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Eight Penn State engineering students awarded Diefenderfer Graduate Fellowships

11/1/2024

Eight Penn State College of Engineering graduate students have received the Diefenderfer Graduate Fellowship in Entrepreneurship for the 2024-2025 academic year. The Diefenderfer Graduate Fellowship encourages and provides financial support to innovative and entrepreneurial graduate engineering students.

Electrical engineering grad student awarded best paper at international conference

10/30/2024

Aneesh Kshirsagar, an electrical engineering PhD student advised by Dr. Weihua Guan, received a Best Paper Award at the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) Healthcare Innovation - Point-Of-Care Technologies Conference late last month. The paper's findings could help significantly advance virus testing by providing real-time, accurate diagnostics in settings where complex lab equipment is unavailable.

New initiative in Law, Policy and Engineering trains state governor’s fellows

10/30/2024

Faculty and staff in Penn State’s Law, Policy, and Engineering initiative were recently tapped by the governor’s office to lead a two-day training program in September in Harrisburg on science and technology policy. The faculty and staff are part of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Science and Technology Policy Program (COPA-STEP), which is run by LPE and aims to improve public and environmental health, economic and social equity, and public scientific discourse in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Stefano Terlizzi joins nuclear engineering department

10/30/2024

Stefano Terlizzi joined the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering as the John and Jean M. Brennan Clean Energy Early Career Professor on July 22. In this Q&A, Terlizzi talks about his research background and interests, why he chose Penn State and more.

Media Mention: 'Q&A: Saptarshi Das draws inspiration from biology to enhance artificial intelligence'

10/29/2024

Saptarshi Das, the Ackley Professor of Engineering Science and professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, was featured in a Q&A from Penn Stater Magazine.

Industrial engineering graduate student receives best track paper award

10/28/2024

Anshul Balamwar, a doctoral student in industrial engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, received a best track paper award in the Engineering Economy Division at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers’ annual conference.

Penn State engineers featured in American Society of Mechanical Engineers article

10/28/2024

Mary Frecker, department head of mechanical engineering, Riess Chair of Engineering and director of the Penn State Center for Biodevices, recently co-authored an article featured in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Select Articles magazine. "What is mechanical engineering" features perspectives from Penn State alumni Michele Beisler and Brain Pandya on their work in the field.

2024 Hankin Lecture to highlight carbon-neutral home building

10/23/2024

Gene Myers, owner and chief sustainability officer of Thrive Home Builders in Denver will deliver the 2024 Hankin Distinguished Lecture, hosted by the residential construction program and the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center, housed in Penn State’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His talk, “A Homebuilder’s Journey to Carbon Neutral Construction,” will be held at 4 p.m. on Nov. 6 in Robb Hall at the Hintz Family Alumni Center at University Park.

Celebrating 100 years of excellence in chemical engineering

10/23/2024

From the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building on Shortlidge Road to offices, labs and classrooms around the globe, nearly 10,000 alumni, 500 undergraduate and graduate students, and 45 faculty, post-doctoral candidates and staff call the Penn State Department of Chemical Engineering (CHE) home. This year, the department is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of a chemical engineering degree program at Penn State in 1924-25 and the first 11 chemical engineering bachelor’s degrees granted in May 1925.

Julianna Simon receives early career award from international society

10/23/2024

Julianna Simon, an associate professor of acoustics and biomedical engineering, was awarded a Frederic Lizzi Early Career Award by the International Society of Therapeutic Ultrasound in Taipei, Taiwan last month. This prestigious award recognizes and celebrates the achievements of individuals early in their careers in the field of therapeutic ultrasound.

Mechanical engineering, chemistry major named College of Engineering marshal

10/22/2024

Hannah Priller has been named the fall 2024 student marshal for the Penn State College of Engineering. She will receive bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering and in chemistry from the Eberly College of Science at the University’s?undergraduate commencement ceremony, which will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22 in the Bryce Jordan Center.

$1.05 million estate gift to establish graduate fellowship in civil engineering

10/21/2024

Margery E. Hoffman, widow of 1982 Penn State civil engineering doctoral alumnus Paul C. Hoffman, has committed a $1.05M estate gift to establish an endowment to benefit graduate students in civil engineering in her husband's memory.

Climate Consortium awards projects to drive climate solutions across key sectors

10/17/2024

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded funding to four research projects through its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program. Through this program, the consortium aims to put promising climate solutions into action via interdisciplinary partnerships.

Penn State engineering teams place in airport design competition

10/16/2024

Teams from Penn State’s School of Engineering Design and Innovation (SEDI) placed in several categories at the 2024 University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs. The competition is hosted by the Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program.

Q&A: Can you encourage inclusivity by changing how students work together?

10/14/2024

A team of engineering researchers led by Scarlett Miller, Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing, was awarded a five-year, $1.4 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to develop and scale their inclusive student teaming model to multiple campuses and universities.

Ibukun Osunbunmi named 2024 IEEE ASEE Frontiers in Education New Faculty fellow

10/11/2024

Ibukun Osunbunmi, assistant research professor in the Penn State Leonhard Center, has been named a 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Frontiers in Education New Faculty fellow.

Penn State American Nuclear Society student chapter honored with society award

10/11/2024

The Penn State student chapter of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) was awarded first place for the 2024 Samuel Glasstone Award by the ANS Education, Training and Workforce Development Division.

Penn State students shine at The Global Impact Forum 2024

10/11/2024

Three Penn State students took the stage at The Global Impact Forum (TGIF) 2024 to share the knowledge and practical experience they’ve acquired while using artificial intelligence and machine learning as part of programs offered through the Nittany AI Alliance.

Q&A: Can electricity treat high blood pressure?

10/11/2024

Several medications are available to treat high blood pressure, but more than 10 million Americans do not respond to the treatments. Tao Zhou, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics and of biomedical engineering at Penn State, received a five-year, $1.83 million grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to develop a soft and stretchable tissue-like electronic device for the treatment of resistant high blood pressure.

Spencer Szczesny named fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

10/11/2024

Spencer Szczesny, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Penn State, was recently named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Toxic protein may contribute to ALS development

10/11/2024

A toxic version of a certain protein may affect brain, spinal cord and skeletal muscle tissues differently, leading to the complex development and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a new study by a team of researchers from Penn State College of Medicine.

20 College of Engineering graduate students awarded University Fellowships

10/10/2024

The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State recognized 110 graduate students, including 20 College of Engineering students, as recipients of the 2024-2025 University Graduate Fellowships. These students were honored at a reception held in the Bryce Jordan Center on Oct. 3.

WATCH: Student success in engineering improved patient outcomes

10/10/2024

Jessica González Vargas, a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation, is working to improve physician training on one of the most common medical procedures in the United States — placing a central line in a patient’s vein.

A matter of taste: Electronic tongue reveals AI inner thoughts

10/9/2024

A recently developed electronic tongue is capable of identifying differences in similar liquids, such as milk with varying water content; diverse products, including soda types and coffee blends; signs of spoilage in fruit juices; and instances of food safety concerns. The team, led by researchers at Penn State, also found that results were even more accurate when artificial intelligence (AI) used its own assessment parameters to interpret the data generated by the electronic tongue.

Penn State leads $8.5M, multi-institution DARPA project on mixed-reality systems

10/9/2024

A team of Penn State researchers has been selected to lead a three-year, $8,552,388 multi-institution project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to identify cognitive threats in mixed-reality (MR) systems as part of the Intrinsic Cognitive Security program.

Three Minute Thesis competition provides lasting impact for graduate students

10/9/2024

In the final round of the first Penn State Three Minute Thesis competition in March 2024, 11 graduate students took the stage at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center to show off their research, represent themselves, and compete for both prize money and the opportunity to compete in a regional 3MT competition

NSF CAREER award: Centering people while advancing artificial intelligence

10/8/2024

Rui Zhang, assistant professor of computer science in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Penn State College of Engineering, will focus his NSF CAREER award on developing usable, trustworthy, responsible and safe artificial intelligence that operates under user control, reflects social norms and honors human knowledge.

Hee Jeung Oh receives national research award for work in polymers

10/7/2024

Hee Jeung Oh, assistant professor of chemical engineering and of materials science and engineering at Penn State, has been named the 2024 recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Separations Division’s Fractionation Research Inc./John G. Kunesh Award.

Media mention: ‘Butterfly-Inspired AI Technology’

10/7/2024

Saptarshi Das, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics and of electrical engineering at Penn State, was featured in a Q&A article by Tech Briefs. The article discussed the research of Das and his team that focused on Heliconius butterflies and how they process two sensory inputs — pheromones and vision — at once to find a mate.

$2M NSF Future of Semiconductors grant to team led by Penn State researchers

10/4/2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a three-year, $2 million Future of Semiconductors (FuSe2) grant to researchers at Penn State and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), to develop wireless communications and sensing platforms through advanced chips and packaging, the process of arranging, enclosing and protecting semiconductor devices.

Penn State College of Engineering faculty receive Fulbright Scholar, Fulbright Specialist Awards for 2024-25 year

10/4/2024

Twelve Penn State faculty members, including two from the College of Engineering, received Fulbright Scholar Awards for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the?Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.?An additional four faculty members, including two from the College of Engineering, have been named Fulbright Specialist Award recipients.??

$1.5M NSF grant to launch AI-designed biosensor research project

10/2/2024

To enhance biosensor development via artificial intelligence (AI) and offer STEM education opportunities to K-12 students from underserved communities, the U.S. National Science Foundation recently awarded researchers at Penn State a three-year, $1.5 million grant.

Two Penn State librarians honored by Pennsylvania Library Association

10/1/2024

Two Penn State University Libraries faculty librarians were recently given statewide awards from the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) that honor its members and volunteers “who go above and beyond the call of duty to support the work of libraries throughout the commonwealth.”

Penn State undergrads place in regional, national civil engineering competitions

9/30/2024

Penn State civil engineering student teams and one individual placed first or second in five categories at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Region 2 Mid-Atlantic West Symposium in April at George Mason University. Two of those teams were invited to compete at the National ASCE competitions in June at Brigham Young University, where one team went on to place third.

Sachin Gore, Andrea Ragonese selected for Engineering Unleashed Fellowship

9/30/2024

Sachin Gore, assistant teaching professor of mechanical engineering and director of undergraduate studies for the mechanical engineering department, and Andrea Ragonese, associate teaching professor in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation, were recently named 2024 Engineering Unleashed Fellows.

Climate Consortium workshop leads to speak at Millennium Café this fall

9/27/2024

This fall, the Millennium Café at Penn State will feature researchers who were awarded Climate Solutions Accelerator workshops by the Penn State Climate Consortium.

