Sankey first online educator named Faculty Academy Fellow
| psu.edu
Haley Sankey has always enjoyed finding creative ways to reach out to her adult learners. Now she’s hoping to use that creativity to improve learning on campus and beyond. Sankey, an assistant teaching professor at the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute, recently became the first Penn State World Campus faculty member selected as a fellow in the Faculty Academy for Engaged Scholarship.
Penn State hydrologist Elizabeth Boyer honored by American Geophysical Union
| psu.edu
Elizabeth W. Boyer, associate professor of water resources in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been honored with the 2018 Witherspoon Lecture Award by the American Geophysical Union.
Small amounts of pharmaceuticals found in north central Pa. rural well water
| psu.edu
Drinking water from wells in rural north central Pennsylvania had low levels of pharmaceuticals, according to a study led by Penn State researchers.
Buried Treasure
| psu.edu
Penn State coral reef biologists Mónica Medina and Roberto Iglesias Prieto are studying Varadero reef, off the coast of Colombia, to learn why it is thriving under unusual conditions. With reefs around the world dying off in response to rising ocean temperatures, resilience has become a key concept. What gives some coral species the strength to adapt and bounce back while others perish?
Self-heating, fast-charging battery makes electric vehicles climate-immune
| psu.edu
Californians do not purchase electric vehicles because they are cool, they buy EVs because they live in a warm climate. Conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot be rapidly charged at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but now a team of Penn State engineers has created a battery that can self-heat, allowing rapid charging regardless of the outside chill.
Three new co-funds join Institutes of Energy and the Environment
| psu.edu
Three faculty members recently joined the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) in three different areas of expertise. Two are in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, and the other is in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. This is the first time that IEE has had co-funded faculty in the Bellisario College.
An invisible world: Explore the life of 'Zombie Ants' at the Arts Festival
| psu.edu
“The Zombie Ant Experience,” which details the strange process by which a parasitic fungus infects and takes over the bodies of ants, will be on display Penn State’s “Art of Discovery” booth at the Arts Festival from 11 to 1 p.m on Friday, July 13. “We’re pulling back the curtain on an invisible world that’s happening around you all the time," said Daryl Branford in the Huck Institute of the Life Sciences.
Scientists find evidence of 27 new viruses in bees
| psu.edu
An international team of researchers has discovered evidence of 27 previously unknown viruses in bees. The finding could help scientists design strategies to prevent the spread of viral pathogens among these important pollinators.
New insights could indicate how to break apart cellulose for biofuels
| psu.edu
A comprehensive look at how plants build cellulose, the primary building block of the walls of most plant cells, which is used in a wide variety of manmade materials, could have important implications for its use in biofuels.
Retrofitting roofs in Pennsylvania's 'Rust Belt'
| psu.edu
Esther Obonyo, associate professor of engineering design and architectural engineering, was awarded a $25,000 grant from Penn State’s Institutes of Energy and the Environment to design and test a new roofing composite. The project is part of a cross-institutional, multidisciplinary initiative led by Penn State New Kensington’s Corner Launchbox focused on refreshing the community’s image and economy.
Penn State researchers develop a way to predict and mitigate catastrophic shorts for improved OLED lighting panel reliability
| energy.gov
With the help of DOE funding, researchers at Penn State University are developing a basic scientific understanding of how shorts originate and grow to a catastrophic level, thus causing the failure of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels.
Recipients of 2018 Research Recognition Awards honored
| psu.edu
Started in 2014, the Research Recognition Awards honor the outstanding research achievements of Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center investigators who have distinguished themselves in several areas of research.