Center for Sports Surface Research
The Center for Sports Surface Research at Penn State is an intercollege program managed within the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Plant Science. The center is dedicated to the improvement of all sports surfaces. Through cooperative scientific inquiry the center’s members expect to improve performance and safety on all sports surfaces.
News and Information
August 10, 2026
Welcome Dr. Madan Sapkota and Faishal Khan!
The Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research is excited to welcome postdoctoral scholar Dr. Madan Sapkota and Ph.D. student Faishal Khan to the program this fall.
Read More
July 22, 2026
Penn State Graduate Students Featured for FIFA World Cup Internship
Three Penn State graduate students in the Center for Sports Surface Research gained hands-on experience during the 2026 FIFA World Cup through internships supporting playing surface preparation and maintenance at MetLife Stadium and FIFA's referees base camp in Miami.
Read More
June 12, 2026
Pennsylvania FFA Turfgrass Science Career Development Event Hosted at Penn State
Penn State hosted the Pennsylvania FFA Turfgrass Science Career Development Event, where high school students from across the state competed in turfgrass-related knowledge and skills assessments while exploring careers in the turfgrass industry.
Read More
May 30, 2026
Pennsylvania Turfgrass Magazine Features Research on Athlete–Surface Interactions
Research conducted by Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research Director Dr. Chase Straw, Ph.D. student Ava Veith, and collaborators at Virginia Tech examining how variability within and between natural turfgrass and synthetic athletic fields influences athlete safety and performance was featured as the cover story in the Spring 2026 issue of The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council Magazine.
Read More
