Omicron detected for first time in white-tailed deer

February 21, 2022

Some white-tailed deer living in Staten Island, New York, are actively infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2, according to new research led by scientists at Penn State. The team also found neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in one of the Omicron-infected deer, suggesting that, like humans, deer can be reinfected with the virus.

Ag. Sciences students top all US universities with $1.1M in USDA funding

February 14, 2022

Seven students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have received predoctoral fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The students received a combined total of nearly $1.1 million — the most received for this year's fellowships among U.S. universities.

Penn State Extension holds ‘Farrowing Induction and Your Sows’ workshop/webinar

February 11, 2022

Penn State Extension invites pig producers and other agricultural industries to join the “Farrowing Induction and Your Sows” hybrid workshop/webinar event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 24 in Greensburg.

Penn State Poultry Science Club Recognized at National Meeting

February 9, 2022

Penn State’s Department of Animal Science’s Poultry Club placed second in the National Club of the Year competition held at the 2022 International Poultry and Processing Exposition (IPPE) in Atlanta, GA, last week in person, after a virtual event last year. The club also won Scrapbook of the Year, an honor they have achieved in 24 of the past 26 years.

Penn State Extension offers free webinar on sheep, goats grazing season Feb. 22

January 28, 2022

Penn State Extension invites sheep and goat producers, as well as other agriculture industries, to join the “Wrangling More Days Out of the Grazing Season for Sheep and Goats” web-based seminar Feb. 22. 

Two Penn State students win $10,000 AgChoice Farm Credit grants

December 13, 2021

Two Penn State students this fall were among 15 young, beginning and small-scale Pennsylvania farmers who received $10,000 AgChoice Farm Credit Jumpstart Grants. Mikara Anderson, of Hustontown, and Jake Grim, of Biglerville, will use the funding to develop their farm-related businesses.

Penn State unveils new Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building

December 1, 2021

Faculty, staff and students joined University leaders, HOK architectural firm and Turner Construction Co. executives, donors, and guests on Dec. 1 for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building on Penn State's University Park campus.

Penn State poultry judging team wins national championship

November 29, 2021

The Penn State Collegiate Poultry Judging Team earned first place at the 55th National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest held at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Horn fly resistance observed in organic Holstein cattle, study finds

November 16, 2021

Research conducted in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences suggests that some Holstein dairy cattle, particularly those with white coat coloration, naturally fend off the horn fly, a parasitic insect known to cause stress and disease in grazing cattle.

Northeast Dairy Challenge Hosts In-Person Educational Event

October 25, 2021

Three Penn State Animal Science students participated in the Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge, held in-person after a virtual event in 2020. Hosted by SUNY Morrisville, 66 students participated from nine different universities.

Penn State Poultry Science Club hosts annual turkey sale

October 20, 2021

The Penn State Poultry Science Club is again selling turkeys to members of the Penn State and surrounding communities just in time for delivery the week of Thanksgiving.

Penn State student feels at home as a Beef-Sheep Center live-in worker

October 18, 2021

Blair Steele, a fourth-year student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is using the knowledge and skills she has acquired from her work at Penn State's Beef-Sheep Center to advance her career goals.

Penn State Students Reserve National Champions at ASAS Academic Quadrathlon

August 23, 2021

A team of undergraduates from Penn State University’s Block and Bridle and Dairy Science Clubs was named Reserve National Champions in the American Society of Animal Science’s (ASAS) Academic Quadrathlon competition, held July 17-18 as part of the 2021 ASAS Annual Meeting & Trade Show in Louisville, KY.

Meaty mission: Animal science facility at Penn State aids teaching, outreach

August 20, 2021

Penn State’s meat processing laboratory and retail operation in the College of Agricultural Sciences supports comprehensive research and teaching on all aspects of meat science.

Penn State Butcher School seeks applicants for 2nd session, starting in January

August 13, 2021

The Penn State Butcher School, offered by Penn State Extension, is now seeking applications for its second session, starting in January 2022.

