Good morning, State College.

Climb Nittany in Boalsburg will reopen on Oct.

11 under new local ownership after swift community action, with memberships starting Sept. 27 and a grand opening party on Oct. 18. The gym will keep its equipment while improving programming and offering extra hours for members based on local feedback.

Renowned writer Ellen Wayland-Smith will present a reading for the Mary E.

Rolling Reading Series on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. at Foster Auditorium at Penn State University Park; the free event is organized by the Creative Writing Program.

Penn State’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation at Behrend and the Social Science Research Institute entered a partnership to expand research support services across the University.

The collaboration aims to boost evaluation + data analysis services for faculty research.

Penn State's Jared Butler received the Freudenstein Young Investigator Award from ASME for his work in compliant mechanism and origami engineering, which improves medical devices and aerospace design.

The honor highlights his innovative research with students and collaborators at Penn State.

Leonhard Center announced 11 funded projects for the 2026-27 academic year to boost engineering education by integrating AI and creative learning (including hands-on labs and interdisciplinary work).

The center and Grover Center will soon showcase these projects.

Researchers at Penn State have boosted perovskite’s ability to absorb indoor light & maintain stability over 240 hours of testing, paving the way for battery-free devices in the future.

Penn State researchers (from the College of Information Sciences and Technology) found that AI chatbots confidently choose a kidney recipient by fixating on traits like drinking habits instead of weighing multiple factors as humans do.

The study was presented at the 2026 ACM FAccT conference.

Scientists at Penn State produced a new 3D structure of the cancer-linked protein BRD4 using cryo-electron microscopy and found it binds both modified and unmodified histones + DNA, a discovery that may guide future cancer treatment research.

Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine launched the Food As Medicine program (a network of gardens, fridges, and cooking classes) to help locals get nutritious food and learn healthy recipes.

The initiative supports research and community partnerships to combat chronic disease and improve well-being across multiple counties.

A new sculpture called HAVEN (short for Healing and Validating Emotional Needs) was unveiled on Sept.

9 at the Student Health Center by University Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services to encourage open mental health talks at Penn State.

Researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences tested a new PCR method to detect the Echinococcus tapeworm in wild canids, pet dogs, and hunting dogs, finding it more sensitive than traditional fecal floats.

Their study (using DNA analysis) emphasizes the need for improved parasite detection to protect both human and animal health.

Penn State men's hockey has named Dane Dowiak and Reese Laubach as team captains for the 2026-27 season, and they led last season while the team will face UConn in the Ice Breaker Tournament on Friday, Oct.

9.

Penn State men’s hockey named seniors Dane Dowiak and Reese Laubach as captains for the 2026-27 season.

Dowiak returns as captain and Laubach recorded 28 points last season; the Nittany Lions will face UConn at the Ice Breaker Tournament on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.