A recent gift of a Thermotron humidity chamber from energy company Aramco Americas will support numerous research projects in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Sara Andreoli, a postdoctoral researcher who recently completed her appointment with the Earth and Mineral Sciences Energy Institute at Penn State, received the esteemed 2022 EMS Postdoctoral Excellence in Research Award.

Russell Johns, professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering at Penn State, was selected to receive the 2022 Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) Pioneer Award from the International Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). The SPE IOR Pioneer Award is presented to select individuals who have made significant advancements over the years in improved oil recovery technology.

Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) recognized exceptional students and faculty for their academic excellence, service and leadership during its annual Wilson Awards Celebration, held on Sunday, April 24. The Wilson Awards are named in honor of Matthew and Anne Wilson, major benefactors of the college.

Every year in April the department of energy and mineral engineering holds an awards banquet to celebrate the success of its students and to thank the donors who sponsor its scholarships and program support funds. The event brings students, donors, faculty, staff, and friends together to acknowledge the accomplishments of its community and present awards to its brightest and best.

Thermally regenerative ammonia batteries can produce electricity on demand from low-grade waste heat. A new process for creating these 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.

The following is a list of non-tenure-line faculty promotions at Penn State, effective July 1, 2022. The University announced promotions for tenured and tenure-line faculty earlier this year. 

Porous materials can be found everywhere from the concrete in our buildings to the bones in our bodies. In buildings, lightweight, high-strength porous materials help conserve energy, insulate acoustics and bear higher loads. In armored vehicles and airplanes, they reduce fuel consumption. Porous rocks are used to mitigate climate change by serving as a medium for carbon dioxide storage and geothermal heat extraction.

Angelique Adams, CEO of Angelique Adams Media Solutions, LLC, was awarded the 2022 Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal by Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The award was established in 1992 to recognize the very highest levels of intellectual achievement or academic service attained by those educated in the college. The award is named in honor of Charles L. Hosler, former dean of the college, senior vice president for research, dean of The Graduate School, and professor of meteorology emeritus and Penn State Distinguished Alumnus.

Upcycling plastic waste into graphite, used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, could positively contribute to the global economy, preserving resources, saving energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to Penn State researchers.