Electrical engineering grad students place third in symposium poster contest

9/27/2024

Zifan Zhou and Xuan Wang, both electrical engineering doctoral students at Penn State, received third place in the poster presentation competition at the Closing the Gap: Strategies for Effective Methane Emissions Reduction Symposium.

Eric Greenwood and Namiko Yamamoto named AIAA associate fellows

9/27/2024

Two Penn State aerospace engineering faculty members recently have been named American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) associate fellows.

Li Li recognized by Earth and space association with medal, lecture

9/27/2024

Li Li, the Barry and Shirley Isett Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was selected for two honors from the American Geophysical Union, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, for her scientific contributions to the field of hydrology.

Alumni share career paths and advice in season 7 of ‘Following the Gong’ Podcast

9/26/2024

The Schreyer Honors College “Following the Gong” podcast provides a glimpse into where life takes alumni following their time at Penn State and how their Penn State experiences shaped their career paths.

Bubbling up: Uncovering melt pool dynamics in metal manufacturing

9/25/2024

Using high-speed X-ray imaging, a team of researchers led by Christopher Kube, associate professor of engineering science and of acoustics, captured footage of a cross-section of liquid metal as it cooled. Their results confirmed longstanding hypotheses in the field that through local pressure changes, ultrasonic vibrations encourage air bubbles to increase in number, enlarge, migrate to the surface of a melt pool and pop — increasing the quality of the finished product.

Anand Sivasubramaniam named program chair of computer architecture symposium

9/24/2024

Anand Sivasubramaniam, distinguished professor of computer science and engineering at Penn State, has been named the program committee chair for International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA) 2025.

New material prevents mineral buildup in equipment handling water-oil mixtures

9/24/2024

Penn State researchers have developed a new nanoparticle that can prevent mineral buildup in oil extraction equipment and stabilize a commonly used emulsion, or liquid mixture. This development has the potential to make the oil extraction processes more efficient and less harmful to the environment, according to the team.

Chemistry and chemical engineering professor honored with 2024 Cottrell SEED Award

9/23/2024

Bert Chandler, professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at Penn State, is one of 11 distinguished researchers recognized by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement as a recipient of the 2024 Cottrell Plus SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery) Award.

Computer science and engineering graduate student receives distinguished paper award

9/23/2024

Xiaodong Jia, a Penn State doctoral student in computer science and engineering, received a distinguished paper award at the Association for Computing Machinery Program Language Design and Implementation 2024 conference.

Revealing invisible educational opportunities through CT scanning

9/20/2024

As a part of its mission to educate and train industry partners and students on computed tomography (CT) scanning, the Center for Quantitative Imaging (CQI) recently supported a three-day additive manufacturing practicum for industry professionals to gain hands-on experience in using 3D X-ray CT scanning.

Undergrads gain access to unique electrical engineering research opportunities

9/19/2024

The Penn State Department of Electrical Engineering announces the inaugural cohort of students for its new undergraduate research program. The program pairs undergraduate students one-to-one with faculty across the department for the duration of this two-semester, seven-credit program.

Chemical engineering graduate student earns first place in paper competition

9/17/2024

Winters K. Guo, a doctoral student in chemical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, recently won first place in a graduate student paper contest at the American Chemical Society’s national fall meeting.

Penn State joins the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network

9/17/2024

Penn State has joined the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), a partnership of more than 65 U.S. colleges and universities with the mission of instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students.

Q&A: Ethical decision-making around neurotechnology treatments

9/17/2024

A novel neurotechnology treatment known as deep brain stimulation can benefit patients with neurological disorders, but it involves surgical procedures with potential risks. Assessing the risk-benefit tradeoffs and the ethics in making decisions about whether to begin such treatments and when can be tricky for both patients and clinicians.

New 'collaborative hub' showcases College of Engineering's West Campus expansion

9/12/2024

The newly constructed Engineering Collaborative Engineering Research and Education Building (ECoRE), the latest expansion for the College of Engineering onto West Campus at Penn State University Park, is a showcase for collaboration, both in how it was built and how it will be used by faculty, staff and students at the University.

Penn State, Indian Institute of Science award joint research seed grants

9/12/2024

Penn State and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have announced the awardees for the 2024-25 cycle of their collaboration program. These awardees comprise four joint projects that connect Penn State and IISc researchers.

Three engineering researchers named Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellows

9/12/2024

Nine Penn State researchers, including three from the College of Engineering, have been named fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) for 2024.

Training veterans for America’s semiconductor workforce

9/12/2024

Penn State is a global leader in nanomanufacturing workforce development and materials science research, positioning it to support the CHIPS and Science Act’s goals of boosting U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. The Penn State Center for Nanotechnology, Education and Utilization program trains military veterans for careers in a growing microelectronics and semiconductor industry essential for national security.

Three projects receive Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed Fund grants

9/11/2024

Three potentially high-impact, high-risk research projects have been selected to receive seed funding for the latest round of the Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed (HITS) Fund initiative.

Undergraduate students gain research experience through summer program

9/11/2024

This summer, the Penn State Center for Gas Turbine Research, Education, and Outreach, housed within the Penn State College of Engineering, hosted the Penn State Low-Carbon Power and Propulsion Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at University Park.

Kristen Fichthorn invited to lecture at Materials Research Society meeting

9/10/2024

Kristen Fichthorn, the Merrell Fenske Professor of Chemical Engineering and professor of physics, has been invited to give a Symposium X Lecture at the Materials Research Society’s spring meeting, which will be held on April 7-11, 2025, in Seattle.

Plan advances for addition, renovation to build START+ Lab at CATO Park

9/5/2024

The Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance and Investment advanced a proposal today (Sept. 5) to complete a 13,000-square-foot addition and renovation at the Lidia Manson Building at CATO Park to expand the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Lab.

Q&A: Student success in Penn State's entrepreneurial environment

9/5/2024

Ryan Jai Hokimi is one of the many budding entrepreneurs who has tapped into the University’s many resources and networks that exist to help students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members turn their ideas into viable businesses. Jai Hokimi and fellow student Braeden Davidson, a junior pursuing a degree in corporate entrepreneurship and innovation, recently co-founded Saveware, a startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the sales tax refund process for businesses and tax firms.

DOE announces $14.5 million award to Energy Frontier Research Center 3DFeM

9/4/2024

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today (Sept. 4) that it will continue to support Penn State’s Center for Three-Dimensional Ferroelectric Microelectronics Manufacturing (3DFeM) as an Energy Frontier Research Center.

Penn State chemist honored with Cotton Award from American Chemical Society

9/4/2024

Ray Schaak, DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry in the Penn State Eberly College of Science and professor of chemical engineering, has been awarded the 2025 F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistryfrom the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Seeing like a butterfly: Optical invention enhances camera capabilities

9/4/2024

Using butterfly and shrimp sight as inspiration, Penn State researchers developed a metasurface, which uses, tiny, antenna-like nanostructures to tailor light and encode the spectral and polarization information of a captured image. They also developed a neural network to decode the images.

Summit to connect K-12 educators and Penn State for a more sustainable future

9/4/2024

This fall, K-12 educators will team with Penn State faculty and staff to collaborate on ways to teach and implement sustainable efforts in schools during the inaugural Penn State K-12 Sustainability Summit.

NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant announces fellowship, scholarship winners for 2024

9/3/2024

Seventeen graduate students from Penn State have been awarded research fellowships and six undergraduate students from the commonwealth have been awarded scholarships for 2024 from the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium (PSGC).

Media mention: ‘Federal program is finally incorporating climate change into precipitation frequency estimates’

9/1/2024

Lauren McPhillips, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and of agricultural and biological engineering, was featured in an article from Grid Magazine.

Reid A. Berdanier named director of START Lab

8/30/2024

Reid A. Berdanier has been named director of the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Lab at Penn State, effective Aug. 15.

Farshad Rajabipour named co-editor in chief of civil engineering journal

8/28/2024

Farshad Rajabipour, interim department head and John A. and Harriette K. Shaw Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will be co-editor in chief for the Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering (JMCE), effective Oct. 1.

Q&A: Yun Jing on acoustic holograms and vortex beams

8/28/2024

Acoustics research at Penn State has begun to sound like science fiction, with mentions of holograms, vortex beams and a remote whispering beam. Yun Jing, professor of acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering, recently received a three-year, $418,136 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to study nonlinear acoustic effects in wavefront shaping.

Electrical engineering student receives second place in student paper contest

8/27/2024

Electrical engineering doctoral student Ardanvan Javid was awarded second place in the student paper contest at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems.

STEM Libraries announce fall 2024 events for graduate, undergraduate students

8/27/2024

The STEM Libraries at Penn State University Park have announced their calendar of events for the fall 2024 semester.

USDA grant to fund project developing AI-powered database on water quality

8/26/2024

Nitrate, a common chemical compound that occurs naturally and is found in plants, water and soil, can break down into molecules harmful to human, animal and ecological health and accumulate as a pollutant. contamination in streams, lakes and estuaries is a critical problem in many agricultural watersheds, but water-quality data is limited, making monitoring stream health and making management decisions difficult, according to researchers at Penn State. To enhance available data, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a four-year, $650,000 grant to a research team at Penn State.

Top Hat visiting Penn State to help faculty increase engagement in courses

8/23/2024

On Sept. 11 and 12, Penn State IT, Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), the College of Engineering, and the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) are partnering with Top Hat to offer a series of workshops designed to help faculty increase engagement in their courses.

Media mention: ‘Healing the Red Mo: The Toxic Legacy of Acid Mine Drainage’

8/21/2024

In a video produced by WPSU, Bill Burgos, professor of civil and environmental engineering, discussed the toxic effects of abandoned coal mine drainage on the Moshannon Creek.

Professor, alumnus receive Vertical Flight Society’s outstanding technical paper award

8/21/2024

A paper co-authored by Sven Schmitz, the Boeing/A.D. Welliver Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State, and Penn State aerospace alumnus Jason Cornelius of the NASA Ames Research Center, received the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) San Francisco Bay Area Chapter’s Velkoff Award for Outstanding Technical Paper.

Jason Warner discusses AI and innovation on Dare to Disrupt podcast

8/20/2024

In the latest episode of Invent Penn State’s Dare to Disrupt podcast, host Ryan Newman interviews Jason Warner, the former chief technology officer (CTO) of GitHub and current co-founder and chief executive officer of generative artificial intelligence (AI) company poolside.

