As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 19 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University, including Jennifer Renoe and Kati Taylor.

Heather Stephens, professor of community and economic development and director of the Regional Research Institute at West Virgina University, will give the talk, “The Local Impact of Coal Mining Closures,” at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State's University Park campus.

Jennifer Mapes, assistant professor of geography at Kent State, will open the Penn State Department of Geography's fall 2026 Coffee Hour seminar series at noon on Friday, Aug. 28, in 401 Steidle Building Penn State University Park. The talk also will be accessible via Zoom.

Pennsylvania ranks second in U.S. natural gas production, accounting for about one-fifth of U.S. output in 2024, and has one of the most extensive histories of energy extraction in the country. A team of researchers from Penn State is trying to better understand the environmental impacts of these sites — specifically, if fracking is increasing radium content in local drinking water.

Seismic waves produced by thunderstorms, called thunderquakes, can be used as a novel source for seismic imaging, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.

Glass may look uniform, but some of the strongest and most useful glass materials contain carefully controlled crystals. Their size, number and arrangement can determine whether a material is strong enough for a smartphone screen, transparent enough for an optical device or durable enough for a dental crown.

Nuclear energy already plays a pivotal role in powering some of the largest economies in the U.S., including Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas, and it could be the key to offsetting a rapidly increasing demand for electricity across the country, according to researchers at Penn State.

Wearable health monitors can track heart rate, muscle activity, brain signals and other physiological measurements, but many devices are designed to capture only one type of signal at a time. Recording multiple signals simultaneously is more difficult because sensors must maintain reliable contact with the body even through hair, sweat and everyday movement.

Leaders of Penn State's highly ranked mining engineering program attended an announcement at the White House of a proposed $100 million investment from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation.

An opportunity grant for non-tenure-line faculty offered through the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement can be used for professional development, advancing approaches for educating students or for acquiring skills that help improve a program at Penn State. Sekhar Bhattacharyya, associate teaching professor of mining engineering, used it to do all three.