eNews Archive 2012

Angela Lueking, associate professor, Energy and Mineral Engineering and Chemical Engineering, recently published Evidence for Ambient-Temperature Reversible Catalytic Hydrogenation in Pt-doped Carbons, in NanoLetters, a high profile journal that reports on research in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The results of the study resolve a long-standing controversy in the literature on using in situ Raman spectroscopy to confirm a weak carbon-hydrogen chemical bond can form reversibly at ambient temperatures.

The EMS Energy Institute is hosting a new seminar series, Energy Exchange, as part of the Institute's outreach mission. The seminars focuses on highly relevant energy topics, especially in the area of fossil fuels. Energy topics discussed include new innovations in carbon dioxide utilization, clean coal, petroleum and natural gas, fuel cells, and more.

Materials of fictional superheroes, medical mapping, and the Telica Volcano: all are among the variety of topics covered in the posters presented on Dec. 5 at Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) first undergraduate poster exhibition, showcasing the variety of research and creative endeavors of its students. Twenty-six entries from all five departments were unveiled before an enthusiastic audience in the hallway of the Deike Building. Nine EMS faculty judges critiqued the posters based on display, content and oral presentation.

The 2013 International Conference on Coal Science and Technology (ICCS&T) has announced it's Call for Papers. Abstracts will be accepted through February 11, 2013.

ICCS&T is held every two years in locations across the globe, including Okinawa, Japan; Nottingham, England; Cape Town, South Africa; and Oviedo, Spain. The 2013 ICCS&T will be held on the beautiful Penn State campus in State College, Pennsylvania, USA from September 30 to October 3.

Randy Vander Wal, professor of energy and mineral engineering and materials science and engineering, and Chung-Hsuan Huang, a doctoral student in energy and mineral engineering, were part of the NASA Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment Team who recently received their second NASA Group Achievement Award for "outstanding achievement in establishing the impact of hydro-treated renewable jet fuels on commercial aircraft engine performance and pollutant emissions." Tasked with testing whether a biofuel made from chicken fat can be used as a viable jet fuel alternative, the team used a NASA DC-

The 12th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization (ICCDU) has announced its call for papers. Abstracts can be submitted online through January 31, 2013. ICCDU, which began in 1991 in Nagoya, Japan, has since been held in countries throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. The biennial conference provides a multi-disciplinary forum on recent innovations in fundamental and applied aspects of CO₂ utilization.

Randy Vander Wal has been promoted to the rank of Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, effective July 1, 2012. Read More.