2025 Roy Awards recognize materials research with potential far-reaching impact
| psu.edu
Six materials researchers at Penn State have received the 2025 Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award, recognizing a wide range of research with societal impact. The award is presented by the Materials Research Institute for recent interdisciplinary materials research at Penn State that yields innovative and unexpected results.
Penn State Hershey researchers find link between skin cancer rates and farmland
| alleghenyfront.org
Researchers that found that Pennsylvania counties with more farmland and herbicide use also have more melanoma, and not just among farmers.
Engineering Learning Factory to host end-of-semester capstone design showcase
| psu.edu
The Penn State Learning Factory will host its biannual end-of-semester showcase for engineering students to present their cornerstone and capstone design projects. The in-person showcase will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Bryce Jordan Center, while a virtual showcase will take place on Friday, Dec. 12 through Friday, Dec. 19. Both versions of the event are free and open to the public.
Eyes for an agricultural robot: AI system identifies weeds in apple orchards
| psu.edu
To help apple growers achieve such precise management, researchers at Penn State are developing an automated, robotic weed-management system.
Institute for Computational and Data Sciences seeks Rising Researchers proposals
| psu.edu
The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) is accepting proposals from Penn State faculty for the next round of the ICDS Rising Researcher Collaborations Funding Opportunity for 2026-27.
A hard year for federal workers offers a real-time lesson in resilience
| theconversation.com
During a year of extraordinary uncertainty, workers built resilient networks within and across boundaries and distance. An anthropologist explains how these clusters and long-distance ties help people cope, organize and adapt.
‘Growing Impact’: Strengthening public response to air-quality warnings
As wildfire seasons lengthen, the impact of smoke on public health continues to rise. While wildfires are most common in the western United States, a report from Climate Central found that every county in the contiguous U.S. now experiences at least 16 days of wildfire smoke annually. A recent study suggests that the current annual U.S.
Cancer-fighting bacterial product ‘cocktails’ may offer personalized treatment
| psu.edu
Bacteria may be the next frontier in cancer treatment, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State that devised a new approach of creating bacteria-derived mixtures — or cocktails — to help fight bladder cancer. The researchers explained how the approach, detailed in a paper published in Nature Communications, could be personalized to a patient's specific health needs, while delivering more efficient treatment at a cost comparable to, or lower than, existing cancer treatment options.
Sanitation technologies in developing countries the focus of Dec. 10 seminar
| psu.edu
Laura Schechter, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will lead a seminar on the availability of clean sanitation technologies in developing countries at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 10, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State's University Park campus. Her free talk is part of a fall seminar series hosted by the Initiative for Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy.
Individuals, programs recognized for contributions to rural health in Pa.
| psu.edu
The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health presented awards to recognize rural health programs and individuals who have made substantial contributions to rural health in Pennsylvania.
Growing Impact: Decoding wildfire smoke forecasts
| Featuring Manzhu Yu, Hong Wu, Sarah Rajtmajer
As long-distance smoke reaches the Northeast, residents face confusing and often conflicting air-quality information. This episode explores how people interpret alerts, why forecasts disagree, and what clearer communication could mean for community preparedness.
New technique maps genetic variants driving neurodegenerative disease risk
| psu.edu
Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine developed a new method that better maps genetic variants that can lead to brain diseases. The approach identified 75% more relevant genes and uncovered new therapeutic targets for conditions like Alzheimer’s and ALS.