Penn State Energy and Environment News

Pa. House measure aims to protect vulnerable communities from heavy pollution burden

| stateimpact.npr.org

The bill would let state regulators deny permits if a plant would create too much of a burden on environmental justice communities.

Jenna Seigworth selected as John Roe Sustainability Impact Awardee

| psu.edu

Jenna Seigworth, a senior at Penn State Behrend, has been distinguished with the 2024 John Roe Sustainability Impact Award for her outstanding leadership in sustainability efforts. Seigworth's deep-seated commitment to a greener, more equitable world has positively impacted both the Penn State Behrend community and the surrounding Erie area. 

Six Penn State faculty elected to 2023 cohort of AAAS Fellows

| psu.edu

Six Penn State faculty members in areas ranging from neuropharmacology to computer architecture have been elected to the 2023 cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. This year, AAAS recognized a total of 502 scientists, engineers and innovators with this lifetime honor, bestowed by their peers, for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.

David M. Callejo Pérez named chancellor at Penn State Harrisburg

| psu.edu

David M. Callejo Pérez has been named chancellor and dean of Penn State Harrisburg, effective May 1. He has served as interim chancellor and dean at the college since October of 2023.

Researchers can now access their financial accounts in updated portal

| psu.edu

Penn State’s Office of Research Information Systems has updated its researcher portal by adding a new module, called myFunds, that enables researchers to more easily navigate and manage their accounts, including grants and startup funds. The action is part of the Research Support Transformation Project, which aims to reduce administrative burdens and increase the efficiency of operations.

Penn State Climate Consortium awards 11 climate action workshops

| psu.edu

Penn State Climate Consortium announced 11 workshops designed to create and implement climate change solutions through its Climate Solutions Accelerator program.

Democratic state Senators want to end wastewater dumping on Pennsylvania roads

| penncapital-star.com

The practice is called road spreading and experts testified it’s still happening around the state despite a DEP ban. This article mentions Penn State research and quotes William Burgos, professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Engineering science major pilots new undergraduate concentrations

| psu.edu

Students in the engineering science undergraduate major now have the opportunity to select from eight discipline options when completing their bachelor’s degree in engineering science, from neural engineering or acoustics to experimental mechanics and materials.

Climate change may affect kinship care patterns in Africa

| psu.edu

A new study highlights the effects climate change may have on children and social support systems in Africa, a question that has received relatively little attention from researchers and the policy community.

Q&A: Exploring brain-inspired engineered systems with Abhronil Sengupta

| psu.edu

Abhronil Sengupta, the Joseph R. and Janice M. Monkowski Career Development Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State, was granted a three-year, $360,000 Early Career Program Award from the Army Research Office. The award will fund a project exploring a holistic system-science-enabled perspective to design brain-inspired learning systems by understanding the role of astrocytes, an under-explored yet critical component of the brain responsible for enabling rich temporal dynamics that inform learning and memory.

Climate Consortium calls for interdisciplinary climate solutions proposals

| psu.edu

The Penn State Climate Consortium has announced a request for proposals for team projects that put proven climate solutions into action through interdisciplinary partnerships.

Calorie restriction study reveals complexities in how diet impacts aging

| psu.edu

Telomere length is affected when people restrict their caloric intake according to new research led by the Penn State College of Health and Human Development. The study, spearheaded by Idan Shalev, associate professor of biobehavioral health, contributes to understanding how the human body ages in response to caloric restriction.