Penn State Energy and Environment News

American soil losing more nutrients for crops due to heavier rainstorms, study shows

| msn.com

Phosphorus, a nutrient in soil essential for sustaining most forms of life, is increasingly disappearing from land as it is washed into waterways throughout the United States, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.

Fuller family offers $23.3 million gift, stewardship of historic property

| psu.edu

A gift from Mort and Sue Fuller, valued at $23.3 million, has set in motion a transition in stewardship of property now to be known as "Penn State Fullers Overlook" and will provide opportunities for cutting-edge research, facilitate engaged learning and enable collaborative partnerships with sustainability-oriented organizations.

American soil losing more crop nutrients due to heavier rainstorms, study shows

| psu.edu

Phosphorus, a nutrient in soil essential for sustaining most forms of life, is increasingly disappearing from land as it is washed into waterways throughout the United States, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.

Undergraduates can now apply for an Erickson Discovery Grant

| psu.edu

Undergraduates from all Penn State majors and campuses can now apply for an Erickson Discovery Grant to fund summer 2025 opportunities. Applications close Feb. 16. 

Penn State water-energy-food nexus project takes a global approach

| psu.edu

Michael Jacobson, professor of forest resources in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, co-led the second Collaborative Learning School, a year-round virtual networking community of faculty, students and early career professionals that culminates in a two-week summer field workshop with U.S. and African scientists and practitioners. The school, which was held in Uganda last year, is funded by a five-year, $2 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant and is an initiative of the SustainFood Network.

A Note from Neeli: Penn State at the forefront of microbiome research

| psu.edu

At Penn State’s award-winning One Health Microbiome Center, faculty and students are collaborating to improve human, agricultural and environmental health. With over 540 members, 125 faculty and 160 graduate students from 42 departments across 10 colleges at Penn State, the center is one of the crown jewels of interdisciplinary excellence in the University's research enterprise.

Jack Kaye, NASA associate director, research, to give meteorology colloquium talk

| psu.edu

Jack Kaye, associate director for research at NASA, is the speaker for the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science’s colloquium scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus. He will give the talk “Integration of Vantage Points, Programs, and Approaches for Space-Based Earth Remote Sensing.”

Plastic pollution is in clouds and could sabotage weather forecasts

| yahoo.com

Microplastics are in the Earth’s atmosphere and could be disrupting weather patterns and climate, according to Penn State University (PSU) scientists. In research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology: Air, the team showed how microplastics can "act as ice nucleating particles" or microscopic aerosols that facilitate the formation of ice crystals in clouds. This article quotes Miriam Freedman, professor of chemistry.

EarthTalks: Chief sustainability officer to discuss decarbonizing the University

| psu.edu

Lara Fowler, chief sustainability officer at Penn State, director of Penn State Sustainability, and teaching professor of law, will give the talk, “Decarbonizing Penn State: How Does Law, Policy, and Financing Fit In?” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus, as well as via Zoom.

Talk to explore flood management, infrastructure funding in New Zealand

| psu.edu

Patrick Walsh, an economist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will give the talk, “Distributional Impacts of Flood Adaptation and Infrastructure Funding in New Zealand,” at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State's University Park campus. 

Microplastics may affect weather and climate by producing clouds, researchers find

| pbs.org

Clouds affect Earth’s weather and climate in many ways. New research suggests that the presence of microplastic particles may affect weather and climate by producing clouds in conditions where they would not form otherwise. This article was originally written for The Conversation by Miriam Freedman, professor of chemistry, and Heidi Busse, doctoral student in chemistry. It was also published by Wired and Yahoo.

Penn State’s chemical engineering program celebrates 100 years

| psucollegian.com

Penn State’s chemical engineering program started as an “offshoot” of Penn State’s Department of Chemistry, according to professor of chemical engineering Dr. Andrew Zydney’s work “Chemical Engineering at The Pennsylvania