Invitation to a Journal

The Electronic Journal of Communication has named Penn State Altoona’s Associate Professor of Communications Shaheed N. Mohammed managing editor. He describes the journal as “everything to do with communication, from social to interpersonal to mass communication.” Publication had “lapsed during COVID-19,” he says, but is now gearing up to return … Continue reading

Making a Difference

Many of us have a desire to change the world—or at least our little part of it. But not everyone gets an opportunity to effect change, especially when they’re only in high school. A program involving the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence at Penn State Altoona and Claysburg-Kimmel High School, … Continue reading

The Many Faces of a Research Project

In a research project, the researcher sets out to answer a question. It may be one part of a larger question–or multiple questions. Dr. Shihui Shen, professor of rail transportation engineering (RTE), and Dr. Hai Huang, associate professor of engineering at Penn State Altoona, are leading a multipronged research project … Continue reading

Reviewing “Systemic Racism”

“I don’t think anyone can read it and ignore it,” says Jenae McGill, a senior criminal justice major at Penn State Altoona, when talking about the book Systemic Racism in America: Sociological Theory, Education Inequality, and Social Change, edited by Rashawn Ray and Hodi Mahmoudi. McGill and her peers in … Continue reading

The Ultimate Railfan

So often young people are told to “follow your passion.” That’s not always easy to do but Andrew Kennedy, a first-year student at Penn State Altoona, makes it look simple. A native of Dothan, Alabama, Kennedy grew in Huntsville, AL, but came to the birthplace of the historic Horseshoe Curve … Continue reading

Murals Do “Talk”

Coaching a sports team takes energy and enthusiasm. Players need instruction and guidance, encouragement, and motivation. Pamela Snyder Etters utilizes all these skills when coaching Penn State Altoona’s women’s soccer team. Off the playing field those same skills get a workout as Etters leads Murals Talk, an art project aiming … Continue reading

“Do You Like Scary Movies?”

Across the world horror stories have always been a part of human culture. Themes are universal—spirits, murderers, monsters, aliens, apocalypses, the list goes on. Scary stories are widely read and shared through books, film, and even around the campfire: whether it’s Frankenstein’s monster or pod people, wolves gone wild or … Continue reading

The Power That Lies Beneath Us

Asphalt roads have been around for centuries, used for foot traffic, horse-drawn carts, and now cars. Their smooth surface—a combination of asphalt, stone, sand, and gravel—makes transportation faster and easier.  Over the years people have developed different mixes to improve durability and performance, but in the end, it is still … Continue reading