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.
EarthTalks: Pa. sees ‘promising opportunities’ for critical minerals production
| psu.edu
Gale Blackmer, the Pennsylvania state geologist, will speak Dec. 8 at University Park as part of the EarthTalks seminar series. Her presentation will focus on critical minerals research at the state Geological Survey.
Sustainable Communities Collaborative to showcase measurable community impact
| psu.edu
Students from across Penn State will present their fall semester Sustainable Communities Collaborative projects during the Campus and Community Sustainability Expo, co-hosted by State College Borough and Penn State Sustainability on Dec. 11. The poster-style event brings together students, faculty, community partners and local residents to highlight project outcomes and foster new connections.
AI discovery, community impact seed funding open to Commonwealth Campus faculty
| psu.edu
Faculty at Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses are invited to apply for two newly launched funding opportunities designed to strengthen research, expand community partnerships and advance the University’s land-grant mission. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, the programs include the Artificial Intelligence Discovery Initiative and the Community Impact and Engagement Seed Funding Program.
EarthTalks: Research about coal byproducts a window into critical minerals
| psu.edu
Christina Lopano, a scientist at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, will speak on Dec. 1 as part of the EarthTalks seminar series. Her free presentation is titled "Characterizing the Critical: REE and CMM Speciation in Fossil Energy Waste Materials."
University Libraries seeks entries for 2026 BTAA Data Visualization Championship
| psu.edu
Penn State students, faculty and staff are invited to compete in the 2026 Big Ten Academic Alliance Data Visualization Championship, part of upcoming International Love Data Week celebrations. Submissions for the competition are due by Jan. 16, 2026.
The AI race is becoming a sprint for power
| forbes.com
America’s AI race now hinges on electricity, not algorithms. Why powering data centers and modernizing the grid will define U.S. competitiveness in the decade ahead. This article quotes the IEE news column Why AI uses so much energy—and what we can do about it.
Nine Penn State faculty and staff receive 2025-26 Fulbright awards
| psu.edu
For the 2025-26 academic year, six Penn State faculty and staff received Fulbright Scholar Awards, one received the International Education Administrator Award and two received the Fulbright Specialist Award, according to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
Call for 2026 Climate Solutions Symposium breakout session proposals
The Penn State Climate Consortium has announced a call for breakout sessions for the 2026 Climate Solutions Symposium, which will be held May 18-20, 2026, at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. The call is open to all, though at least one session lead must be a Penn State faculty or staff member. The proposal submission deadline is Jan. 23, 2026.
The overlooked links between water and energy — and the rising risks they share
| by Renee Obringer
Discover how water and energy systems depend on each other, and why drought, heat, and rising electricity demand are creating shared risks for reliability and planning.
Bormioli Luigi renews LionGlass deal with Penn State after successful trial run
| psu.edu
Penn State’s LionGlass project has reached a major milestone in its partnership with Italian glassmaker Bormioli Luigi, marking one year of collaboration and the signing of a second-year agreement to continue commercialization efforts in the cosmetics packaging industry.
Institute funds 20 faculty fellows in AI and quantum sciences
| psu.edu
The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences has awarded 20 fellowships to University faculty through its Faculty Upskilling Fellowships in artificial intelligence or quantum sciences. Selected faculty are spread across eight colleges, 17 departments and three Penn State campuses: University Park, Beaver and Hershey.