Past Events: Penn State Energy and Environment Calendar Archive

Department of Geosciences Colloquium Series Spring 2024 Eric Roden University of Wisconsin–Madison Host: Sue Brantley

MCL now offers a range of analytical techniques that can be used to determine important electronic properties of your device or material system. These properties include: band gap (Eg), work function (WF), valence band maximum (VBM), ionization energy (IE), electron affinity (EA), conduction band minimum (CBM) and carrier concentration. We have techniques for studying electronic defect states in the band gap which can impact device performance and for those making heterojunctions we can determine valence and conduction band offsets.

In this special edition of the Millennium Café, we will have a panel discussion with researchers from different disciplines to the consider the state of science and engineering in related fields, such as synthetic biology, materials, and living materials, and how advances across these fields can expand our understanding of the dynamic structures and processes that underpin life on Earth. Don’t miss this unique event, starting at 10a on 2/13 in the 3rd floor Café Commons of the MSC Bldg.

A growing majority of the world’s population lives in cities.

Revisiting Past Lectures on the 30th Anniversary of the Ashtekar Frontiers of Science

The Water Cooler Series is a monthly event for the water student community planned to bring the community together and share interesting research/ideas/plans with peers from different disciplines and backgrounds. The informal setup for the “Water Cooler Series” will provide students a platform to discuss brewing ideas about water-related research and get help/support from the peer group. The presentation need not be research focused. If you have some interesting field anecdotes or stories to share, this is the forum for you! 

The next 2024 Energy Xchange Seminar Series at the EMS Energy Institute will be held on February 8 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

On Wednesday, February 7th at 7pm (EST), Penn State Sustainability will show a program of short films as part of its ongoing Intersections Film Series program. This upcoming showing, from the Soundings series, revolves around issues of water justice and access to effective water and wastewater infrastructure. It is being screened in collaboration with the Penn State Water Council. A post-film breakout discussion will occur after the films are screened. The free event will take place over Zoom.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Science Colloquium: Is Tropical Cyclone Predictability Changing with a Warming Climate? 112 Walker Building 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Candidate: Jhordanne Jones Organizer: Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

Richard Alley Climate Dynamics Seminar "Ice sheets and Sea Level- Processes and Models with Long Tails"

Department of Geosciences Colloquium Series Spring 2024 Lee Hsiang Low ​University of Oslo Host: Sarah Ivory

With so much buzz around AI in the press, we should see big payoffs in science. Yet it doesn’t seem like major advancements with chatbots and image generators in recent years have also extended to scientific breakthroughs. In this talk, I will discuss the concept of representation learning: the way that AI algorithms understand data, and a major bottleneck in repurposing existing AI algorithms to solve new problems. I will specifically highlight challenges and opportunities in materials science applications including molecular simulation, characterization, and small molecule design.

Alarming rates of mental health challenges and social isolation among today's young people have called for unique and innovative approaches to supporting student well-being. I will provide an overview of current academic and research efforts at Penn State to support skills and mindsets related to student flourishing. We will explore what it means to flourish and why it's important to challenge the status quo of today's "college life". 

A growing majority of the world’s population lives in cities. Urban systems are complex, including interactions between tightly connected human and natural systems both within city boundaries and between cities and the surrounding rural environment. Understanding how cities function is critical to monitoring, managing and improving the urban environment and the environment of the entire globe. The urban environment is also highly heterogeneous, often including striking disparities in the living conditions of and environmental quality experienced by the urban population.

Building public consensus about the threat of climate change is critical for enacting meaningful action to address it. The Climate Change in the American Mind (CCAM) project has been conducting nationally representative surveys on public opinion about climate change biannually since 2008. An audience segmentation of CCAM respondents based on their climate change beliefs, risk perceptions, policy preferences, and behaviors identifies six distinct attitude groups, called Global Warming’s Six Americas, including the Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Science Colloquium: From Clouds to Harvest: Understanding Land-Atmosphere Interactions and Tailoring Climate Services for Farmers 114 Steidle 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Candidate: Divyansh Chug Organizer: Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

Over the past two decades, it has become increasingly clear that symbiotic host–microbe interactions alter the way in which plants grow and respond to abiotic and biotic stress. Harnessing diversity within these plant–microbe associations in managed ecosystems, provides an opportunity to create sustainable, multipurpose bioeconomies whereby globally important plant feedstocks can be produced while simultaneously maximizing soil health and mitigating adverse impacts to climate.

Revisiting Past Lectures on the 30th Anniversary of the Ashtekar Frontiers of Science

Department of Geosciences Colloquium Series Spring 2024 Dalton Hardistry Michigan State University Host: Kim Lau

Iain Mathieson is a Associate Professor of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. Iain will be presenting a talk titled "Using ancient DNA to learn about human evolution and disease".