Sustainability is a strategic initiative in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Below are the most current stories showcasing our college's sustainability efforts.
Subscribe to the Sustainability News listsesrv
New subscribers can join by sending mail to: L-EMS-SUSTAINABILITY-COUNCIL-NEWS-subscribe-request@lists.psu.edu
News
Eight Penn State research commercialization projects awarded GAP funding
Eight research projects have been selected for support from the Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund, including two by faculty in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering.
Penn State students win first place at DOE’s Solar District Cup challenge
Six Penn State students recently won a first-place award in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solar District Cup division, the second consecutive first-place division win for the University.
Lawn story: Turfgrass data may improve urban greenhouse gas emission estimates
Data that has been lost in the weeds — or more accurately the turfgrass — could help improve estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from urban areas, according to a team led by scientists at Penn State.
Penn State adds two new graduate certificates in energy and sustainability
Penn State is offering two new graduate certificates in its energy and sustainability portfolio that can help professionals seeking to play a role in the global shift towards sustainable energy solutions.
Two Penn State students help Allentown create city's first climate action plan
Two Penn State students are playing an instrumental role in helping the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania, develop its first climate action plan.
Geography Coffee Hour to feature Jessica Omukuti on inclusive Net Zero
The Penn State Department of Geography will conclude its spring 2025 Coffee Hour lecture series with a talk by Jessica Omukuti, senior research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and Oxford Net Zero.
Coastal management model plays the long game against the rising tides
To protect against rising sea levels in a warming world, coastal cities typically follow a standard playbook with various protective infrastructure options. For example, a seawall could be designed based on the latest climate projections, with the city officials then computing its cost-benefit ratio and proceeding to build, accordingly.
Penn State grad aims to advance sustainability education across Pennsylvania
As an undergraduate student at Penn State, Olivia DiPrinzio discovered a passion for sustainability and pursued it to help transform the University’s approach to sustainability education.
Climate action program earns Community Engagement and Scholarship Award
Brandi Robinson, associate teaching professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has received the 2025 Penn State Award for Community Engagement and Scholarship for her work on the Local Climate Action Program.
Underused radar data may improve severe weather forecasts, scientists say
Readily available but underused Doppler radar data can help predict the height of the planetary boundary layer — the lowest part of the atmosphere and where weather forms — and, in turn, improve severe weather forecasts, according to scientists at Penn State.