The Penn State Berks criminal justice program ‘paid it forward’ by collecting used graduation caps and gowns from the campus community during the spring semester. The collection was donated to the Berks County Jail System for its GED graduation ceremonies.

Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute, in collaboration with Penn State Berks, recently hosted the 2025 Berks County Community-Driven Research Day at the Berks campus. The program showcased community voices and academic research coming together to tackle some of the most urgent health challenges in Berks County.

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 22 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

On Sunday, June 22, the streets of Reading came alive with purpose and unity as Not One More: A Peace and Justice Project hosted its first annual Pedal for Peace Reading Ride Out, a community bike ride aimed at raising awareness about youth violence in Berks County and shifting the narrative that such violence is inevitable. 

Berks LaunchBox recently announced seven recipients of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund, this grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County.

Penn State Berks invites prospective students and their families to Spend a Summer Morning with the college at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.

After committing to 17 years of global service projects, Penn State Berks Professor of Agricultural Sciences Janelle Larson has been recognized for the impact she has made with the Penn State Global Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional achievement towards furthering the global vision of of the University.

More than 700 students earned a place on the Penn State Berks spring 2025 dean’s list, ending the semester with a 3.5 grade-point average or higher.

Penn State Berks will host two admissions events for high schoolers to get to learn about the college this summer. Prospective students and their families are invited to Spend a Summer Evening from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, or join the Spend a Summer Morning Information Session from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 2.

The 2025–26 faculty development program Privacy Pedagogy for Open Inquiry and Student Expression Project, led by a University Libraries team, seeks instructor applicants across the University who wish to emphasize student privacy in learning design and enhance civil, robust discussion in the classroom.