Vikash Gayah selected for the Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders program

8/20/2024

Penn State has announced the selection of 23 faculty members for the Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders (PSEAL) program for fall 2024. This initiative highlights individuals who have demonstrated exceptional potential for academic leadership and innovation within their fields.

Farnaz Tehranchi named a 2024 TLT Faculty Engagement Award recipient

8/19/2024

Penn State University Libraries’ Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) has named 13 recipients of the 2024?Faculty Engagement Award?with this year’s theme of “Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Teaching.” Farnaz Tehranchi, assistant professor in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation, has been named as one of the recipients.

Student startups showcase progress at Summer Founders Demo Day

8/19/2024

Invent Penn State’s?Summer Founders Program, which provides each student team with a $15,000 grant to work on their startups over the summer at?Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank, concluded with a final "Demo Day” on Aug. 7.

Penn State staff members launch indoor drone video company

8/16/2024

In March 2024, Myers and Henderson decided to take the leap and launch AmpliFLY Video, an indoor drone video production company servicing businesses interested in showcasing their unique spaces.

Vroom vroom! Penn State earns multiple wins in autonomous driving competition

8/15/2024

The Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team (AVT) took home multiple wins, including third place overall, in its third year of the AutoDrive Challenge II, which empowers student teams to develop and test a fully autonomous passenger vehicle on a controlled urban driving course over a weeklong competition.

Gina Noh named Young Talent in field of catalysis at international conference

8/12/2024

Gina Noh, an assistant professor of chemical engineering, was recognized as Young Talent at an international conference on catalysis.

Julianna Simon named interim director of Graduate Program in Acoustics

8/12/2024

Julianna Simon, associate professor of acoustics and of biomedical engineering, has been named the interim director of acoustics at Penn State. Penn State News spoke with Simon hear her perspectives on the field of acoustics, the direction and goals for the Penn State Graduate Program in Acoustics and Simon’s own professional background and research.

Penn State, Shell announce collaboration focused on energy and sustainability

8/12/2024

Penn State and Shell USA Inc. have announced the launch of a collaboration that will support efforts across the University’s mission of research, education and community impact

Re-engineering medical simulation training for the next generation of physicians

8/12/2024

Placing a central line in a patient’s vein to receive fluids or medicine is one of the most common medical procedures, with more than 5 million performed each year in the United States. Researchers in Penn State’s Colleges of Engineering and of Medicine aim to reduce error rates in central-line placement by designing and implementing a novel robotic training program that uses life-like manikins and real-time feedback to simulate patient scenarios.

University Libraries Open Publishing launches open-access journal ‘Geomorphica’

8/12/2024

Penn State University Libraries Open Publishing has launched Geomorphica, a Diamond Open Access journal that promotes discourse and disseminates research in geomorphology, the study of landforms.

Grant to help Penn State build semiconductor workforce in Pennsylvania

8/8/2024

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded $600,000 to Penn State’s Silicon Carbide Innovation Alliance (SCIA) to develop a series of educational courses, workshops, and paid academic and industrial internships focused on workforce development in Pennsylvania for the growing semiconductor industry.

Jacqueline O’Connor, Parisa Shokouhi named fellows of STEM leadership program

8/8/2024

Two Penn State College of Engineering faculty members — Jacqueline O'Connor, professor of mechanical engineering, and Parisa Shokouhi, professor of engineering science and mechanics — were selected as part of the 2024-25 cohort of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science program.

Researchers win award for ‘superior’ paper from engineering society

8/7/2024

Long He, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and colleagues in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Engineering recently received a 2024 Superior Paper Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for their research project titled, “An Advanced Robotic System for Precision Chemical Thinning of Apple Blossoms.”

Yong Wang to use $2M NIH grant to improve human tissue repair

8/6/2024

A team of Penn State researchers led by Wang was recently awarded a four-year, $2.02 million National Institutes of Health grant to explore how to safely add growth factors to collagen used by doctors for tissue repair.

Atoms in advanced alloys find preferred neighbors when solidifying

8/5/2024

A discovery that uncovered the surprising way atoms arrange themselves and find their preferred neighbors in multi-principal element alloys could enable engineers to “tune” these unique and useful materials for enhanced performance in specific applications ranging from advanced power plants to aerospace technologies, according to the researchers who made the finding.

Penn State research-based startup works to improve dementia screening process

8/5/2024

The Penn State research-based startup DementiAnalytics aims to revolutionize early detection and management of cognitive impairments through its AI-powered platform.

'Growing Impact' looks at wind energy, floating offshore wind turbines

8/2/2024

The latest episode of "Growing Impact" discusses the future of wind energy, including floating offshore wind turbines and a shift in turbine blade design. Wind energy is the highest-producing renewable energy source in the U.S.

A Note from Neeli: Penn State steering the future of autonomous vehicles

8/2/2024

At the Larson Transportation Institute Test Track, ride along with President Bendapudi and the faculty and students who are helping develop tech for self-driving cars.

Doug Werner receives research award from Antennas and Propagation Society

7/29/2024

Doug Werner, the John L. and Genevieve H. McCain Chair Professor in the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, received the Harrington-Mittra Award in Computational Electromagnetics from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Antennas and Propagation Society.

Q&A: Achieving energy literacy through decarbonization research

7/29/2024

A team of researchers in the Penn State College of Engineering was awarded a five-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to study how undergraduate engineering students learn and develop into energy-literate engineers as they engage with long-term research experiences centered on decarbonization.

Nuclear engineering professor receives award with a long family connection

7/25/2024

Motta, a professor of nuclear engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, received the American Nuclear Society’s Arthur Holly Compton Award in Education in June for his outstanding contributions to science and engineering education. But what made the award especially meaningful was its connection to his grandfather, Arthur Moses, who was a contemporary of Compton.

Researchers aim to secure electric grid with artificial intelligence tools

7/22/2024

Penn State is among the institutions partnering with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to launch a project to develop an innovative suite of tools that will employ machine learning algorithms for more effective cybersecurity analysis of the U.S. power grid.

College of Engineering, Siemens collaborate to prepare students for workforce

7/19/2024

The Penn State College of Engineering has collaborated with Siemens Digital Industries Software to create a four-course microcredential series that will help better prepare engineering students for the workforce.

Q&A: Xianbiao Hu on driving transportation research forward

7/18/2024

Xianbiao "XB" Hu, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Penn State with a Larson Transportation Institute (LTI) affiliation, shared his transportation engineering expertise with President Neeli Bendapudi and others at a visit to LTI’s test track on June 29. Penn State News spoke with Hu about his research and some of his recent and ongoing projects that address emerging transportation issues affecting drivers in Pennsylvania.

Solar farms with stormwater controls mitigate runoff, erosion, study finds

7/18/2024

As the number of major utility-scale ground solar panel installations grows, concerns about their impacts on natural hydrologic processes also have grown. However, a new study by Penn State researchers suggests that excess runoff or increased erosion can be easily mitigated — if these “solar farms” are properly built.

Computer science major named College of Engineering summer 2024 student marshal

7/16/2024

Dibya Mishra has been named the summer 2024 student marshal for the Penn State College of Engineering. Mishra will receive her bachelor of science degree in computer science with a business certificate from the Smeal College of Business at the University’s commencement ceremony.

Architectural engineering alumna receives a 2024 Alumni Association volunteer award

7/15/2024

Volunteer leaders are the heartbeat of the Penn State Alumni Association. In living out the Alumni Association’s mission, affiliate groups and inspiring volunteers give back to their communities, support current and future Penn State students, and unite Nittany Lions across the country and around the world. The seven individuals and 11 groups that comprise this year’s class of Volunteer Award recipients represent the best of Penn State’s alumni volunteers.

Fundraising volunteer and engineering graduate commits $5M+ to new campaign

7/15/2024

As Penn State prepares for the public launch of a new fundraising campaign, a top volunteer for the effort has stepped forward with a seven-figure commitment. Greg Lucier, a 1986 industrial engineering graduate, will direct $5 million of his estate to the College of Engineering as an unrestricted commitment that can be used for his alma mater’s most urgent needs and opportunities.

Emerging research areas refocus Institute of Energy and the Environment themes

7/11/2024

The Institute of Energy and the Environment has announced an update to its research themes. The change is to better align three of the research themes with the energy and environmental research being done at Penn State, and with efforts to recognize the importance of community and justice.

Center for Immersive Experiences supports research avenues across University

7/9/2024

The Penn State Center for Immersive Experiences (CIE) aims to create a “convergence accelerator for research” across the commonwealth at Penn State, according to Jessica Menold, CIE director, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences co-hire and associate professor of mechanical engineering and of industrial and manufacturing engineering.

Engineering graduate student receives Department of Energy IBUILD fellowship

7/8/2024

Julia Ho, a second-year doctoral student in architectural engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was selected to receive the Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship. She is the first Penn State student to be selected since the program began in 2021.

Former engineering associate dean and department head George Lesieutre retires

7/8/2024

George Lesieutre, professor of aerospace engineering and former department head and associate dean in the Penn State College of Engineering, announced his retirement on June 30.

Making rechargeable batteries more sustainable with fully recyclable components

7/8/2024

A team of Penn State chemical engineering researchers has reconfigured the design of solid-state lithium batteries so that all their components can be easily recycled.

Wangda Zuo honored with international society service award

7/8/2024

Wangda Zuo, professor of architectural engineering and of mechanical engineering, received the Exceptional Service Award from ASHRAE, formerly the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, in June at the society’s annual conference in Indianapolis.

Re-engineering cancerous tumors to self-destruct and kill drug-resistant cells

7/4/2024

Treating cancer can sometimes feel like a game of Whac-A-Mole. The disease can become resistant to treatment, and clinicians never know when, where and what resistance might emerge, leaving them one step behind. But a team led by Penn State researchers has found a way to reprogram disease evolution and design tumors that are easier to treat.

Penn State researchers win Best Paper Award for work on drug design

7/3/2024

A team of Penn State researchers won the Best Paper Award at the Association for Computing Machinery Great Lakes Symposium on Very Large-Scale Integration (ACM GLSVLSI) 2024, held June 12-14 in Clearwater, Florida.

'Growing Impact' examines light source efficiency, accuracy

7/2/2024

The latest episode of the "Growing Impact" podcast discusses lighting system design and evaluation. In the early 20th century, scientists developed a standard, repeatable approach to measure light.

Annual substance use conference focuses on future of cannabis, tobacco use

7/2/2024

The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction hosted its fifth annual conference in the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus in April.

