Penn State Energy and Environment News

Spring 2020 EarthTalks series presents science toward solutions

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The spring 2020 EarthTalks series, "Societal Problems, EESI Science towards Solutions," features scientists from Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and explores the human impacts on the global environment and how to apply this knowledge to decision-making.

Blocking blackouts: Q&A with engineer Ray Chaudhuri on protecting the power grid

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A team of engineers at Penn State is developing ways to prevent and deal with the "cascading failures" that lead to massive blackouts that can cripple a city or region for days.

Seven engineering faculty members receive ROCKET Seed Grant to fund new research

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Seven Penn State College of Engineering faculty members were awarded the College of Engineering’s 2020 Research Opportunities for mid-Career Knowledge EnhancemenT (ROCKET) Seed Grant to fund exploration of new or existing research areas.

Chemical engineering Research for Undergraduates students earn poster awards

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Students from the Penn State Department of Chemical Engineering’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program recently earned two awards at the 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Undergraduate Student Poster Competition.

Role of universities examined in disaster-preparedness, response and recovery

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Roughly 400 researchers and educators from more than 114 institutions across the nation recently joined together to explore how higher education can strengthen preparedness, response and recovery in the face of growing threats posed by climate change and extreme weather during the "RISE CONFERENCE 2019: Transforming University Engagement In Pre- and Post-Disaster Environments: Lessons from Puerto Rico."

Applied Optoelectronics and Photonics Lab takes top Tech Tournament honors

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Chris Giebink, associate professor of electrical engineering, and his Applied Optoelectronics & Photonics Lab at Penn State, recently took first place and $75,000 in the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference’s Tech Tournament competition, for the lab's “nanoporous antireflection coatings.”

Symposium to explore the future of solar energy

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A symposium on the future of solar energy, featuring experts from Penn State as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California Merced, and Princeton University, will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, in 100 Life Sciences Building, University Park.

Penn State awarded $3.3M to develop more efficient gas turbines

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Researchers in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering have been awarded more than a combined $3.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to support advancements in the performance and efficiency of combustion turbines and turbine-based power cycles in fossil fuel power generation.

New engineering courses highlight innovation in manufacturing

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The Penn State Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering will introduce two new graduate courses on the future of manufacturing and nanotechnology during the spring semester.

Nanoporous Antireflection Coatings secures $75,000 in tech tournament

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Representatives from 12 startups took the stage for the 2019 Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference Tech Tournament to make their pitch for up to $75,000 in cash to help their organizations take the next step to commercialization.

The new geographers: Six faculty hires are driving the future of the field

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Six new tenure-line geography faculty started this fall in the Department of Geography. They conduct research on a wide variety of subjects including water, climate change, natural hazards, remote sensing, social networks, data mining, economics, and inequality and diversity.

Engineering faculty, staff, alumni to be honored for exceptional contributions

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Faculty, staff and alumni of the Penn State College of Engineering will be recognized for their outstanding teaching, research, advising and service at a 2 p.m. ceremony on Oct. 21 in the Hintz Family Alumni Center on Penn State's University Park campus.