The U.S. only produces 12% of semiconductors produced globally. A Penn State-led consortium is poised to change that.
By Cara Aungst The CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion for American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce development. Semiconductor use is skyrocketing, used in everything from military equipment to mobile phones to climate-friendly lighting and is the lifeblood to the new boom in artificial intelligence. They are projected to become a trillion-dollar industry […]
Loneliness is epidemic, but there is a cure
By Cara Aungst Photo: Unsplash.com In May, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report on the national epidemic of “loneliness and isolation.” The report describes the very real health risks associated with loneliness; people who do not have social connections face the same risk of death as people who smoke 15 cigarettes daily. According to […]
Mount Nittany Health breaks ground on new Patient Tower
Mount Nittany Health hosted a groundbreaking celebration on May 16, 2023, officially marking the start of construction on the new Patient Tower at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. Mount Nittany Health employees and representatives from Whiting-Turner Contracting Company gathered at the future site of the new tower to commemorate this milestone. “Mount Nittany Health’s new […]
AI wrote this week’s content. Here’s how it went
by Cara Aungst Opening ChatGPT for the first time reminded me of my first memory of the world wide web (yes, I’m that old). I was in the Audio-Visual department at my small liberal arts college, and the AV director showed me how to find, and buy, a font to use in the yearbook design. […]
COVID layoff turns into thriving marketing biz, thanks to Happy Valley Launchbox
by Cara Aungst Khurram Shahzad had no intention of starting his own company when he landed in Happy Valley five years ago so his wife could pursue her Ph.D. But thanks to some unplanned changes during the pandemic — and the resources of Penn State — his digital marketing company Digilatics is changing the landscape […]
Outdoor recreation is the future of economic development for small towns, and Purple Lizard is mapping the way
by Cara Aungst Purple Lizard maps showcase Happy Valley’s outdoor recreation assets. On the day of our interview, Mike Hermann and his team were days away from finishing their 17th map. The map represented more than a thousand hours spent over two years, starting with hiking boots on the ground exploring the trailheads and ravines […]
“Gritty, fast and focused on outcomes”: Todd Erdley’s plan for explosive growth in private industry
By Cara Aungst On March 1, Videon founder Todd Erdley joined Ben Franklin Technology Center as a central regional director responsible for mentoring startups and small manufacturers in Centre, Mifflin and Juniata Counties. He calls it a natural next step for him — Ben Franklin was instrumental in Videon’s growth and market dominance, and Erdley […]
Solving Happy Valley’s sales problem
By Cara Aungst HappyValley Industry debuted its first workshop yesterday. Here’s what the session revealed about sales in the area. On February 28, leaders from companies in the Happy Valley area gathered at the Hyatt Place in downtown State College to talk about a gap in the ecosystem. Long story short, research and innovation is […]
‘The hydrogen economy is here’: Nikola Corp to source hydrogen from KeyState for zero-emissions trucks
By Cara Aungst Photo: KeyState Energy. Nikola Corp. is partnering with a handful of hydrogen producers within the U.S. and Canada to supply hydrogen that will fuel 7,500 heavy-duty, zero-emission trucks by 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported on Feb 11. The article said that one of their main suppliers in the mid-Atlantic region will […]
