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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ahead of Penn State Energy Days 2019, NETL Director Brian Anderson visited the University to spend time with EMS Energy Institute faculty and staff members discussing NETL’s vision and the Energy Institute’s research.

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.”

More than 175 researchers, students and industry professionals from companies and universities around the world gathered at Penn State’s University Park campus Aug. 10-15 for the 20th Annual Conference of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG). 

The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering will host its annual research showcase, “Rising to the Challenge,” from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Graduate State College Regency Ballroom in State College.

Improving ventilation in underground mines with large openings is the focus of a new project funded by the Center for Disease Control’s Office of Mine Safety and Health Research.