A new class of 177 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, in the Santander Arena, located at 700 Penn St. in Reading, when Berks hosts its fall 2019 commencement ceremony.

At Berks, hospitality management students are learning about the principles of food production and service management in a living laboratory through a unique collaboration between the college’s hospitality management program and the Office of Housing and Food Services.

Eighteen students from Danielle Boone Area High School will learn about business etiquette during a special luncheon hosted by the Penn State Berks Office of Career Services beginning at 11 a.m. Dec. 12 in the Multipurpose Room.

Penn State Berks, in partnership with Penn State LionPulse, has taken steps to improve health and wellness initiatives on campus thanks to a seed grant supporting the “Enhancing Health” thematic priority in the University’s strategic plan.

Penn State Berks technical staff and Teamsters Local Union 8 have organized a holiday food drive on campus, which will run through Wednesday, Dec. 11. All items will be donated to the Berks County food bank Helping Harvest.

Five students in the Hospitality Management program at Penn State Berks attended HX: The Hotel Experience at Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City from Nov. 10-11.

Berks has been named a Guard-Friendly School by the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS). The college is one of just 30 institutions of higher education to receive this inaugural designation during the PNGAS Awards on Nov. 8.

Penn State Berks students visited the Police Athletic League Walnut Street location in Reading to serve Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 21. Students arrived at 4 p.m. and began by doing crafts with the Olivet Boys and Girls Club youth prior to serving Thanksgiving dinner.

Penn State Berks Chancellor R. Keith Hillkirk recently announced his plans to retire on Aug. 1, 2020, after more than 15 years of service to Penn State.

Pauline Milwood, assistant professor of hospitality management at Penn State Berks, will speak on the role of diversity competence in strategic innovation in hotel settings at the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association's Annual Meeting & Awards Gala, set for Nov. 18-19 at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort.