School of STEAM

06/16/2026

Join us for a panel discussion on Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas on Tuesday, July 21, at 6:00 PM at the Curry Innovation Center in Altoona!

06/10/2026

06/08/2026

On Sunday, June 7, we held our second “Why I Served” event in the Resinski Black Box Theatre, located in the Connors Family Fine Arts Center. The evening featured nine outstanding veteran storytellers who shared their experiences and reflected on what goes into the decision to serve. Special thanks Stover Photography for photos of the event. A link to more photos is in the comments. We’re grateful to everyone who helped make this possible!

06/05/2026

There is longstanding debate about whether the Red Wolf is a true species, a subspecies, or a hybrid. A 2019 National Academies publication carefully reviewed the scientific literature and found that red wolves are a separate evolutionary lineage from gray wolves and coyotes...with a caveat. The current remaining population of red wolves has hybridized extensively with coyotes, so the current individuals that we describe as red wolves have substantial amounts of coyote genetic material. Nevertheless, there are genetic signatures in our current red wolves that are distinct from coyotes, which supports the idea that they have a longstanding separation. The rampant hybridization may be attributed to fact that coyotes disappeared from the eastern united states about 10,000 years ago, and only returned during the 1900's. When coyotes reappeared in red wolf habitat, the two species did not have complete reproductive isolating barriers (behavior, etc) to prevent hybridization. Nevertheless, there remain key morphological and behavioral differences between coyotes and red wolves, along with remaining genetic differences, such that most scientists consider them separate species.

The fact that they are separate species has important conservation implications: red wolves are critically endangered. More on conservation and their future in our next post.

Photo credit: ucumari photography

06/05/2026

Saint Francis University's Executive Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and Innovation is a strategic and transformative 32-month program with  an interdisciplinary focus on leadership. This Ed.D. path is designed for individuals who seek to be intellectually challenged and to prepare...

05/27/2026

Check out our own Father Stephen on the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown’s program Proclaim! as he shares details about the upcoming High School Young Men’s Retreat at Saint Francis University. The June 26–28 retreat will give high school young men time to step away from the ordinary, reflect, pray, serve, make rosaries, visit the holy sites of Loretto, and grow in friendship and faith.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xj18DfiTh8

For more information and to register: https://events.francis.edu/event/young-mens-catholic-retreat

05/20/2026

Yes, April 2027 may seem a long way off, but planning is already underway for the 20th anniversary edition of The Examined Life: An Undergraduate Conference in the Liberal Arts , which will be held at SFU on Friday, April 2, 2027. This year’s theme, “Responsibility, Cooperation, and Education in an Age of AI,” draws inspiration from Pope Leo XIV’s call to ensure that rapidly developing technologies continue to serve human dignity, authentic relationships, and the common good. Learn more at: https://examinedlifeconference.wordpress.com/

05/15/2026

Check out this great video highlighting a recent high-altitude nearspace ballooning collaboration between our Engineering team and local high school students! https://www.francis.edu/blog/sfu-nearspace-ballooning-team-launches-high-altitude-mission-altoona-students

05/14/2026

🇺🇸 Saint Francis University has earned the 2026–2027 Military Friendly® Schools designation, recognized as a Silver institution for its long-standing commitment to supporting military-connected students through dedicated resources, flexible academic pathways, and a mission rooted in service and community. 🎖️📚

Learn more here: https://www.francis.edu/blog/saint-francis-university-named-2026-27-military-friendly-school

05/04/2026

https://www.francis.edu/academics/summer-pre-college-research
Time is running out to enroll in our Summer Pre-College Research Programs! Designed for high school students preparing for college, these programs offer hands-on research opportunities across a range of fields, with students working directly alongside faculty mentors. Follow the link above to learn more and secure your spot today!