Penn State Extension has been preparing pork producers for AFS for several years

August 10, 2021

The late-July disclosure that African swine fever was discovered in Dominican Republic pigs — the first time the disease has been found in the Western Hemisphere in 40 years — rocked the pork-production industry, but Penn State Extension has been preparing for the disease’s arrival for nearly three years.

Penn State Scientist to Head Society for the Study of Reproduction

August 4, 2021

Troy L. Ott, Ph.D. Professor of Reproductive Physiology in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, and Associate Director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, will become president of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) at their August business meeting.

Retired avian biology professor is named fellow of Poultry Science Association

July 27, 2021

Alan Johnson, former Walther H. Ott Professor in Avian Biology in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, has been named a fellow of the Poultry Science Association.

Penn State Animal Science Professor Recognized by ADSA

July 22, 2021

Alexander N. Hristov, Ph.D., P.A.S., distinguished professor of dairy nutrition in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, has been recognized as the 2021 recipient of the American Feed Industry Association Award, presented during the virtual meeting of the American Dairy Science Association.

Heinrichs Receives National Recognition

July 22, 2021

Jud Heinrichs, Ph.D., Professor of Dairy Science at Penn State, has been awarded the 2021 Service to American/World Agriculture Award by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) at its annual meeting held virtually from Philadelphia, PA, July 6-9.

PSU Dairy Science Club Excels at ADSA Virtual Meetings

July 22, 2021

The Penn State Dairy Science Club was well represented at the 2021 American Dairy Science Association—Student Affiliate Division (ADSA-SAD) meetings held virtually from July 11-13.

Terry Etherton to retire with legacy of groundbreaking research, leadership

June 4, 2021

As he retires from Penn State at the end of June, Terry Etherton, distinguished professor of animal nutrition, is known in animal science circles around the world as a pioneer for his research. But in the College of Agricultural Sciences, he also is recognized as a leader whose steady hand guided the Department of Animal Science for more than 22 years.

Researchers to seek novel strategies to boost, expand turkey breeding

May 10, 2021

A Penn State research team has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop novel strategies to overcome the constraints that the seasonal cycle imposes on reproductive output of turkey hens.

Smarsh receives Young Scientist Educator Award from Society of Animal Science

April 9, 2021

Danielle Smarsh, assistant professor of equine science and equine extension specialist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, will be honored by the American Society of Animal Science for applied educational efforts in equine exercise physiology.

Animal Science Students Receive Top Honors at 2021 Graduate Exhibition

April 6, 2021

Passion for poultry leads to excellent outcomes for animal science senior

February 23, 2021

Participation in 4-H and a part-time job in the poultry industry hatched a promising future for Lindsey Bright, leading her to Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the Penn State Poultry Education and Research Center.

Graduate Student Receives National Recognition

February 10, 2021

Alyssa Lyons received a "Certificate of Excellence" for her research findings presented at the International Poultry Scientific Forum (IPSF)

College of Ag Sciences sophomore selected for Presidential Leadership Academy

January 18, 2021

Agricultural sciences and leadership are top priorities for Penn State sophomore Mikara Anderson. As the 2019 Pennsylvania State Fair Queen, 2020 FFA state president and active member of the Penn State Dairy Science Club, Anderson continues to build her resume and network as part of the exclusive Presidential Leadership Academy at Penn State.

Pulsed ultraviolet light technology to improve egg safety, help poultry industry

January 13, 2021

Pulsed ultraviolet light can be an effective alternative to some of the antimicrobial technologies now used by the poultry industry to kill pathogens on eggshells, according to Penn State researchers, who simulated production conditions to test the technology.

Dairy cows exposed to heavy metals worsen antibiotic-resistant pathogen crisis

November 16, 2020

Dairy cows, exposed to drinking water contaminated with heavy metals for a few years, carry more pathogens loaded with antimicrobial-resistance genes able to tolerate and survive various antibiotics. That’s the finding of a team of researchers that conducted a study of two dairy herds in Brazil four years after a dam holding mining waste ruptured, and it spotlights a threat to human health, the researchers contend.