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For more than two decades, Penn State Extension’s Women in Dairy Conference has provided an opportunity for women in the dairy industry to exchange ideas, gain new knowledge and build professional connections. Ginger Fenton, dairy extension educator who helped organize this year’s conference, discussed the conference’s history and the value of opportunities to learn and connect in this Q&A.

Three clubs in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences got a recent boost from a new donation from Pivot Bio, a company specializing in products that optimize crop production through specific nitrogen delivery.

A series of games developed by a team of interdisciplinary Penn State students to help children in Iquitos, Peru, learn about the connections between human, animal and environmental health was recognized with a national American Society of Landscape Architects award.

Through her work caring for Penn State’s dairy herd, Ella McDyre, a senior studying animal science, is applying lessons from the classroom, gaining experience in animal agriculture and preparing for a career working with animals.

Two Penn State scientists are part of a national research team recognized with the 2026 agInnovation Excellence in Multistate Research Award for work aimed at improving reproductive performance in cattle and sheep — a challenge that costs U.S. livestock producers billions of dollars each year.

Researchers at Penn State have found that feeding broiler chickens an antibiotic, probiotic or essential oils did not significantly affect overall diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes. Instead, the chickens’ age had a much stronger effect on the resistome — the collection of antimicrobial resistance genes — as the birds grew.

The Department of Animal Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has named Mike Watkins, vice president of live operations for Bell & Evans in Fredericksburg, to receive its 2026 Distinguished Poultry Science Alumnus Award.

When milk fat levels began slipping at Seven Stars Dairy in Millerstown, the farm began looking for answers. An on-farm visit by Penn State dairy experts helped pinpoint the problem and identify a few small adjustments. Those changes helped reverse the months-long decline without adding labor or increasing feed costs.

Penn State researchers recently found that a camera paired with artificial intelligence could monitor individual turkeys and make reasonably accurate bodyweight predictions up to three weeks into the future.

Three years of working in Penn State’s Dairy Barns have been impactful for Hannah Mansfield, a spring 2026 College of Agricultural Sciences graduate who is pursuing a master’s degree in animal science.

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences students Paige Alexander and Ingrid Lara Bordin Fernandes are two of 36 Penn State graduate students recognized in a new round of scholarships from the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State.

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.