Responsible Conduct of Research Awards to be presented at Research Ethics Day
| psu.edu
The Office for Research Protections has announced the launch of the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Awards, a new, University‑wide recognition program celebrating individuals who exemplify integrity, accountability and ethical leadership in research.
‘Designer’ superconducting diamond offers roadmap to multifunction quantum chips
| psu.edu
New research led by Penn State physicists revealed the fundamental — and long hidden — mechanisms underlying superconductivity in diamond.
‘Growing Impact’ podcast discusses tool to identify grid threats, investments
A new planning tool under development at Penn State could help keep the lights on as the U.S. electric grid faces growing pressures from extreme weather, renewable energy and data centers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Penn State professor Katherine Zipp honored with faculty mentor award
| psu.edu
Katherine Zipp, associate professor of environmental and resource economics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award for postdoctoral scholars from the Penn State Postdoctoral Society.
Growing Impact: Resilient power grid planning
| Featuring Anirudh Subramanyam, Mort Webster
As electricity demand grows and becomes harder to predict, power grid planners face a difficult question: how do they build for a future shaped by extreme weather, renewable energy, and the rapid rise of data centers?
Researchers convert plastic waste into high-performance battery material
| openthemagazine.com
Researchers at Penn State have transformed discarded PET plastic bottles into highly ordered synthetic graphite for lithium-ion batteries, offering a cleaner, sustainable alternative to conventional graphite production while reducing plastic waste
Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams receive 2026 IEE seed grants
Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2026 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE’s five strategic research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to more than 40 researchers across 10 colleges and campuses and 21 departments and units.
Heather Grab named Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor in Entomology
| psu.edu
Heather Grab, assistant professor of entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded the Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professorship in Entomology.
Guoray Cai named Dewey Walker Professor in Information Sciences and Technology
| psu.edu
Guoray Cai has been appointed to the Dewey Walker Professorship in Information Sciences and Technology. The professorship supports an outstanding faculty member whose work advances interdisciplinary contributions in information systems solutions.
How Penn State Beaver is helping farmers respond sooner to animal health challenges
| psu.edu
Penn State Beaver is helping strengthen animal health and agricultural resilience across western Pennsylvania through the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center, which gives farmers and veterinarians closer access to critical and timely testing.
New entrepreneurship, commercialization structure to grow research impact
| psu.edu
Penn State’s Office of the Senior Vice President for Research will implement a strategic reorganization, effective July 1, designed to strengthen the University’s ability to drive research commercialization, community-engaged research and statewide economic impact.
Addressing workforce challenges to strengthen US power grid
The nation's electric grid faces mounting pressures from aging infrastructure, growing energy demand and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. A team led by Penn State researchers is working to address a less visible but equally critical challenge: the future workforce needed to keep the power flowing.