Penn State Altoona

It's the experience of a lifetime for Nicholas Rowland, Penn State Altoona professor of sociology, who is in France for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

So far, he and his wife, Marcy, have explored the countryside of Bordeaux and watched men’s and women’s soccer matches there. An arson attack on French rail lines hours ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Friday resulted in the pair being stuck at the Bordeaux train station for several hours before finally getting into Paris. Rowland says, “It was chaos, but also a hoot. The French are epic hosts, which I have learned multiple times since arriving.”

Today, they stopped to watch a bit of women’s biking and saw parts of the Olympic Village in Paris, which Rowland describes as a crazy combination of old-world charm and brand-new Olympic infrastructure.

They walked to the Louvre where they found an Olympic ring statue. They also saw the Olympic torch and a cool installation of six sculptures outside of the Assemblée Nationale that celebrate Olympism, reflect the evolution of the Games, and represent inclusivity.

And even though the weather has been less than desirable, Rowland says, “The rain won’t get us down of course.”

Stay tuned for more adventures!

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics officially kicks off today with the Opening Ceremony!

Thirty current and former Penn State student-athletes or club athletes representing 13 countries are competing in the Games. Sports include wrestling, men’s and women’s volleyball, track and field events, women’s soccer, swimming events, field hockey, rugby, fencing, and men’s artistic gymnastics.

Additionally, two current assistant coaches are competing for two different countries, and two former student-athletes will travel to Paris as alternates for

Some members of the Hollidaysburg cross country team “ran” into Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi on campus last evening.

Bendapudi was attending the Board of Trustees meeting hosted by Penn State Altoona, and team members were doing their annual summer campus run. As they chatted, Bendapudi encouraged the teens to consider attending the University after their high school graduation.

men’s basketball student-athletes Chris Jarosz and Kevin Woodland, Jr., were recognized as part of the 2023-24 National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) Honors Court. Learn More:

Penn State Altoona student-athletes recognized for academic achievement Penn State Altoona men’s basketball student-athletes Chris Jarosz and Kevin Woodland, Jr., were recognized as part of the 2023-24 National Associat...

A paper written by William Van der Sluys, assistant teaching professor of chemistry at , has been published in “Acta Crystallographica Section C: Structural Chemistry.” Learn More:

Penn State Altoona professor’s paper published in chemistry journal A paper written by William Van der Sluys, assistant teaching professor of chemistry at Penn State Altoona, has been published in “Acta Crystallogra...

“Your Brother ‘Bud,’ Photographs by John H. Gebhardt” will be on exhibit until Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Sheetz and the McLanahan Galleries of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts at Penn State Altoona. Learn More:

‘Your Brother ‘Bud’’ photo exhibit on display at Penn State Altoona “Your Brother ‘Bud,’ Photographs by John H. Gebhardt” will be on exhibit until Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Sheetz and the McLanahan Galleries of the ...

"I pulled a tooth the size of a shot glass out of the wrecked hull of a boat out there!" ~ Matt Hooper, "Jaws"

Laura Palmer, associate professor of biology, rounds out Penn State Altoona's Shark Week posts. Palmer is an avid shark tooth hunter. She began hunting in 2015 during a vacation on Topsail Island in North Carolina.

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A local showed me what to look for, and I got hooked (no pun intended). It's like a treasure hunt—you have no idea what you may find, and beach conditions change daily, sometimes hourly, so I'm always hoping that the next time I go out I'll find the "big one.”

I like to hunt at low tide, although I will look any time I am physically on the beach. I look in shell beds and right at the water line. Most teeth are tiny, and at the beach I frequent, most are glossy black in color due to the type of soil they fossilized in, although sometimes you can find really pretty teeth with brown and red hues.

I've found hundreds of tiny teeth which I keep in a glass container on my fireplace mantle, along with other beach finds like corals, sea biscuits, pieces of rib bones from ancient dolphin relatives, and stingray tooth plate fragments. Some of the shark species I've found teeth from include great white, lemon, snaggletooth, sand tiger, mako, and megalodon.

The biggest tooth I've found measures approximately 2.75 inches along the diagonal. I have some smaller teeth that still have serrated edges and are of excellent quality.

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Although a fan of Shark Week and the movie "Jaws," Palmer is NOT a fan of ocean swimming, preferring to keep her feet on the beach and out of the sharks’ house.

Cairsty DePasquale is not only an assistant professor of biology here at Penn State Altoona, she’s also our resident fish biologist!

Here is her Sharks 101: Fun Facts course.

Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, professor of English at Penn State Altoona, was awarded the Judge Emma Shannon Walser Medal of Patriotism for decades of contributions to Liberian Literature. Learn More:

Penn State Altoona professor honored for contributions to Liberian literature Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, professor of English at Penn State Altoona, was awarded the Judge Emma Shannon Walser Medal of Patriotism for decades of co...

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

What better way to kick off Shark Week than by listening to a podcast episode about the iconic movie “Jaws?”

Look no further than episode one of Horror Joy, a new podcast created and hosted by Brian Onishi, associate professor of philosophy, and Jeff Stoyanoff, assistant professor of English.

Onishi and Stoyanoff dive into what makes the movie a titan of terror and explore themes like environmental cost, the ecological nightmare of a displaced predator, and unchecked ambition.

Not only does this episode dovetail perfectly into Shark Week, but it also coincides with the movie’s fiftieth anniversary.

Horror Joy takes a look at the genre of horror in film and books in the hopes of finding joy lurking in its shadows.

Find Horror Joy wherever you get your podcasts. Check it out, and stay tuned for a deeper look into the pod and what Onishi and Stoyanoff hope to bring to their audience with every episode.

Celebrate safely!

