Pennsylvania State University

Jane E. Cooper, 62, a much-honored associate professor of biology at the Delaware County campus of Pennsylvania State University, died Friday at Brinton Manor Nursing Home in Glen Mills. She had cancer, which was diagnosed in the early 1970s. Dr. Cooper was one of the first seven faculty members hired at Penn State-Delaware County when it opened in Chester in 1967. The school later moved to Lima, and she taught there until she became too ill last year. She continued other campus-related activities until March.

The 61-year-old mother of a bond trader killed in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center said she feared she would go to her grave before Osama bin Laden did. "Justice really has been served," Judith Reiss of Yardley said. "There's a special place waiting in hell for this man. " Reiss said she and her husband, Gary, whose 23-year-old son, Joshua, died that September day in 2001, feared that the mission to kill bin Laden had fallen off the front burner. "We're joyous," Gary Reiss said.

In early December 2000, I received a letter from a young man attending Pennsylvania State University. He wrote, "I wanted to make you aware of a student event held at the University Park Campus of Penn State on the evening of Nov. 18. Enclosed is an advertisement flyer showing the details of the event. I think it is a safe assumption that many taxpayers in your district, as well as throughout the Commonwealth, would find this event to be inappropriate. "The flyer announced a festival with a name more likely to be found in a XXX-rated magazine than The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Less than a week ago, Graham B. Spanier was in line to become the second-longest-serving president in Pennsylvania State University's 156-year history. Bolstered by healthy fund-raising, enrollment growth, and an array of new programs and initiatives - all on top of one of the nation's seemingly most pristine and successful football programs - Penn State appeared to be stronger than ever under Spanier's leadership. He was supposed to be feted Wednesday at the 35th annual Renaissance Fund dinner.

In the Region DEP radiation study detailed The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Wednesday released detailed plans for its comprehensive radiation study of oil and gas development and said it intends to begin sampling this month. The agency plans to analyze radioactivity levels of flowback waters, treatment solids, drill cuttings, and drilling equipment, along with the transportation, storage, and disposal of drilling wastes. DEP says current data do not indicate any health risks, but activists have raised concerns about naturally occurring radioactivity in materials extracted from the mile-deep wells.

Villanova University sophomore Alison Flukes sat in a campus cafe discussing the presidential election with a friend while waiting to hear Chelsea Clinton talk. The debate covered national security, health care, and which television station they preferred for campaign news, Fox or CNN. The friends said such conversations were common on campus these days. "Saturday night at a frat party, it's probably not going to come up, but in class and with our friends this is what we talk about," said Flukes, 20, a political-science major from Weymouth, Mass.

Pennsylvania State University and the state of Pennsylvania are betting Lukens Steel in Coatesville can build a better block of steel. Together with Lukens, they are beginning a research project - supported by a grant from the state's Benjamin Franklin Partnership - to explore a little understood phenomenon called "superhardinability. " If the research develops commercial applications, Lukens will be able to produce alloy steel plate that is harder in the center than anything Lukens currently produces - a real plus for the mold and die makers who buy some of Lukens most sophisticated plate products.

Attorneys for two former Pennsylvania State University administrators charged in the Jerry Sandusky child-sex scandal on Friday accused a key witness of violating her professional ethics when she testified before a grand jury against their clients. Signaling a potential defense strategy, lawyers Caroline Roberto and Thomas J. Farrell said former university general counsel Cynthia Baldwin violated attorney-client privilege when she helped prosecutors build the case against suspended Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and former university vice president Gary Schultz.

The call came in to Gabriel Gates early Thursday from one of Pennsylvania State University's branch campuses: A wallet with $10 was missing from a common area in one of the buildings. Did the school have to issue a "timely warning" to students and staff about the apparent theft, the employee wanted to know. Timely warnings are required by a 1990 federal law known as the Clery Act in cases where there is an ongoing threat to the campus community. Gates, Penn State's official in charge of monitoring compliance with the law, said a warning was not necessary.

On a wall in Norman Constantine's room hangs a poster of Bruce Lee, that powerful character from the old martial arts movies. It seems only fitting. After all, Norm Constantine was always a pretty powerful character himself. For two years a decade ago, the handsome, 6-foot karate black belt reigned as the colorful Nittany Lion mascot at Pennsylvania State University. Off the field, his tireless array of activities instructing, coaching and bringing cheer to disabled people would make the President's schedule look leisurely.