Penn State Berks will host its annual “Halloweek” events beginning Monday, Oct. 14, culminating with a community event — the college’s fifth annual Fall Fest — at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. All events are free and open to the public.
In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October 2024, the Penn State Berks information sciences and technology department will join forces to host events to increase awareness about cybersecurity issues and best practices. Events cover a wide range of audiences, including Penn State Berks students, faculty and staff; K-12 students and educators; and the community. All events are free and preregistration is required for some events.
Penn State Berks alumni and family members of students are invited to the college’s 2024 Family and Homecoming Weekend, set for Friday, Oct. 18, to Sunday, Oct. 20. This year’s theme is “Let’s Level Up – Powered by Pixels, Fueled by Fun."
Penn State Berks is helping a future generation of engineering students to succeed through the college’s Engineering Ahead Program, which is now in its ninth year. The goal of the four-week summer ‘bridge’ program, which ran from June 30 to July 19, is to increase retention rates among a diverse group of engineering students by enhancing academic preparedness and providing support.
Prospective students and their families are invited to a visitation program at Penn State Berks at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in the Perkins Student Center, located just off Broadcasting Road in Wyomissing. Attendees must register in advance.
Penn State Berks will hold its first Queer Con from 3-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, in the Perkins Student Center. This inaugural event will feature a presentation by celebrity guest Carson Kressley, television star and LGBTQ+ advocate. Queer Con is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.
The Penn State Berks global studies program will host a global forum titled "A Year in the Peace Corps–Timor-Leste," presented by alumna Jaymi Smith, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Room 121 of the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. This event is free and open to the public.
According to the 2020 census, the Hispanic and Latino population of the City of Reading is nearly 69%, up from 58% in 2010. To meet the needs of this growing population, Penn State Berks is expanding its efforts to engage with and support the local Hispanic and Latino communities with several new initiatives.
Sadan Kulturel-Konak, professor of management information systems and director of the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center at Penn State Berks, will be formally recognized with the 2024 American Society of Engineering Education Middle Atlantic Section Distinguished Teaching Award at the association’s fall conference at Farmingdale State College, Oct. 25-26.
With approximately 12% of the population in Berks and Schuylkill Counties living in poverty, food banks are a critical resource for those who face hunger issues. Penn State Berks faculty are collaborating with faculty at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local food banks. The team has recently received a seed grant from the Penn State Institute for Computational Data Sciences as part of the Inter-Institutional Program for Diversifying Research to explore this issue.