Good morning, State College.

Woodycrest United Methodist Church will reopen on Sunday, Aug.

2 at 10 a.m. at 219 W. Clearview Ave after rebuilding from a fire nearly two years ago; the celebration will honor first responders, law enforcement, and community volunteers.

The State College Downtown Rotary Club is hosting its 11th annual Ice Cream Fest Saturday, Aug.

1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 200 and 300 blocks of South Allen Street; the event features frozen treats, child activities, and a fundraiser for local nonprofits.

The Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2026–27 season featuring artists from six continents, with tickets for select shows available to members beginning Tuesday, Aug.

11 and to the public starting Wednesday, Aug. 12. Membership closes Tuesday, Aug. 4 for exclusive events and early access.

The Penn State Susan Welch building reopened last month after repair work addressed a crack that forced its November closure, and faculty began returning on July 1 (repairs were carefully monitored by experts).

The facility will resume full operations this fall.

The Penn State Survey Club won first place overall at ASCE’s 2026 Civil Engineering Student Championships held June 25-27 in Fairmont, where it also earned top scores in topographic mapping and placed second in the field task.

The honor reflects the club’s strong teamwork+dedication and skill in surveying.

Penn State Extension’s food, families and communities unit earned two national awards in June in Wichita for work including an interactive mapping tool that guides food planning.

The team will demo the tool during Ag Progress Days Aug. 11-13 at its booth (No. 412) in the Everett Cash Mutual Building.

Three Penn State engineering undergrads were named top 10 finalists in the Google Developer Group on Campus hackathon for their sustainable fashion app Rethread (which shows clothing’s environmental footprint and directs users to local repair or resale options).

Their project started mid-April at campus and now aims to expand.

A study led by Penn State, Cornell and Auburn University found that 98.2% of organically managed honey samples from Northeast farms met pesticide limits comparable to imported organic honey despite USDA land restrictions.

The findings may guide changes in organic certification requirements.

Liza Behrens, an assistant professor at Nese College, received the 2025 Claudia J.

Beverly Innovation Award from the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence for developing DIGNITY—a program that helps nursing home staff balance autonomy and safety; a pilot study in four rural facilities backed her work.

Penn State football legend Michael Mauti is joining Coach Matt Campbell’s staff as director of football engagement at the university, a role that will connect players with key financial supporters.

Penn State Athletics raised $353.1 million over four years, nearly doubling the previous total of $181.8 million, according to a Thursday release after the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Athletic Director Pat Kraft said the surge in donations will help build one of the strongest athletics programs in the nation.

Penn State’s baseball recruiting class finished the 2026 cycle ranked No. 25, making them the only Big Ten team in the top ten.

Standout pitchers include Hunter Brown from New Jersey, Jerek Turlij, and 21-year-old Genai Sato who joins the Nittany Lions for next season.

Former Penn State football wide receiver Liam Clifford signed with the Indianapolis Colts on July 30 after his rookie mini-camp, beating NFL veteran Chase Claypool for a training camp roster spot and reuniting with former teammates.

He will compete with 11 other receivers for a spot during training camp.

Penn State women’s hockey assigned new jersey numbers for the 2026-27 season.

Ten newcomers and two current players will use new numbers, with goaltenders Morgan Stickney (No. 1) and Savanna Muir (No. 29) preparing for the upcoming season.