William Bahnfleth honored with international society Standards Achievement award

7/2/2024

William Bahnfleth, professor of architectural engineering, received the Standards Achievement award from ASHRAE, formerly the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, on June 22 at the society’s annual conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

NASA selects Penn State engineering team to develop technology for spacecraft

7/1/2024

A Penn State research team was one of eight chosen to receive funding from NASA as part of the agency’s University SmallSat Technology Partnerships (USTP) initiative within NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program.

Biodegradable electronics may advance with ability to control dissolve rate

6/27/2024

Engineering science and mechanics researchers developed the ability to control the dissolve rate of biodegradable electronics by experimenting with dissolvable elements, like inorganic fillers and polymers, that encapsulate the device.

Six engineering undergrads earn Graduate Research Fellowships

6/27/2024

Six College of Engineering baccalaureate graduates have been selected for the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP). Four engineering graduates were also named honorable mentions for the NSF-GRFP.

Paper co-authored by Larry Cheng selected as inside cover of Small journal

6/26/2024

A paper by a team of researchers led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, the James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, was selected to appear on the inside cover of the May 29 issue of the journal Small.

Self-assembling, highly conductive sensors could improve wearable devices

6/26/2024

To advance soft robotics, skin-integrated electronics and biomedical devices, researchers at Penn State have developed a 3D-printed novel material for use in sensors that is soft and stretchable — important traits for matching the properties of tissues and organs —and that self-assembles. Their approach employs a process that eliminates many of the drawbacks of previous fabrication methods, such as less conductivity or device failure.

Mechanical engineering research team’s work featured on journal cover

6/24/2024

A paper from a team of Penn State College of Engineering and Los Alamos National Lab researchers was featured on the cover of the July issue of Experimental Mechanics.

Celebrating excellence in postdoctoral scholarship and mentorship at Penn State

6/21/2024

The Penn State Postdoc Society (PSPS), in collaboration with Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, has announced the 2024 recipients of the Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar and Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor awards. The award recognition luncheon, honoring the awardees, nominators and judges, was held on June 17.

Women in Engineering Program fosters community, opportunities that beget success

6/21/2024

Earlier this year, Penn State's Women in Engineering Program was honored with the Women in Engineering Program Award by the Women in Engineering ProActive Network, in which it was recognized as “an outstanding women in engineering program that serves as a model for other institutions.”

Swaroop Ghosh receives Geoffrey Marshall Mentoring Award

6/20/2024

Swaroop Ghosh, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science and engineering, was awarded the 2023-24 Geoffrey Marshall Mentoring Award by the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS).

Electrical engineering grad student receives award for published paper

6/17/2024

Zaid Pervez, a doctoral student in electrical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned second place in the student paper competition at the International Union of Radio Science’s Atlantic Radio Science Meeting.

Project aims to build strong manufacturing workforce with immersive technology

6/17/2024

The Richard King Mellon Foundation recently awarded $392,000 to two researchers at Penn State to build a strong science- and technology-focused (STF) workforce in the state’s Mon Valley region through collaboration and virtual, augmented and mixed reality trainings and tools.

Professor Wangda Zuo receives two recognitions from building-simulation association

6/14/2024

Wangda Zuo, professor of architectural engineering and of mechanical engineering, received the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA)-USA Outstanding Researcher Award. Zuo was recognized at the SimBuild 2024 conference in May in Denver, where he also received the best poster award for one of his papers.

What If Picasso Were an Engineer?

6/14/2024

Engineering students trade in equations for easels in "If Picasso Were An Engineer," an engineering design course that helps students step outside their comfort zone and hone their skills for conceptualization, presentation and reflection.

Scarlett Miller named Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation director

6/13/2024

Scarlett Miller, professor of industrial engineering and of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Penn State, was recently appointed director of Penn State’s Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation.

Ontario Tech University and Penn State sign MOU on engineering studies, research

6/12/2024

Researchers in Penn State's College of Engineering and Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science have signed a memorandum of understanding that taps into the engineering and applied sciences strengths of both institutions.

Professor Russell Barton authors predictive analytics textbook

6/10/2024

Russell Barton, Penn State professor of industrial engineering in the College of Engineering and distinguished professor of supply chain and information systems in the Smeal College of Business, authored a recently published textbook.

Two nuclear engineering grad students awarded Department of Energy fellowships

6/10/2024

Nuclear engineering graduate students Scout Bucks and Alex Nellis were awarded graduate fellowships from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Program. The fellowships include a $169,000 stipend issued over three years and a summer internship at a DOE lab.

From rock climbing to dining, students use engineering to improve accessibility

6/7/2024

A capstone course taught in the spring of 2024 focused specifically on adaptive technology, which is a device or piece of technology designed to provide physical or cognitive assistance.

Mussels downstream of wastewater treatment plant contain radium, study reports

6/7/2024

A pair of researchers from Penn State’s Department of Civil and Environment Engineering analyzed the composition of mussels downstream of a wastewater treatment facility in Western Pennsylvania that had accepted and treated fracking wastewater, and found that the tissue and shells of mussels contained radium.

Researchers engineer new approach for controlling thermal emission

6/7/2024

If a material absorbs light, it will heat up. That heat must go somewhere, and the ability to control where and how much heat is emitted can protect or even hide such devices as satellites. An international team of researchers, including those from Penn State, has developed a novel method for controlling this thermal emission, with what they called promising implications for thermal management and thermal camouflage technologies.

Engineering investigators awarded seed grants by Institute of Energy and the Environment

6/6/2024

Six interdisciplinary research teams with investigators from the College of Engineering have been awarded funding through the?Institute of Energy and the Environment’s Seed Grant Program for 2024.

Video: 3D-printed skin closes wounds and contains hair follicle precursors

6/6/2024

Penn State's bioprinting research is pushing the boundaries of medical technology toward solutions for skin replacement — including hair follicles, which were previously unexpected from this technology, bone and even internal organs.

Acoustics graduate student awarded $5,000 from undersea technology consortium

6/5/2024

John Case, a doctoral student in acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering, was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium.

Penn State, NSYSU to partner for advancing semiconductor education, research

5/31/2024

Penn State and the National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU) in Taiwan announced that they will partner on the development of educational and research programs focused on semiconductor technology and photonics.

David Mazyck named a 2024 BTAA Department Executive Officer Fellow

5/30/2024

The Big Ten Academic Alliance's (BTAA) Department Executive Officers (DEO) program has gained five additional fellows from the Penn State ranks, including David Mayzck, head of the School of Engineering Design and Innovation in the College of Engineering.

Rewritable, recyclable ‘smart skin’ monitors biological signals on demand

5/30/2024

Skin can send certain health-related signals, such as dry skin feeling tighter to indicate the need for moisture. But what if skin could be smarter, capable of monitoring and sharing specific health information, such as the concentration of glucose in sweat or heart rate? That was the question driving a team led by Penn State researchers that recently developed an adhesive sensing device that seamlessly attaches to human skin to detect and monitor the wearer’s health.

Amir Sheikhi chosen to serve on NIH Biomaterials and Biointerfaces Study Section

5/29/2024

Amir Sheikhi, assistant professor of chemical engineering and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering, was invited to serve as a member of the Biomaterials and Biointerfaces Study Section of the Bioengineering Sciences & Technologies Integrated Review Group, which is part of the Center of Scientific Review for the National Institutes of Health.

$4.4 million investment will expand metals-based outreach programs at Penn State

5/28/2024

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and the Department of Defense will invest $4.4 million in several metals-based manufacturing programs at Penn State’s Behrend and University Park campuses, where researchers are creating workforce development programs that will strengthen the U.S. metal casting and forging industries.

Q&A: How can advanced chip packaging help redesign the future of semiconductors?

5/28/2024

Penn State engineers Madhavan Swaminathan and Daniel Lopez explain in a Q&A the importance of advanced chip packaging to the U.S. semiconductor industry and how Penn State-led initiatives help turn innovations in the lab into reliable domestic production.

GAP funding paves the way for research to move from lab to market

5/21/2024

Four projects were recently awarded Penn State Commercialization GAP funding. The GAP Fund, formerly known as the Fund for Innovation, aims to accelerate the development of promising research across the University by closing the funding gaps between proof-of-concept research and readiness for commercialization.

ICDS associate director focuses research, initiatives on emerging technologiesNews Page

5/20/2024

Emerging technologies using computer science, engineering and data are on the mind of Penn State Institute of Computational Data Sciences (ICDS) Associate Director Mahmut Kandemir, who is also a distinguished professor of computer science.

Q&A: Is it safe to fly? Airline safety expert on modern commercial flight

5/20/2024

In light of recent news regarding congressional action on aviation safety, Penn State News spoke with Amy Pritchett, department head of aerospace engineering and professor in Penn State’s College of Engineering.

Shining a light on molecules: L-shaped metamaterials can control light direction

5/20/2024

Using metamaterials, a team of electrical engineering researchers from Penn State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln created an ultrathin optical element that can control the direction of polarized electromagnetic light waves. This new control allows researchers to not only direct the light’s chirality, but also to identify the chirality of molecules by determining how polarized light interacts with them.

Five engineering undergraduates receive Erickson Discovery Grants

5/14/2024

The Erickson Discovery Grant, which funds independent research projects for undergraduate students, has been awarded to five engineering majors, who were among 43 recipients this year.

Engineering alumnus building opportunities for student leadership, research

5/9/2024

For alumnus David Mazyck, returning to Penn State as the department head of the School of Engineering Design and Innovation (SEDI) within the College of Engineering was an appealing proposition. He’d been working for the University of Florida for 22 years, and while he enjoyed his time there, Penn State offered something he was interested in: familiar faces and a chance to give back to the community he’d learned from.

Jacqueline O’Connor named to leadership team of Penn State Climate Consortium

5/9/2024

Jacqueline O’Connor, professor of mechanical engineering, has been named an associate director of the Penn State Climate Consortium alongside Janet Swim, professor of psychology.

Q&A: Decarbonizing steel manufacturing

5/8/2024

David Mazyck, professor and head of Penn State’s School of Engineering Design and Innovation (SEDI), and Daniel Whisler, associate professor of engineering design, were awarded a three-year, $1.33 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to explore ways to decarbonize the steel and iron manufacturing industry.

Engineering researcher awarded IEE 'Person of the Year' for 2023

5/7/2024

Li Li, the Barry and Shirley Isett Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the inaugural recipient of the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s Person of the Year Award. The award celebrates an exceptional researcher whose accomplishments in energy or environmental research have yielded notable successes over the past year.

Why is breaking down plant material for biofuels so slow?

5/7/2024

Cellulose, which helps give plant cell walls their rigid structure, holds promise as a renewable raw material for biofuels — if researchers can accelerate the production process. New research led by Penn State investigators has revealed how several molecular roadblocks slow this process.

