Events and activities honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. will be held over the next few weeks at several Penn State campuses. The theme for 2025 is "Change Continues With Us."
A new class of nearly 120 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Santander Arena in downtown Reading, when Berks hosts its fall 2024 commencement ceremony. Penn State alumnus Norman Bristol Colón, commonwealth chief diversity officer and founder and chairman of the Pennsylvania Latino Convention, will deliver the keynote address.
The Penn State Berks Office of International Student Services, in collaboration with the DEIB Committee, Student Affairs, Global Studies, Career Services and Thun Library at Penn State Berks celebrated International Education Week from Nov. 18 to 22, 2024. This year’s theme was "Friends Across the Globe."
The Penn State Berks International Klub will host its second annual Diwali Garba Night on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center. The event will include Garba dancing, music, refreshments and crafts. This event is free and open to the public but advanced registration is required.
Penn State Berks will welcome Piscataway Nation singers and dancers to honor and celebrate Indigenous and Native American Heritage Month. The event is free and open to the public and will take place on Monday, Nov. 4, at 12:15 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.
Penn State Berks wrapped up its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on Oct. 11 with its 12th annual Latino Forum, an outreach effort for local high school students. Chancellor Radha Pyati provided a warm welcome to the students in Spanish, and she reached out to both students and the greater Latino community through a Facebook Live interview on La Mega Radio Station, a Spanish-language station who was on site for the event. Pyati was also interviewed live on La Mega’s Morning Show on Oct. 8.
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.
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.
Eight incoming Penn State Berks students were awarded a four-year scholarship to study engineering through the Penn State Berks Leveraging Innovation and Optimizing Nurturing (LION) STEM Scholars Program. Funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation grant, the main goal of the LION STEM Scholars Program is to enhance the STEM workforce by graduating more diverse high-achieving STEM students who have demonstrated financial need.
As part of the college’s ongoing efforts to engage with and support the local Hispanic and Latino communities, Penn State Berks will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15–Oct. 15, with a variety of vibrant events, educational presentations and cultural showcases. These events include dynamic speakers, Latin cuisine, music, dancing and much more. All events are free and open to the public and most are held at Penn State Berks, except "Enhance Your Customer Service" with Rosa Julia Parra, which will be held at Centro Hispano Daniel Torres in downtown Reading.
