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The Big StoryFacebook Live event to feature climate scientist Michael Mann on July 15
Last month was the hottest June on record and more than a year's worth of global monthly temperatures broke records. These all-time highs and other aspects of climate change will be the focus of a Facebook Live event featuring Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. Those who join the event by visiting the Penn State Facebook page on July 15 will be able to pose questions. “I want people to feel empowered to engage in this discussion about one of the greatest challenges we face as a civilization,” said Mann. |
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Latest Sustainability News From Penn State |
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Penn State students get second win(d) in Collegiate Wind Competition 2016The Penn State Wind Energy Club blew away the competition at the U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition 2016. Competing against 11 other universities, the Penn State team earned a big “W” as the overall winner, claiming its second consecutive title. “I’m so proud of our students for winning the overall competition,” said Susan Stewart, lead strategic adviser of the team and senior research associate and assistant professor of aerospace engineering. |
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Student-built robo-inspector fends off flooding, erosionCharged with maintaining critical infrastructure in Horsham Township, Pennsylvania, Public Works Director Dennis Haggerty wanted a cost-effective and flexible option to examine stormwater pipes. When he learned Penn State Abington students earn degrees from the Penn State College of Engineering, he contacted a faculty member with a proposal. “I thought this could be good for everyone. We form a partnership with Abington students who get to test their skills in real-life situations, and we get the video robot,” Haggerty said. |
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Student farm to host 'Art on the Acre' July 17The community is invited to join the Penn State Student Farm for “Art on the Acre,” a family-friendly event set for 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, at the one-acre farm, located near the intersection of Big Hollow and Fox Hollow roads. “We’ve planned this event as a continuation of the arts theme of the Central Pennsylvania Arts Festival, plus mid-July will be a great time for the community to come out and see everything we’re growing on the student farm,” said Alyssa Gurklis, who is working for the farm as a communications intern this summer. |
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Thinking beyond the classroom: Students engage in conservation efforts through CHANCE China programThe Penn State CHANCE (Connecting Humans and Nature through Conservation Experiences) program was founded at Penn State Lehigh Valley to empower students to take on conservation issues. CHANCE has 45 partners and is still under the direction of its founding director, Jacqueline McLaughlin, associate professor of biology. CHANCE traveled with 24 students to China last July to research the pollution of and restoration efforts needed to preserve the water flowing through the Yangtze River watershed. |
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Bumble bees pick the most nutritional pollen, research suggestsFrom National Geographic: Bumble bees can detect the nutritional quality of pollen — an ability that helps them selectively forage among plant species to optimize their diet. “Populations of many bee species are in decline across the world, and poor nutrition is thought to be a major factor causing these declines,” says Christina Grozinger, director of the Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State. “Our studies can help identify plant species and stocks that provide high-quality nutrition for bumble bees and potentially other bee species, which will help in the development of pollinator-friendly gardens and planting strips.” |
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New center to help advance global nuclear power safetyA new center at Penn State is bringing together experts from across the University to enhance the safety performance of nuclear power plants and promote safety design features for future advanced reactors. Arthur Motta, chair of Penn State's nuclear engineering program, said the Global Nuclear Power Safety Center was established at an ideal time. "We're really excited about the center because nuclear power in this country has not been developing at the pace that we would like it to, but nuclear power abroad, especially in China, is going very strong," he said. |
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Student stories: Urban blight the focus of CED major's capstone projectUrban blight in the city of New Castle is the focus of Chase Palmer's internship. The rising Penn State junior, double-majoring in Community, Environment, and Development and Geography, will spend the summer looking back at the Lawrence County community's past, and looking ahead to its future. As part of the Scholarship, Sustainability and Civic Engagement program, Palmer is spending eight weeks in New Castle assessing the vacant homes prevalent in the city. "The city hopes to demolish these old structures. It's my job to make sure they are definitely vacant and to research the history of each home," he said. |
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New clues could help scientists harness the power of photosynthesisIdentification of a gene needed to expand light harvesting in photosynthesis into the far-red-light spectrum provides clues to the development of oxygen-producing photosynthesis, an evolutionary advance that changed the history of life on Earth. "Knowledge of how photosynthesis evolved could empower scientists to design better ways to use light energy for the benefit of mankind," said Donald A. Bryant, the Ernest C. Pollard Professor of Biotechnology and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State and the leader of the research team that made the discovery. |
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Bees' ability to forage decreases as air pollution increasesAir pollutants break down plant-emitted scent molecules, which insect pollinators use to locate food, according to a team of researchers led by Penn State. The pollution-modified plant odors can confuse bees, which increases foraging time and decreases pollination efficiency. This happens because the chemical interactions decrease both the scent molecules' life spans and the distances they travel. "Many insects have nests that are up to 3,000 feet away from their food source, which means that scents need to travel long distances before insects can detect them," said Jose D. Fuentes, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science. |
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NASA flights to track greenhouse gases across eastern USFrom NASA: This month, NASA begins an airborne experiment to improve scientists’ understanding of the sources of two powerful greenhouse gases and how they cycle into and out of the atmosphere. Atmospheric Carbon and Transport–America is a multi-year airborne campaign that will measure concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane in relation to weather systems. "Carbon dioxide and methane are the two most important long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” said Ken Davis, ACT-America principal investigator from Penn State. |
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Penn State ranks No. 1 for active lifestylesPenn State recently ranked No. 1 in the National Collegiate Fitness Index rankings (NCFI) for large public universities. This ranking included information from 39 large public universities. “These rankings highlight the work we do to provide students with the best and most accessible ways to participate in some form of fitness,” said Josh Davis, strength and fitness program manager in Campus Recreation, a division of Penn State Student Affairs. |
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Probing questions: How concerned should Pennsylvanians be about Zika virus?Penn State associate professor of entomology and disease epidemiology Jason Rasgon studies how viruses are spread by mosquitoes, fleas, sand flies, lice, ticks and mites, as well as other insects and arthropods. In this Probing Question video, Rasgon looks at the relative risks for Pennsylvanians of Zika virus, Lyme disease and West Nile virus. |
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Penn State student farm brings fruitful discussion of sustainabilityFrom WPSU: Chances are you have passed by Penn State’s one acre Student Farm without knowing it. “The farm site is located at a really interesting intersection of 322 and cow pasture," Leslie Pillen said. "So you have large trucks – semis – driving by on one side and cows – sometimes horses, too – on the other.” Pillen is the coordinator of the new Penn State Student Farm. This summer is the first growing season for the farm. |
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WeatherSTEM station to help improve golfer safety at Penn State Golf CoursesHalfway through a round of golf at the Penn State Golf Courses, dark clouds gather in the distance. In a few minutes, the sky could unleash soaking rain, dangerous lightning or perhaps nothing. But thanks to technology developed by Edward Mansouri, a Penn State alumnus, golfers will receive new and improved weather alerts from course officials. “For golfers, having access to this information is huge when they’re out on the course,” said Joe Hughes, general manager and head golf professional at Penn State Golf Courses. |
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