“Fragmentation” is the latest theme for the College of the Liberal Arts’ ongoing “Moments of Change” initiative, which brings together students, faculty, staff and alumni to explore society-shaping ideas, events and movements.
Penn State invites students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and families around the world to join in recognizing Read Across America 2026, through “Roar Where You Are,” an alumni collaboration led by Penn State World Campus, the College of Education and the University Libraries, with the Alumni Association chapters and societies playing an important role in bringing this effort to life.
Two Penn State professors will speak about the use and effectiveness of humor for political dissent in a talk titled, “This isn’t funny: How humor helps advance freedom in times of crisis,” taking place at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the Greg Sutliff Auditorium of the Lewis Katz Building. This event is free and open to the public, and also will be livestreamed via Zoom.
As directors of THON 2026, Lauren Mellas, Erin Gnall and Areea Rahman help run Penn State’s student-run, 46-hour dance marathon that raises money and awareness for families affected by childhood cancer.
Award-winning Russian author, documentary filmmaker and independent journalist Katerina Gordeeva will present a free public lecture and participate in a question-and-answer session scheduled at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 on Penn State’s University Park campus.
Danielle Allen, the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation and the Democratic Knowledge Project, will present the lecture “250 Years of Our Declaration of Independence: Why an Old Text Still Serves Us Now” March 19 at 5 p.m. in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium.
Penn State alumnus and former Black Student Union member Ronald Scott will share his insight on Vietnam-era student activism on campus, in a talk to be presented on March 18 at noon in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library.
Avery Snowden, a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar at Penn State, combines political science, Spanish and service to build a leadership path grounded in academics, community engagement and global learning.
A recent seven-figure commitment from the Andréa W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation will establish the College of the Liberal Arts Bunton-Waller Enrichment Fund, an endowment that will expand access to internships, research, study abroad and other career-defining experiences for Bunton-Waller Scholars in the college.
Xiaoye You, Liberal Arts Professor of English and Asian Studies at Penn State, explains what Lunar New Year is and why it may be lucky to wear red this February.
The Consortium on Moral Decision-Making at Penn State is seeking proposals for Ember Grants to support up-start interdisciplinary research related to the conceptual and empirical study of human morality and ethical decision-making. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 27 at 5 p.m.
Jeremy David Engels, professor of communication arts and sciences, discussed his new book and how individual and collective mindfulness can strengthen democracy in this Q&A.
Agustín Fuentes, professor of anthropology at Princeton University, will deliver the 2026 Darwin Day Lecture on Feb. 19 and participate in a panel discussion the following day.
The Rock Ethics Institute has extended the nomination deadline for the 2026 Stand Up Awards. The Stand Up Awards recognize and celebrate undergraduate students from any Penn State campus who demonstrate exceptional ethical leadership by standing up for a cause, idea or belief. The nomination deadline is Feb. 20.
A $100,000 gift from a Penn State College of the Liberal Arts alumna will provide targeted financial support for Penn State World Campus students as they enter the fourth year of their undergraduate studies.
Celeste Kinginger, Kirby Professor in Language Learning and professor of applied linguistics, recently received the Modern Language Association’s Kenneth W. Mildenberger Prize for her book, “The Professional Lives of Language Study Abroad Alumni: A Mixed Methods Investigation,” which she co-wrote with Jingyuan Zhuang, who received her doctoral degree in applied linguistics from Penn State.