Cold sintering may rescue plastic, ceramics, battery components from landfills

5/3/2024

In three recent papers, Penn State researchers outline new uses for cold sintering— the process of combining powder-based materials into dense forms at low temperatures through applied pressure using solvents — that allows materials to be recycled again and again.

Comprehensive scholarship program graduates first class of engineering leaders

5/3/2024

In 2020, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation committed $15.5 million to create the A. James Clark Scholars Program in the College of Engineering to support high-achieving engineering students with significant financial need. This spring, the first cohort of A. James Clark Scholars will graduate from the Penn State College of Engineering.

Debarati Das receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

5/3/2024

Debarati Das, assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $647,681 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for a project titled, “A Theoretical Exploration of Efficient and Accurate Clustering Algorithms."

Vijaykrishnan Narayanan honored with Evan Pugh University Professorship

5/3/2024

Vijaykrishnan Narayanan, the A. Robert Noll Chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Engineering’s associate dean for innovation, has been named an Evan Pugh University Professor, one of five this year.

‘Better than graphene’ material development may improve implantable technology

5/3/2024

Researchers at Penn State have made borophene, the atomically thin version of boron first synthesized in 2015, potentially more useful by imparting chirality — or handedness — on it, which could make for advanced sensors and implantable medical devices. The team, led by Dipanjan Pan, Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Huck Chair Professor in Nanomedicine and professor of materials science and engineering and of nuclear engineering, published their work — the first of its kind, they said — in ACS Nano.

'Growing Impact' podcast explores a thawing Arctic and its impacts

5/2/2024

The latest episode of Growing Impact discusses how thawing Arctic permafrost is affecting rivers and communities in the region. With temperatures rising globally due to climate change, landscapes in the Arctic are evolving. A Penn State research team is investigating how thawing permafrost will change Arctic rivers and the consequences for erosion, sediment transport, and ultimately, communities.

Tak Sing Wong elected fellow of two professional societies

5/2/2024

Tak Sing Wong, professor of mechanical engineering and of biomedical engineering, was elected a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

How to build a robot in three days

5/1/2024

The Penn State Robot in Three Days club participated in the national FIRST Robotics competition, where students are tasked with designing, prototyping and building a robot in just 72 hours.

Twinning: Kaylie and Kylie Barber named mechanical engineering student marshals

5/1/2024

Identical twins Kaylie and Kylie Barber are the first-ever duo selected to serve as dual student marshals for the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Designing and assessing market designs to improve electrical grid reliability

4/30/2024

A project co-led by two Penn State professors has been selected to receive up to $815,959 from the Grid Deployment Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The team will evaluate prospective market design changes to efficiently integrate batteries and other unconventional resources into wholesale electricity markets, with the aim of improving electrical grid reliability.

Bin Li wins honorable mention at virtual reality industry conference

4/25/2024

Bin Li, associate professor of electrical engineering, was part of a team of three researchers that received the Best Demo Honorable Mention Award at IEEE VR 2024.

College of Engineering names student marshals for spring 2024 commencement

4/25/2024

The Penn State College of Engineering has named its student marshals for the spring 2024 commencement ceremony.

Patrick Drew named AIMBE fellow

4/25/2024

Patrick Drew, professor of engineering science and mechanics and an associate director of the Huck Institutes, was inducted into the 2024 class of fellows for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Winners announced for 16th annual Materials Visualization Competition

4/23/2024

Six members of the College of Engineering are among the winners of the 16th annual Materials Visualization Competition (MVC), a scientific visual and artistic competition sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) and the Materials Research Institute (MRI) at Penn State.

$1 million gift to create scholarships and upgrade engineering facilities

4/22/2024

Ronald and Martha Tirpak have stepped forward with a $1 million commitment to expand affordability through scholarships and to ensure the College of Engineering has access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities. The gift builds upon their past support of the College of Engineering and includes an estate commitment that is projected to make a transformational impact on future Penn State STEM students.

Exploring brain-inspired engineered systems: A Q&A with Abhronil Sengupta

4/19/2024

Abhronil Sengupta, the Joseph R. and Janice M. Monkowski Career Development Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State, was granted a three-year, $360,000 Early Career Program Award from the Army Research Office.

Julio Urbina selected as Fulbright Scholar for Peru

4/19/2024

Julio Urbina, professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was selected as a Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-25 academic year. He will spend a semester conducting research and teaching in Lima, Peru.

College of Engineering offers information session on new microcredential program

4/18/2024

Starting this spring, the Penn State College of Engineering will offer certified microcredentials that will provide working engineers with opportunities to gain specialized skills and career development through a portfolio of flexible learning options. The college will host a virtual program information session at 8:00 p.m. on April 23.

Engineering science major pilots new undergraduate concentrations

4/18/2024

Students in the engineering science undergraduate major now have the opportunity to select from eight discipline options when completing their bachelor’s degree in engineering science, from neural engineering or acoustics to experimental mechanics and materials.

Penn State Climate Consortium awards three engineering climate action workshops

4/18/2024

Penn State’s Climate Consortium awarded funding to hold workshops to three researchers from the Penn State College of Engineering, including Zoubeida Ounaies, professor of mechanical engineering, director of the Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems and associate director of the Materials Research Institute; Christine Kirchhoff, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and of law, policy and engineering; and James Mutunga, assistant research professor in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation.

Student team with two computer science majors wins business pitch contest

4/18/2024

Two computer science majors were part of a team that took first place in the 2024 Ag Springboard student business pitch contest, which took place in early April in State College. The team took home $7,500 to further their project.

Two engineering faculty elected to 2023 cohort of AAAS fellows

4/18/2024

Vijaykrishnan Narayanan, associate dean for innovation in the College of Engineering and A. Robert Noll Chair Professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and Douglas Werner, John L. and Genevieve H. McCain Chair Professor, are among the six Penn State faculty members elected to the 2023 cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.

Novel robotic training program reduces physician errors placing central lines

4/17/2024

More than 5 million central lines are placed in patients who need prolonged drug delivery, such as those undergoing cancer treatments, in the United States every year, yet the common procedure can lead to a bevy of complications in almost a million of those cases. To help decrease the rate of infections, blood clots and other complications associated with placing a central line catheter, Penn State researchers developed an online curriculum coupled with a hands-on simulation training to provide trainee physicians with more practice.

Penn State, Morgan Advanced Materials partner to improve semiconductor materials

4/17/2024

Penn State and Morgan Advanced Materials have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to catalyze research and development of silicon carbide, known as SiC, a semiconductor material that operates more efficiently at high voltages than competing technologies.

Q&A: New technology may help identify neuromotor disease symptoms in infants

4/17/2024

A team of researchers tested the use of wearable sensors paired with a “tiny” machine learning algorithm to automatically monitor and evaluate general movements in infants.

Soundar Kumara recognized with Pearson’s digital pioneer award

4/17/2024

Soundar Kumara, the Allen E. Pearce and Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering, won a Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Award in the digital pioneer category. The digital pioneer category honors an educator who uses “Pearson digital platform(s) to engage students and provide a personalized learning experience,” according to an award announcement.

Tak Sing Wong’s nature-inspired research featured as PNAS cover art

4/17/2024

Research led by Tak Sing Wong, professor of mechanical engineering and of biomedical engineering, was featured as the cover art for the April 2 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Engineering student startups selected for $15,000 Invent Penn State program

4/16/2024

Six Penn State startups, all of which were founded or co-founded by students in the College of Engineering, have been selected to participate in the 2024 Invent Penn State Summer Founders program.

Penn State, Indian Institute of Science announce seed grant program

4/16/2024

Penn State and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are collaborating to enhance academic and research ties through a series of workshops and a new seed grant program for the 2024-25 academic year.

Biological engineering student wins Rock Ethics Institute’s Stand Up Award

4/15/2024

Penn State's Rock Ethics Institute has announced the winners of the 2024 Stand Up Awards for Undergraduate Ethical Leadership: Triniti Freeman, a third-year student majoring in nursing; Vancie Peacock, a fourth-year student majoring in biological engineering; and Jenna Seigworth, a fourth-year student majoring in English.

Scott Medina named Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Leadership Fellow

4/15/2024

For the 2024-25 academic year, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has appointed William and Wendy Korb Early Career Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Scott Medina to be a Huck Leadership Fellow.

Xiaofeng Liu named fellow of the Environmental & Water Resources Institute

4/12/2024

Xiaofeng Liu, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, was named a fellow of the Environmental & Water Resources Institute.

Learning Factory to host engineering showcase in person and virtually

4/5/2024

The Penn State College of Engineering’s Learning Factory will host its end-of-semester showcase for senior engineering students to present their capstone design projects and first-year engineering students to present their cornerstone design projects with both in-person and virtual formats.

Q&A: Space research at Penn State highlighted with international workshop

4/5/2024

Penn State co-hosted a two-day virtual summit for the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) that focused on emerging space technologies and in-space assembly and manufacturing.

Daning Huang receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

4/4/2024

Daning Huang, assistant professor of aerospace engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $626,006 U.S. National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for his project that addresses morphing autonomous aerial systems.

Eight engineering graduate students honored with prestigious University awards

4/4/2024

Eight College of Engineering graduate students were among the forty Penn State graduate students named recipients of Penn State’s most prestigious annual graduate student recognition awards.

Undergraduates named semi-finalists in ethics in engineering competition

4/4/2024

A team of Penn State undergraduate students were semi-finalists in Lockheed Martin’s seventh annual Ethics in Engineering Competition that took place Feb. 26-28 at Lockheed Martin’s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.

‘Gamechangers’ series highlights two women making a difference with Penn State

4/3/2024

Two Penn State leaders, Tracy Langkilde and Karen Thole, were profiled by GameDay Couture as part of the “Gamechanger” series, which aims to showcase the accomplishments of women.

Butterfly-inspired AI technology takes flight

4/1/2024

When it comes to mating, two things matter for Heliconius butterflies: the look and the smell of their potential partner. The black and orange butterflies have incredibly small brains, yet they must process both sensory inputs at the same time — which is more than current artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can achieve without significant energy consumption. To make AI as smart as the butterflies, a team of Penn State researchers has created a multi-sensory AI platform that is both more advanced and uses less energy than other AI technologies.

Amir Sheikhi receives early investigator award for work in polymer engineering

3/28/2024

Amir Sheikhi, assistant professor of chemical engineering and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering at Penn State, received the 2024 PMSE Early Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering.

Greener power solutions for communities

3/28/2024

Jim Freihaut, professor and interim head of Penn State’s Department of Architectural Engineering, was recently awarded a three-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that advances distributed energy systems in communities.

