Penn State Energy and Environment News

Xuan to look for biofuel of the future using DOE Co-Optima award

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Penn State Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Yuan Xuan and researchers at Yale University will work together to identify clean-burning biofuels for next-generation internal combustion engines thanks to a $1.2 million award from the Energy Department’s Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines Initiative.

Black History Month Scholar's program highlights faculty research

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Panelists will share their research in three panel discussions for the Black History Month PSU Scholar’s Program, highlighting scholarship by Penn State faculty members of African descent, Feb. 21 and 22 in Pattee Library's Foster Auditorium at University Park.

Giebink to explore new optical materials using NSF CAREER Award

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Electrical engineer Chris Giebink has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his project, “Non-Hermitian Organic Photonics.”

College of Engineering seed grants support multidisciplinary research efforts

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Penn State's College of Engineering recently awarded funding to four projects through its Multidisciplinary Research Seed Grants program.

Karen Thole named distinguished professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering

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Karen Thole, professor and department head of mechanical and nuclear engineering, has been named a Penn State distinguished professor.

Volvo partnership pays off in SuperTruck collaborative effort

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Five years of effort by a partnership of international corporations and universities organized by Volvo have led to the Volvo SuperTruck, a vehicle that achieved an 88 percent improvement in overall efficiency. Penn State engineers were part of this SuperTruck team, and focused on advanced combustion strategies and engine simulation.

College of Engineering welcomes new faculty, continues expansion

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The College of Engineering proudly welcomes the new faculty members who have joined Penn State for the 2016-17 academic year.

Penn State Harrisburg Summer STEM program wows high school students

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Penn State Harrisburg's two-week Summer STEM Enrichment Program introduced high school students to the different scientific disciplines involved in STEM, helping to give them a better sense of what major they might pursue, what careers are available, and what learning at the university level would be like.

EMS undergrads research energy, explore regions of Europe through science course

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A group of earth and mineral sciences undergraduates explored several regions of Europe through a science course to research energy and learn about different cultures.

Engineering's Collins, Giebink honored for teaching excellence

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Robert Collins, associate professor of computer science and engineering at Penn State, and Chris Giebink, Charles K. Etner Early Career Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State, were recently selected to receive the Joel and Ruth Spira Excellence in Teaching Award. Established with an endowment by the Lutron Foundation in honor of the company's founders, the award recognizes individuals who excel in the classroom by helping students learn, understand and apply the fundamentals of engineering.

Engineering faculty appointed to early career and development professorships

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Eight faculty members in the Penn State College of Engineering were recently appointed to early career and development professorships.

Solar cell research funded by U.S. Department of Energy

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Fixed-tilt concentrating photovoltaic panels that will deliver significantly more energy than conventional photovoltaic solar panels are the aim of Penn State's solar energy research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) for $2.9 million.