Simple stabilizing solution leads to seven new ceramic materials
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By removing oxygen during synthesis, a team led by materials scientists at Penn State created seven new high-entropy oxides: a class of ceramics composed of five or more metals with potential for applications in energy storage, electronics and protective coatings.
EarthTalks: Lithium patterns evident in long-mined Pennsylvania formation
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Speakers Tim White and Nick Sullivan will discuss lithium in the Mercer Formation, a geologic formation long mined in central Pennsylvania, as part of the EarthTalks speaker series. Their seminar is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Oct. 27 in 112 Walker Building at University Park.
Clark Scholars Program receives additional $11M investment from Clark Foundation
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Five years ago, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation established the A. James Clark Scholars Program, a comprehensive scholarship and curricular support program for exceptional Penn State engineering undergraduates who demonstrate financial need. Now, with an additional $11 million investment, the Clark Foundation renewed its support for the program, ensuring that 10 new undergraduate engineering majors at Penn State will receive full tuition, fees, room and board, and curricular enrichment support each year in perpetuity.
Two Penn State faculty named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology
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Lacey Alexander, professor of kinesiology, and Danielle Symons Downs, professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology, were recently named fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology during the organization’s annual meeting in September.
Four researchers named Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellows
Four Penn State researchers have been selected as 2025 fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE). The IEE Fellowship Program recognizes researchers whose work has significantly advanced energy and environmental research and provides support to further their efforts.
Penn State to host town hall on research enterprise, federal funding landscape
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Penn State will host a town hall on Monday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. to share updates on the University’s research enterprise and the evolving federal funding landscape. The event will take place in 603 Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub and will be livestreamed for the Penn State community. It will be hosted by Andrew Read, senior vice president for research; Fotis Sotiropoulos, executive vice president and provost; and Amanda Wintersteen, assistant vice president for federal relations.
Most users cannot identify AI bias, even in training data
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When recognizing faces and emotions, artificial intelligence (AI) can be biased, like classifying white people as happier than people from other racial backgrounds. This happens because the data used to train the AI contained a disproportionate number of happy white faces, leading it to correlate race with emotional expression. In a recent study, published in Media Psychology, researchers asked users to assess such skewed training data, but most users didn’t notice the bias — unless they were in the negatively portrayed group.
Climate Conversation Café on countering climate misinformation
The Penn State Climate Consortium will host a Climate Conversation Café featuring Janet Swim, professor of psychology and associate director of the consortium. The event will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in 312 Earth and Engineering Sciences Building. Attendees may also register to participate virtually. Registration is required.
Penn State earns national 'Trailblazer' award for Sustainable Labs Program
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Penn State was recognized with the Academic Green Lab Trailblazer Award at the 2025 My Green Lab Summit, highlighting the University’s exceptional leadership and innovative efforts to advance sustainability in academic laboratories.
Decoding dangers of Arctic sea ice with seismic, radar method
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Drifting sea ice threatens Arctic communities. A new tool developed by researchers at Penn State identifies seismic activities linked to distinct types of shifting ice.
Old-school material could power quantum computing, cut data center energy use
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A new twist on a classic material could advance quantum computing and make modern data centers more energy efficient, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State.
Clive Randall elected as fellow of the European Academy of Sciences
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Clive Randall, Evan Pugh University Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected as a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences. The academy is an international scientific organization composed of the world’s leading scientists, scholars and engineers, dedicated to promoting excellence in science and technology.