Two engineering faculty granted early career awards from materials society
| psu.edu
The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) awarded two faculty members in the Penn State College of Engineering the Early Career Faculty Fellow Award. The award was granted to Miaomiao Jin, assistant professor of nuclear engineering, and Yang Yang, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics and of nuclear engineering, for their outstanding research and service to TMS and Penn State.
‘Growing Impact’ podcast: How tidal marshes trap microplastics
Penn State researchers have found that tidal freshwater marshes along the Delaware River may act as major traps for microplastics, capturing large amounts of plastic particles before they reach the ocean.
‘Key informants’ report farmers accept mental health help but face barriers
| psu.edu
Governments and organizations that provide mental health support to farmers dealing with depression, anxiety and isolation have traditionally focused on overcoming the stigma associated with getting help — but that isn’t the barrier farmers face, according to a new study by a research team led by rural sociologists at Penn State. The bigger issues, they found, are rural health care shortages, long wait times for appointments and travel time, as well as high health care costs.
Lab Safety Awareness Week, Feb. 9-13, aims to promote safe labs on campuses
| psu.edu
Penn State’s Environmental Health and Safety team will host virtual and in-person events for the University’s research and academic community as part of its Lab Safety Awareness Week initiative, Feb. 9-13.
Growing Impact: Microplastics in the marsh
| Featuring Raymond Najjar, Lisa Emili, Nathaniel Warner
How microplastics move, settle, and accumulate in tidal freshwater marshes—and what long-term sediment records reveal about the impacts of plastic pollution.
Liver metabolism of an essential amino acid may play a key role in gut health
| psu.edu
Researchers at Penn State recently found, in mice, that a protein critical to intestinal barrier function — helping the gut absorb nutrients while blocking harmful pathogens — is rhythmically controlled by nighttime liver metabolism of the molecule tryptophan.
Climate communication expert Matt Goldberg to speak Feb. 24
Matt Goldberg, director of experimental research at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, will discuss persuasion, politics and public engagement in a talk at 1 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Earth and Environmental Systems Building at Penn State University Park. The talk, which is part of the Penn State Climate Consortium’s series Climate Conversation Café, will be available both in person and online.
Harrisburg faculty member named American Society of Civil Engineers fellow
| psu.edu
Shirley Clark, interim director of the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology and professor of environmental engineering at Penn State Harrisburg, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
New species emerged faster than thought after dinosaur extinction, study finds
| psu.edu
Nature's recovery after an asteroid struck Earth illustrates how quickly species can evolve after extreme events, said Penn State Professor Timothy Bralower, co-author of a new paper in the journal Geology.
Q&A: How researchers and communities build mutually beneficial work
Community-engaged research often raises questions about who benefits from academic work and how knowledge moves between universities and the people most affected by the issues being studied. In his research and film projects, Kirk French, an assistant professor of anthropology and of film production and media studies at Penn State, works with communities as collaborators rather than subjects, shaping research questions, methods and outcomes alongside local partners.
Institute of Energy and the Environment welcomes 15 new faculty members
Fifteen faculty members have joined the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), reflecting the institute’s growing interdisciplinary reach. Together, they bring expertise that connects energy systems, environmental processes and human dimensions, opening new pathways for collaboration and shared research efforts.Bruce Logan, director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment, said the group reflects the range of career stages represented across IEE’s research network.
Electric eel biology inspires powerful gel battery
| psu.edu
Penn State researchers, including Joseph Najem, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Dor Tillinger, doctoral candidate of mechanical engineering; and Wonbae Lee, doctoral candidate of engineering science and mechanics, developed a state-of-the-art fabrication method to mimic the processes electric eels use to generate electrical bursts. Their approach produces power sources with higher power densities than other hydrogel-based designs, while remaining flexible, support-free, environmentally stable and biologically compatible.