July already?
Here are some items to try this month.

Happy first day of summer! Are you loving this heatwave?

Officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth refers to the Monday in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that the last enslaved African Americans in the rebelling state of Texas finally learned of their freedom.

Juneteenth's significance is indisputable, and its observation serves as both a remembrance of shared pain and a celebration of freedom and life for and about Black Americans.

Here in Altoona, you can celebrate the holiday by attending the Civil War to Civil Rights guided tour Baker Mansion Friday, June 21 at 7 p.m. and heading to the Juneteenth Jubilee at St. Luke's Episcopal Church June 22 beginning at 1 pm.

Click here
https://www.psu.edu/news/university-libraries/story/libraries-marks-juneteenth-resources-african-american-culture-history-1/ for a listing of books, articles, films, artifacts, exhibits and more that uplift the voices commemorating African American culture and promoting the work of dismantling racism. These resources invite dialogue for continued scholarship and academic research about issues of race and equality.

The Hite Lobby in the Misciagna Family Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State Altoona will be home to the sculpture “Biomachine” by Daryl Bradford and Talley Fisher of Huck SciArts for the next academic year. Learn More:

Penn State Altoona to host ‘Biomachine’ by Huck SciArt Team The Hite Lobby in the Misciagna Family Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State Altoona will be home to the sculpture “Biomachine” by Daryl Bra...

John Eicher, associate professor of history at Penn State Altoona, has created a new YouTube lecture series focusing on the "ABCs" of modern Western history. Learn More:

Penn State Altoona history professor creates online lecture series John Eicher, associate professor of history at Penn State Altoona, has created a new YouTube lecture series focusing on the "ABCs" of modern...

No Stopping Her: Nursing student Kim Camacho is using her lived experience as a trauma injury survivor to become the best health care provider possible. Learn More:

No Stopping Her

The first edition of a new e-book by William Van Der Sluy, assistant teaching professor of chemistry at Penn State Altoona, will be available nationwide in July. Learn More:

Book by Penn State Altoona chemistry professor to be published in July William Van Der Sluy, assistant teaching professor in chemistry at Penn State Altoona, will use “An Introduction to General, Organic and...

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference announced its 2024 Spring All-Sportsmanship Team on Wednesday, June 5, including a student-athlete from each of Penn State Altoona’s four spring sports teams. Learn More:

Four Altoona student-athletes selected to spring All-Sportsmanship Team The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference announced its 2024 Spring All-Sportsmanship Team on Wednesday, June 5, including a student-athlete...

Penn State announced the recipients of the inaugural Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA), a new program designed to support faculty and students working on research projects that directly benefit communities. Learn More:

Presidential Public Impact Research Award recipients selected Penn State has announced the recipients of the inaugural Presidential Public Impact Research Awards, a new program designed to support faculty and...

"The Internet of Things," a poem by Penn State Altoona English Professor Erin Murphy, is featured in Verse Daily, an online anthology of contemporary poetry. Learn More:

Penn State Altoona English professor's poem featured on Verse Daily "The Internet of Things," a poem by Erin Murphy, professor of English at Penn State Altoona, is featured in Verse Daily, an online anthology of...

Penn State Altoona baseball’s Alex Hlivia and Jonathan Rauch were recognized for their academics when they were named to the College Sports Communicators’ NCAA Division III Academic All-District team. Learn More:

Altoona baseball student-athletes named to CSC Academic All-District Team Penn State Altoona baseball’s second baseman Alex Hlivia, of Pennsylvania Furnace, and first baseman Jonathan Rauch, of Pittsburgh, were recognized...

to spring commencement and matching Penn State !

First full week of June! Does it feel like summer to you yet?

Penn State Altoona student Hollie Keller is the recipient of two scholarships from WISE (Women Involved in Scholarship and Empowerment) of Blair County for the fall 2024 semester. Learn More: https://bit.ly/4aQIVzU

Penn State Altoona student awarded WISE scholarships Hollie Keller is the recipient of two scholarships from WISE (Women Involved in Scholarship and Empowerment) of Blair County for the fall 2024 semester.

Yaw Agawu-Kakraba, professor of Spanish and African studies at Penn State Altoona, has won an award from the African Literature Association (ALA) for his debut novel, “The Restless Crucible.” Learn More: https://bit.ly/3RdKktn

Penn State Altoona professor wins book award for first novel Yaw Agawu-Kakraba, professor of Spanish and African studies at Penn State Altoona, has won an award from the African Literature Association for his debut novel, “The Restless Crucible.”

Penn State Altoona softball’s infielder Gianna Hoppel was recognized for her work in the classroom when she earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators’ NCAA Division III Academic All-District team. Learn More: https://bit.ly/3Vomq0T

Altoona’s Gianna Hoppel earns CSC Academic All-District recognition Penn State Altoona softball’s infielder Gianna Hoppel, of Lewistown, was recently recognized for her work in the classroom when she earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators’ NCAA Division III Academic All-District team.

A blog written by Brian Black, distinguished professor of history and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, was recently published on the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NiCHE) website. Learn More: https://bit.ly/3X2aPpv

Penn State Altoona professor’s blog featured on environmentally focused website A blog written by Brian Black, distinguished professor of history and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, was recently published on the Network in Canadian History and Environment website.

Registration is open for Penn State Altoona’s summer 2024 Kids’ College. Pick from an array of week-long camps about science, technology, engineering, art, history, and more for kids entering kindergarten through ninth grade. Learn More: https://bit.ly/4bHguWB

Sign up for Penn State Altoona’s Kids’ College Pick from an array of week-long camps about science, technology, engineering, art, history, and more for kids entering kindergarten through ninth grade.

Take a moment to reflect on what today is about.