Pennsylvania State University is globally engaged, technically broad and culturally aware; and has been blazing the trail in Engineering Leadership Development with one of the first engineering leadership development programs in the United States.

This article begins with deep appreciation of Chet Bowers' powerful charge to take up thick description as a pedagogical tool, while also acknowledging the unpleasant manner in which he offered this charge in response to Gruenewald's notion of a critical pedagogy of place. The article, then, prompted by Bowers' charge, is a story and analysis of…

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of sustainability certification programs at the local, state, and national level to highlight the use of policies, programs, and infrastructure to achieve sustainable development outcomes within communities. In this paper, we use examples from Penn State's Sustainable Communities Collaborative to…

Universities in the United States are evolving to meet the needs of an increasingly technological society. Although workforce preparation has always been one of the primary purposes of higher education, these efforts have reached new levels due to the extensive integration of technology in daily work and life. The future of work is expected to be…

Higher education institutions are in a great position to create authentic programming to support local underfunded or underperforming public school districts. This article gives an overview of an education outreach collaborative between a 4-year public university, local schools, and a community institution and highlights lessons learned from the…

The Pennsylvania State University [PSU] and State College Area School District Professional Development [SCASD] School won a National Association of Professional Development Schools Exemplary PDS [professional development school] Achievement Award in 2018. This award article offers an overview of the partnership's commitment to the NAPDS [National…

This study highlights the impact of including stakeholders with expertise in learning theory in a learning space design process. We present the decision-making process during the design of the Krause Innovation Studio on the campus of the Pennsylvania State University to draw a distinction between the architect and faculty member's decision-making…

From the ongoing crisis at the Pennsylvania State University, trustees everywhere are learning that they really are responsible for what goes on in athletics, and that good governance has come to be more demanding--on trustees; on administrators, faculty, and staff; and, perhaps, on external constituents--more vulnerable to internal and external…

In a time of transformation in higher education, "Leading Change: How Boards and Presidents Build Exceptional Institutions" fills a significant void in leadership literature and focuses on the changing level of board engagement. This book examines 18 institutions, across the spectrum of higher education, at which the board played a…

With a 13-year-old recycling program, The Pennsylvania State University's (Penn State) Beaver Stadium in the past diverted nearly 30 tons of recyclables per year from local landfills. A new initiative to promote recycling in the stadium's tailgating area has helped Penn State more than triple its old recycling record, collecting 112 tons in 2008.…

From all sides, academia is being prodded to be ever more innovative. Not only are faculty expected to create knowledge from which solutions for our social, physical, and economic ills will spring, but all segments of the university must deal with new modes of communication, new business models, and even new ways of processing thought. This…

Leaders at Indiana University of Pennsylvania had heard the horror stories: Students would be accepted here, visit the campus, take one look at the outdated dormitories, and decide to go someplace else. Something had to be done. So they made the bold move to replace all student housing, bed for bed--at a cost of $270-million. The public university…

Team learning is an effective means of teaching that can contribute toward increased student interest. This article describes a team learning exercise developed for a course for nonscience majors. Students are randomly assigned numbers (atomic numbers) the first day of class. Each student builds a portfolio of information for their element. In the…

Founded in 1855 as the Farmer's High School, the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) began as a small college in Centre County providing agricultural education to young men from regional farm families. Penn State became a land-grant university in 1863 following passage of the Morrill Act. Today, Penn State enrolls more than 83,000 students…

Formal and informal education is increasingly pursued by all ages through the Internet, television, and public cultural programs. Museums, libraries, and public television stations, as significant sources of public information, should be especially cognizant of and responsive to societal changes. By their very nature, these three types of…