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Articles by Jonathon Chiu
21 Penn State professors are testing Meta’s AI smart glasses. What can they do for education?
For months, several Penn State professors have been working to understand the strengths and limitations of Meta’s artificial intelligence (AI) smart glasses. The glasses are the second generation of Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses, according to a Sept. 17 Penn State University Libraries press release. They’re currently being used as part of the 2026-2027 Faculty Engagement Award, which is held annually by the University Libraries’s Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) department.
PHOTOS | Penn State hosts 15th annual Military Appreciation Week
From Nov. 7 - 14, Penn State honored veterans during Military Appreciation Week. The week featured a number of events that highlighted the Penn State community's commitment to supporting and recognizing service members across Centre County.
Penn State PhD student gives lecture on potential for machine learning to improve winter storm forecasts
On Friday, over a dozen students and faculty members took their seats in room 117 of the Earth and Engineering Sciences Building or logged in over Zoom to hear how one graduate student is integrating machine learning and specialized radar systems to improve winter storm predictions and other weather forecasts.
PHOTOS | Veterans, community members help restore gravesite as part of Military Appreciation Week
A total of 15 volunteers, many of them veterans or members of the Nittany Lion Battalion, Penn State's Army ROTC program, converged on the Pine Hall Cemetery Saturday to help clean gravestones and plant flags and grave markers during a veteran gravesite cleanup hosted by Penn State as part of Military Appreciation Week.
PHOTOS | Community members protest ICE activity amid general elections
The People's Defense Front (PDF) and the Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity (SCDS) organized a protest and march Tuesday evening at the Allen Street Gates in opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Centre County.
Gov. Candidate Stacy Garrity addresses supporters during visit to Berkey creamery as midterms draw near
Republican Stacy Garrity, the state treasurer running for governor alongside Jason Richey, visited the Berkey Creamery Sunday as part of her campaign tour throughout the Commonwealth. She’s running against Democratic incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro. Her visit comes just days before Election Day, and a week after the Penn State College Democrats hosted an appearance by Shapiro for a “Rally in the Valley” event at Old Main.
Iowa State professor gives lecture on AI’s potential to both protect, harm energy infrastructure
Around 20 students and faculty took their seats in 108 Chambers Building Friday to listen to a lecture by award-winning Iowa State University Professor Manimaran Govindarasu on finding new ways to protect power grids and energy infrastructure as cyberattacks using artificial intelligence (AI) increase. Despite technical difficulties delaying the lecture’s start time by several minutes, Govindarasu, an Iowa State University Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Murray J.
Iowa State University professor gives lecture on AI’s potential to protect power grids, infrastructure
At least 20 Penn State students and faculty took their seats in 108 Chambers Building Friday to listen to a lecture by an award-winning Iowa State University professor on the importance of finding new ways to protect power grids and other energy infrastructure in the face of increasing artificial intelligence (AI) usage for cyberattacks.
Power Grids Cybersecurity and AI Talk, Laser Pointer
Iowa State University professor Manimaran Govindarasu uses points towards a slideshow using a laser pointer during his lecture on how cybersecurity can tackle AI-based threats to power grids in the Chambers Building in University Park, Pa., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.
Power Grids Cybersecurity and AI Talk, Attendees
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UPUA passes resolution opposing on-campus Flock cameras
The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) voted unanimously during their general assembly meeting Wednesday to ratify a resolution establishing its official “course of action” to address the presence and use of Flock Safety cameras on campus. It’s expected to be delivered to the University Police & Public Safety (UPPS) and Penn State’s administration.
Penn State recently terminated its Flock Safety contract. UPUA members work to address ongoing concerns
On Oct. 14, university police and Penn State Chief Financial Officer Sara Thorndike confirmed on-campus Flock cameras will be taken down after reviewing the operational value and cost of continuing their usage. But concerns still linger on campus, and two members of the University Park Undergraduate Association’s (UPUA) are working together to plan out how the organization intends to address the issue.
