The Penn State Social Science Research Institute’s Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships (CERAP) unit recently awarded six seed grants to support interdisciplinary community-engaged research.

Zhenlong Li, associate professor of geography at Penn State, has received the 2026 Early/Mid-Career Research Award from the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) for research that has advanced the field of geographic information science.

Penn State graduate student Anthony Altobelli, a Pennsylvania Army National Guard staff sergeant, is the recipient of the 2026 LT. Michael P. Murphy Award. The annual award recognizes a Penn State student who has made exceptional contributions to the global geospatial intelligence community.

Thirty-six Penn State graduate students have received scholarships of up to $10,000 from the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Endowment, established by Jeff and Ann Marie Fox’s $20 million naming gift to Penn State’s J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School. The 36 students are studying in 32 master’s or doctoral degree programs.

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2026 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE’s five strategic research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to more than 40 researchers across 10 colleges and campuses and 21 departments and units.

Penn State World Campus alumni are applying their online educations to make an impact across industries. Rebecca Schreiber, Jeff Sharp, and Jimmy Kroon have each leveraged Penn State’s online programs to advance their careers while balancing family, work and other responsibilities.

A large-format map created by Penn State students now hangs in a California theater as a tribute to conservationist David Myers, while also reflecting the growing impact of donor support on the Department of Geography’s GeoGraphics Lab.

Penn State has announced academic promotions for tenured and tenure-line faculty members at Penn State, effective July 1, 2026.

For Sailor Walter, undergraduate research offered a chance to move beyond classroom discussion and study a complex issue close to home. Walter, who recently earned a bachelor of science degree in geography from Penn State, is from the Pittsburgh area and spent the spring semester working with Jennifer Baka, associate professor of geography, on research related to the petrochemical industry in Western Pennsylvania.

Penn State Sustainability has announced the 2026 recipients of its annual awards. These accolades, including the John Roe Sustainability Impact Award and the Student Sustainability Advisory Council Tree Award, commend the extraordinary contributions of students in spearheading sustainability initiatives.