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.
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.
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.
Azar Panah, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State Berks, coordinated an educational art exhibition inspired by fluid dynamics at the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences. The Traveling Gallery of Fluid Motion presents “Chaosmosis: Assigning Rhythm to the Turbulent,” which opened on Oct. 2 and will remain on view through Feb. 23, 2024, at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C.?
The latest issue of the Wind Vision Report estimates that wind energy will supply 20% of the country’s electricity in 2030, and 35% in 2050. Increasingly larger wind farms pose a challenge due to the land area required. Penn State Berks recently received funding for a proposal titled “Evaluation of Clustering Effect in Harmony Turbine's Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Farms” to study this alternative method. The grant is for $69,833, and it will be matched in its entirety by Penn State.?
The Institute for Computational and Data Sciences has awarded the first round of RISE seed grants, supporting research including standardizing satellite weather analysis to predicting, predicting wireless signal penetration using deep learning, using automated data processing systems for neuroimaging and analyzing exoplanet survey data.
A Penn State Berks-led research team built a multidimensional model to measure the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education. The model not only includes teaching entrepreneurial skills, but also addresses the students’ intentions to start a business and their perceptions of the barriers they might encounter when starting a business.
Taking an interdisciplinary approach — and mixing in a little do-it-yourself initiative — a team of Penn State Berks researchers developed a wearable device that can tell the difference between indoor and outdoor lighting. The device could help scientists better understand the health benefits of outdoor lighting and even lead to wearables that could nudge users to get more outdoor time.
Justin DiAngelo, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State Berks, was recently elected to the Drosophila Board of Directors of the Genetics Society of America (GSA), the leadership body of the Drosophila research community.
