The benefits of virtual reality (VR) appear to extend beyond video games, according to Penn State Berks senior kinesiology major Diana Stoltzfus and Associate Professor of Kinesiology Praveen Veerabhadrappa. They recently found that using VR during exercise can improve the experience and reduce the perceived effort for college students.
Current charging stations for electric vehicles, or EVs, can be expensive to install, and limited in the number of parking spaces they reach. Penn State engineering student Jonathan Smith and his team have spent the last three years creating a possible solution: smaller, mounted charging stations, which can move to cover as many as five parking spaces. As CEO of Streamline Charging, he’s used his Penn State education and customized coursework to get the team’s ideas to market.
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.
Penn State Berks 2024 alumna Angela Bonopane earned the Best Undergraduate Research Paper Award from the Pennsylvania Academy of Criminal Justice Educators (PACJE), a statewide organization of faculty, practitioners and students in criminal justice. She also received the PACJE Bernie Meyer Student Scholarship and presented her research at the conference.
During the Penn State Berks academic awards ceremony in April, three students received the Young Investigator Award for their research. They included Angela Bonopane, Matthew Kauffman and Morgan Lusch. All three graduated on May 4.
The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way is spinning so quickly it is warping the spacetime surrounding it into a shape that can look like a football, according to a new study led by Penn State Berks Professor of Physics Ruth Daly. That football shape suggests the black hole is spinning at a substantial speed, which researchers estimated to be about 60% of its potential limit.
Brenda Russell, professor of psychology at Penn State Berks, met Celia Torres when Torres was an applied psychology major at Penn State Berks. During that time, they developed a mutual respect for one another and began a long-standing research collaboration that continues today.
Praveen Veerabhadrappa, associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State Berks, was part of a panel of 43 scientists from 18 countries convened by the International Society of Hypertension College of Experts to review current research on new directions in hypertension prevention and develop recommendations that individuals can apply to their own lives.
This past spring, Cheryl Nicholas, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and global studies at Penn State Berks, and Heidi Mau, a professor from Albright College, led a team of students on the creation of a virtual reality/digital exhibition at the Perak Museum in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia, which opened on Aug. 15 to a crowd of more than 3,000 attendees, including government ministers. The exhibition, which runs through Oct. 22, gives viewers a snapshot of that moment in history.
Penn State Berks Strategic Communications interviewed Michele Ramsey, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and of women's, gender and sexuality studies, about the film "Barbie," the Greta Gerwig-directed film about the iconic doll, and now Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing domestic release. Ramsey is a frequent media contributor on issues concerning women’s studies and communication.
