Pennsylvania DEP secretary to deliver keynote at Climate Solutions Symposium
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley will deliver the keynote address May 20 at the 2026 Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium, where she will outline priorities for building a more resilient Pennsylvania.
Winners announced for 18th annual Materials Visualization Competition
| psu.edu
The winners of the 18th annual Materials Visualization Competition have been announced. The competition is a scientific visual and artistic competition that celebrates the quality of research in materials at Penn State and promotes awareness of materials science through visualization.
Penn Staters honored for partnerships in K-12 watershed education
| psu.edu
The collaborative work of Penn State Outreach and Penn State Sustainability to build partnerships with K-12 educators that enhance sustainability education efforts in school districts across the state has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators.
Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future
| by Renee Obringer
When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing low-flow devices.While demand management techniques like these have had a lot of success in reducing water use, our new research suggests that they may not be effective enough in the face of climate change.
Six seed funding opportunities to support Commonwealth Campus faculty research
| psu.edu
Faculty at Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses are invited to apply for six seed funding programs designed to support research, foster collaboration and advance projects across campuses. Offered through the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, the programs support a range of priorities, including early-stage and mid-career research and professional development, mentorship, community impact, industry partnerships and undergraduate research engagement.
Four Penn State faculty members elected AAAS Fellows
| psu.edu
Four Penn State faculty members in the biological sciences, engineering and statistics have been elected to the latest cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.
Bay in the Balance explores agriculture as a solution to restore Chesapeake Bay
| psu.edu
Hosted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the Bay in the Balance conference brought together stakeholders from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed to explore solutions that support both productive agriculture and the water quality goals of the nation’s largest estuary.
Penn State seeking proposals for the next phase of Presidential Public Impact Research Awards
| psu.edu
Penn State is launching the next phase of its Presidential Public Impact Research Awards, which supports faculty–student research teams across Commonwealth Campuses to address challenges across Pennsylvania.
‘Growing Impact’ podcast examines India’s ‘largest groundwater experiment’
India pumps more groundwater than any other country — more than China and the United States combined. This is because in India, groundwater is a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people and a cornerstone of the nation’s food system. As wells deepen and water tables decline, a team of researchers is examining how communities can manage this critical resource more sustainably and equitably.
President Bendapudi receives national ARIS Impact Innovations Award for advancing public impact research
| psu.edu
Neeli Bendapudi has received the 2026 Impact Innovations Award for her leadership in making real-world impact a central part of Penn State's research mission.
Growing Impact: Managing India's groundwater crisis
| Featuring Mook Bangalore, Kaitlyn Spangler, Praharsh Patel
India pumps more groundwater than any country on Earth — more than China and the United States combined. Can communities help manage this critical resource? Researchers examine a $500M community-led effort to manage depletion and improve water sustainability.
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences mourns loss of Dean Emeritus John Dutton
| psu.edu
Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science mourn the loss of John A. Dutton, who died on Feb. 13, at the age of 89.