Penn State graduate creates digital tool to help organize, mobilize Democrats ahead of midterms
When he started working for Ray Bilger’s campaign to represent Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District in March, Nish Barot said he began to hear about how the campaign was struggling to effectively coordinate its supporters throughout the district, even with the use of event and volunteer management tools like Mobilize.
Rally in the Valley, Shapiro Shakes Hands with Shanafelt
Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro shakes hands with Penn State College Democrats President Madeline Shanafelt during the Penn State College Democrats’ “Rally in the Valley” outside Old Main in University Park, Pa., on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. The Penn State College Democrats hosted Shapiro as part of his statewide tour ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
State College Borough holds open house to inspire more public input on roadway safety initiative
Several State College residents came to the community room of the borough’s municipal building on Wednesday for an open house to learn more about an ongoing initiative that seeks to make State College’s roads safer. Having started in June, the initiative, titled Vision Zero, aims to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries in State College.
Penn State graduate Igor Jablokov doesn’t want to be ‘a conformist’ in the AI industry
Igor Jablokov’s name might not be easily recognizable to those unfamiliar with the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, but the impact and reach of his accomplishments can be traced back years before the 2022 release of ChatGPT. Hailing from Poros, Greece, Jablokov is best known for his decadeslong work with IBM and Yap, which is now a part of Amazon, where he played a pivotal role in the creation of AI programs which would go on to become IBM’s Watson, Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.
Penn State will remove Flock cameras after reviewing cost
Penn State University Police & Public Safety (UPPS) is opting not to renew its contract with Flock Safety, and will remove the cameras from campus. Jacqueline Sheader, UPPS’ chief information officer, told The Daily Collegian in an email on Wednesday that the decision came “after reviewing the system’s cost, return on investment and operational value.” The decision was confirmed by Penn State Chief Financial Officer Sara Thorndike during a Penn State Faculty Senate plenary meeting on Tuesday.
InvolveOS, Nish Barot Portrait
Nish Barot, creator of InvolveOS, works on his computer in Waring Commons in University Park, Pa., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Barot, 24, of State College, Pa., said he was inspired to create InvolveOS after hearing about issues the Bilger campaign, as well as other Democratic campaigns, were having with organizing donors and volunteers and otherwise rallying support within the areas they were campaigning in.
Ray Bilger Portrait 3
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Penn State professors examine concerns about AI's rapid development
Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown by leaps since ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, leading to concerns that its development is beginning to outpace people’s ability to control it. These concerns are often exemplified by incidents where AI models break out of their test environments and hack parts of the internet after gaining access to it. This was the case in July, when OpenAI’s models escaped containment during a security test and managed to hack into the AI startup Hugging Face.
College of IST hears from ‘a variety of perspectives’ during its first ever AI in Research symposium
Dozens of Penn State students and faculty filled the lobby of the Graduate Hotel on Friday to attend the College of Information Science and Technology’s (IST) first ever AI in Research symposium. Opening at 9:30 a.m., attendees were able to view and ask about presentations featuring several student projects exploring the benefits and risks of involving artificial intelligence in research. Attendees were also able to vote on which projects they believe should receive awards later in the symposium.
Women’s Volleyball vs Iowa, Schumacher-Cawley 2
Head Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley watches the Nittany Lions from the sidelines during the Penn State women’s volleyball match against Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026 at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Hawkeyes 3-1.
Men’s Soccer vs Ohio State, Recinos Runs
Defense Arian Recinos (3) runs to catch up with the ball during the Penn State men’s soccer match against Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026 at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa. The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions 2-1.
Men’s Soccer vs Ohio State, Reck Runs 2
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Men’s Soccer vs Ohio State, Recinos Tries to Catch Up
Men’s Soccer vs Ohio State, Recinos Tries to Catch Up
Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to deploy ‘expansive’ voter database ahead of midterms
The Supreme Court ruled on Friday to approve the deployment of an “expansive” voter screening system by the Trump administration ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to reporting from the New York Times and National Public Radio.
