Pa. group pitches farms on solar model that keeps farmland usable, takes up less space
| stateimpact.npr.org
Agrivoltaics uses raised or spaced-out solar panels to allow farms to lease land for renewable energy and continue crop production or livestock grazing.
Graduate researchers aim to focus battery research with help of short course
| psu.edu
Domenic Contrino and Gabrielle Giampietro have only just begun their graduate research at Penn State as environmental engineering master's students — but they have already jumped right in to finding real-world problems their research could solve by connecting with members of industry through the Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps Short Course program.
Nuclear engineer named acting department head
| psu.edu
Professor Jon Schwantes was named acting nuclear engineering department head, effective July 1. He steps into the acting role while Jean Paul Allain serves a two-year term as associate director for fusion energy sciences within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
Interim head named for civil and environmental engineering
| psu.edu
Professor Farshad Rajabipour has been named interim head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, effective July 1. Rajabipour assumes leadership of the department following the appointment of Patrick Fox as dean of engineering at Ohio University.
World Campus graduate combines passion and degree to help the planet
| psu.edu
Melissa Lopez is using her energy and sustainability policy degree to make a difference at her dream job, thanks to her hard work and her experience at Penn State World Campus.
New approach to fuel cell manufacturing could reduce cost, increase availability
| psu.edu
A Penn State-led team of researchers developed a potentially promising approach to make fuel cells with fewer expensive materials, reducing their costs. This could increase the availability of fuel cells, which can power electric heavy-duty vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The role of porous materials in the energy transition
| by Yashar Mehmani
In order to decrease carbon emissions while not only maintaining, but growing, quality of life will require a reimagining of the energy and building sector, and a key element in that reimagining is porous materials, objects with tiny holes in them.
Annual conference in nation's capital showcases Bellisario College research
| psu.edu
The expertise and insights of researchers from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications will once again be a major part of the annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference, Aug. 7-10 in Washington, D.C. Thirteen Bellisario College faculty members and 18 graduate students, as well as numerous alumni of the program, will take part in panels, presentations, sessions, workshops and more during the four-day conference.
Student nurtures interest in sustainability through City Semester Pittsburgh
| psu.edu
Kenneth Catlin, a fifth-year Penn State student majoring in political science with a minor in economics, spent the summer working as an energy benchmarking analyst for Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning, thanks to an internship through City Semester Pittsburgh.
Study finds radioactive materials in Pa. waterways near treatment plants linked with fracking waste
| stateimpact.npr.org
Over 30 landfills in the state accept fracking waste like drill cuttings.
Stretchy integrated electronics may be possible with sandwiched semiconductor
| psu.edu
An international team led by Penn State reserachers developed an approach to improve the mechanical stretchability of often brittle n-type semiconductors, which could lead to the advent of truly elastic electronic systems.
Penn State Behrend chancellor details Open Lab approach for Board of Trustees
| psu.edu
Penn State Behrend Chancellor Ralph Ford shared the college’s Open Lab philosophy and highlighted the opportunities it creates for students, faculty members and community partners during the University’s Board of Trustees meeting on July 21 at Behrend’s McGarvey Commons.
Once a frozen haven, climate-driven rising temperatures are rapidly thawing the Arctic permafrost, posing a major threat to communities and infrastructure. Researchers are investigating how these changes will transform rivers, with potential consequences for erosion, sediment transport, and the entire Arctic landscape. Additionally, their project incorporates art to communicate these critical findings in an engaging way. Listen to the podcast.
Join Our Mailing List
IEE publishes a weekly email newsletter and event guide during most of the year containing featured news stories, events, and other announcements.