Penn State Energy and Environment News

2023-24 Promotion and Tenure Workshop series announced for faculty

| psu.edu

The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has announced the 2023-24 Promotion and Tenure Workshop series, which will provide an in-depth exploration of the promotion and tenure process for all Penn State faculty, including tenure- and non-tenure-line.

How water-bottle fill stations can impact children's health, according to a new study

| us.cnn.com

Kids need water throughout the school day, whether they are in class or playing at recess. Making drinking water more accessible could improve their health, a new study found. This article quotes Asher Rosinger, associate professor of biobehavioral health and director of the Water, Health and Nutrition Lab.

More than 1m acres of Indigenous land flooded by dams, new study finds

| theguardian.com

Land dispossession and depravation was a mainstay strategy used by settler colonials to divide and disempower communities. This article quotes Heather Randell, assistant professor of rural sociology and demography.

Q&A: Carbon voyage

| psu.edu

Researchers in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering received a $2 million grant from the Navy Decarbonization Research Consortium to study shipboard carbon capture and alternative fuel utilization. The project is detailed in a Q&A with Associate Professor Brian Fronk.

Mussels inspire an eco-friendly way to extract critical rare earth elements

| psu.edu

Rare earth elements play a key role in clean energy, vital to the production of lightweight, efficient batteries and essential components in wind turbines. Conversely, conventional extraction of these elements raises environmental concerns ranging from habitat destruction to water and air pollution to the high amount of energy needed to extract and process these elements. To solve this quandary, Penn State researchers found inspiration under the sea: mussel stickiness.

Ag Progress Days kicks off in Centre County with Ag Secretary

| wtaj.com

The 47th Ag Progress Days is in full swing, working to show that Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector is moving along. This article and broadcast TV segment features an interview with Richard Roush, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Students pursue research passions through NOAA’s Hollings Scholarship

| psu.edu

Four students in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences were recently awarded the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to advance their research ambitions. The Schreyer Honors Scholars  are Jackie Kiszka, Asha Spencer and Mallory Wickline, all third-year students majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science, and Bridget Reheard, who is also a third-year student and double majoring in geosciences and wildlife and fisheries science.

City Semester student spends summer monitoring Pittsburgh’s three rivers

| psu.edu

Jacob Levendosky, an undergraduate student majoring in biology at Penn State, invested time ensuring others could have a safe summer while he worked as an intern with Three Rivers WaterKeeper, one of the nonprofit organizations working in collaboration with the Penn State Center Pittsburgh as part of the City Semester Pittsburgh program.

Teacher at Sea program sends Brandywine geology professor trawling for data

| psu.edu

Laura Guertin, distinguished professor of Earth science at Penn State Brandywine, celebrated National Ocean Month in June in a most appropriate way — she spent two weeks aboard a research vessel in the Gulf of Alaska. Guertin joined the expedition through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Teacher at Sea program. The NOAA ship Oscar Dyson’s mission was to assess the population and distribution of walleye pollock in the Gulf of Alaska.

Microbe-stuffed soil crusts menaced by climate change

| psu.edu

Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a Penn State-led research team in a new study uncovered clues that may lead to a better understanding of the role microbes play in forming a living skin over many semi-arid ecosystems around the world. The tiny organisms — and the microbiomes they create — are threatened by climate change. 

Applications now open for CTSI's Community-Engaged Research Fellowship program

| psu.edu

Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)’s Community-Engaged Research Core is accepting applications for the 2024-25 Community-Engaged Research Fellowship Program now through Oct. 1. The program offers training and a mentorship network to scientists interested in advancing their community-engaged research expertise across Penn State campuses.

Growing Impact: Season 4

In season four, Growing Impact is expanding: more team members from different disciplines and deeper conversations around the challenges their project is addressing, the inspiration that turned an idea into a project, and the solutions that may arise from these interdisciplinary researchers. Join us on September first for season four of Growing Impact.