So often it’s been written that millennials (those 18–35 years old) just don’t care about politics and elections. Headlines such as “Millennials Now Rival Boomers as a Political Force, But Will They Actually Vote?” (npr.org) and “Why Don’t Millennials Vote?” (washingtonpost.com) make it sound as though that age group is … Continue reading

EMET and IST students and faculty were treated to a visit from three IBM representatives for IBM Day at Penn State Altoona on October 20, 2016. Rich Prewitt, IBM distinguished engineer and chief test engineer in the IBM Systems organization, who works on the University Park campus, along with Chris … Continue reading

Maps look a whole lot different than they did just fifty years ago. What used to be a badly folded wad of paper in a car’s glove compartment is now an essential app on a cellphone or tablet, a quick reference for someone trying to find the way to an … Continue reading

Not every freshman is ready for the demands of a college classroom. For engineering students, that shift from high school to college may be quite challenging. The hurdles are especially high for first-generation college women and minorities, students who historically have been underrepresented in engineering classrooms. In the first year … Continue reading

The last thing college students think about is aging—except perhaps those students in Kelly Munly’s Adult Development and Aging class (HDFS 249), where aging is the main topic. “We experience growth and decline our whole life,” Munly says, so in the class “we talk about issues such as successful aging.” … Continue reading

In the STAR Series, Professor of English Erin Murphy and Associate Professor of English Laura Rotunno invite faculty members to share their experiences in a lunch-hour lecture. The first program of this fall was by Lisa Emili, associate professor of physical geography and environmental studies, co-coordinator of the Environmental Studies … Continue reading

Just because the semester is over doesn’t mean academic activity on campus comes to a halt . . . as proven by the roomful of young people deep in thought and hunched over papers in a classroom at Penn State Altoona one sunny day in May. But these were not … Continue reading

Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we’ll soon be in trouble. —Roger Tory Peterson “Birders”—those who appreciate watching birds in the wild—are often seen as odd ducks. They sometimes travel alone, sometimes in groups, binoculars at the ready, flocking to a location that … Continue reading

Jared Frederick found his park a number of years ago. Long a fan of local history, Frederick—now an instructor in history at Penn State Altoona—spent five years as a seasonal park ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park. He has just published his latest book, Gettysburg National Military Park, as part … Continue reading

When we hear of someone being called a “hero”—as is common these days—that person has committed an act of courage, most likely saving a life or lives. In real-life examples, heroes have protected children from the Nazis, volunteered to monitor the Fukushima nuclear power plant during and after its meltdown, … Continue reading