder Way hosting a rotating lineup of local small businesses) that launched in 2025 to support entrepreneurs.

Penn State alumna Katie Feeney was named to the TIME100 Creators List on Tuesday by ESPN — the sports and lifestyle content creator has 7.6 million TikTok followers and 1.3 million Instagram followers.

Music on the Lawn returns to Boalsburg with Porch Party performing free music at Zion Lutheran Church (305 N.

Church St.) from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 19. Families should bring chairs or blankets to enjoy the mix of folk, country, blues, and rock rain or shine.

Penn State announced fall 2026 programs for new faculty that include a virtual orientation on Wednesday, Aug.

19 (from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and additional training sessions to build teaching skills and support a welcoming community.

Amber Bisking and Lexy Fortney, two graduates from the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, worked together during capstone training in a critical care unit at Hershey Medical Center + they celebrated a full circle moment at graduation as Fortney will start her new role in Hershey this month.

Professor Yujin Heo at Bellisario College explores how AI can help brands avoid advertising pitfalls (such as harmful body comparisons and negative fallout from scandals).

Her hands-on research supports practical classroom lessons that equip students with real-world skills.

Thirty-six Penn State graduate students received scholarships of up to $10,000 from Fox Graduate School’s endowment (a $20 million donation by Jeff and Ann Marie Fox).

The awards, for students in 32 master’s and doctoral programs across all campuses, support research and further study.

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi sent a letter to Sen. John Fetterman last month expressing concern over the Protect College Sports Act; she warned that changes to NIL deals, media rights and legal protections could disrupt college sports (with possible local effects).

Sierra Hill, a master's student in meteorology, spent two weeks at FluxCourse in Indiana learning techniques for measuring carbon and water cycles.

She returned to campus with fresh research ideas and new technical skills that will guide her future work.

Haley Friary-Schenk, a master’s candidate at Penn State’s Smeal College, launched HumaniCore AI in October to reduce bias in AI-driven hiring.

The new venture—supported by Smeal’s AI program and faculty mentors—uses college resources to guide its growth.

PennDOT is starting road preservation on I-80 today between mile markers 147 and 159 in Boggs and Snow Shoe townships, with westbound lanes closed during daylight hours and a 12-foot width restriction on the eastbound lane coming July 20 & work continuing through November and into 2027.

Tuesday, project representatives presented a redevelopment plan for the former Autoport property on South Atherton Street, featuring a new convenience store + gas station and improved traffic access.

Neighbors raised concerns over safety and noise, and the plan now moves to the Planning Commission for review on Wednesday.

Adie Schneider, a 16-year-old forward from Delta Hockey Academy, committed to Penn State women’s hockey for the 2028 recruitment class as she announced her decision on Monday via Instagram.

Former Penn State running back Tikey Hayes transferred to Nebraska after playing one game.

He moved to Iowa Western Community College in May and has four years of eligibility as he joins Nebraska’s 2026 roster.

Three-star offensive tackle Oscar Webersink announced on Tuesday his commitment to Penn State football.

The 6-8, 290-pound player from Oakdale, Connecticut, ranked as No. 3 in the state, chose Penn State over offers from several programs.