Federal military offices rescind order pausing sponsored Penn State projects
The Office of Naval Research and Army Research Office contacted several members of the Penn State research community on Friday ordering the pause of several research projects, according to an email sent to faculty members obtained by The Daily Collegian. On Monday, the directive ordering the pause was rescinded, Penn State’s Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read wrote in the email.
Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Sigma Upsilon, offers multicultural students 'their own community and home'
When Christopher Karavas was searching for a fraternity to join, he had at minimum two requirements: it shouldn't be known for parties and it had to be a place where he could make a significant impact on campus. His search led him to his first involvement fair in the fall of 2023, where he came across the Zikhari chapter of Lambda Sigma Upsilon (LSU) Latino Fraternity, Inc. Karavas, 21, of York, Pennsylvania, has remained a member ever since and now serves as the fraternity’s president.
Sorority Vision Board, Sedita
Gabrielle Sedita, 21, of Long Island, N.Y., works on a vision board during a vision board making event held by Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. and Mu Sigma Upsilon Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc. Fiery Jhansi Chapter on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026 in the Huck Life Sciences Building in University Park, Pa. Sedita is a fourth-year studying elementary and early childhood education.
LTA Get A’s, Lerner
Lambda Theta Alpha Recruitment & Retention Chair Lea Lerner, 21, of Phoenix, Az., studies during the Latin sorority’s biweekly Get A’s with LTA study session on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 in the Deike Building in University Park, Pa. Lerner is a fourth-year studying biology.
LTA Get A’s, Keychain
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Students show how they’re using artificial intelligence at second annual AI showcase
Dozens of students filled the sixth floor of the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub on Monday as part of the Nittany AI Alliance’s second annual AI showcase to highlight to representatives of at least 17 corporations how they are utilizing artificial intelligence as part of various projects.
Nittany AI Showcase, SafeSymptom
Alhan Akdemir, 21, of Istanbul Turkey, presents his project of SafeSymptom, an AI-supported hospital platform, to Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST, during the Nittany AI Alliance’s second annual AI Showcase on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in State College, Pa. SafeSymptom is intended to use artificial intelligence to provide possible diagnoses to symptoms and recommend the best course of receiving treatment.
Nittany AI Showcase, Attendees
Attendees walk through and view rows of posters of student projects that use artificial intelligence during the Nittany AI Alliance’s second annual AI Showcase on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in State College, Pa.
Women’s Volleyball vs Ohio, Jurevicius
Outside and Right Side Hitter Caroline Jurevicius (14) launches the ball as she prepares to serve it during the Penn State women’s volleyball match against Ohio on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Bobcats 3-0.
‘My voice alone isn't gonna cut it’ | Social media posts voice concerns about on-campus Flock cameras
When State College resident and political activist Ryan Caldwell first heard concerns from a friend about the nationwide presence of cameras made by Flock Safety, he knew he had to investigate further.
VHS Skateshop, Outside
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Paterno Family Experience, Trophies
Football trophies are displayed at the Paterno Family Football Experience room at Beaver Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 in University Park, Pa. The room serves as a permanent museum experience that showcases more than a century of Penn State football history.
Data center development is booming. Here’s how it's being opposed, regulated in Pennsylvania
The increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) has already been the subject of several developments at Penn State. The rollout of AI Studio, which grants students, faculty and staff free access to paid models of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, is part of a university-wide push for initiatives. The nationwide demand for increased AI capabilities has resulted in a data center construction that’s both championed and opposed across the United States and around the world.
Data center development is booming. Here’s how they’re being opposed, regulated in Pennsylvania
The increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) has already been the subject of several developments at Penn State. The rollout of AI Studio, which grants students, faculty and staff free access to paid models of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, is part of a university-wide push for initiatives. The nationwide demand for increased AI capabilities has resulted in a data center construction that’s both championed and opposed across the United States and around the world.
