Read the latest news about research conducted by investigators in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Our faculty and students are continually advancing technology, creating solutions and expanding knowledge with new and innovative research.
Geography student awarded NASA funding to study harmful algal blooms
08/04/2022
08/04/2022
Shuyu Chang, a doctoral candidate in Penn State’s Department of Geography, received a Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) award to study harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Sloan Foundation grant to help support equitable transition to renewable energy
08/03/2022
08/03/2022
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded a three-year, $500,000 grant to researchers, including from Penn State, to design a framework for creating policies that mitigate the impacts of climate change for a more just transition to renewables, while expanding renewable energy production in the most vulnerable communities with environmental justice considerations.
Nanoparticles increase light scattering, boost solar cell performance
08/02/2022
08/02/2022
As demand for solar energy rises around the world, scientists are working to improve the performance of solar devices — important if the technology is to compete with traditional fuels. But researchers face theoretical limits on how efficient they can make solar cells.
New options for health, environmental monitoring with water-resistant gas sensor
08/01/2022
08/01/2022
Accurate, continuous monitoring of nitrogen dioxide and other gases in humid environments is now possible, thanks to a new water-resistant gas sensor developed a team led by a Penn State researcher.
Penn State scientists join Pacific field campaign to study extreme rainfall
07/27/2022
07/27/2022
Penn State researchers spent their summer in one of the world’s wettest regions as part of an international effort to study extreme rainfall, hazardous weather events that can trigger deadly and damaging events like flooding and landslides.
New type of semiconductor may advance low-energy electronics
07/25/2022
07/25/2022
A research partnership between Penn State and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could enable an improved method to make a new type of semiconductor that is a few atoms thin and interacts with light in an unusual way.
Seed grants to fund projects that tackle huge scientific, societal challenges
07/21/2022
07/21/2022
Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences awarded this year’s seed grant program, offering funds to Penn State scientists to help them start research projects.
Smart chip senses, stores, computes and secures data in one low-power platform
07/19/2022
07/19/2022
Securing digital data on handheld devices requires massive amounts of energy, according to an interdisciplinary group of Penn State researchers, who warn that securing these devices from bad actors is becoming a greater concern than ever before.
Thermally regenerative battery produces ample energy using low-grade waste heat
07/11/2022
07/11/2022
A new process for creating thermally regenerative ammonia batteries improves their stability and affordability and may help address the country’s growing grid-scale energy storage problem, according to a team led by Penn State researchers.
Laser writing may enable ‘electronic nose’ for multi-gas sensor
06/29/2022
06/29/2022
Environmental sensors are a step closer to simultaneously sniffing out multiple gases that could indicate disease or pollution, thanks to a Penn State collaboration.