Eberly College's undergraduate research exhibition a success
| news.psu.edu
On Oct. 7, the Penn State Eberly College of Science hosted the fall 2021 Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition as part of its new Diversity in STEM Corporate Partners Program and in conjunction with the college’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The exhibition featured approximately 40 student participants, from whom 10 winners were chosen in three categories, and was adjudicated by 20 Penn State faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and staff.
Interactions with unreliable infrastructures could be key to smart city design
| news.psu.edu
Research from the College of Information Sciences and Technology found that smart city designs should consider the daily experiences of citizens or allow them to adapt their own solutions, particularly in areas with historically unreliable infrastructures.
New Administrative Fellow will bring ecological approach to her experience
| news.psu.edu
Erica Smithwick, distinguished professor of geography and associate director of the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, was selected as an Administrative Fellow for the 2021–22 academic year.
EarthTalks to discuss fire regimes and feedbacks in Patagonian temperate forests
| psu.edu
Andrés Holz, associate professor of geography at Portland State University, will deliver a talk titled "Fire regimes and flammability feedbacks in Patagonian temperate forests" at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, via Zoom.
Penn State-led team awarded $17M to study climate risk and adaptation strategies
| psu.edu
A multi-institutional research team led by Penn State has been awarded a $17 million, five-year cooperative research agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science to understand how interconnected systems are exposed to natural hazards that create vulnerabilities and risks for society and how societies respond and adapt to these risks.
Small-scale foragers left more than footprints on the landscape
| news.psu.edu
Archaeological sites like the Great Wall of China and the pyramids can be seen with the naked eye from space, but for ancient societies that did not build, their traces on the landscape are more difficult to find. Now Penn State researchers have used satellite data to identify areas in coastal southwest Madagascar where indigenous foragers altered their surroundings.
YES introduces engineering to elementary and middle school youth
| news.psu.edu
Christine Cunningham believes today’s young learners can become tomorrow’s problem-solvers and engineers, if their natural creativity and curiosity about how things work is nurtured through their K-12 curriculum. She has launched Youth Engineering Solutions and has received more than $5 million in grants to help develop curricula and disseminate it nationally.
Talk to discuss ancient, deep groundwater in search for life on Earth and beyond
| news.psu.edu
Investigation of subsurface environments and subsurface processes is becoming more and more important in our understanding of planetary evolution, habitability and the search for life. Barbara Sherwood Lollar, University Professor in Earth Sciences and Dr. Norman Keevil Chair in Ore Deposits Geology at the University of Toronto, will discuss her research on this topic in the talk, "Imaging Habitable Worlds – Lessons from the Deep Biosphere and Hydrogeosphere."
Viewing memes online increases positive emotions, helps cope with pandemic
| news.psu.edu
According to new Penn State research by IEE cofund Jessica Myrick, viewing memes online may increase positive emotions which can help improve one’s confidence in the ability to cope with life during a pandemic.
Fayette alumna recognized for undergraduate research
| news.psu.edu
Maria Schultheis, an alumna of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, has received an honorable mention in the 2021 University Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy category for “The Future of Photovoltaic Technology: Using Amino Acids as Molecular Electronics.”
The air travel revolution
| by Karen A. Thole
For years, Karen Thole has been thinking about the aviation industry and its contribution to global emissions. She and her colleagues are working on turbine technology and design that can cut emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Call for Rock Ethics Institute Faculty Fellowship applications
| news.psu.edu
The Rock Ethics Institute is now accepting applications for its 2022-23 Faculty Fellowship program, which provides up to $10,000 for a two-course release from teaching to support ethics-related projects.
Lacking a standard unit for light measurement, scientists devised a spectral sensitivity curve in the early 20th century. This graph, representing an "average human observer," mathematically quantifies light. Though imperfect, it remains the standard today, but an update could significantly improve the energy efficiency of lighting. Listen to the podcast.
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