
Making movies is not what students at the Penn State College of Medicine signed up for. However, it has proven a unique tool in truly understanding patients' diseases.
Dr. Dan Shapiro chairs the Department of Humanities at the College of Medicine in Hershey. In order to get more in touch with patients, he has his students interview and make documentaries about their own lives with their chronic disease, and those of their family. Said Shapiro of the project's philosophy, "I wanted our medical students to learn from patients who had serious chronic diseases or ailments. These patients would be teachers and our students would be filmmakers."
Read more about this cool initiative after the jump.

Joe Paterno was slated for an appearance today in Philadelphia, but could not make it due to illness. It appears that our beloved coach/local deity is suffering "lingering effects of an adverse reaction to antibiotic treatment for dental work," says GoPSUSports. He is also recovering from a bout with the flu which caused him to cancel the last two "Evening with Joe" events held (These events are sponsored by the alumni foundation and Nittany Lion Club).
All ticket holders can get refunds to these events in the same way they were purchased, and it should be all taken care of within four weeks, according to a press release issued by Penn State.
Fortunately, JoePa is feeling much better now. His doctor is advising him not to leave State College until he's fully recovered, but it's definitely still great news!

Texas saved college football from further major expansion on Monday as it announced it was staying with the Big 12 after the conference came up with a new TV deal. The Longhorns dispelled Pac-10 and even some Big Ten rumors and became the de facto emperors of the now 10-team conference by securing $20-25 million dollars a year in TV revenues (with help coming from the school's own network). Oklahoma and Texas A&M will make around that number, with the other seven teams making a "measly" $14-17 million a year in the uneven revenue sharing system.
So what does this mean for the rest of the country? Find out after the jump.

The University of Michigan has had one of the most dominate and respected college football teams since they began playing in 1879. Their dominance came into question, though, when Coach Lloyd Carr was replaced by Rich Rodriguez in the 2008 season. This year, their respect may also be compromised.
In May, the school admitted that the football program violated NCAA rules by exceeding limits on practice and training time. The school also imposed sanctions on the team, including two years probation. Rich Rodriguez and six others were reprimanded and a staffer was fired. The school plans on reducing playing time by 130 hours over the next to years as well.
These sanctions may seem detrimental, but they may not be all the school faces. The NCAA will hold a hearing August 13-14 with a decision coming 6-10 weeks later. NCAA sanctions would most likely be harsher and could involve things like scholarship reduction.
More about how this will adversely affect Michigan after the jump.
Who would leave a cushy job with a big corporation like IBM? Who would leave a lavish lifestyle filled with an attractive income, a handsome expense account, and the ability to travel the globe, all while working alongside a team of incredible people? The answer to these questions would be none other than Robert Shedd. This forward-thinker climbed the ladder of success only to jump off into the unknown.
Learn more about this Penn State grad's success story after the jump.

Recently, some Penn State professors in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences wrote an updated report on the economic impact of Marcellus Shale, a sedimentary rock formation on the east coast with lots of natural gas reserves, and how it could affect Pennsylvania's economy. You may be wondering, "What does Marcellus Shale look like?" According to the study, it looks like $20 billion and 200,000 new jobs by 2020.
You can check out the full report after the jump.