The Penn State Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Symposium (PIERS) is a student-led symposium that brings together researchers from diverse fields related to environmental studies. Graduate and undergraduate students from all institutions are invited to present posters and oral presentations in disciplines such as biology, chemistry, engineering, policy, sociology, and beyond.In addition to student presentations, the symposium will feature:
Penn State Energy and Environment Calendar
A collection of upcoming energy and environment events from around Penn State and beyond.
Meryl Mims is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech and an affiliated faculty member with Virginia Tech's Global Change Center and Invasive Species Collaborative. Meryl received her PhD from the University of Washington in 2015 and held a postdoctoral fellowship with the U.S. Geological Survey before joining the faculty at Virginia Tech. Along with members of her lab, Meryl studies how species' traits interact with the environment to influence populations and communities of organisms and their vulnerability to climate change.
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.
Join Penn State CTSI’s Science Communication Workshop. This session will cover:Overview of Science CommunicationPresenting Results with VisualizationMastering the Media: How to Communicate Your Research with Clarity and ConfidenceGuest presenters include:
Franklin M. Orr, Jr., Keleen and Carlton Beal Professor Emeritus in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at Stanford University, will give the 2025 G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State. His talk, “Transforming Global Energy Systems to Mitigate Climate Change,” will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 11, in 22 Deike Building at Penn State University Park and online via Zoom. A reception will precede the lecture at 3:00 p.m. in the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.
Join the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, along with state partners, for the 2025 Pennsylvania Rural Community and Public Health Conference. This year’s conference, "Pennsylvania Public Health Matters! People, Strategies, and Policies to Advance Healthy Communities," will take place April 15 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College.
Ianna Gomez Mendez is a PhD Student/Research Assistant at the Flow in Porous Media Research Group in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University. She earned a Specialist Degree in Nuclear Energy Technological Applications from Balseiro Institute and Buenos Aires University. She holds a BS in Geophysical Engineering from Technological University of Havana.
OverviewThe biorenewables symposium brings together researchers, industry, and stakeholders interested in developing new opportunities for bioenergy, biomaterials, and related products for the emerging bioeconomy. Join us for a technical tour, keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking, and a poster session.Sponsored by Penn State's Center for Biorenewables (CBR), the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), and the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science (iSAFES).Who Should Attend?
OverviewThe biorenewables symposium brings together researchers, industry, and stakeholders interested in developing new opportunities for bioenergy, biomaterials, and related products for the emerging bioeconomy. Join us for a technical tour, keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking, and a poster session.Sponsored by Penn State's Center for Biorenewables (CBR), the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), and the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science (iSAFES).Who Should Attend?
Dr. Jeffery Cannon is an Associate Science of Landscape Ecology at the Jones Center at Ichauway, a non-profit research center focusing on forest conservation. His lab focuses on landscape ecology of forest disturbance and restoration in pine systems of the U.S. and emphasizes technology application in forestry and natural resources. Jeff holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Mississippi State University (2009), an M.S. in Biology from the University of Mississippi (2011), and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of Georgia (2015).
Andrew M. MinorDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of CaliforniaNational Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Penn State Extension, the Master Well Owner Network, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection along with numerous other sponsors and partners are pleased to announce the 2025 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium will take place Wednesday, May 7 in Harrisburg. The PA Groundwater Symposium is a forum where researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state.
The two-day Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium highlights innovations from numerous disciplines through dynamic breakout sessions, keynote talks from leaders in the climate solutions space, a poster session, and more. The event also features opportunities for attendees to network with like-minded individuals who are seeking climate solutions as collaborators, funders, or implementers in the themes of the Climate Consortium.
The two-day Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium highlights innovations from numerous disciplines through dynamic breakout sessions, keynote talks from leaders in the climate solutions space, a poster session, and more. The event also features opportunities for attendees to network with like-minded individuals who are seeking climate solutions as collaborators, funders, or implementers in the themes of the Climate Consortium.
industryXchange 2025: Energy brings together industry, Penn State faculty, and graduate students to jointly explore collaboration opportunities for research and student engagement. Since the inception of industryXchange in 2017, initial collaborations fostered at the annual event have spurred several sponsored research agreements between the University, industry, and governmental partners, as well as industry support to federal awards.
industryXchange 2025: Energy brings together industry, Penn State faculty, and graduate students to jointly explore collaboration opportunities for research and student engagement. Since the inception of industryXchange in 2017, initial collaborations fostered at the annual event have spurred several sponsored research agreements between the University, industry, and governmental partners, as well as industry support to federal awards.
Registration and abstract submission are now open for Forest Genetics 2025 – ‘Harnessing Genetic Diversity for Resilient Forests’ – a joint conference hosted by the Western Forest Genetics Association, Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, and Northern Forest Genetics Association.
When: June 23 to 27, 2025
Where: State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Plant specialized metabolites are chemically diverse molecules that play a broad range of critical roles in plant health and reproduction. These molecules also support human and veterinary health and nutrition, and are foundational to ecological interactions between animals, microorganisms, and plants.
Registration and abstract submission are now open for Forest Genetics 2025 – ‘Harnessing Genetic Diversity for Resilient Forests’ – a joint conference hosted by the Western Forest Genetics Association, Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, and Northern Forest Genetics Association.
When: June 23 to 27, 2025
Where: State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Plant specialized metabolites are chemically diverse molecules that play a broad range of critical roles in plant health and reproduction. These molecules also support human and veterinary health and nutrition, and are foundational to ecological interactions between animals, microorganisms, and plants.