If the Sandusky scandal cost Penn State respect in the commonwealth, it's safe to say it's been restored: A recent Harper Poll showed that Penn State is the most respected university in the commonwealth after it garnered 24 percent of the state's voting.
President Eric Barron e-mailed Penn State's faculty and staff yesterday to announce the creation of a sexual assault and harassment task force as well as a health care advisory committee.
The MOOC takeover of higher education continues! But seriously, MOOCs have an important place in modern academia, and Penn State has capitalized, now offering its very popular "Creativity, Innovation, and Change" MOOC in Chinese.
Penn State is still one of the most expensive public universities in the country, but at least it's not atop the list -- Pitt's main campus was the most expensive public university in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Education's statistics.
Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences announced its next dean will be Richard Roush, currently the Dean of Melbourne University's School of Land and Environment in Australia. Roush is set to take the reins on Oct. 1.
Penn State alumnus Joe Machi, born and raised in State College, is hilarious. He's also currently competing on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," and doing quite well for himself -- he's advanced to the top 10 of the comic-search show.