The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences traces its origins back 130 years, born of an interdisciplinary approach to supporting workforce development for the extractive industries (mining, and then also petroleum engineering). Today, that same interdisciplinary focus is aimed at society’s grand challenges in energy and environment. We’ll look at current research breakthroughs, from LionGlass to severe weather prediction, human origins, volcanic eruptions and ice-sheet collapse, wildfire, the extraction of rare-earth-elements while treating acid mine drainage, and more. In every case, students are working side-by-side with world-class faculty, advancing their education while making a difference in the world.
Bio:
Lee Kump has served as dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences since 2017 and has been on the faculty of Penn State since 1986.He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of several professional societies. He and his students investigate atmosphere and ocean evolution, climate change in deep time, and biogeochemical cycles. In addition to over 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, Kump has authored textbooks in Earth System Science and Mathematical Modeling and popular books on climate change. His work has been featured in documentaries that have aired on NOVA Science Now, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, BBC, Australian Broadcast Corporation, and the History Channel.