All News

Twenty-one years ago, long before federal agencies began requiring researchers to openly share data, Penn State faculty were voluntarily making their data publicly available.

A new planning tool under development at Penn State could help keep the lights on as the U.S. electric grid faces growing pressures from extreme weather, renewable energy and data centers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. On the latest episode of “Growing Impact,” researchers discuss how the tool identifies unlikely but plausible combinations of events that could threaten grid reliability and inform smarter investments in transmission lines and power plants.

Fourteen interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2026 Seed Grant Program. The program supports basic and applied research that lays the groundwork to pursue external funding and is guided by IEE’s five strategic research themes. This year, the program awarded seed funding to more than 40 researchers across 10 colleges and campuses and 21 departments and units.

A plastic bottle tossed into a recycling bin could one day help power an electric vehicle, smartphone or renewable energy storage system, according to a team of Penn State researchers.

Twelve research projects have been selected for the 2026 Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund. Awarded projects receive $75,000 in funding and other support to develop promising proof-of-concept research into commercial ready technology.

Penn State’s Alliance for Education, Science, Engineering, and Design with Africa (AESEDA) will host a joint symposium with the African-led Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) to strengthen and expand the Penn State-PASET partnership and collaboration.

Communities around the world have adapted to live on the year-round frozen soil of frigid environments, such as in the Arctic. However, rising temperatures have introduced a new challenge: What happens when the ground under houses and roads begins to melt?

Penn State student Matias Moreno earned two of the nation's most competitive undergraduate scholarships this spring — the Astronaut Scholarship and the Udall Scholarship — recognizing both his excellence in STEM research and his commitment to sustainability.

The Penn State Bakery has long supported the University community through baked goods and desserts. Now, with a system developed by Matthew Hollingham, a third-year doctoral student in architectural engineering, the Bakery will also help pave the way for carbon capture and utilization.

Accurate measurements are the foundation of effective environmental management and decision-making. Through advanced monitoring networks and computer models, Ken Davis, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and his research group are helping scientists, communities and policymakers better understand urban heat, greenhouse gas emissions and air quality.