Rodrigo Vargas is a Professor at the University of Delaware's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. He is an ecosystem ecologist who examines how nature-based solutions can help address global environmental change in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. He has contributed to developing decision support systems and policy-relevant applications and received multiple national and international recognitions.
Penn State Energy and Environment Calendar
A collection of upcoming energy and environment events from around Penn State and beyond.
In the late 1990s, many states opted to restructure their electricity industry to introduce competition at the wholesale and retail levels. Texas designed competitive wholesale and retail markets that were far different from those developed in Pennsylvania and other states. How well has the Texas approach worked?
Dr. Warren Washington was a pioneer in more ways than one, and his contributions to climate knowledge are quite remarkable. As a 1964 graduate of Penn State, Warren Washington and Akira Kasahara developed the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) General Circulation Model at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Warren assisted in pushing forward innovation through improvements in ocean and sea ice components for Earth System Models (ESMs) and used massively parallel supercomputers to increase wall-clock time.
In 2018, the California Legislature adopted a pair of bills that require the State to begin building microplastics management strategies for both drinking water and California's aquatic ecosystems. The passing of these bills initiated a burst of collaborative activity in California to provide a scientific foundation for these legislative mandates.
Pennsylvania hosts a rich industrial technical assistance ecosystem with a mix of state, federal, nonprofit, independent, and university organizations and partnerships. Hear from the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Energy Programs Office (i.e., the State Energy Office) and the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) about the Commonwealth’s technical and financial assistance programs and how they work together to advance manufacturing energy management, decarbonization, and economic benefits.
The Center for Nanoscale Science, Penn State’s NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, will compete for renewal in 2025, with the preproposal due at NSF in June. I will briefly describe (1) the internal down-select competition to become one of the Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) in the renewal proposal, (2) the events, people, and resources that will be available through the winter and early spring to help teams in generating compelling IRG white papers, and (3) the key measures of a successful IRG proposal.
The built environment impacts nearly every area of our lives, from the air we breathe and the natural light we enjoy to the resources we consume and the spaces we inhabit. However, the future of real estate faces significant challenges in adapting to the demands of a rapidly changing world including growing energy demands, extreme weather events, urbanization, resource scarcity, and the need for resilient infrastructure.
Chemical synthesis is responsible for significant emissions of carbon dioxide worldwide. These emissions arise not only due to the energy requirements of chemical synthesis, but since hydrocarbon feedstocks can be overoxidized or used as hydrogen sources. Using renewable electricity to drive chemical synthesis may provide a route to overcoming these challenges, enabling synthetic routes which operate at benign conditions and utilize sustainable inputs.
Enjoy a pizza lunch while listening to a panel discussion from the COP29 delegation, moderated by Mark Ortiz and Peter Buck. Learn about the outcomes of COP29 and hear from the panel on their key takeaways.
Maruf Morshet, assistant teaching professor in energy business and finance at Penn State, will give the talk, "Are Biofuels More Environmentally Friendly? The GHG Emissions Impacts of Increased Biofuel Production,” at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in 157 Hosler Building on the University Park campus. His talk is part of the spring Initiative for Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy (EEEPI) seminar series.
The widespread use of road salt and other ice melters during winter has become a cornerstone of maintaining safety on roadways and sidewalks, but it comes at a cost. While these substances effectively lower the freezing point of water, they are corrosive to infrastructure and pose significant environmental risks. Winter salts can accumulate in the soil and runoff into watersheds, impacting ecosystems, human health, and water quality.
The Population Research Institute at Penn State is organizing a Climate Change and Health Workshop in the new year. The workshop will be held on January 30 and 31 (Susan Welch Liberal Arts Bldg), and it includes a great lineup of external speakers and opportunities to network. The workshop agenda is below, and we ask that you please register. This event is open to the entire campus community and intended to stimulate interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.Day 1 – January 30 in 202 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Bldg
The COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently Hurricane Helene, have thrust the preparedness of rural communities into the national news. At the federal level, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have each recently released national goals and strategic plans for preparedness of rural communities.
The Population Research Institute at Penn State is organizing a Climate Change and Health Workshop in the new year. The workshop will be held on January 30 and 31 (Susan Welch Liberal Arts Bldg), and it includes a great lineup of external speakers and opportunities to network. The workshop agenda is below, and we ask that you please register. This event is open to the entire campus community and intended to stimulate interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.Day 1 – January 30 in 202 Susan Welch Liberal Arts Bldg
The COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently Hurricane Helene, have thrust the preparedness of rural communities into the national news. At the federal level, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have each recently released national goals and strategic plans for preparedness of rural communities.
For 2025's annual Colloquium on the Environment, Penn State Sustainability is excited to welcome sociologist, scholar, and author Eric Klinenberg. His latest work looks at the COVID pandemic and other social crises and examines the sociological factors that contributed to better outcomes, highlighting the importance of social capital and social networks in keeping us healthy, happy, and better adapted to cope with disasters.
In association with the US premiere of the documentary A Century After Nanook on March 1 at the State Theatre, six Inuit leaders from northern Quebec will be on the Penn State campus. Please join us on Friday, February 28 for a presentation and panel discussion about the challenges their communities are facing and the steps they are collectively taking to adapt to a rapidly changing Arctic.Tommy Palliser – Executive Director, Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife BoardEric Atagotaaluk – Project Director, Pituvik Sarvaq Engerie, Inc.
The US premiere of A Century After Nanook.
The event will take place at the State Theatre on Saturday, March 1 at 6:30pm. There will be a ceremonial lighting of the qulliq (oil lamp) and some throat singing on stage before the screening. At the conclusion of the 90-minute film, there will be a Q&A with our Inuit guests.
The Stuckeman School is excited to announce a groundbreaking research symposium titled “Biophilia: Designing for Animals.” This event will explore the critical role of animals in design and how our built and natural environments are shaped by more-than-human participants.
The Stuckeman School is excited to announce a groundbreaking research symposium titled “Biophilia: Designing for Animals.” This event will explore the critical role of animals in design and how our built and natural environments are shaped by more-than-human participants.