The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Welcomes the Dean's Scholars

Inaugural Class of Dean's Scholars

An exciting, academically rigorous program was launched in CLAS this fall. Twelve outstanding high school seniors (with GPAs of 3.75 or higher) were awarded full tuition scholarships to PSU as the inaugural class of Dean's Scholars. The program is designed to help high-achieving students capitalize on the many opportunities at PSU for intellectual and personal growth, preparing them for graduate or professional schools and nationally-competitive scholarships. CLAS will add a new group of Dean's Scholars each fall term.

Simple Practices Lead to Improved Health and Productivity

Dr. Leslie Hammer

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recently awarded Dr. Leslie Hammer $4.1 million to continue research on workplace policies and supervisory practices that improve employees' health, wellbeing and productivity. Dr. Hammer and research partner Dr. Ellen Ernst Kossek, of Michigan State University, found that supervisors can improve employee health, retention, and engagement while promoting the health and well-being of employees' families with three practices:

1. Increasing employees' sense of control over the time and timing of their work.
2. Improving supervisor support for work and family balance.
3. Changing the culture to focus on the results of the work that matter most for business.

Read more about this exciting grant and the work it will fund on the Center for Work-Family Stress, Safety, and Health website.

Biology Professor Secures Prestigious Editorship

Dr. Michael Murphy

Biology Chair Dr. Michael Murphy was recently named the editor of The Auk, the quarterly publication of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and one of the world's most prestigious ornithological journals. Founded in 1883 and with over 3,100 members, the American Ornithologists' Union is dedicated to the study and conservation of birds.

When he's not teaching or leading his department, Dr. Murphy studies native birds and their reproductive biology and asks why "monogamous" mating systems are almost never truly monogamous.

Read more about The Auk and Dr. Murphy's research.

PSU Professors Receive Fulbright Scholar Grants for 2008-09

Fulbright Scholars Program

Out of the six Fulbright Scholar Grants awarded to PSU faculty, four of these prestigious awards went to professors in CLAS: Associate Professor of English Michael Clark, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Economics John Gallup, Associate Professor of Geology Christina Hulbe, and Professor of Physics Pui Tak Leung.

Read more about their exciting work here.

IRA Rollover Legislation Renewed

Congress recently renewed legislation permitting charitable rollovers from IRAs for those individuals age 70% or older without recognizing the transfer to the charity as income. A qualifying IRA rollover gift has no income or tax consequences for donors.

To learn more about this legislation and how it benefits donors, please visit PSU's Planned Giving website.