The Penn Stater Magazine

The Penn Stater Daily — Sept. 19, 2013

September 19, 2013 at 11:09 am Ryan Jones Leave a comment

From news to features, your daily dose of everything Penn State.

A healthy decision: Penn State has reversed course on its plans to fine faculty and staff who don’t provide personal health information and submit to screenings as part of the university’s new wellness plan. The story had become national news in recent weeks as faculty members and outside health care experts weighed in; the university’s decision to suspend a $100 monthly fine for noncompliance with the plan made the front page of the Business section of Thursday’s New York Times.

Shining light on dark matter: A Penn State research team believes it has discovered the origins of genomic dark matter. The findings, by molecular biology professor Frank Pugh and Bryan Venters ’08 PhD, now at Vanderbilt, are published in the journal Nature. This knowledge may one day help researchers pinpoint the genetic location of complex-disease traits.

Yes, we even lift: In somewhat less rigorous research news, a site called “Spot Me Bro” has named the Rec Hall workout facility its “top college gym.” Onward State provides the appropriately lighthearted coverage.

Write what you know: Former CIA agent Valerie Plame ’85 is diving into fiction writing with a first novel about… a female CIA agent. Due out Oct. 1, Blowback is billed as the first in a new spy series that follows agent Vanessa Pierson through tales of danger and espionage.

Coaching controversy: Members of the Nittany Lion fencing team on Wednesday met with reporters to offer their take on the dismissal earlier this year of longtime fencing coach Emmanuil Kaidanov. The Post-Gazette and The Daily Collegian have more.

Connecting across miles, and generations: A cool story about some Penn State students working with residents of The Village at Penn State to offer lessons in how to Skype. Knowing how much my parents and grandparents love being able to see and talk to our kids over the computer, I bet this is a huge hit.

Ryan Jones, senior editor

Entry filed under: Penn State in the News, University Park. Tags: Bryan Venters, Daily Collegian, Emmanuil Kaidanov, Frank Pugh, health care, Onward State, Rec Hall, Skype, The Village at Penn State, Valerie Plame.