Chemical engineering graduate student wins first place at Three Minute Thesis contest

3/27/2024

Aditya Sapre, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering, won first place in the final round of Penn State’s inaugural Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, held on March 23 at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center. He won a $1,000 cash prize and will advance to represent Penn State at the regional Three Minute Thesis competition at the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools.?

Synthetic material could improve ease and cut cost of gut microbiome research

3/27/2024

A team of Penn State researchers has developed a new synthetic material that could enable scientists to more easily study how microorganisms interact with the gastrointestinal (GI) system. The material might eventually provide a cheaper, more accessible way for researchers to screen drugs that impact gut infections, metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disorders.

Jacqueline O’Connor named 2024 Penn State Teaching Fellow

3/26/2024

Jacqueline O’Connor, professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering, is one of three Penn State faculty this year to receive the Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching and be named a 2024 Penn State Teaching Fellow.

Listen to your gut: Using microbiota analysis for precision health care

3/26/2024

Penn State News spoke to Professor Pak Kin Wong about his recently published paper that discusses the methods available for incorporating microbiota analysis into clinical decision-making, the challenges of doing so and the need for new technologies to capitalize on the potential of microbiota’s role in medicine.

Siu Ling "Pansy" Leung receives 2024 Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching

3/26/2024

Siu Ling "Pansy" Leung, associate teaching professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering, is one of six Penn State faculty to receive the 2024 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Two engineering faculty members receive 2024 Faculty Scholar Medals

3/26/2024

Two engineering faculty members were among the six recipients of the 2024 Faculty Scholar Medals for Outstanding Achievement. Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and by courtesy materials science and engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and Tak-Sing Wong, professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering, were both recognized with the award.

Vigeant-Haas recognized with Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award

3/26/2024

Michelle Vigeant-Haas, associate professor of acoustics and architectural engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, is the recipient of the 2024 Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award.

Ünlü recognized with President’s Award for excellence in academic integration

3/26/2024

Kenan Ünlü, professor of nuclear engineering in the College of Engineering, and the director of the Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC), which includes the Breazeale nuclear research reactor, has been awarded the 2024 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration.

Christian Peco receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

3/22/2024

Christian Peco, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $549,445 U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award for a project that will examine biological organisms like slime molds and fungi for inspiration in designing decentralized intelligent collaboration algorithms.

Two keys needed to crack three locks for better engineered blood vessels

3/21/2024

Blood vessels engineered from stem cells could help solve several research and clinical problems, from potentially providing a more comprehensive platform to screen if drug candidates can cross from the blood stream into the brain to developing lab-grown vascular tissue to support heart transplants, according to Penn State researchers. Led by Xiaojun “Lance” Lian, associate professor of biomedical engineering and of biology, the team discovered the specific molecular signals that can efficiently mature nascent stem cells into the endothelial cells that comprise the vessels and regulate exchanges to and from the blood stream.

Andrea Argüelles receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

3/20/2024

Andrea Argüelles, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $696,010 U.S. National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award for a project titled, “Advancing ceramic processing science through acoustic characterization.”

Penn State alum builds on history in Graduate Program in Acoustics

3/20/2024

After finishing his advanced degree in acoustics, Andrew Barnard returned to his alma mater in Michigan and never thought he’d come back to Penn State, much less lead the program he graduated from. But when he heard about an opening in Penn State’s Graduate Program in Acoustics, he knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

Amrita Basak receives NSF CAREER Award

3/18/2024

Amrita Basak, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $598,650 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for a project titled “Understanding Processing-Structure-Property Relationships in Co-Axial Wire-Feed, Powder-Feed Laser Directed Energy Deposition.”

Andrea Gregg co-authors research-supported book to improve online learning

3/18/2024

Andrea Gregg, the director of learning experience design and an associate research professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, co-authored a book titled High-Impact Design for Online Courses: Blueprinting Quality Digital Learning in Eight Practical Steps (HIDOC).

Backyard insect inspires invisibility devices, next gen tech

3/18/2024

Leafhoppers, a common backyard insect, secrete and coat themselves in tiny mysterious particles that could provide both the inspiration and the instructions for next-generation technology, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. In a first, the team precisely replicated the complex geometry of these particles, called brochosomes, and elucidated a better understanding of how they absorb both visible and ultraviolet light.

Twelve alumni recognized with College of Engineering’s highest honor

3/18/2024

Twelve Penn State engineering graduates have been selected to receive the Penn State College of Engineering’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award.

Sun and space: Harnessing cold universe and solar power for renewable energy

3/15/2024

As traditional energy methods increase in cost and take their toll on the environment, Penn State researchers are turning to two underutilized renewable resources, the sun and outer space, for solutions to generate electricity and passively cool down structures. A mechanical engineering reserach team developed and tested a dual cooling and power strategy that simultaneously harvests solar energy in a solar cell and directs heat away from Earth through radiative cooling.

New device positions Penn State at the forefront of university research reactors

3/14/2024

The Penn State Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC) recently received a small angle neutron scattering (SANS) device, a $9.8 million equipment donation from Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in Germany. The arrival of the SANS equipment makes Penn State the first and only U.S. university research reactor to have SANS capability, according to RSEC researchers.

Powering accessible, collaborative art

3/14/2024

In a recent installment of “A Note from Neeli,” Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi visited the Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design where she received a hands-on demonstration of “Together, Tacit,” an interdisciplinary research and creative collaboration between the College of Arts and Architecture and the College of Engineering. In the project, artists and engineers are building a haptic glove powered by virtual reality, allowing visually impaired and sighted individuals to work together to create a sculpture.

Abhronil Sengupta receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

3/13/2024

Abhronil Sengupta, the Joseph R. and Janice M. Monkowski Career Development Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $500,000 U.S. NSF CAREER Award.

Detecting and remediating underwater munitions with AI: A Q&A with Vishal Monga

3/13/2024

A team of researchers led by Vishal Monga, Penn State professor of electrical engineering, received a four year, $1.6 million grant from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program for their work on imaging and classifying underwater military munitions.

Mechanical engineering student Vanessa Dib wins Oswald Award

3/13/2024

Vanessa Dib, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, won the 2024 John W. Oswald Award for scholarship.

Is life based on a seeming violation of Newton’s law in molecular interactions?

3/12/2024

It turns out that every action may not have an equal and opposite reaction, despite what Newton’s third law of motion says, according to new research conducted by a team from Penn State and the University of Maine. The finding could offer insight into how certain molecular interactions could have evolved in a pre-life world.

Five engineering students finalists in Graduate School Three Minute Thesis contest

3/11/2024

Five Penn State College of Engineering graduate students have been selected for the final round of the inaugural Penn State Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

GPS nanoparticle platform precisely delivers therapeutic payload to cancer cells

3/11/2024

A newly developed “GPS nanoparticle” injected intravenously can home in on cancer cells to deliver a genetic punch to the protein implicated in tumor growth and spread, according to researchers from Penn State. They tested their approach in human cell lines and in mice to effectively knock down a cancer-causing gene, reporting that the technique may potentially offer a more precise and effective treatment for notoriously hard-to-treat basal-like breast cancers.

Mia Jin receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

3/11/2024

Miaomiao Jin, assistant professor of nuclear engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $550,000 U.S. NSF CAREER Award for a project that advances nuclear reactors through that rely on molten salt applications.

Q&A with Larry Cheng: Monitoring neurological conditions in real time

3/11/2024

A team of researchers led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, the James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) at Penn State, created a highly-sensitive and cost-effective sensor to better monitor the concentration of dopamine and tyrosine — a neurotransmitter and an amino acid, respectively, that are present in the brain — in sweat or urine.

Yunting Liu receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

3/11/2024

Yunting Liu, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $550,000 U.S. NSF CAREER Award for a project that aims to revolutionize the field of power electronics by introducing irregular modulation theory to power converters.

Researcher works to lower cost of hydrogen production

3/6/2024

Hydrogen gas, while a potentially greener alternative to fossil fuels, is currently expensive to produce. Penn State doctoral candidate in chemical engineering Arash Emdadi and his lab mates are working to improve the hydrogen production method to make it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Combining novel biomaterial and microsurgery might enable faster tissue recovery

3/5/2024

For soft tissue to recover and regrow, it needs blood vessels to grow to deliver oxygen and nutrients. Sluggish vascularization, however, can slow or even prevent recovery and regrowth of lost or damaged soft tissue after a severe injury or serious illness such as cancer. To speed up the formation and patterning of new blood vessels, Penn State researchers have combined a novel biomaterial with a microsurgical approach used in reconstructive surgery, enabling improved recovery of soft tissue.

Edward Smith named distinguished professor of aerospace engineering

3/5/2024

Edward Smith, professor of aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering, has been named a distinguished professor by Penn State's Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras names Soundar Kumara distinguished alumnus

3/4/2024

Soundar Kumara, the Allen E. Pearce and Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering, was named one of 14 recipients of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras’s (IIT Madras) 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Membrane research moves forward with additional five years of NSF funding

3/4/2024

The Membrane Applications, Science and Technology Center, an industry-university cooperative research center supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and co-led by Penn State, recently received five additional years of funding. The funding will allow for an expansion of the center at Penn State, which has served as one of four of the center’s partner academic institutions since 2019.

Research 'Growing Impact' examines PFAS water contamination, evaluation of existing tech

3/4/2024

The latest episode of the "Growing Impact" podcast explores PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and their impact on drinking water. For decades, PFAS have been manufactured and used in thousands of products that people use every day. Emerging evidence has associated PFAS exposure with potential negative health outcomes. This prompted a research team to evaluate existing technologies, designed to decontaminate drinking water, to determine if they can also remove PFAS.

3D-printed skin closes wounds and contains hair follicle precursors

3/1/2024

Fat tissue holds the key to 3D printing layered living skin and potentially hair follicles, according to researchers who recently harnessed fat cells and supporting structures from clinically procured human tissue to precisely correct injuries in rats. The advancement could have implications for reconstructive facial surgery and even hair growth treatments for humans.

Penn State undergraduate team advances to programming national championship

2/29/2024

A team of three Penn State undergraduate students placed fourth in the East Central North American Regional of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), qualifying them to advance to the North American Championship.

College of Engineering student, faculty members receive Penn State Global awards

2/27/2024

Zoubeida Ounaies, professor of mechanical engineering, Julio Urbina, professor of electrical engineering, and Vanessa Dib, an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering, were recently recognized in Penn State Global’s 2023-24 annual awards.

