Metals’ atomic arrangement can create ‘corrosion highways’ in nuclear reactors
| psu.edu
Using computer simulations, a team led by engineers at Penn State found that adjusting subtle atomic arrangements — even in identical baseline chemical compositions — can affect the metal corrosion rate and extent caused by the extreme chemical environment in advanced nuclear reactors can start to corrode the metals comprising the reactor.
Discovery Grants awarded to 31 students for research support
| psu.edu
Thirty-one students earned Discovery Grants to help fund their summer research and projects, gaining the opportunity for valuable experience in the field, in the lab and abroad.
Town hall to focus on research security and evolving federal requirements
| psu.edu
Penn State’s research community is invited to attend a research town hall at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, focused on research security, international collaborations and the growing federal requirements that affect the University’s research enterprise. The event will be hosted by Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read.
Ag Progress Days showcases college research, AI tool and animal health updates
| psu.edu
Visitors to the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building during Penn State’s 2026 Ag Progress Days, Aug. 11-13, will have the chance to learn more about the college’s cutting-edge research driving innovation in modern agriculture.
Plastic bottles could fuel EVs, reveals new study
| republicworld.com
Researchers have discovered a way to transform plastic bottles into highly ordered synthetic graphite, a critical material for lithium-ion batteries. The breakthrough could turn one of the world’s most common waste streams into a valuable resource for clean energy technologies.
Quantum material opens new path for studying unusual electronic behavior
| psu.edu
A team of researchers, led by engineers at Penn State, have combined approaches from two rapidly growing fields of quantum physics to develop a specialized quantum material that may lay the foundation to powering devices capable of transporting and grouping electrical signals and quantum states in ways not traditionally achievable without relying on optical or engineered systems.
College of Ag Sciences and Lithuania advance agriculture through partnership
| psu.edu
A longstanding relationship between Pennsylvania and the Baltic nation of Lithuania is expanding through a newly formalized partnership between Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Ask an expert: Are data centers driving up my electricity bills?
| psu.edu
According to Hannah Wiseman, professor of law at Penn State Dickinson Law, homeowners may be in for a shock when they pay their power bills at the end of this month, and not just because of an uptick in air conditioning to stay cool during a record-breaking heatwave. In the following Q&A, Wiseman discussed why data centers use so much power, whether they fare worse in the summertime and what impacted communities or individuals can do to voice their concerns.
Data center supporters and critics argue over future in Pittsburgh area
| cbsnews.com
There are several data centers on the drawing boards in southwestern Pennsylvania, raising concerns about noise and pollution.
Penn State Data Commons powers two decades of open science
For more than two decades, the Penn State Data Commons has expanded from an early faculty-led effort to openly share research data into a University-wide repository and support system that now serves nearly 300 faculty members across nine colleges and supported 70 research projects in 2025.
Penn State hosts manufacturing research conference with record attendance
| psu.edu
Penn State hosted the 54th annual SME North American Manufacturing Research Conference and the ASME International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference June 14-18 in State College.
John Mauro selected to receive Kingery Award from American Ceramic Society
| psu.edu
John Mauro, the interim John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State, was selected to receive the 2026 W. David Kingery Award from the American Ceramic Society. He will be recognized on Monday, Oct. 5, at the the society’s 128th Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.