A new sixteen-month program at Penn State Behrend will fast-track a career change for college graduates who want to work in nursing.
Fast track to nursing
A new sixteen-month program at Penn State Behrend will fast-track a career change for college graduates who want to work in nursing. The program, which is delivered by the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, is designed for graduates who already have completed a bachelor’s degree in another discipline.
Classes will begin in the fall semester of 2026.
The Second Degree B.S.N. program allows students to claim prerequisite credits for courses in anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, elementary statistics, microbiology, and developmental psychology. That speeds the path to graduation and the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
Students will learn in Behrend’s state-of-the-art nursing facilities, including the Nursing Technology Lab and Simulation Center. They will be trained to deliver evidence-based care in diverse health settings and to use research and technology to enhance patient safety and care.
The program also is designed to address a national employment need: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 5 percent between now and 2034. That will lead to nearly 200,000 openings each year over the decade.
“Health care and social services are the largest component of the Erie workforce,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “There is opportunity here, and the accelerated pace and focused curriculum of the second-degree option in nursing is ideal for graduates who want to refocus or reorient their career path without starting over.”
To learn more about the program, visit behrend.psu.edu/nursing.
Behrend recognized for research, high alumni earnings
Penn State Behrend has been awarded two new Carnegie Classifications® from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The distinctions recognize the college’s research strengths and the advanced earning potential of Behrend graduates.
The Research Colleges and Universities designation recognizes institutions with at least $2.5 million in annual research and development expenditures. Behrend generates nearly $10 million in sponsored research every year.
Just 216 institutions earned the Carnegie Classification for research in 2025. At Penn State, only Behrend and Penn State Harrisburg hold the designation.
“Research opportunities are a pillar of Penn State Behrend’s Open Lab approach to learning,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “For students—particularly undergraduates—a research experience can be a differentiator. In the lab or in the field, they more fully understand the nature of their work, and they see firsthand how they can make a difference.”
The Higher Earnings designation recognizes institutions whose graduates earn highly competitive wages eight years after beginning their undergraduate experience. Just 10 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities hold the classification.
Dr. Matthew Gruwell, associate professor of biology, recently returned from a yearlong research expedition in South Africa, where he studied freshwater ecosystems in the rivers of Kruger National Park.
Tracking biodiversity in Africa
Dr. Matthew Gruwell, associate professor of biology, recently returned from a year-long research expedition in South Africa, where he studied freshwater ecosystems in the rivers of Kruger National Park. Working alongside his research partner, Gruwell collected water samples from various rivers to detect the presence of ecologically significant and invasive species, such as the African tigerfish he’s holding in the photo above, using a cutting-edge technique known as environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.
eDNA research involves extracting and analyzing genetic material that organisms leave behind in their environment, such as in water or soil. This noninvasive method enables scientists to assess biodiversity and monitor ecosystem health by identifying species—including rare, invasive, and endangered animals—without disturbing their natural habitats.
Gruwell returned to his lab at Penn State Behrend with hundreds of collected samples. He is now working with a team of student researchers to process the samples and analyze the data, contributing to a broader understanding of freshwater biodiversity in one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife reserves.
Students explore tropical ecosystems
To truly grasp the complexities of an ecosystem, it helps to immerse yourself in it. That’s why the twenty-two Behrend students enrolled in BIOL 497: Island Ecology traded their spring break for a week on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, where they studied tropical wildlife firsthand.
The course combined in-depth classroom instruction with a weeklong field research experience, which included snorkeling, hiking, and tide pooling, providing students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting.
New Biobehavioral Health major debuts
The School of Science has partnered with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences to offer a new bachelor of science degree in Biobehavioral Health.
Students in the program will examine the multifaceted nature of human health, exploring how behavioral, psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors influence illness and wellness alongside traditional biological and anatomical foundations. The curriculum includes courses in biology, anatomy and physiology, psychology, nutrition, and epidemiology, with electives in the sciences, behavioral health, and social sciences.
