Penn State Energy and Environment News

Jason Guilbeault named assistant vice president for research post-awards

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Jason Guilbeault has been named assistant vice president for research, Post-Award Contractual Compliance, within Penn State’s newly created Office of Research Administration Services, effective Oct. 14.

$6.5 million grant advances Penn State Behrend's Project RESOLVE

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A $6.5 million state grant has positioned Penn State Behrend to begin construction of the Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness, an industry-facing research facility and the centerpiece of the college's Project RESOLVE.

Russ Messier, pioneer in thin films research, remembered

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Faculty, staff and students from across Penn State and especially in the College of Engineering and Materials Research Institute are mourning the loss of Russ Messier, graduate alumnus and professor emeritus of engineering science and mechanics, who died on Oct. 11 at age 80 in Nashua, New Hampshire.      

Local Climate Action Program and World Campus alum honored in Orange County

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Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program is making a valuable impact beyond Pennsylvania’s borders, thanks in part to Joe Thompson, a World Campus Energy and Sustainability Policy graduate. Thompson was recently honored at a ceremony hosted by the San Diego chapter of the Climate Action Campaign, for his help in creating the City of Orange climate action plan.

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences announces two new co-hires 

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The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences announced two new co-hires: Dana Calacci, assistant professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and Enrico Casella, assistant professor of data science for animal systems in the College of Agricultural Sciences. 

Penn State mining expert testifies before Congress on critical minerals needs

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Mining expert Barbara Arnold, professor of practice in mining engineering, joined a panel of experts to discuss how the United States will need to make dramatic advances to increase its technical- and skilled-labor workforce to power its green energy future and to become less reliant on foreign nations for securing materials used in both everyday devices and critical national security applications.

Stem cell-like approach in plants sheds light on specialized cell wall formation

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Using a new method to turn stripped-down plant cells into other types of cells, Penn State biologists explored how structural banding patterns increase the stability of cell walls. They also explored how their assembly goes astray in mutant plant cells, which could inform methods to break down plant cells for biofuels.

Stefano Terlizzi joins nuclear engineering department at Penn State

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Stefano Terlizzi joined the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering as the John and Jean M. Brennan Clean Energy Early Career Professor on July 22. In this Q&A, Terlizzi talks about his research background and interests, why he chose Penn State and more.

Panel discussion to highlight art and science collaborations

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Faculty and postdoctoral scholars exhibiting their work in the “Synergies in Art and Science” exhibition at the Borland Project Space will participate in a panel discussion, open to the public, on Friday, Nov. 8, noon–1:30 p.m., in 125 Borland.

New initiative in Law, Policy and Engineering trains state governor’s fellows

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Faculty and staff in Penn State’s Law, Policy, and Engineering (LPE) initiative were recently tapped by the governor’s office to lead a two-day training program in September in Harrisburg on science and technology policy. The faculty and staff are part of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Science and Technology Policy Program, which is run by LPE and aims to improve public and environmental health, economic and social equity, and public scientific discourse in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Nominations now open for Penn State Global awards

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Penn State Global is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Advancing a Global Penn State Awards, including the Penn State Global Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the annual W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty Award and the Ardeth and Norman Frisbey International Student Awards.

Deep Chakraborty discusses future of solar power on 'Dare to Disrupt' podcast

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In the latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast, host Ryan Newman interviews alumnus Deep Chakraborty, the co-founder and CEO of Enact Systems, a leading software platform revolutionizing the solar and energy storage industry.