Past Events: Penn State Energy and Environment Calendar Archive

Soil moisture is an important factor in agriculture, influencing crop growth and yield. Traditionally, farmers have relied on manual methods and experience to assess soil moisture levels. With technological advancements, however, novel methods are emerging, providing more accurate and efficient ways to manage water resources and optimize yields. Monitoring Soil Moisture: A Climate Smart Practice will look at some advancements in soil moisture monitoring and how making good management decisions can be a climate-smart practice.

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

During Ukraine Series: An Introduction to the Forests of Ukraine and the War, attendees will be introduced to the forests of Ukraine, Ukraine's relationship to forests, and how they used forests prior to and during the war. They will also learn about the war, how the war is impacting the people of Ukraine, and be introduced to how the war is being fought. Participants will hear from Ukrainian foresters, researchers, and other experts.

This year’s online conference will feature four distinct discussion tracks, including "Shining a Light: Uncovering Insights through Analytics," "Blazing the Trail: Turning Insights into Impactful Outcomes," "Lighting the Way: Emerging Trends and the Future of Data," and "Enlightening Data Processing and Analytics: IT System Innovations." 

Kona Gray, who is the principal of the planning, landscape architecture, and urban design firm EDSA, Inc., has been named the 2023-24 recipient of the Department of Landscape Architecture’s John R. Bracken Fellowship. Titled “Grounded Landscapes – Exploring the Land, Sea and Culture,” Gray’s lecture will explore a new understanding and appreciation for the land and sea, discover the possibilities of connecting cultures with the environment, and celebrate diversity highlighting a common human future.

The global battery industry has achieved significant cost savings: electric vehicle (EV) battery costs have dropped by more than 90% over the past decade. This study assesses the extent to which this sharp decline in lithium-ion battery prices is attributable to learning-by-doing in battery production, and quantifies the impact of two types of government policies (e.g., consumer subsidies and domestic content requirement) on learning, technology diffusion, and industry dynamics.

Learn about ongoing work in water resources, engage in discussions about green stormwater infrastructure, and exchange ideas with professionals across Pennsylvania.

Please note that this workshop is open to tenure-line faculty, non-tenure-line faculty, and research staff in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. (Future workshops are planned for faculty in other units) Learn how to transform your scientific insights into compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Effectively communicate:  What you do  What it impacts  Why it matters  Expert Guidance: 

This year’s online conference will feature four distinct discussion tracks, including "Shining a Light: Uncovering Insights through Analytics," "Blazing the Trail: Turning Insights into Impactful Outcomes," "Lighting the Way: Emerging Trends and the Future of Data," and "Enlightening Data Processing and Analytics: IT System Innovations." 

The Stuckeman School welcomes artist and architect Yussef Agbo-Ola, founder of Olaniyi Studio, for a virtual lecture to kick off the school's spring 2024 Lecture + Exhibit Series. Titled “The Art of Poetic Environmental Architecture and Design,” Agbo-Ola’s lecture will highlight the importance of the ephemeral, entropy in design and poetic environmental architecture relating to his work over the last decade. Attendees are encouraged to watch the virtual lecture in the Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space. The lecture will also be available to attend via Zoom.

The specific technique, details of the acquisition method, along with how data is processed all influence the quantification of surface roughness.  Furthermore, the commonly reported roughness parameters of average roughness and RMS roughness are often inadequate to fully characterize the texture of a surface.  This talk will provide an overview of what differences you should expect between surface roughness data coming from AFM, OP, and even stylus profilometry as well as an introduction to advanced surface texture parameters.

Chirality, or non-superimposable mirror image structures are common across the natural world (think left and right hands). Even at the nanoscale, proteins are chiral molecules where their specific structure (left or right hand) drives function.  In my group, we leverage sequence-definition and enantiomeric-control of synthetic peptides to tune the chirality and shape of nanoparticles. I will discuss how such nanoparticles can enable discovery of next-generation sensors.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into social work practices presents an innovative pathway to address complex social issues with greater precision, efficiency, and personalized care. This talk delves into the transformative potential of AI in redefining the landscape of social work, offering insights into how cutting-edge technologies can augment traditional methodologies to better serve individuals and communities in need.

Quantifying interactions between social systems and the physical environment we live within has long been a major scientific challenge. A better empirical understanding of dynamic interactions between the physical or natural context and urban social structure is necessary to support predictions of how people and cities might respond to climate change, disease, and other emergent threats, ensure energy and water security for their residents, and to facilitate urban sustainability and resilience. In her lecture, Dr.

Explore USDA Climate Smart mitigation categories, discover Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices, and locate financial assistance programs for CSA. Climate Smart Agriculture Practices aim to deliver quantifiable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and/or increases in carbon sequestration. This presentation will review the USDA’s mitigation categories and common agricultural conservation practices that are classified as climate-smart in Pennsylvania. Who is this for?

Join the Graduate School on February 26 for an enriching forum on establishing and strengthening partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This gathering will also include a talk about a new book, HBCUs: The Power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, co-authored by Marybeth Gasman and Levon T. Esters.  Registration is required.

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

Dr. Luis Escobar, University of Vermont

Meteorology and Atmospheric Science Colloquium Yan Jiang Postdoctoral Scholar University of California, San Diego

Yanhong Jin estimates the impact of childhood obesity on intergenerational income and social mobility in the US. Utilizing the polygenic scores of Add Health participants, she proposes a novel instrument variable for childhood obesity based on genetic information related to weight status. She finds strong evidence that childhood obesity lowers intergenerational income and social mobility of adult children.