#ScienceIsMyValentine: Eberly College of Science community shares the love
The Penn State Eberly College of Science community is celebrating Valentine's Day with new limited-edition shirts that say "Science has my heart." Members of the college, including faculty, staff, and students, wore their shirts and shared some reasons why science is their valentine.
"Science is my valentine because it encourages us to seek answers about the mysteries of life! Science is about applying curiosity to the wonders that we observe." — Carol-Beth Book, education program specialist
"Science is my valentine because it reveals the hidden beauty of plants and really grew on me!” — Anuleka Dutta, doctoral student in plant biology
"Science is my valentine because it makes life better by helping us understand and improve the world around us for the good of everyone." — Jeff Engelmann, IT support specialist
"Science is my valentine because there's always something new to discover, and a life driven by curiosity is very exciting!" — Santhosh Girirajan, department head of biochemistry and molecular biology
"I love science because it allows me to explore the incredible complexity of the human body! In the donor lab, seeing how everything fits together and works is truly fascinating!" — Tabitha Forster, fourth-year biology major
"I love science because it allows me to gain a better understanding of how the world functions. I love it when I learn a new concept and then observe how it is applied in the natural word." — Penelope Hudock, second-year biochemistry and molecular biology major
"My role in human resources allows me to help so many of our employees. I love helping others and finding ways that we can keep the college as a wonderful place to work." — Cathy Lutz, human resources consultant
“Science is my valentine because it is a way to honor the world around us.” — Ross McCurdy, postdoc in astronomy and astrophysics
"Science has my heart because it’s out of this world!” — Randy McEntaffer, department head of astronomy and astrophysics
"Science has my heart because I am able to apply my education to so many real-world experiences and situations. Specifically, I love data science and statistics because I am able to work with data to identify trends and patterns, which can help with decision-making that contributes to progress and innovation. I am a student receptionist for the Eberly College of Science advising office, where I complete different clerical tasks. My favorite part of working here is having the chance to interact with Eberly faculty and students in different majors." — Kate Miller, second-year data science and statistics major
"Science has my heart, given the privilege to work with amazing students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Every day I learn about new and exciting advancements in the field of science and look forward to the future!" — Kelly Praskovich, associate director of alumni relations
"Science is my valentine because I am amazed at the passion for discovery, learning and impact that I see every day in our Penn State Eberly College of Science faculty, staff, post docs and students. I feel so lucky to have just a small part in helping my colleagues communicate how they are working toward cures for cancer and other diseases, developing breakthroughs in AI and quantum, looking to the farthest reaches of our universe and beyond, driving progress in advanced materials by taking research from the microscopic level to a material you can hold in your hand, and teaching and supporting the next generation of scientists." — Heather Robbins, director of communications
"Being a learning assistant for organic chemistry made me fall in LOVE with science—not just for the subject, but for the amazing people I got to work with along the way! Science keeps me curious and always discovering something new, and I’m excited to keep that journey going for the rest of my days." — Ava Ryan, alumna in biology
"I love science because it answers the mysteries of nature!" — Sohini Saha, graduate student in chemistry
"Science has my heart because it constantly inspires me. It’s a relationship built on discovery, where every question leads to deeper understanding. It is endless mysteries to unravel, much like love, and the thrill of uncovering something new never fades." — Nicole Sierra, graduate student in biochemistry and molecular biology
"Science is my valentine because even though it can sometimes send mixed signals and play hard to get, at the end of the day, it's always honest with me." — Corrine Smolen, fifth-year bioinformatics and genomics student
"I love science because it allows me to stay curious about the world around me! There are also so many fun hobbies related to science with amazing communities (like birding)!" — Caitlin Teti, director of the Office of Science Outreach
"I love science because I am able to learn more about the nature and wildlife around me. Also, there is always something new and exciting to discover!" — Claire Travis, second-year biology major
"I love science all year round – not just on Valentine’s!” — James Tutt, associate research professor of astronomy and astrophysics
"I love science because the many Eberly programs give our students so many amazing opportunities for international experiences. Sending students in the life, physical, and mathematical sciences all over the world to study, research, and intern abroad makes me feel incredibly fortunate to work with such diverse fields. Science is awesome because science is global - and so are our students!" — Joel Waters, coordinator of education abroad and international programs
"Science is my valentine because it has given me the opportunity to meet fantastic people and learn what makes them passionate about science. Everyone should be so lucky to be a part of a community like ours!" — Adrian Weaver, human resources strategic partner
