Salvaging rare earth elements from electronic waste
| psu.edu
Separating rare earth elements from other minerals and components found in electronic waste is difficult. A recent chemical engineering paper details a new process to separate and recycle rare earth elements using plant cellulose, an inexpensive renewable resource found in paper, cotton and pulp.
Four College of Engineering faculty named to Highly Cited Researchers list
| news.engr.psu.edu
For the third consecutive year, four faculty members in Penn State’s College of Engineering were recognized as Highly Cited Researchers by the Web of Science Group: Long-Qing Chen, Bruce Logan, Şahin K. Özdemir, and Donghai Wang.
Nominations sought for Faculty Scholar Medal
| psu.edu
Penn State's Office of the President has opened the call for nominations for individuals eligible to receive the Faculty Scholar Medal.
Penn State Breazeale Reactor expands in size and in opportunities
| psu.edu
Penn State’s Radiation Science & Engineering Center and the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering broke ground on a 10,000-square-foot, $9.5 million expansion of the Breazeale Reactor on Oct. 21.
Webinar: What’s behind rising oil and gas prices?
| psu.edu
A panel of energy experts from Penn State and industry will discuss the reasons behind rising oil and gas prices; what it means for heating bills this winter; potential policy responses to keep energy prices in check; and how rising prices might encourage or thwart a transition to alternative sources of energy.
Can defects turn inert materials into useful, active ones?
| psu.edu
Demonstrating that a material thought to be always chemically inert — hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) — can be turned chemically active holds potential for a new class of catalysts with a wide range of applications, according to an international team of researchers.
Study challenges standard ideas about piezoelectricity in ferroelectric crystals
| psu.edu
For years, researchers believed that the smaller the domain size in a ferroelectric crystal, the greater the piezoelectric properties of the material. However, recent findings by Penn State researchers have raised questions about this standard rule.
Women in energy and water research seminars to feature Jennifer Dunn on Nov. 18
| psu.edu
The Celebrating Women in Energy and Water Research lecture series will host two talks on Thursday, Nov. 18, featuring Jennifer Dunn, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University. The free lectures are open to Penn State faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. Registration is required.
New nuclear engineering professor plans to inspire students, progress department
| psu.edu
Martin de Jesus Nieto-Perez, who joined the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering in August, plans to use his passion for nuclear engineering to inspire his students and help grow the department.
International symposium launched to promote mine dust and aerosol research
| psu.edu
To promote the development of dust and occupational health-related science and technologies associated with mining, an international symposium on mine dust and aerosol research is being launched by the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences in collaboration with the Shandong University of Science and Technology and the International Journal of Coal Science & Technology.
Penn State chemistry professor Benjamin Lear uses ‘empathy’ in, out of his classroom
| collegian.psu.edu
For Benjamin Lear, IEE cofunded faculty member and professor of CHEM 110H and SC 103N at Penn State, his students know him for his interpersonal connections.
Coal creation mechanism uncovered
| psu.edu
The mechanism behind one of the first stages of coal creation may not be what has long been thought, according to a team of researchers, who found that microbes were responsible for coal formation and production of methane in these areas, which has implications for methane fuel recovery from some coal fields.