Penn State Energy and Environment News

Marcellus drilling boom may have led to too many hotel rooms

| psu.edu

Drilling in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region led to a rapid increase in both the number of hotels and hotel industry jobs, but Penn State researchers report that the faltering occupancy rate may signal that there are now too many hotel rooms.

Joint Center for Energy Research promotes U.S.-China collaboration

| psu.edu

With the goal of promoting global cooperation in clean energy research and education, Penn State and Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in China established an international Joint Center for Energy Research (JCER) in 2011 as a part of global engagement efforts at both universities.

Penn State Brandywine professor joins NOAA crew for research mission at sea

| psu.edu

Since joining Penn State Brandywine’s faculty in 2001, Associate Professor of Earth Science Laura Guertin has focused on bringing real-world perspective into the classroom. The geologist recently voyaged to sections of the Atlantic Ocean to conduct a research mission with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of its Teacher at Sea Program.

Students travel 'down under' to explore New Zealand’s energy technologies

| psu.edu

Last May, a group of twelve undergraduate students embarked on a fourteen-day research expedition across New Zealand exploring the country’s energy technologies and this past December wrapped up the course with group presentations of their final projects.

Two engineers win National Science Foundation CAREER Awards

| psu.edu

Two Penn State engineering faculty members were recently awarded National Science Foundation Early Career Development Awards. The faculty members are Gordon Warn, assistant professor of civil engineering, and Tak-Sing Wong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

Turning biologists into programmers

| psu.edu

For more than half a century scientists have looked on the DNA molecule as life's blueprint, but biological engineers are beginning to see the molecule not as a static plan, but more like a snippet of life's computer code that they can program. Penn State researchers are now unraveling the mystery of how nature codes and recodes this program to address some of the world's biggest challenges, says Howard Salis, assistant professor of biological engineering and chemical engineering.

Data Commons connects researchers through data sharing

| psu.edu

In order to promote open access to research data, many funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), require that research data generated by publicly-funded projects be made publicly available. In addition, some journals require authors to make materials, data and associated protocols promptly available to readers as a condition of publication. Researchers can now more easily comply with these policies by utilizing the services of Penn State’s Data Commons.

Penn State, DEP collaborate on digital Pennsylvania Mine Map Atlas

| psu.edu

The Pennsylvania Mine Map Atlas is now available online. The atlas is a new initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Penn State's Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access Program that not only allows homeowners to view previously unavailable mine maps, but also allows them to see their home's proximity to the nearest underground mine.

Researchers study how to accurately measure a city's greenhouse gas emissions

| phys.org

If a community wanted to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and decided to take steps to do it, how would it know if the steps it was taking worked?

'Citizen science' leads to new Pa. birding atlas

| psu.edu

With the dedication of more than 2,000 volunteers, 52 authors and a number of trained ornithologists, geographic information specialists and other professionals, the Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania was published in November by the Penn State University Press.

Ailanthus tree's status as invasive species offers lesson in human interaction

| psu.edu

An exotic tree species that changed from prized possession to forest management nightmare serves as a lesson in the unpredictability of non-native species mixing with human interactions, according to researchers.

Promotions in academic rank, effective July 1, 2016

| psu.edu

The following is a list of academic promotions for tenured and tenure-line faculty members at Penn State, effective July 1, 2016.