All News

Penn State launches Center for Critical Minerals
05/20/2019

Edward Steidle, former dean of Penn State’s College of Mineral Industries, the predecessor of the present College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, wrote these visionary words in 1952: “American industry will be faced not only with a lack of raw materials at home, but also with the difficulty of obtaining supplies abroad.”


Creating and Running a Circle of Excellence
05/14/2019

In late January, the EMS Energy Institute offices experienced a small flood that damaged computers, paperwork, and almost displaced administrative assistant Kelly Rhoades from her office. OPP provided large plastic sheets to cover desks overnight to prevent further damage; however, with Rhoades’ ceiling still leaking water, she continued to work under the tarps to coordinate faculty and administrative areas across campus to ensure faculty research proposals were submitted on time. Rhoades was recognized for that level of dedication throughout her 30 years of service at Penn State last December when she was awarded the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Circle of Excellence Award.


Institutes of Energy and the Environment announces seed grant recipients
05/07/2019

The 2018–19 Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) seed grant recipients have been awarded to 18 groups of interdisciplinary researchers at Penn State.


Song receives George A. Olah Award from the American Chemical Society
04/24/2019

Chunshan Song, distinguished professor of fuel science in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering and director of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' Energy Institute at Penn State, received the 2019 George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. He was presented with the award at ACS National Meeting, held March 31 through April 4 in Orlando, Florida.


Mining engineering students learn valuable skills through mine rescue contest
04/22/2019

On March 30, Penn State hosted the SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration) Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue contest. Teams from Penn State, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, West Virginia University, and the University of Kentucky competed throughout the morning in mock mine-hazard scenarios.


Researcher to study Earth’s subsurface stress during oil and gas production
03/12/2019

Penn State researcher Amin Mehrabian was recently awarded a $110,000 grant from the American Chemical Society’s Petroleum Research Fund to study subsurface stress in hydrocarbon reservoirs.


NSF grant aims to enhance resilience of U.S. electricity grids
02/05/2019

Society depends on critical infrastructures like the electricity grid, and ensuring that the power grid is able to recover rapidly from disruptions is vital. Researchers from Penn State and the University of Washington have been awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study economic mechanisms for grid resilience against extreme events and natural gas disruptions.


Marone awarded Louis Nèel Medal by European Geosciences Union
01/30/2019

Chris Marone has been selected to receive the European Geosciences Union’s 2019 Louis Néel Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals in recognition of outstanding achievements in rock magnetism, rock physics and geomaterials.


Penn State chosen by Department of Energy to help modernize the power grid
01/24/2019

In an effort to modernize and reimagine the United States' power grid, Penn State researchers have qualified for a highly selective, innovative competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.


Understanding physics could lead to big gains in shale oil recovery
01/14/2019

Oil companies are missing out on vast sums of recoverable oil in unconventional reservoirs, according to Penn State experts.


EI Communications