Jennifer Murphy, associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Berks, was recently awarded the 2023 Ken Peak Innovations in Teaching Award, given to one faculty member nationwide by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor criminal justice and criminology faculty members for innovative teaching methods.  

Inspired by the opportunity to memorialize her husband and support the community that brought them together, Penn State graduate Barbara Bradley has stepped forward with a gift of $350,000 to establish the John and Barbara Bradley Scholarship at Penn State Berks.

As part of the SustainFood Project, Penn State Berks will host a webinar on innovation and entrepreneurship for food security on Monday, March 27. This webinar is free and open to the public, but attendees must register in advance.

To address the mental health crisis on college campuses, Penn State Berks will host the Alive! Mental Health Fair Thursday, April 20, on the Perkins Student Center Plaza. This event is for Penn State Berks students, faculty and staff only.

The 10th annual Penn State Berks Losoncy Lecture in Physics and Astronomy will be presented by Rosi Reed, associate professor of physics at Lehigh University. Reed will present “A Recipe for Quark Soup: Understanding the Primordial Broth at the Beginning of the Universe” on Wednesday, April 5. This event is free and open to the public.

As part of Startup Week, the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development Center at Penn State Berks will host a webinar discussing the success of its Customer Discovery Lab, which connects budding entrepreneurs with mentors. The March 20 webinar will include students and mentors from two startups: GroupIt LLC and Streamline Charging LLC. Registration is required in advance.  

The Penn State Berks Sustainability Council will mark the beginning of spring with a slate of events and activities titled “Celebrating Spring by Springing into Action!” starting on March 20. 

Two Penn State Berks LaunchBox co-working companies are celebrating major milestones for their startups this week. Ocoa, formerly known as DN Organics, announced its official rebrand and two new product lines on Wednesday, March 1. In addition, CarToCamp is celebrating its first year in business this week by rolling out its “V2,” the next generation of its sleeping platform with improved design and storage. 

Penn State Berks will host its annual admissions event for high school juniors Saturday, April 15. The event gives prospective students and their families the opportunity to connect with campus experts and current students. Students who attend the event will have their $65 application fee waived but must register in advance.  

In honor of National Foreign Language Week, Tully’s Dining Center at Penn State Berks will feature cuisine from different geographic areas from March 13-17. The program is open to Penn State Berks students, faculty, and staff and the local community. Meals are available for purchase a la carte at Tully’s, located in the Perkins Student Center.