Academics

Headshots of Sadan Kulturel-Konak and Abdullah Konak

Two Penn State Berks professors elected as INFORMS DEI Ambassadors

Penn State Berks announced has that two of its professors have been elected as 2024 INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) DEI Ambassadors. In this role, Sadan Kulturel-Konak, professor of management information systems and director of the college’s Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center, and Abdullah Konak, distinguished professor of information sciences and technology, will complete a project titled “Innovation in Operations Research: Fostering Equity and Justice in Problem Formulation.”  
Penn State’s 2022-24 TLT Faculty Fellows (clockwise from top left) are Anna Divinsky, Cookie Redding, Zena Tredinnick-Kirby, Jeanne Marie Rose, Gregory R. Pierce and Jacqueline Bortiatynski.

2022-2024 Teaching and Learning with Technology Faculty Fellows share insights

Collaborative efforts between six Penn State instructors from two campuses and two colleges worked in teams with Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) over the past two years as part of the 2022-24 TLT Faculty Fellows program. Their goal was to enrich the student engagement experience through technology. This included addressing themes such as affordability and inclusion, physi-digital space and radical creativity. Attributes such as these foster equitable opportunities, prepare students for dynamic workplaces and cultivate essential skills for the future. 
Nittany Lion poses as Taylor Swift's Eras Tour poster

Penn State Berks to offer Taylor Swift course for fall 2024

Are you ready for it? Penn State Berks will offer a new course titled “Taylor Swift, Gender, and Communication” starting in the fall 2024 semester. The class will hold 100 seats with 50 spots reserved for current Berks students and the other 50 spots available for incoming first-year students. 
Male student showcases adaptive fishing rod.

Penn State Berks students create adaptive equipment prototypes in annual event

At the end of 2023, nine student teams consisting of Penn State Berks mechanical engineering and occupational therapy assistant majors presented adaptive equipment designs they created to meet the needs of individuals with physical challenges. This spring, three teams will collaborate with business majors to create a business plan for their designs.