May 25, 2023
The tendency of cities to trap heat — a phenomenon called the “urban heat island,” often referred to as the UHI effect — can lead to dangerous temperatures in the summer months, but a new study conducted by Penn State researchers suggests that certain urban factors can reduce this effect.
May 23, 2023
Last summer, on a sweltering July morning, Penn State Harrisburg environmental engineering professor Shirley Clark and two students worked in the yard of the Middletown Area Historical Society on East Main Street.
May 23, 2023
Lara B. Fowler, teaching professor of law at Penn State Law and researcher with expertise centering on water, energy, agriculture and dispute resolution, has been named director of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State and the University’s chief sustainability officer, effective May 15. Fowler has served in both roles on an interim basis since July 1, 2022.
May 18, 2023
Reduce fossil fuel use and air quality will improve, right? It might not be as straightforward as it appears, according to a Penn State-led research team. They explored almost 30,000 simulated future scenarios and found that some climate mitigation efforts could lead to harmful health impacts in certain geographic areas.
May 15, 2023
The Microbiome Center in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has announced its renaming to the One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC), the first center in the world to integrate "One Health" with the microbiome sciences. The new name reflects the center's collaborative culture and aspirations to write its next chapter in the booming field of the microbiome sciences — the study of microbial communities that live throughout the world's environments.
May 13, 2023
Electric vehicles, or EVs, promise to reduce carbon emissions and serve as a tool to help mitigate climate change, but a team of Penn State researchers report there has been little research to determine how equitable the benefits of EVs are and, in fact, whether the technology may unfairly harm some areas and populations.
May 12, 2023
Three global education leaders in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have contributed their expertise to a new book. The trio wrote a chapter in “Sustainable Education Abroad, Striving for Change,” which is part of a book series spearheaded by the national nonprofit, Forum on Education Abroad. The “Standards in Action” series is intended to bridge big ideas and foundational principles in education abroad to the creative approaches and practical tactics that can turn those concepts into reality.
May 11, 2023
An interdisciplinary team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences — in an initiative aimed at better understanding the implications of climate change for animal and plant life and agricultural systems — is focusing on an emerging field of study called landscape transcriptomics.
May 8, 2023
While farms in the U.S. can vary by many characteristics such as size, production scale and the products they produce, Penn State researchers say many agricultural policies are designed with a “one size fits all” approach.
May 4, 2023
Nineteen interdisciplinary research teams received funding through the Institutes of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) Seed Grant Program for 2023. This includes more than 75 researchers who are affiliated with 10 colleges and research units across seven Penn State campuses.
May 3, 2023
A new master agreement with ENOWA, a company tasked with pioneering sustainable energy and water innovations, will support Penn State research efforts in sustainable water solutions. The agreement could see up to $6 million invested into developing much-needed zero-waste water solutions.
April 12, 2023
Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology, has been awarded the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration.
April 5, 2023
From improving water quality to providing a haven for endangered species, wetlands are the unsung heroes of our planet. Wetlands provide a range of critical services, like reducing storm damage and removing excess nutrients, and are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Kimberly Van Meter, assistant professor of geography, received a $644,595 Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the role of wetlands in improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region.
April 4, 2023
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture has awarded a grant to a team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences to fund research aimed at reducing enteric, or intestinal, methane emissions from cows and sheep, using plant and fungal sources.
April 4, 2023
Pollination is vital for many plants, and nutrients present in the soil before these plants even sprout may affect how attractive they eventually are to pollinators, according to Penn State-led research.
April 4, 2023
While pollinator populations of many species have plummeted worldwide, one bee species is blowing up the map with its rapid population expansion. The key to this insect’s success? Its passion for pumpkins, zucchinis, and other squashes, and the massive increase in cultivation of these crops across North America over the last 1,000 years.
March 31, 2023
Studying abroad can be a transformative experience. However, first-generation college students may face additional challenges and feel that international experiences are out of their reach. A course in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences was created to help first-gen students achieve their travel goals.
March 23, 2023
U.S. college students’ knowledge of bees focuses primarily on honey bees and pollination services, according to Penn State researchers, who said findings from their recent study could help in designing campaigns to generate support for protecting threatened pollinators.
March 22, 2023
A novel study by a Penn State-led research team suggests that “manureshed” management in the Susquehanna River basin could make a big difference in the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.
March 22, 2023
Sustainability and conservation efforts vary around the globe, but education still can be gleaned from far-flung places — as students in a Penn State travel abroad class recently learned on a trip to South America.
March 20, 2023
Concrete is as ubiquitous in cities as it is impervious. Amid worsening storms due to climate change, it only deflects runoff toward the drain, threatening sewer capacities. Lauren McPhillips is partnering with researchers across the commonwealth to engineer stormwater solutions using nature to replace hard surfaces and help control the flow.
February 27, 2023
It is widely believed that when foods undergo processing, their health benefits are reduced. But that is not true for cocoa, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers, who conducted a new study using a mouse model.
February 27, 2023
A new set of quantitative models that incorporates pH into the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) has been developed by an international team that includes Penn State assistant professor of plant science Francisco Dini-Andreote.
February 24, 2023
Workers tasked with moving products in the immense U.S. food system are at a high risk of serious injury, according to a new Penn State-led study, and pandemic-caused, supply-chain problems have worsened the situation, researchers suggest.
February 13, 2023
Alex Hristov, Penn State distinguished professor of dairy nutrition, has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct studies to determine whether supplementing the feed of lactating dairy cows with either 3-Nitrooxypropanol or a species of red seaweed reduces the amount of methane emitted by the animals in the long-term.
January 29, 2023
When Ken Davis had an opportunity to help lead graduate education at Penn State, the chance was one that he could not let pass by.
January 27, 2023
A machine vision system capable of locating and identifying apple king flowers within clusters of blossoms on trees in orchards was devised by Penn State researchers — a critical early step in the development of a robotic pollination system — in a first-of-its-kind study.
January 27, 2023
Erica Smithwick, distinguished professor of geography, has been named director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State, effective Jan. 1.
January 9, 2023
Many no-till growers are reluctant to implement any soil disturbance due to concerns about negative impacts on soil health. However, a new study by a team of Penn State researchers suggests that plowing fields once after five years in a crop rotation that includes coverage with cover crops and perennials can maintain soil health and provide other benefits.
December 12, 2022
The University’s Fashion Society may seem like a fun way to appreciate a passion for fashion, but to Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences student Gabrielle Leach, it’s also a way to promote sustainability and enhance awareness of the impact of fast fashion to consumers.
