Mining PA August 14-16
Join Penn State mining engineering faculty and students along with colleagues from the mining industry in Pennsylvania as they address challenges and opportunities in health and safety, environmental protection, critical minerals, and new technologies.
Mine and processing plant operators, equipment suppliers, government agencies, professional societies, and industry advocates will gather at the Penn Stater for a reception on August 14 followed by two days of dynamic speakers and opportunities to network. Participation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME), Pittsburgh Section, the SME Penn Anthracite Section, the Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association, the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, and others is expected.
Learn more: https://www.energy.psu.edu/event/mining-pa
Senator Casey visited Penn State, highlighting $2.1 million drainage research
U.S. Senator Robert Casey held a press conference on April 6 at Penn State's Coal Utilization Laboratory, led by Sarma V. Pisupati, director of the Center for Critical Minerals. The Coal Utilization Lab is part of the University's EMS Energy Institute and is focused on solving challenges related to fossil fuels and the exploration of new energy technologies. Credit: Patrick Mansell/Penn State
USGS scientist discussed critical mineral commodities at 2023 Shoemaker Lecture Energy of the Future seminar series
Elisa Alonso, a physical scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), gave the 2023 G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Mineral Engineering at Penn State. Her talk, “Rare Earth Elements are Not the only Critical Mineral Commodities,” was held on Friday, April 14, in the Hub-Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium and online via Zoom.
Alonso’s talk focused on the supply and demand analysis of the non-fuel critical mineral commodities identified by the director of USGS as essential to the United States’ economy and defense, yet most of these commodities are mostly imported. Alonso discussed the need to broaden the focus beyond the rare earth elements, the seventeen metallic elements that are commonly used in the electronics and automotive industries, to include these additional mineral commodities and how further understanding is fundamental to assessments of their criticality.
Alonso joined USGS in 2020, and her work focuses on supply chain analysis and evaluating resource availability for critical materials such as rare earth elements. Prior to joining the USGS, Alonso was a strategic materials analyst supporting the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she collaborated with numerous government agencies to assess more than 200 specialty and commodity materials for potential shortfalls in national emergency planning scenarios.
Alonso graduated from McGill University with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering and obtained a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Celebrating Women in Energy and Water Research Lecture Series
The Celebrating Women in Energy and Water Research Lecture Series, established by the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering to celebrate women conducting energy and water research, highlight their successes, engage women students, and provide an opportunity for faculty to establish and expand their professional network and mentoring relationships.
Recent lectures included:
- "Where Math Meets Social Justice," experiential seminar and Q&A with Dr. Erin Baker
- "Sustainable Power Planning Robust to Multiple Models: Meeting Mexico's 2050 Climate Goals," technical seminar with Dr. Erin Baker
- "A Passion for Science: Getting Lost and Finding Myself Again," experiential seminar and Q&A with Dr. Barbara Kutchko
- "A Sustainable and Prosperous Energy Future with the National Energy Technology Laboratory," technical seminar with Dr. Barbara Kutchko
The lecture series was established in 2021, with support from the Penn State Educational Equity Equal Opportunity Planning Committee. The series includes both experiential seminars aimed toward a broad, interdisciplinary audience and technical seminars dedicated to the speaker’s research. Recordings of the seminars are available on EME’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpyCPzOOjBve6q41_w9aJkw