Self-heating, fast-charging battery makes electric vehicles climate-immune
| psu.edu
Californians do not purchase electric vehicles because they are cool, they buy EVs because they live in a warm climate. Conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot be rapidly charged at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but now a team of Penn State engineers has created a battery that can self-heat, allowing rapid charging regardless of the outside chill.
Three new co-funds join Institutes of Energy and the Environment
| psu.edu
Three faculty members recently joined the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) in three different areas of expertise. Two are in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, and the other is in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. This is the first time that IEE has had co-funded faculty in the Bellisario College.
An invisible world: Explore the life of 'Zombie Ants' at the Arts Festival
| psu.edu
“The Zombie Ant Experience,” which details the strange process by which a parasitic fungus infects and takes over the bodies of ants, will be on display Penn State’s “Art of Discovery” booth at the Arts Festival from 11 to 1 p.m on Friday, July 13. “We’re pulling back the curtain on an invisible world that’s happening around you all the time," said Daryl Branford in the Huck Institute of the Life Sciences.
New insights could indicate how to break apart cellulose for biofuels
| psu.edu
A comprehensive look at how plants build cellulose, the primary building block of the walls of most plant cells, which is used in a wide variety of manmade materials, could have important implications for its use in biofuels.
Retrofitting roofs in Pennsylvania's 'Rust Belt'
| psu.edu
Esther Obonyo, associate professor of engineering design and architectural engineering, was awarded a $25,000 grant from Penn State’s Institutes of Energy and the Environment to design and test a new roofing composite. The project is part of a cross-institutional, multidisciplinary initiative led by Penn State New Kensington’s Corner Launchbox focused on refreshing the community’s image and economy.
Penn State researchers develop a way to predict and mitigate catastrophic shorts for improved OLED lighting panel reliability
| energy.gov
With the help of DOE funding, researchers at Penn State University are developing a basic scientific understanding of how shorts originate and grow to a catastrophic level, thus causing the failure of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels.
Recipients of 2018 Research Recognition Awards honored
| psu.edu
Started in 2014, the Research Recognition Awards honor the outstanding research achievements of Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center investigators who have distinguished themselves in several areas of research.
Extension to hire phorid fly liaison for residents, researchers, mushroom farms
| psu.edu
In an effort to ease the predicament of southern Chester County neighborhoods besieged by mushroom phorid flies, Penn State Extension will hire an entomologist to serve as a liaison between residents, the researchers trying to solve the fly problems, and mushroom farmers.
Kang and Wee receive funding to initiate new research on mycotoxins in crops
| plantpath.psu.edu
Funding by the Jeanne and Charles Rider Endowment to Dr. Seogchan Kang, professor of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, and Dr. Josephine Wee, assistant professor of Food Science, will support their project entitled “Chemical ecology-based control of mycotoxin contamination in food/feed crops”.
Detective Work: An interdisciplinary dive into the history of American art
| psu.edu
Maggie Davis doesn’t look like a detective. She doesn’t wear a trenchcoat, a fedora or carry a magnifying glass. But the art history major at Penn State is solving a mystery that dates back to the early years of the United States and the birth of the American artistic tradition.
Human Health and the Environment seed grant recipients announced
| psu.edu
Human Health and the Environment seed grants for 2018 have been awarded to eight interdisciplinary teams of Penn State researchers. The seed grants were funded through a collaboration of Penn State Institutes and the College of Medicine, which collectively contributed more than $400,000.
College of Engineering announces faculty promotions
| psu.edu
Thirteen Penn State College of Engineering faculty members have been selected for promotions, effective July 1, 2018.
Once a frozen haven, climate-driven rising temperatures are rapidly thawing the Arctic permafrost, posing a major threat to communities and infrastructure. Researchers are investigating how these changes will transform rivers, with potential consequences for erosion, sediment transport, and the entire Arctic landscape. Additionally, their project incorporates art to communicate these critical findings in an engaging way. Listen to the podcast.
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