Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

06/23/2026

Before the first shot was fired at Gettysburg, the landscape had already been shaped by nearly a billion years of Earth history.

Join Jesse Reimink, associate professor of geosciences at Penn State, and Chris Bolhuis, veteran educator and nationally recognized geoscience teacher, for “From Pangea to Pennsylvania: The Geological Battle Beneath the Battlefield” on July 1 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in The Kinsley Theater. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Jesse and Chris will bring the deep geologic history of Gettysburg to life and show how features like Devil’s Den, Little Round Top and the area’s ridgelines shaped troop movement, cover and the course of the battle.

If you’re interested in history, geology or seeing a familiar story in a completely new way, this is a talk you won’t want to miss.

Free tickets are required in advance.

More: https://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/exhibits-tours-events/sacred-trust

06/22/2026

How will AI affect your electric bill?

As companies build more data centers to support artificial intelligence, electricity demand is rising rapidly. These facilities require significant amounts of power to run servers and cooling systems, raising important questions about future energy needs and costs.

A new article from our energy law expert Hannah Wiseman looks at what this growth could mean for consumers, how utilities are responding, and why electricity prices may become an increasingly important part of the AI conversation. Wiseman is a researcher in Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment.

As AI transforms technology, researchers are also examining its impact on the energy systems we rely on every day.



More: https://iee.psu.edu/news/blog/what-ai-data-centers-could-mean-your-electric-bill

06/21/2026

A new fund honoring the late Penn State meteorologist Jenni Evans will help future students pursue the kind of transformative experiences that launched her own remarkable career.

Established by her husband Bruce Lord, the fund will support meteorology and atmospheric science students participating in international research and educational opportunities.

Evans, a renowned hurricane researcher and former head of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, believed deeply in the value of global collaboration and hands-on research experiences. She also held numerous leadership positions, including the Centennial President of the American Meteorological Society.

For many students, opportunities to conduct research, attend conferences, and engage with scientists around the world can be career-defining. This fund will help ensure future generations of Penn State students have access to those experiences and can follow in the footsteps of a researcher who made a lasting impact on atmospheric science.



https://lnkd.in/eP-qix8t

Jenni Evans, a world-renowned meteorologist whose research transformed the scientific understanding of tropical cyclones and strengthened storm forecasting worldwide, considered her students’ success her proudest accomplishment. The newly established Jenni Evans Fund in the Department of Meteorolo...

06/18/2026

Join outgoing EMS Dean Lee Kump for a virtual look at some of the exciting research happening across Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

During a free Penn State Alumni Association Virtual Speaker Session on June 23 from noon to 1 p.m., Kump will discuss research ranging from LionGlass and severe weather prediction to wildfire science, human origins, ice-sheet collapse, and critical minerals recovery.

After nine years leading the college, Kump will share how EMS research is making a difference for students and society — and why student involvement remains at the heart of these discoveries.

Lee Kump, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State, will explore how research is making a strong impact on students and society in the next session of the Alumni Association's Virtual Speaker Series on June 23 from noon to 1 p.m. Registration is now open.

06/17/2026

What if leftover pastries could help reduce carbon emissions?

That's the question Penn State doctoral student Matthew Hollingham is helping answer. Hollingham, a third-year architectural engineering student, is researching how bakery waste can be converted into biochar and incorporated into concrete as a carbon-capturing material.

Working with Anne Menefee of the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, Hollingham's research brings together sustainability, waste reduction, and innovative construction materials.

It's a creative example of how Penn State students and faculty are developing solutions that could help reduce emissions while finding new uses for materials that would otherwise go to waste.

Matthew Hollingham, a third-year doctoral student in architectural engineering, has developed a carbon capture system that collects carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas — a byproduct of boilers that contains water v***r, CO2, and nitrogen — and converts it into materials that can be used to make c...

06/16/2026

From Penn State research labs to national laboratories and now Switzerland, Matias Moreno is making the most of every opportunity.

Moreno, a materials science and engineering student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and a Millennium Scholar, recently earned both the Astronaut Scholarship and the Udall Scholarship—two of the nation's most prestigious awards for undergraduate students.

His research has taken him from studying advanced semiconductors at Penn State to hydrogen technologies at the University of Michigan and fuel cells at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This summer, he'll conduct research at the Paul Scherrer Institute and ETH Zurich through the competitive ThinkSwiss Research Ambassador program.

Matias plans to pursue a Ph.D. and develop sustainable energy technologies that can improve access and infrastructure in resource-limited communities. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Penn State materials science and engineering student Matias Moreno earned two of the nation's most competitive undergraduate scholarships — the Astronaut Scholarship and the Udall Scholarship — recognizing both his excellence in STEM research and his commitment to sustainability.

06/15/2026

This summer we’re featuring some of the great opportunities earned by our students, faculty and staff. Thanks, Juliet Biscotti, for sharing this snapshot of your day on the set of a television news studio.

Juliet is a senior double majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science and journalism. She’s a fill-in forecaster at 28/22 News (WBRE/WYOU), which serves Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania out of Wilkes-Barre.

Weather fans might recognize Juliet from her work with “Weather World.” She’s also active in Penn State’s Weather Outreach and Education Club and previously engaged in research with the MARE (MArine REsearch) group in the meteorology department at Penn State.

She first appeared on the show over the winter and says she’s excited to learn more about forecasting summer weather.

Congrats on the opportunity, Juliet. We’re looking forward to your forecasts!

06/15/2026

06/08/2026

Most weather forecasts rely on observations from weather balloons launched just twice a day. But the atmosphere changes constantly.

Penn State researchers David Stensrud and Yunji Zhang are finding new ways to observe the atmospheric boundary layer — the lowest layer of the atmosphere where severe weather develops and air quality is shaped. By using data from the National Weather Service's Doppler radar network, they're creating a more complete picture of how this important layer evolves throughout the day.

Their research has already shown that these radar observations can improve weather models and help produce more accurate forecasts of heavy rainfall and severe weather. Now, with support from the National Science Foundation, the team is expanding this work to unlock even more information from radar data.

It's an exciting example of how Penn State meteorology researchers are improving our ability to understand and predict the atmosphere while bettering our lives.

Despite being difficult to comprehensively observe, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, known as the boundary layer, is critical to weather forecasting, according to a team of meteorology and atmospheric science researchers at Penn State. New grant will help the research team expand their data colle...

06/07/2026

Ahead of taking the reins next month, our interim dean John Mauro is touring our departments.

Here, the materials science and engineering expert and co-inventor of LionGlass is visiting the meteorology studio where "Weather World" is filmed.

He also checked out William Brune's lab, where researchers there recently filmed — for the first time in nature — a phenomenon where tiny pulses of electricity are emitted from the tips of leaves during thunderstorms.

He also met with Matthew Kumjian and Kelly Lombardo and their famed NARHWAL, an armored and instrumented Chevy Tahoe that was part of the largest hail research campaign in four decades.

It's going to take time to get up to speed on all the new and exciting things going on in EMS. Great idea to get a head start!

What are some other things the new interim dean should check out?