History of Research at Penn State

When Evan Pugh, the first president of Penn State, arrived in 1859, he immediately established a laboratory. As he wrote, no true teacher "contents himself with merely attending to his classes, and sitting down at ease after he has got them at work. He is studying constantly himself; making original investigations and publishing them to the world."

This ethic of study, discovery, and publication has characterized Penn State since its founding and led to the University's recognition as one of the leading research universities in the country.

The following is a brief history of the research accomplishments of faculty and graduate students at Penn State, including mention of the Evan Pugh Professors and the winners of the Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement. We invite you to submit historical highlights you think we should add to this list. You may also be interested in additional historical information found outside this site, including a Short History of Penn State and 50 Ways Penn State Has Shaped the World. Printed sources include Penn State: An Illustrated History (Penn State Press, 1985) and The College of Agriculture at Penn State (Penn State Press, 1987), both by Michael Bezilla. For articles on current research projects, see Research/Penn State magazine.

History of Research at Penn State:

1855-1921 • 1922-1944 • 1945-1959 • 1960-1984 • 1985-1998 • 1999-present