IEE faculty, staff, and projects in the news
Penn State partners with Monash University for Australia water quality research
| psu.edu
A group of Penn State students recently traveled to Australia as part of a partnership between Penn State and Monash University to conduct research aimed at better understanding sources of decreased water quality in watersheds, in addition to finding possible solutions.
Mentions
Janik named associate director of Institute of Energy and the Environment
| psu.edu
Michael Janik, professor of chemical engineering, has been named an associate director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment.
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Michael Janik
Associate Director & Thematic Area Lead, Integrated Energy Systems, Institute of Energy and the Environment -
Bruce Logan
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Erica Smithwick
'Growing Impact' podcast explores solar energy at wastewater treatment plants
| psu.edu
The latest episode of Growing Impact explores how wastewater treatment plants could use solar power to improve their environmental performance, their communities and their finances.
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Growing Impact: Solar-powered water treatment
With rising energy costs and the worsening climate crisis, some wastewater treatment plants have started using solar energy. However, solar adoption at wastewater treatment plants is still relatively new, and there is little known about these facilities, including where they are, what drove them to choose solar, and if solar has been a success. A team of researchers looks to fill in those gaps with a new project.
Guests
Q&A: Seeing coastal storm impacts in advance can help communities prepare
| psu.edu
Knowing the potential dangers posed by storm surge and high winds before a storm hits can help coastal communities and emergency responders prepare. Visualizations showing projected storm impacts can make the complex science behind the projections easy to understand and immediately available to individuals in the storm’s path, according to Peter Stempel, associate professor of landscape architecture.
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Fossils show widespread plant extinctions after asteroid wiped out dinosaurs
| psu.edu
The asteroid impact 66-million years ago that ushered in an extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs also led to true plant extinctions, according to a new review of emerging fossil data from North and South America.
Mentions
Gasoline used in your car produces a lot of 'trash' in the form of CO2 emissions
Every week, there is a constant reminder about how much trash we throw away: the nearly endless lines of large garbage bins sitting out on the curb. But what about the other things we don’t see that we are throwing out, like those invisible gases emitted by our automobiles?
Authors
Penn State study finds climate change impacting rivers
| abc27.com
A new study out of Penn State has found climate change could be affecting rivers even more than the oceans. This could cause problems for everything that relies on rivers — including humans. This article quotes Li Li, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
From Jane to the Octonauts, children’s TV is taking on the climate crisis
| grist.org
Experts say these shows can help parents talk about a thorny subject — and inspire hope. This article quotes Erica Smithwick, Distinguished Professor of Geography.
Mentions
Civic Innovation Challenge awards $19M for climate change resilience and community-driven innovation
| new.nsf.gov
When a natural catastrophe strikes, how effectively are communities able to marshal access to resources and services? Across the nation, 19 teams of civic leaders and university scholars are working together to improve community effectiveness in responding to these challenges, supported by $19 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate and the Department of Energy.
Earth's rivers are warming up, which could threaten broad ecosystems
| kxlh.com
Scientists studied nearly 800 rivers in the U.S. and Europe, and found they're heating even faster than the oceans in places. This article quotes Li Li, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Rivers are losing oxygen faster than oceans: "Wake up call"
| newsweek.com
Rivers are getting hotter and losing oxygen, with 70 percent of rivers becoming oxygen-deprived and more getting warmer. This article quotes Li Li, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering.