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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

The Penn State Berks Freyberger Gallery will present a multimedia art installation titled “When it starts, we will let the host know you are waiting” by Philadelphia-based artist Alicia Link. The installation addresses inequity through the visual language of the gynecologist’s office and waiting room. It will run from Wednesday, April 19, to Saturday, May 13, with a reception on Thursday, April 27. The event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.  

When the Berks LaunchBox first opened nearly seven years ago, it provided a glimmer of hope to Berks County entrepreneurs and innovators. Since then, its impact has grown to be more than its staff could have imagined. 

The Penn State Berks global studies degree program will host a global forum with a presentation titled “Public Service Abroad: What Is the U.S. Foreign Service?” from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, in Room 121 Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. The event is free and open to the public.

The Penn State Berks Alumni Society celebrated three alumni who received awards for 2022 during its awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 5. Nick Claytor received the Volunteer Service Award, Brittany Maack LaManna earned the Outstanding Young Alumna Award, and Steve Stetzler won the Alumni Achievement Award. In addition, Nicholas Yeager, 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, was also recognized this year as he was unable to attend last year’s ceremony.