AbstractAgroecological nutrient management applies ecological principles to sustain agroecosystem productivity, build soil organic matter and climate resilience, and reduce nutrient losses to the environment. This talk will integrate findings from experimental and observational research focused on managing crop diversity to simultaneously build soil organic matter and reduce reliance on external nutrient inputs. In a two-year experiment on 14 working farms, we identified soil properties that predict variation in cover crop functional traits and ecosystem functions.
Past Events: Penn State Energy and Environment Calendar Archive
You're viewing an archived collection of past energy and environment events from around Penn State and beyond. Please visit our Event Calendar to view current and upcoming events.
AbstractIn multicellular organisms, often cell shape stems from restrictions imposed by the extracellular environment. Eukaryotes control this by building a wide variety of extracellular structures, ranging from bone and shell in animals to the silica-based cell walls in diatoms. These structures, which are often patterned over macroscopic scales, impose constraints on morphology. Yet, individual cells are responsible for depositing extracellular matrix. Thus, how organisms control large-scale patterning of their extracellular matrices is an open question.
**Rescheduled to 3/22/25 from original date (2/15/25) due to expected inclement weather.
Phase Transitions & Ice Nucleation of Atmospheric Aerosol Particles, presented by Miriam Freedman.
The Penn State Department of Geography will host Sophie Webber, senior lecturer and Australian Research Council DECRA Research Fellow in Geography at the University of Sydney, as part of its spring 2025 Coffee Hour lecture series. Webber’s talk, "Climate Finance: Taking a Position on Climate Futures," will examine how climate change is increasingly understood and addressed through financial mechanisms.
Results from the successful Minas Surfactant Field Trial 2 (SFT2) and the polymer field trial (PFT) will be presented. The sandstone reservoir had a very high water cut, >99% and required multiple innovations for successful pilot deployment and interpretation. For interpretation, we used quantitative tracer interpretation to estimate sweep and displacement efficiency and confirm the performance of both SFT2 and PFT.
Nikki Traylor-Knowles, University of MiamiMarine Biology and EcologyTitle: TBA
The Penn State Association of Water Students (PAWS) and the Water Council proudly present the 2025 Water Conference, set for March 20-21, 2025, at the University Park campus, State College, PA. This annual, student-led event unites experts, researchers, and students across disciplines to explore pressing domestic and global water challenges. With a forward-looking perspective, the conference fosters dialogue on innovative solutions for sustainable water management. Join us to engage in dynamic discussions and shape the future of water research and policy.
Prof. Erin Stache, Princeton University. Hosted by Prof. Ezgi Toraman.
Compare nuclear, solar, natural gas, and wind energy with Penn State Extension experts, exploring their strengths, limitations, and role in Pennsylvania’s energy future.
The Conversations Café event will feature a panel discussion with Sophie Webber and Penn State geography faculty members on improving climate finance strategies — funding from governments, businesses and other sources that helps mitigate climate change and support adaptation efforts. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the panel and ask questions following the discussion.
AbstractNeurons rely on a specialized cytoskeletal architecture to deliver proteins and organelles over long distances and to maintain structural integrity and function. Mutations in cytoskeletal proteins or molecular motors are linked to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, and many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with a reduced function of the cytoskeleton-transport system. Despite its critical role, our understanding of the neuronal cytoskeleton remains limited.
2025 Women Advancing River Research Seminar SeriesWARR is a global seminar series featuring woman scientists on water related research. WARR started in 2021 during pandemic. This is the fifth year in the running.All seminars will be presented online live at 11:00 a.m. ET on the third Thursday of each month. Seminar recordings will be posted later. Please register in advance for all talks.Co-hosts: Li Li, Penn State; Rebecca Barnes; Bryn Stewart, Caltech; Devon Kerins, University College DublinMarch 20
The interplay between ions and electrons governs processes as common as the biochemistry essential for life and the performance of devices as ubiquitous as batteries. The energy that powers our smartphones and laptops is stored by ions. Yet when we peer past the battery and examine the device-scale electronics, mobile ions are nowhere to be found. This is a missed opportunity because the coupling between ions in electrolytes and electrons/holes in novel semiconductors is strong.
The Penn State Association of Water Students (PAWS) and the Water Council proudly present the 2025 Water Conference, set for March 20-21, 2025, at the University Park campus, State College, PA. This annual, student-led event unites experts, researchers, and students across disciplines to explore pressing domestic and global water challenges. With a forward-looking perspective, the conference fosters dialogue on innovative solutions for sustainable water management. Join us to engage in dynamic discussions and shape the future of water research and policy.
The heat within Baltimore, like most cities, is neither uniform nor constant, varying with weather conditions and location with highest heat often in the poorest and marginalized communities. Monitoring and understanding this variability is critical for public health and urban planning. However, there is lack of surface weather measurements within the city which prevents needed analysis of causes of spatial variability and the efficacy of active or proposed interventions.
Title Decoding Spicule Fracture Behavior: How CT Scanning HelpsPresenter Dr. Fariborz TavangarianAssociate Professor of Mechanical Engineering,School of Science, Engineering and TechnologyPenn State Harrisburg
AbstractIn Australia’s Murray Darling Basin (MDB), short-term (allocation) and long-term (entitlement) water rights are separately traded, centrally reported, and disseminated to the public. Lewis utilizes this setting to demonstrate three primary findings concerning water rights and climate change risk. First, water rights appear to be a climate change hedge: in periods of diminishing supply, allocation cash flows spike as price increases offset quantity declines.
Explore the benefits of green stormwater infrastructure, from pollutant removal to heat mitigation. Learn from recent research and discover how these solutions enhance communities and ecosystems. Discover the many benefits of green stormwater infrastructure in this insightful talk, which explores recent research on the effectiveness of features like rain gardens.
Natural Organic Matter in the Urban Water Cycle: Origins, Properties, and Impacts on Water Treatment
This talk to aims at (i) synthesizing literature on the nature, occurrence and ecological impact of NOM, its derivatives and EMP’s, (ii) evaluating the treatability and removal of NOM by various water treatment companies in the six different water quality regions of South Africa, and (iii) developing, optimization and implementation of various approaches that can be used to remove NOM in South Africa including the effective use of nanotechnology and the related ecotoxicology of the synthesized nanomaterials.