Penn State Energy and Environment News

Seed-grant recipients to put a human face on materials research

| psu.edu

The Materials Research Institute and the College of Engineering have announced the recipients of the Materials Matter at the Human Level seed grants. The grants were developed to continue the history of MRI and the College of Engineering partnering to fund materials projects that benefit humankind, including those aimed at improving the health and economic development of under-resourced populations. 

Engineering professor recognized by UN for work in sustainable buildings

| psu.edu

James Freihaut, professor of architectural engineering, was recognized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Sustainable Energy during the committee’s 30th Jubilee Session on Sept. 22. Freihaut was honored for his contributions to the committee for the past 30 years.

The climate crisis should be pushing colleges and universities to do more to be sustainable, experts say. Student recruitment depends on it.

| businessinsider.com

Research labs, large endowments, new schools, and other resources in US higher education could help implement climate solutions on a wide scale.

More strategic COVID-19 testing could prevent distancing and shutdowns

| psu.edu

Strategically increasing testing capacity, either by making diagnostic tests faster or more available, can reduce reliance on costly preventative interventions, such as distancing and shutdowns, according to a team of researchers led by Penn State. 

Energy engineer joins Greater Allegheny’s faculty

| psu.edu

Penn State Greater Allegheny welcomed Fernando Soto to its energy engineering program in the Fall of 2021. Soto joins program faculty with vast knowledge of energy storage systems.

World Digital Preservation Day event Nov. 3 highlights access, sustainability

| psu.edu

Penn State University Libraries will host a morning of virtual programming on Wednesday, Nov. 3, in advance of World Digital Preservation Day. The Libraries’ Digital Preservation Program experts will address ways their work supports the preservation of digital cultural heritage content, access to obsolete content through software emulation, sustainable practices and more.

Seed grants to enable exploration of new frontiers in materials research

| psu.edu

The Materials Research Institute has announced new seed grant opportunities for Penn State faculty in a variety of research themes, with a goal of sparking new collaborations that will develop high-risk, high-impact transformative proposals via materials research.

Penn State professor, Nobel laureate to present on inclusive STEM teaching

| news.psu.edu

Penn State Professor of Mathematics Nate Brown and Nobel laureate Carl Wieman, Stanford University professor of physics and education and author of “Improving How Universities Teach Science,” will present a remote mini-symposium titled “STEM Educational Equity and Design” from 1 to 2:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 29 via Zoom.

Materials Research Institute names five Roy Award winners

| news.psu.edu

Three Penn State faculty and two graduate students have received the 2021 Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award.

Erickson Discovery Grants open for summer 2022 funding

| psu.edu

Students from all academic fields and Penn State campuses are encouraged to apply for a 2022 Erickson Discovery Grant to fund student-initiated projects next summer. Grants provide $3,500 toward living expenses and project costs. Student projects of all kinds are welcome: the arts, engineering, humanities, sciences and social sciences.

National Center for Healthy Housing director to give Hankin Lecture

| news.psu.edu

Amanda L. Reddy, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, will deliver the 2021 Hankin Distinguished Lecture, hosted by Penn State's residential construction program and the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center. Her talk, “Florence Nightingale Was Right: The Central Role of Housing for Ensuring Health and Well-Being in a Changing World,” will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, over Zoom.

Celebrating Professional Women in Building Week at Penn State

| news.psu.edu

In celebration of the National Association of Home Builders Professional Women in Building Week, the PWB Council of Central Pennsylvania partnered with the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center at Penn State to speak with undergraduate students from several majors in the architectural engineering course AE 470: Residential Building Design and Construction on Sept. 17.