All News

Penn State professor awarded technical honor from Society of Petroleum Engineers
10/04/2023

Russell Johns, professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering at Penn State, was selected to receive the 2023 SPE/AIME Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal from the International Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for technical leadership. The medal is SPE’s highest international technical award. Johns will receive the award at the 2023 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition scheduled for Oct. 16 – 18 in San Antonio, Texas.


EI Open House 2023
09/28/2023

The Penn State EMS Energy Institute (EI) hosted an open house from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27, on the Penn State University Park campus to introduce faculty, staff, and students to new director Sanjay Srinivasan and discuss the path of the institute.   


EMS doctoral alum receives national 2023 Rong Yu Wan Ph.D. Dissertation Award
09/27/2023

Behzad Vaziri Hassas received the 2023 Rong Yu Wan Ph.D. Dissertation Award in Metallurgical Engineering from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME). Hassas, who earned his doctorate in energy and mineral engineering from Penn State earlier this year, was recognized for his dissertation, “Process development for selective separation of critical elements from secondary resources."


The role of porous materials in the energy transition
07/25/2023

The central challenge that we face over the next few decades is how to curtail the emissions of CO2 while not only maintaining, but growing, the quality of life on this planet. This means nothing short of a complete overhaul of where we source our energy from, how we dispose of waste, and the way we build our cities. It is amazing how porous materials, objects with tiny little holes in them, lie at the center of this transition.


Karpyn named a recipient of 2023-24 U.S. Fulbright Scholar award
07/19/2023

Eleven Penn State faculty have received Fulbright Scholar Awards for the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Through the program, Penn State faculty members, staff and administrators have opportunities to conduct advanced research, teach or do both, as well as attend seminars, abroad. The program also affords recipients the opportunity to interact with, and make an impact on, their host communities during their Fulbright tenure.   


Ezgi Toraman named to Chemical & Engineering News' 'Talented 12' list
07/05/2023

Ezgi Toraman, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering and chemical engineering at Penn State, is one of 12 early-career scientists named to Chemical & Engineering News’ (C&EN) 2023 “Talented 12” list that highlights early-career researchers in the chemical sciences who are fearlessly tackling difficult global problems. Toraman was selected for her research in technologies that turn waste into fuels, chemicals and other products.


Mission critical: To get critical minerals and rare earth metals from coal waste
06/13/2023

Critical minerals, including rare earth metals, are vital components of our consumer goods, national defense, and emerging green-energy technologies, but the U.S is heavily dependent on imports for an adequate supply. Penn State researchers are looking for ways to tap Pennsylvania's coal mine waste as a domestic source for these materials and reduce environmental pollution at the same time. 


New wireless, rechargeable battery research aims to reduce surgical risks
06/05/2023

Researchers at Penn State are designing a new wireless rechargeable battery for biomedical electronics, such as cardiac pacemakers, that will allow them to be charged and managed without the need for invasive surgery.


Penn State and onsemi partner to boost silicon carbide research in the U.S.
05/25/2023

Penn State and onsemi, a leader in intelligent power and sensing technologies, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding toward an $8 million strategic collaboration that includes the establishment of the onsemi Silicon Carbide Crystal Center (SiC3) at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute. Over the next 10 years, onsemi will fund SiC3 with $800,000 per year.


Hydrogen battery: Storing hydrogen in coal may help power clean energy economy
05/25/2023

The quest to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source that could curb our dependence on fossil fuels may lead to an unexpected place — coal. A team of Penn State scientists found that coal may represent a potential way to store hydrogen gas, much like batteries store energy for future use, addressing a major hurdle in developing a clean energy supply chain.


EI Communications