Borough council approves deal to purchase Addison Court for $15.75 million to prevent redevelopment
The State College Borough Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement to purchase Addison Court from PrimeCore and authorize the borough’s staff to execute the deal. Addison Court opened in 1994 to offer affordable housing to seniors and people with disabilities in downtown State College. PrimeCore, which took ownership of the building from Beaver Court Associates in May, has plans to demolish it and replace it with a mixed-use structure called Encore.
Local, state groups hold town hall to plan advocacy for data center regulations
Dozens gathered at the Boalsburg Fire Hall on Sunday for a town hall to plan next steps for advocacy for increased data center regulations in Centre County and across Pennsylvania. The town hall had speakers from Central PA United, its sister chapter Voice of Westmoreland (VOW), No Data Centers in Mifflin County and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania.
Council president says borough ‘close’ to Addison Court purchase as redevelopment talks continue
State College Borough Council President Evan Myers began Monday’s meeting announcing the borough was close to an agreement to purchase Addison Court from PrimeCore Properties, an effort to maintain its affordability for senior residents and residents with disabilities in downtown State College. As negotiations are ongoing, Myers didn’t provide details; but he said any agreement produced from talks would be discussed in a public meeting as part of a regular council agenda.
Penn State to enable AI-based email security system on all university accounts
Penn State Information Technology’s Information Security department will be using an AI-based security system called Abnormal AI to combat email-based cyber threats, it announced in an email Monday morning. Penn State IT Information Security will enable the Abnormal AI email security platform for all Penn State accounts next Monday, according to the email. It said it has already piloted the program.
Increased AI usage leaves English professors pondering its role in writing
Large language models capable of generating text from data have been on the rise, and discourse on how to handle artificial intelligence (AI) use in writing submissions has risen alongside it. Using AI in the writing process isn’t a new development: Spellcheckers like Grammarly use AI, and free AI models are widely accessible online. Penn State even rolled out its AI Studio tool recently, giving students free access to paid models of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Increased AI use leaves English professors to weigh its place in writing
Large language models capable of generating text from data have been on the rise, and discourse on how to handle artificial intelligence (AI) use in writing submissions has risen alongside it. Using AI in the writing process isn’t a new development: Spellcheckers like Grammarly use AI, and free AI models are widely accessible online. Penn State even rolled out its AI Studio tool recently, giving students free access to paid models of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Borough Council passes ordinance barring borough collaboration with ICE
The State College Borough Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance including provisions that prevent borough resources and personnel, including State College police officers, from involvement with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on Monday. Protestors gathered outside of the State College Municipal Building, where the meeting was being held, in opposition of the ordinance, codified as ordinance no. 2247.
Crime Blotter | Liquor law violations, more reported between June 29 and July 5
From liquor law violations to reported damage and trespasses on university property, here is everything University Police and Public Safety reported from June 29 to July 5. An employee reported disorderly persons at Pinchot Hall at 11:10 p.m. The case is closed. An employee reported loud music coming from Tener Hall at 11:03 p.m. The case was cleared by adult arrest on the grounds of liquor law violations and disorderly conduct.
‘This is not happening in a vacuum’ | Penn State expands AI initiatives with new studio, literacy course
For months, Penn State has been expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. That now includes AI Studio and an AI literacy course. According to Penn State’s AI website, AI Studio currently provides students, faculty and staff with access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT models 4.1 and 5.4, Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Haiku 4.5 and Google Gemini models 3 flash and 3.1 pro — all paid versions.
Crime Blotter | Suspicious persons, vehicle crashes reported between June 15 and June 21
Between hit-and-run crashes to reported damage to University property, here is everything University Police and Public Safety reported from June 15 to June 21. An employee reported a hit-and-run vehicle crash that occurred at 4:47 p.m. in the Yellow H parking lot, located next to the Shields Building. The case is closed. A visitor reported theft of their secured personal property at 3:56 p.m. in Research Unit A of the Modular Lab Facility. The case is closed.
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