Taylor Hollenbach wanted to remain close to home so she could continue working on the family farm in Bethel, PA, so she enrolled in the Penn State Berks Life Science degree program with a minor in Chemistry. Four years later, she is graduating as student marshal-the student with the highest grade point average-and the Life Science degree she earned close to home will open the door to a world of opportunities for her.

The Center for Online Innovation in Learning is awarding research grant money to four university scientists who will begin research projects with the hope of enhancing teaching through online innovation.

Following is a compilation of fall 2015 commencement ceremonies and speaker information for Penn State's 24 locations.

A new class of 124 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees on Friday, December 18, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. in the Beaver Community Center when Berks hosts the fall 2015 commencement ceremony. The keynote speaker will be Jack D. Gulati. For 48 years, Gulati has been a "serial entrepreneur." During this time, he has owned 42 companies worldwide. He has written a book titled Serial Entrepreneur in the hope that others may learn from his experiences.

Students majoring in Electromechanical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Occupational Therapy have collaborated to create devices to meet the needs of individuals with physical challenges as part of the Pfreimer Adaptive Equipment Project (PADEP). They will present their designs in two separate sessions: the first on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, and the second on Wednesday, Dec. 9, both at 1 p.m. in room 121, Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. The presentations are free and open to the public.

Dr. Thomas Blakely, Instructor in Anthropology at Penn State Berks, recently received the Society for Visual Anthropology's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2015. Blakely is a founding member of the SVA, serving as its president and representative on the American Anthropological Association Executive Board in 1986 and 1987.

One professor has been engaging her students in environmental science service-learning projects within the local community this semester. The students have been blogging about their progress through writing and multimedia on a public website built via Sites@PennState.

New book explores our complex relationship with environmental chemicals We just can't seem to quit bug-killing chemicals. Michelle Mart, an historian at Penn State Berks, investigates why Americans cling to their love of pesticides despite warnings, rising costs, and declining effectiveness in her recently published book, "Pesticides, A Love Story: America's Enduring Embrace of Dangerous Chemicals" (University Press of Kansas, 2015).

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A team of three students from Penn State Berks competed against more than 200 of their classmates in HackPSU and won impressive opportunities from the Penn State EdTech Network and the Center for Online Innovation in Learning (COIL).

The Penn State Berks International Klub, a student organization, will hold a gala, followed by an international dinner on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015. The gala will begin at 6 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium, and the international dinner will begin at 7 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. These events are open to Penn State Berks students, faculty, and staff, but seating is limited and attendees must purchase a ticket by Friday, Nov. 13. Tickets are $10 for staff and faculty.