Graduates will be prepared for careers in clinical settings, pharmaceutical research, health advocacy and consulting, public health and education, epidemiology, environmental health and safety, and human services. The program also provides a strong foundation for advanced study in health-care professions.
Last year Behrend added an American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) sapling grown from seeds that orbited the moon in 2022, to their arboretum.
‘Moon Tree’ flourishing at Behrend
Ernst and Mary Behrend loved to travel internationally—and they rarely came home empty-handed. Instead of postcards or porcelain bells, they returned from their travels with living souvenirs: trees and shrubs from around the world, which they planted across their Glenhill Farm estate. That tradition helped lay the roots for Penn State Behrend’s status as an arboretum, home to a wide variety of rare and exotic trees.
Last year, the college added perhaps its most extraordinary specimen yet: an American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) sapling grown from seeds that orbited the moon in 2022. As souvenirs go, this one’s in a galaxy of its own.
Faculty & Staff News
The School of Science welcomed two new staff members: Michelle Phelps, biology lab coordinator, and Dr. William Walker, director of the Women’s Health Innovation and Science Translational (WHIST) Lab.
Promotions
Dr. Lynne Beaty was promoted to associate professor of biology. Dr. Jason Bennett was promoted to professor of chemistry. Dr. Rebekah Nottingham was promoted to assistant teaching professor of nursing. Dr. Joseph Previte was promoted to professor of mathematics. Dr. Michael Rutter, associate director of the School of Science, was promoted to professor of statistics.
Awards
Faculty members were recognized with these awards: Dr. Blair Tuttle, professor of physics, Penn State Behrend Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award; Dr. Thomas Cameron, assistant professor of mathematics, School of Science Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Research and Scholarly Activity; Dr. Jay Amicangelo, professor of chemistry, School of Science Impact Award; Dr. Ashley Russell, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, School of Science Award for Outstanding Mentoring; Dr. Todd Cook, associate professor of biology, Dave Falvo Award for Excellence in Teaching. The School of Science Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Service and Outreach was presented to Maarten Van Hees, former lecturer in physics, who is now pursuing a Ph.D. in soft matter and rheology at Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.
Keri Saulino, Schreyer Scholar, 2025 graduate
Major: Environmental Science
Minors: Biology, Sustainability Leadership
On choosing her major: “I really care about the planet. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we grow are all supported by the environment. Knowing how climate change affects our natural systems and the people across the globe inspired me to learn what I can do to help.”
Read more about Keri and more than thirty other members of the Class of 2025 at BehrendBlog.com.
Alumnus blends science and storytelling
Jotham Austin II, a 1996 biology graduate, returned to campus to speak on both his scientific and creative pursuits. Austin, a research associate professor at the University of Chicago, uses electron microscopes to study cells in a “live” frozen state as part of a $25 million National Science Foundation initiative to advance quantum science.
Beyond the lab, Austin dives into pop culture on his Substack and podcast, Rabbit Hole of Research, where he analyzes the science behind sci-fi tropes, from zombies to rogue AI.
In his talk, “Seeing Small, Thinking Big,” part of Behrend’s Speaker Series, Austin emphasized the value of exploring science at every scale—and in every format, including fiction. He’s also the author of two works of speculative fiction, including the sci-fi novel Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else?
From pediatric surgeon to public servant
This past fall’s Speaker Series featured alumna Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors Consortium and former regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She visited Penn State Behrend in October.
Stanford, a pediatric surgeon, began her college education at Behrend before earning a degree in Biology from Penn State’s Eberly College of Science and a medical degree from the Penn State College of Medicine. She was the first Black female pediatric surgeon to be trained entirely in the United States.
While visiting Behrend, she joined Chancellor Ralph Ford for an episode of Behrend Talks, the college’s podcast. Hear it at behrend.psu.edu/behrendtalks.