Pros
Working as a GRA at Penn State is very dependent on your boss in the day-to-day stuff but in general the Food Science Department is very supportive of all students and it feels like they really want you to succeed. There are a lot of great resources available for you whether its specialized equipment you want to use or leaders in the field that you want to talk to. Also, the graduate health insurance at PSU is exceptional!
Cons
Working at a Research One university can be tough on graduate students because the expectations are high. I think its pretty typical that graduate students are expected to work hard but especially at a university with this type of exposure, a lot of the faculty members expect a lot of work. As with the day-to-day expectations, it mostly depends on your boss how hours, scheduling, and office culture are handled.