“Ben Franklin was instrumental in helping us survive the early years”
By Cara Aungst In 2003, DiamondBack Covers was born out of an assignment in an Engineering Entrepreneurship class at Penn State, when Matt Chverchko had some equipment stolen from the back of his truck and he decided to create a truck cover to keep his belongings secure. He and classmate Ethan Wendle worked on […]
Valley View Retirement Community begins expansion for memory care, private nursing rooms
By Cara Aungst BELLEVILLE, PA–This September, Valley View Retirement Community embarked on a significant renovation project, with a completion date of early 2026. Key improvements will include more private rooms, major enhancements to shared spaces, new electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems, and, most significantly, a dedicated Memory Personal Care Neighborhood to better serve those with […]
When big city downtowns are in trouble, how is State College thriving?
By Cara Aungst “Workers no longer need to be downtown because companies no longer need to be downtown. And with that in mind, we have to be honest with ourselves and ask, ‘Why should anyone want to come to downtown?’” This jarring statement was not made about State College, but rather downtown Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh […]
High-tech solutions from a Big Valley-based AI startup
By Cara Aungst Computer vision systems like airport X-ray and CT scanners need vast amounts of screening data to continue improving capabilities. Screening data is massive, difficult to share—and sometimes hazardous to gather. For instance, how do you teach airport security machines to look for someone stashed in a suitcase when real-life testing is dangerous? […]
When life gives you lemons… launch a cocktail subscription service
By Cara Aungst Michael Tedesco working the Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits mobile bar. If you’ve had a great cocktail in Happy Valley in the past few years, there’s a good chance it was made by Michael Tedesco. He enjoyed bartending and making inventive cocktails from scratch, creating fresh flavor combinations that blended the best of […]
Why Penn State’s alumni network ranks among the best
By Cara Aungst PHOTO: Penn State Alumni Association In a fiercely competitive job market, having a good network is key for new graduates. As Town & Country magazine reported in August, one of the most supportive, engaged and loyal communities in the world is Penn State’s alumni network. Penn State was listed among just 15 […]
5 questions with a researcher: “Printing replacement organs is the ultimate goal”
By Cara Aungst Ibrahim Ozbolat leads a lab specializing in 3D printing to create a range of tissues for use in human health. Photo submitted. Penn State is leading the way in a new endeavor to 3D-print human tissue and bone at scale. When fully developed, the technology will be the first to enable the […]
Is the merger of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship key to creating change around the world?
By Cara Aungst ITC students in Phnom Penh, Cambodia learning about entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship. As a professor of engineering entrepreneurship at Penn State, Frank Koe lives and breathes entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship — the concept of creating change from within corporations. He organized the conference, “Intrapreneurship: Employees as Changemakers” that was held at Penn State in […]
Biotech facility in Innovation Park will be first of its kind in US
By Cara Aungst In 2022, BioMagnetic Solutions bucked the status quo with an announcement that, instead of surrounding itself with other biotech companies in Cellicon Valley in Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York or Boston, it was instead surrounding itself with key resources that would help propel commercialization: Penn State’s world-leading expertise in supply chain management, […]
