Penn State Altoona professor testifies before U.S. House committee
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Carolyn Mahan, professor of biology and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on Feb. 26 in Washington, D.C. Invited by the congressional staff, Mahan provided her professional input on the management of electrical transmission line rights-of-way on federal lands.
2026-27 Huck Seed Grant Program opens call for proposals
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The Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences announced a call for 2026-27 Seed Grant Program funding proposals, due by May 1. Huck seed grants foster innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative life sciences research with the potential to drive scientific breakthroughs and generate new research directions leading to impactful externally funded research.
2026 Shoemaker Lecture to focus on leading in an ever-changing energy landscape
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Gretchen Watkins, board director at The Mosaic Company and former president of Shell USA and executive vice president of Global Shales, will give the 2026 G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State. Her talk, “Leadership challenges in an ever-changing energy landscape,” will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 10, in 22 Deike Building on the Penn State University Park campus.
Irrigation gaps in weather models could skew air quality forecasts, study finds
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Widely used weather models may misrepresent how irrigated farmland exchanges heat and moisture with the atmosphere, potentially distorting air quality forecasts that guide public health decisions and regulation, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.
Penn State showcases broad global sustainability impact through SDG Progress page
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Penn State Sustainability is highlighting the University’s wide-ranging contributions to global sustainability through its SDG Progress webpage, a centralized resource that connects Penn State’s research, teaching, operations and community engagement to the United Nations' global Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs.
March 18 talk: Effectiveness of grid hardening on storm-related power outages
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Madeline Yozwiak, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, will give the talk, “Grid Hardening and the Effectiveness of Climate Adaptation in the U.S. Electricity Sector,” at noon on Wednesday, March 18, in 157 Hosler Building.
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences staff recognized at annual luncheon
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Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences recognized exceptional staff at its annual Dean’s Staff Appreciation Luncheon held on Dec. 11, 2025, at the Nittany Lion Inn.
College of Ag Sciences alum, champion receives APLU Lifetime of Service Award
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Jim Shirk was recently honored with the Lifetime of Service to the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Award from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.
Forest exhibits resilience after California mega fire
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Researchers in Penn State's Department of Geography visited California's Lassen Volcanic National Park in 2019 and again in 2021 to see how the forest had recovered — or not — from naturally occurring forest fires as far back as the mid-1980s. However, when the massive Dixie fire rolled over all their sample points, destroying nearly half the total vegetation, they pivoted their focus to how our forests will respond — and how resilient they will be — to future mega fires.
Registration open for 2026 Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium
Registration is now open for the 2026 Penn State Climate Solutions Symposium, a three-day event focused on advancing evidence-based strategies to address climate change impacts worldwide, with dedicated attention to challenges and solutions in Pennsylvania. The symposium will be held May 18-20 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College.
March 19 sustainability webinar to focus on careers in outdoor education
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Sustain Penn State will host a virtual career panel highlighting outdoor education from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. The student-focused event will bring together Penn State alumni and regional professionals who have built careers rooted in environmental education, public engagement and outdoor leadership.
‘Water bears’ reveal potential for adapting, protecting Martian resources
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Microscopic animals called tardigrades are providing real insight into how humans could adapt extraterrestrial resources to support space exploration, as well as whether such resources could help protect against the Earthly contaminants that humans might shed.