Penn State Energy and Environment News

Advance your company through intrapreneurship: Learn how, at the Penn State Conference on Intrapreneurship

| happyvalleyindustry.com

Through initiatives, events, and organizations like Happy Valley LaunchBox and Startup Week, the university is encouraging students and community members alike to solve the world’s problems via entrepreneurialism. That said, not everyone’s cut out for the entrepreneurial life, which is where intrapreneurship comes in. Intrapreneurship poses the idea that smart, innovative changemakers don’t need to launch their own businesses in order to make a difference.

Research to better understand early Earth diversity supported by Ford Foundation

| psu.edu

Kayla Irizarry, doctoral candidate in geosciences at Penn State, is using her Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship to better understand what controlled diversity in Earth’s earliest complex ecosystems.

Making healthy food accessible: Student leads pay-what-you-can farmer’s market

| psu.edu

Driven by a personal commitment to a healthy, high-mobility lifestyle, junior Jimmy Alamia has led a collaboration between the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm and the Lion's Pantry to make healthy eating easy and affordable for the campus community. Alamia spearheaded the launch of the Feed the People Market Stand at University Park, a pay-what-you-can farmers market offering fresh, campus-grown produce to students, faculty and staff.

Forum to highlight the power of connection, collaboration with HBCUs

| psu.edu

Penn State faculty and staff seeking to discover ways to build and improve partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as community members seeking to learn the importance of HBCUs, are invited to attend “The Power of HBCUs: Establishing and Strengthening Partnerships,” on Feb. 26.

How does Zika virus replicate and transmit from mother to fetus?

| psu.edu

In 2015, an outbreak of Zika virus, driven by a heavy rain season and subsequent boom in the virus’s host mosquito population, caused thousands of babies in Brazil to be born with severe birth defects. Zika virus is unique among flaviviruses, which also include West Nile, dengue and yellow fever viruses, in its ability to transmit from an infected mother to her unborn child. How do the components of Zika virus assemble during viral replication and how does the virus then pass from mother to fetus?

Black communities are using mapping to document and restore a sense of place

| theconversation.com

Black activists have long used maps to help illustrate their communities’ history and to document historical injustices. This article was co-written by Joshua Inwood, professor of geography and senior research associate in the Rock Ethics Institute.

The Earth’s tectonic plates made the Himalayas — and could rip them apart

| nbcnews.com

Researchers theorize that the Indian plate is plunging under the Eurasian plate, but as that process plays out, part of it is splitting apart under Tibet. This article mentions Penn State research. 

13 countries that may be too hot for people by 2050

| msn.com

Depending on where you live, winter might be a time of year when you wonder why global warming is a bad thing! But in the countries we’re about to show you, a combination of high heat and humidity will unquestionably be a life-threatening danger. So here are, quite literally, some of the projected “hot spots” of climate change-induced warming by 2050. This article mentions Penn State research. 

Microplastics have been found in breast milk. Will that hurt my baby?

| washingtonpost.com

As a breastfeeding mom of two, I wondered: Should I be worried? Is breast milk still really best? This article quotes Sherri Mason, associate research professor and director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend.

Libraries to offer spring workshops on maps, GIS, GPS and data visualization

| psu.edu

Beginning Feb. 15, the Research Informatics and Publishing department and the Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information at Penn State University Libraries will offer three workshops on maps, GIS, GPS and data visualization. Workshops are free and open to Penn State undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, staff and faculty.

Submissions now open for 2024 annual Materials Visualization Competition

| psu.edu

The 16th annual Materials Visualization Competition, an annual scientific and artistic visual competition, is now accepting submissions. Deadline for submissions is March 18.

Annual Global Gallery highlighting international ag research slated for Feb. 23

| psu.edu

The annual Global Gallery symposium, hosted by the international agriculture and development dual-title graduate program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and its student association, will feature the international research efforts of faculty and graduate students.