3D printing affordable, sustainable and resilient housing in Alaska

2/26/2024

Alaska needs an estimated 27,500 new housing units over the next 10 years to alleviate overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, according to the Alaska Housing Foundation Corporation. A Penn State interdisciplinary team that includes researchers from the College of Engineering is looking to alleviate some of that stress with a $376,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant.

New structural insights could lead to mechanical enhancement in alloys

2/21/2024

A new class of metallic materials with potential applications in airplanes, nuclear reactors and equipment for space exploration can withstand extreme temperatures and resist fractures, but scientists haven’t understood why until now. According to a new study co-led by Penn State researchers, the answer could relate to the material’s short-range order, or the local arrangement of atoms within a material.

Dual-energy harvesting device could power future wireless medical implants

2/20/2024

Implantable biomedical devices — like pacemakers, insulin pumps and neurostimulators — are becoming smaller and utilizing wireless technology, but hurdles remain for powering the next-generation implants. A new wireless charging device developed by Penn State scientists could dramatically improve powering capability for implants while still being safe for our bodies, the researchers said.

Q&A with Jessica Menold, a ‘new voice’ for scientific collaboration

2/20/2024

Jessica Menold, Penn State associate professor of engineering design and of mechanical engineering, was named a member of the 2024-26 New Voices cohort of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Acoustic invention enhances ultrasound to access enclosed metal spaces

2/19/2024

The inside of underwater pipes and enclosed nuclear containers were inaccessible — until recently. Acoustics researchers in Penn State’s College of Engineering have developed a way to convey energy and transmit communications through metal walls using ultrasound.

Pennsylvania Housing Research Center to host two conferences in March

2/19/2024

The Pennsylvania Housing Research Center, housed in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Penn State, will host two concurrent conferences on March 27-28 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, with two full days of educational panels, talks, exhibits and events.

Amir Sheikhi named 2024 Scialog Fellow

2/15/2024

Amir Sheikhi, assistant professor of chemical engineering and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering, has been named a 2024 Scialog Fellow by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

Christian Pester named Rising Star in polymer research

2/15/2024

Christian Pester, associate professor of chemical engineering, was recognized as a 2023 Rising Star in Polymers by ACS Polymers Au, a publication of the American Chemical Society.

Optical invention mirrors the image processing power of a human eye

2/12/2024

Mimicking the easy, instantaneous image processing power of the human eye, Penn State electrical engineering researchers created a metasurface: an optical element akin to a glass slide that uses tiny nanostructures placed at different angles to control light.

Modified soft material promises better bioelectronics, researchers say

2/8/2024

Soft bioelectronic devices hold potential for many advances in the health care field, but researchers have faced hurdles in identifying materials that are biocompatible while still maintaining all necessary characteristics to operate effectively. A team co-led by Penn State researchers has now taken a step toward achieving such a material.

A Note from Neeli: February 2024

2/7/2024

Neeli Bendapudi shares the story of “Together, Tacit,” an inspiring interdisciplinary research and creative collaboration between the College of Arts and Architecture and College of Engineering. This research project combines the strength of our interdisciplinary focus, the dedication of our amazing faculty, and the tenacity of a remarkable student.

Enrique Gomez selected as fellow for polymeric materials division of chemical society

2/7/2024

Enrique Gomez, interim associate dean for equity and inclusion and professor of chemical engineering, was selected as a 2024 fellow by The American Chemical Society Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering.

Making healthy food accessible: Student leads pay-what-you-can farmer’s market

2/7/2024

Driven by a personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle, third-year student Jimmy Alamia has led a collaboration between the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm and the Lion's Pantry to make healthy eating easy and affordable for the campus community. He spearheaded the launch of the Feed the People Market Stand at University Park, a pay-what-you-can farmers market offering fresh, campus-grown produce to students, faculty and staff.

Mechanical engineering graduate student receives National Academies fellowship

2/7/2024

Luis Delgado Jr., a mechanical engineering doctoral student, is the recipient of a 2024 Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship.

Media mention: ‘Los Angeles’s Floods Show Why Sewers Matter’

2/7/2024

Lauren McPhillips, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and of agricultural and biological engineering, was quoted in an article published by The New Republic. The article discussed the importance of addressing aging drain and sewer systems as climate change accelerates.

Penn State World Campus engineering programs ranked among nation’s best by U.S. News

2/7/2024

Several master’s in engineering programs offered through Penn State’s World Campus earned top recognitions from the 2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best Online Programs” rankings, released today (Feb. 7).

Alp Durmus selected as member of lighting industry’s 40 Under 40

2/5/2024

Alp Durmus, assistant professor of architectural engineering at Penn State, was selected as a member of the 2023 group of 40 Under 40.

$4M grant funds project to make robotic prostheses more like biological limbs

2/2/2024

Prosthetic hands that incorporate robotics can perform dexterous self-care tasks, but they are often hard to operate, requiring a user’s constant attention with a limited number of hand functions. With a five-year, $4 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant, Penn State researchers aim to make robotic prostheses more useful for people living with amputations.

'Growing Impact' podcast explores effect of solar energy's expansion on land use

2/2/2024

The latest episode of "Growing Impact" explores the connection between the expansion of solar energy and land use. To meet net-zero emissions by 2050, it is estimated that the U.S. would need to devote 0.5% of its land to achieve that goal through solar energy. That is nearly 16,000 square miles or about a third of the state of Pennsylvania.

Guha Manogharan named co-director of Penn State’s additive manufacturing center

2/2/2024

Guha Manogharan, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, was named co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D). Manogharan replaces Tim Simpson, the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing, who has served in the position since the center’s founding in 2012.

Iam-Choon Khoo receives international photonics award

2/2/2024

Iam-Choon Khoo, the William E. Leonhard Professor of Electrical Engineering, received the 2024 Maria Goeppert Mayer Award in Photonics from SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

Two international societies honor Lakhtakia’s electromagnetics, materials work

2/2/2024

Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles G. Binder Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, was awarded two recognitions by two international scientific societies, SPIE and Sigma Xi.

Media mention: Musk says first human received Neuralink implant; scant other details

1/31/2024

Laura Y. Cabrera, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics and of philosophy and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neuroethics, was featured in an AP News article.

Engineering offers inclusive leadership workshops in equity, allyship, diversity

1/30/2024

The Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion at Penn State is offering a series of workshops — Inclusive Leadership in Equity, Allyship and Diversity (ILEAD).

Media mention: ‘A fly enters a virtual reality chamber, and insect science may never be the same’

1/29/2024

An article in the journal Science discusses a recently published study led by Penn State researchers that investigated the optomotor response in flies. The article focuses on the work of Jean-Michel Mongeau, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and of biomedical engineering, and mechanical engineering doctoral student Benjamin Cellini.

Penn State undergraduates win innovation award for lunar technology

1/29/2024

A team of undergraduate students in Penn State’s Student Space Programs Laboratory won the 2023 Innovation Award at NASA’s annual Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge.

Summer Translational Cardiovascular Science Institute now accepting applications

1/29/2024

The Penn State Summer Translational Cardiovascular Science Institute (STCSI) program is accepting applications from now until March 1. The program is open to any undergraduate student with a demonstrated interest in cardiovascular science.

Acoustics graduate student wins best paper award at international conference

1/26/2024

John Case, graduate student in acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering, received a best paper award at the Acoustics 2023 Conference, hosted by the Acoustical Society of America and the Australian Acoustical Society.

Engineering saw 34% increase in 2023 GivingTuesday donors from previous year

1/25/2024

The Penn State College of Engineering fundraised $38,686 from 334 gifts on GivingTuesday, which took place on Nov. 28, 2023.

Amrita Basak wins early career award for gas turbine research

1/24/2024

Amrita Basak, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was selected as the 2024 Dilip R. Ballal Early Career Engineering Award winner by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ International Gas Turbine Institute.

Media mention: ‘Hear us out: We ban left turns and other big ideas’

1/24/2024

Vikash Gayah, interim director of the Penn State Larson Transportation Institute and professor of civil engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was featured in the NPR podcast Planet Money.

Qiming Zhang named National Academy of Inventors fellow

1/24/2024

The National Academy of Inventors named Qiming Zhang, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering in Penn State’s College of Engineering, a fellow — the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors.

New scholarship to benefit engineering students from the Coal Region

1/18/2024

A mechanical engineering alumnus honored his late brothers and their Coal Region roots through an $800,000 gift to establish a scholarship in the College of Engineering. The Robert, John, and Edward Mitchell Family Endowed Scholarship Fund in the College of Engineering will help engineering students who hail from Pennsylvania’s Coal Region – or Schuylkill, Carbon, Columbia and Northumberland Counties – in their pursuit to become engineers.

EarthTalks: Obonyo to discuss sustainable and resilient buildings, Jan. 22

1/17/2024

Esther Obonyo, associate professor of engineering design and architectural engineering, and director of the Global Building Network, will give the talk, “Building SURE (Sustainable and Resilient) Communities,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22.

Patrick Drew named Huck Institutes associate director

1/15/2024

Patrick Drew, professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, has been named associate director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

Predicting correct dosage may improve success of drug repurposing

1/12/2024

To improve the success rate of drug repurposing and determine effective treatment doses, the Penn State researchers developed a model that predicts effective doses for repurposed drugs.

Penn State alumnus Qifeng Liu named Schwarzman Scholar

1/11/2024

Penn State alumnus Qifeng Liu has been named a Schwarzman Scholar, which provides one year of study at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Integrating dimensions to get more out of Moore’s Law and advance electronics

1/10/2024

Moore's Law, a fundamental scaling principle for electronic devices, forecasts that the number of transistors on a chip will double every two years, ensuring more computing power — but a limit exists. Today's most advanced chips house nearly 50 billion transistors within a space no larger than your thumbnail. The task of cramming even more transistors into that confined area has become more and more difficult, according to Penn State researchers.

Learning Factory announces fall engineering capstone showcase winners

1/10/2024

The winners from Penn State Learning Factory’s in-person and virtual end-of-semester Capstone Project Showcase have been named. The culmination of 15 weeks of work, the showcase is an opportunity for senior engineering students to present their capstone design projects, and for some of them, receive awards and prizes.

BR+A establishes architectural engineering memorial scholarship

1/8/2024

The legacy of Eugene "Gene" Bard, a 1968 alumnus of Penn State architectural engineering, will live on through a new scholarship, established in his memory by BR+A Consulting Engineers.

IME Alumnus to receive Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024

1/8/2024

Gregory T. Lucier, a Penn State College of Engineering alumnus, is one of eight Penn State alumni selected by the University's Board of Trustees to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, the institution's highest honor presented to its alumni.

