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Penn State faculty members Erika Ganda, Jasna Kovac and Wenrui Hao have been named Huck chairs by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences in recognition of their research endeavors and track records of service to key Huck units.

Rebecca Krisher, professor of reproductive biology and head of the Department of Animal Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, was named president of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, effective July 22. She is the third Penn Stater to hold the gavel and lead the organization.

Thirty-six Penn State graduate students have received scholarships of up to $10,000 from the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Endowment, established by Jeff and Ann Marie Fox’s $20 million naming gift to Penn State’s J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School. The 36 students are studying in 32 master’s or doctoral degree programs.

Thirty students traveled to Ireland with Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in May, as part of the three-credit course, ANSC 499: Ireland's Equine Industry, to see how horses are used in the country.

Saddle up for the Equine Experience at Penn State’s 2026 Ag Progress Days and don’t miss crowd-favorite demonstrations for everyone from casual spectators to avid horse enthusiasts. During the three-day event, Aug. 11-13, visitors can attend demonstrations and interact with Penn State equine science faculty and staff to learn about horse health and care.

Nine undergraduate students represented Penn State at the 2026 American Dairy Science Association—Undergraduate Student Division (ADSA-USD) meetings held in Milwaukee, WI, from June 19-23. During the meetings, club members participated in a farm tour and had the opportunity to present and view scientific talks and posters. In addition, students attended a career roundtable lunch and a dairy products workshop.

Penn State alumna Nicole Day has worked in a dream career since she graduated in 2016 with a degree in animal science.

Alli Capri Jobe has been named an Assistant Teaching Professor of Beef Production in Penn State's Department of Animal Science and will join the faculty on July 1. A 2023 Animal Science graduate of Penn State, she has served as a Graduate Assistant with Dr. Tara Felix, Ph.D., associate professor and beef extension specialist, receiving her Master's Degree in May. Her thesis focused on factors impacting cow-calf production efficiency.

Dr. Bradley Back has been named Assistant Clinical Professor of Equine Reproduction in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, beginning July 1.

Leaders from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences joined University, state and local officials to mark the official opening of the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center at the Penn State Beaver campus in Monaca.

Penn State had a strong showing at the 2026 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, with the contest team placing second in their bracket.

Penn State graduate students Samantha Seibel and Naomi Huntley discuss their participation in a six-week summer internship program in Germany that was made possible by a partnership between QIAGEN LLC and the University's One Health Microbiome Center.

The Penn State Spur Collectors National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter recently earned the national L.A. Dixon Memorial Award, which is presented to the chapter with the largest number of adult memberships.

Six University faculty members have received 2026 Faculty Scholar Medals for Outstanding Achievement: Amy Bridger, assistant research professor of higher education strategy at Penn State Behrend; Cui-Zu Chang, professor of physics in the Eberly College of Science; Alexander Hristov, distinguished professor of dairy nutrition in the College of Agricultural Sciences; Michelle Newman, professor of psychology and psychiatry in the College of the Liberal Arts; Xingjie Ni, associate professor of electrical engineering in the College of Engineering; and David Witwer, distinguished professor of Ame

Penn State livestock judging team member Megan Zipprich was selected as one of 30 collegiate participants in the prestigious Top Judge program.

To learn more about beef production abroad, nine students from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences spent their spring break in Brazil.    

Kevin Harvatine, professor of nutritional physiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been appointed to the C. Lee Rumberger and Family Chair in Agricultural Sciences for a five-year term.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza once again is threatening Pennsylvania’s poultry industry, but researchers, diagnosticians and extension educators in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are at the forefront of efforts to slow the virus, support producers and provide science-based guidance.

Emma Uhlman, a junior majoring in animal science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is determined to make her time on campus count — supporting fellow students while preparing for a career that improves the health and well-being of animals.

Penn State Extension recently was awarded a competitive national grant to build a microcredentialing system aimed at strengthening the agricultural workforce and formally recognizing job-ready skills.

Penn State’s Block and Bridle Club won three awards at the National Block and Bridle Club’s 105th Convention, which took place Feb. 3-5 in Nashville, Tennessee. This year’s event was hosted by Middle Tennessee State University in conjunction with CattleCon, the largest annual event and trade show for the U.S. cattle industry.

Paul Esker and John Boney, faculty members in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, have received grants from the Pennsylvania Soybean Board. 

The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences recently celebrated 26 faculty and staff members who have been with the college for 25 years.

Megan Zipprich, an animal science major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, was among the 10 recipients of the All-American Livestock Judging Award during the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest, held in November in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) — a type of pneumonia — is the leading cause of death for dairy calves after they become accustomed to food other than their mothers’ milk, resulting in economic losses at over $1 billion annually for the U.S. cattle industry. To detect BRD in dairy calves before they show obvious symptoms and reduce those costly losses, a team of researchers, funded by a new three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, intend to create a system that uses modern sensing technologies and advanced artificial intelligence.

The Collegiate Poultry Judging Team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences placed second at the 59th National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest held recently at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

At a time when millions of Americans have turkey on their minds, a team led by an animal scientist at Penn State has successfully tested a new way for poultry producers to keep their turkeys in sight.

After producers in Pennsylvania’s tree-fruit and poultry industries identified language barriers and safety concerns as critical challenges, Penn State Extension created English4Ag to teach conversational and industry-specific English to Spanish-speaking agricultural workers. The program, supported by an AgriProspects minigrant, is aimed at strengthening safety, communication and workforce retention.

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recognized exceptional achievements in research during its fourth annual Research Awards Ceremony held Oct. 28 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

In poultry houses where broiler chickens are grown, feed is delivered through long feed lines, which are mechanized systems that automatically deliver feed from storage silos to feeding pans. Nutrients becoming unevenly distributed can lead to inconsistent feed quality, which can affect bird growth and health. To help the poultry industry determine the extent of this problem, researchers at Penn State conducted a study of how nutrient distribution affects broiler chicken performance, processing yields and bone mineralization.