William Bahnfleth wins Editor’s Choice Award at Climate Control Awards 2023

1/8/2024

William Bahnfleth, professor of architectural engineering at Penn State, won the Editor’s Choice Award at the 13th annual Climate Control Awards. Bahnfleth was honored for his stewardship in the drafting of the recently released ASHRAE Standard 241.

Researchers to develop early warning system for emerging substance use threats

1/4/2024

Qiushi Chen, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, leads a four-year, interdisciplinary project to develop an early warning system for identifying and responding to emerging substance use threats.

Two-channel sensor measures biomarker concentration in sweat

1/4/2024

A team of Penn State researchers has developed a sensor that accurately detects biomarker concentrations in sweat samples.

Pak Kin Wong elected member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts

1/2/2024

Pak Kin Wong, professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering, was elected a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in class VI – Technical and Environmental Sciences.

Media mention: ‘This cargo plane flew with no pilot on board’

12/21/2023

Jack Langelaan, professor and director of graduate programs in the Penn State College of Engineering Department of Aerospace Engineering, was quoted in an article on CNN’s website that discussed a cargo plane that completed a 50-mile flight with no one on board.

$1M NSF grant funds project to prepare autistic students for careers in AI

12/20/2023

Richard Kubina, professor of special education, is part of a team that is leading a project to provide career opportunities for science, technology, engineering and math students on the autism spectrum. Somayeh Asadi, associate professor of architectural engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering is also involved in the project.

Arthur Motta named honorary member of international scientific association

12/18/2023

Arthur Motta, professor of nuclear engineering and of materials science and engineering, was named the 2023 Honorary Member of the Société Française de Métallurgie et de Matériaux, a French non-profit scientific association for metallurgy and materials.

Health data, faster: Wearable stretchy sensor can process, predict health data

12/18/2023

Engineering researchers created a machine learning platform that can more efficiently analyze and predict datapoints collected by wearables. They applied the platform to a new stretchy, wearable throat sensor that records vibrations and electrical muscle impulses from the neck area to monitor a user’s speech and swallowing patterns.

Doctoral candidate presents to National Academies meeting

12/15/2023

Maria Rozman, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Penn State, presented to the National Academies’ Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Meeting held October 17-18. Rozman briefed the audience on her turbine efficiency research.

Q&A: Enhancing defense readiness with renewable energy and sensor materials

12/14/2023

Penn State has been selected by the Department of Defense (DoD) as a partner for two of the four newly created DoD research centers of excellence. The Penn State principal investigators discuss Penn State's role in the centers and the research they plan to conduct.

Biomedical engineering student receives presentation award at conference

12/13/2023

Sonika Kohli, a biomedical engineering undergraduate student and Schreyer Honors Scholar at Penn State, received an Outstanding Presentation Award at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists.

Spinning up control: Propeller shape helps direct nanoparticles, researchers say

12/8/2023

Self-propelled nanoparticles could potentially advance drug delivery and lab-on-a-chip systems — but they are prone to go rogue with random, directionless movements. Now, researchers have developed an approach to rein in the synthetic particles.

Computer science student named College of Engineering student marshal

12/7/2023

Yifan Lu has been named the fall 2023 student marshal for the Penn State College of Engineering. Commencement will be held at 9 a.m. on Dec. 16 in the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park.

Q&A: Joining India and United States in higher education

12/7/2023

Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles G. Binder Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, spoke with Penn State News on Penn State’s efforts to build relationships between India and the U.S. in higher education.

Engineering faculty and students among 2023 Materials Research Award winners

12/6/2023

One faculty member and two graduate students from the Penn State College of Engineering are among the six materials researchers that received the 2023 Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award.

Growing biofilms actively alter host environment, new study reveals

12/6/2023

A new study led by Penn State researchers reveals exactly how growing biofilms shape their environments and fine-tune their internal architecture to fit their surroundings. The findings may have implications for a wide variety of applications, from fighting disease to engineering new types of living active materials.

Bacteria's mucus maneuvers: Study reveals how snot facilitates infection

12/5/2023

Sniffles, snorts and blows of runny noses are the hallmarks of cold and flu season — and that increase in mucus is exactly what bacteria use to mount a coordinated attack on the immune system, according to a new study from researchers at Penn State. The team found that the thicker the mucus, the better the bacteria are able to swarm.

Aerospace engineering professor discusses mitigating the climate impact of contrails

12/1/2023

The latest episode of "Growing Impact" features a team of researchers that is exploring how to mitigate aviation’s climate impacts, specifically the warming effect created by contrails. Sven Schmitz, the Boeing/A. D. Welliver Professor of Aerospace Engineering, is featured.

Peeples named dean of Penn State’s College of Engineering

12/1/2023

Tonya L. Peeples has been named the permanent Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Penn State partners on NSF grant to improve 5G networks

12/1/2023

Syed Rafiul Hussain, the Charles K. Etner Early Career Assistant Professor in Penn State’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will lead a team of graduate students in researching how to detect and avert threats to 5G communications.

Engineering Learning Factory to host spring showcase in person and virtually

11/29/2023

The Penn State Learning Factory will host its end-of-semester showcase for engineering students to present their capstone design projects with both in-person and virtual formats. The in-person showcase will take place from1:00-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The virtual showcase will take place Tuesday, Dec. 5 through Friday, Dec. 15.

Karen Thole named fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society

11/29/2023

The Royal Aeronautical Society named Karen Thole, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, a fellow.

Adri van Duin among Penn State faculty elected as American Physical Society fellows

11/27/2023

Adri van Duin, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering, was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), the world’s largest organization dedicated to physics.

Elia Merzari named fellow of American Nuclear Society

11/20/2023

The American Nuclear Society named Elia Merzari, professor of nuclear engineering at Penn State, a fellow.

Engineering alumni society recognizes awardee’s outstanding contributions

11/20/2023

At its annual awards ceremony, the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) recognized engineering faculty, staff and alumni members for outstanding teaching, research, advising and service.

Researchers aim to streamline cancer therapy development process

11/17/2023

Penn State biomedical engineering doctoral candidate Josh Reynolds, along with his research lab mates, are striving to overcome drug resistance and accelerate drug discovery efforts in the fight against cancer with their startup, Atlas Biotech.

Engineering student wins award at Society of Medical Decision Making conference

11/16/2023

Zixuan Feng, doctoral student of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Penn State, won a presentation award at the 45th annual Society of Medical Decision Making meeting held Oct. 22-25 in Philadelphia.

Q&A: More stable and sustainable power grids

11/16/2023

Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, a power grid expert, answers questions on a three-year, $450,000 NSF grant that addresses oscillations in power grid operations.

College of Engineering to raise support for student success on GivingTuesday

11/15/2023

The Penn State College of Engineering invites alumni and friends to support engineering student success through a GivingTuesday gift on Nov. 28 as Penn State celebrates its ninth GivingTuesday.

Q&A: Enhancing physicians’ colonoscopy training for early cancer prevention

11/15/2023

Using a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, researchers from the College of Engineering and the College of Medicine will develop a novel colonoscopy training system that integrates automated personalized learning with a manikin embedded with sensors that may help make the routine procedure safer, more accurate and cost-efficient.

Abhronil Sengupta receives Electron Devices Society Early Career Award

11/13/2023

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Electron Devices Society honored Abhronil Sengupta, the Joseph R. and Janice M. Monkowski Career Development Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State, with its Early Career Award.

Penn State team receives Best Poster/Demo Award at computing symposium

11/13/2023

A team of Penn State researchers received the Best Poster/Demo Award at the Association for Computing Machinery’s MobiHoc 2023, held Oct. 23-26 in Washington, D.C.

START Lab expansion aims to make aviation greener

11/12/2023

Karen Thole, director of the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Lab, and doctoral student Chad Schaeffer discussed their work on gas turbines and next-generation hybrid electric propulsion at the Penn State Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 10.

Capstone design projects challenge students to apply knowledge and skills

11/10/2023

The Learning Factory provides a unique opportunity for students to partner with industry sponsors with a shared goal — to educate the next generation of world-class engineers using state-of-the-art facilities for design, prototyping and fabrication.

Learning Factory equips students with lifelong skills

11/10/2023

Steven White Jr., engineering support specialist with the Learning Factory; Melina Trautman, fourth-year mechanical engineering student and Becca Baker, fourth-year industrial engineering student, discuss how the Learning Factory’s safety and skills training programs set students up for success during their time on campus and throughout their future careers.

Engineering a “cornerstone-to-capstone" education

11/9/2023

Robert Rabb, associate dean for education in the College of Engineering, explains more about “cornerstone-to-capstone education” and the important role hands-on, client-based projects play in undergraduate engineering education at Penn State.

Learning Factory hosts international design thinking conference

11/9/2023

The Penn State Learning Factory hosted the annual conference of the Global Design Thinking Alliance (GDTA) on Oct. 21-22 in the new Engineering Design and Innovation Building and online.

Penn State students build on success in international AutoDrive competition

11/9/2023

The Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team (AVT) competed in the second year of competition for AutoDrive Challenge II from June 4-10 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After a successful showing in year one of competition, Penn State AVT returned to take home eight top-three recognitions in year two.

Engineering student selected as 'future leader' by national building society

11/8/2023

Zahra Ghorbani, a doctoral candidate in architectural engineering at Penn State, was selected to receive the Future Leaders Award from the National Institute of Building Sciences.

NIH diversity grant to fund student’s 3D bioprinting research

11/8/2023

Angie Castro, a chemical engineering doctoral student, researches 3D printing granular scaffolds for tissue engineering and regeneration to meet precise medical needs through the Bio-Soft Materials Laboratory (B-SMaL). Now, her work is supported by a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant awarded to her adviser and B-SMaL director, Amir Sheikhi.

Q&A: What is the space between Earth and the moon and why does it matter?

11/7/2023

Two faculty members in the Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering, Professor Puneet Singla and Assistant Professor Roshan Eapen, are part of a team of researchers from four universities collaborating on a $4.5 million project to better understand cislunar space — the area between Earth and the moon — critical for future space exploration.

Christos Argyropoulos elected fellow of OPTICA

11/6/2023

Christos Argyropoulos, associate professor of electrical engineering at Penn State, was elected a 2024 fellow of OPTICA, the professional society for optics and photonics professionals formerly known as OSA.

Remembering nuclear engineering professor Forrest J. Remick Jr.

11/6/2023

The Penn State College of Engineering community is mourning the loss of Forrest J. Remick Jr., professor emeritus of nuclear engineering, who died Oct. 9 at the age of 92.

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