News

Humanity may not be extraordinary but rather the natural evolutionary outcome for our planet and likely others, according to a new model for how intelligent life developed on Earth.

John Mauro, Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, has been named head of Penn State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, effective July 1. Mauro will succeed Susan Sinnott, who has served as the head of the department since 2015.

Felicia Henry, assistant professor of sociology at American University, will give the talk, "I Knew It Was COVID, I Knew I Was on Probation: Black Women Navigating Community Supervision During COVID-19," at the Department of Geography's spring 2025 Coffee Hour lecture series. Her talk will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus and via Zoom.

Eleven research labs in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) have earned My Green Lab certifications at one of the three highest levels available: gold, platinum or green.  EMS My Green Lab certified labs represent 27.8% of the labs certified on the University Park campus and 25% of the labs certified on all campuses. The college also has seven additional labs enrolled in the certification program.

Kathleen Hill, director of the Center for Science and the Schools, and teaching professor of science education, will give the talk, “Center for Science and the Schools: Translating STEM Research to Improve K-12 Education,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus. The talk also will be available via Zoom.

Steven Koller, postdoctoral fellow in climate and housing at Harvard University, will give the talk, “The Willingness to Pay for Vehicle Flood Insurance,” at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in 157 Hosler Building on the University Park campus.

Penn State’s Sustainable Labs Program ushers participating labs through a yearlong certification process, guiding them in implementing sustainable practices across multiple domains, including energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, green chemistry and sustainable purchasing. The program will host a virtual information session from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, and from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, Feb. 21, for those interested in learning more or applying for the next cohort.

Guido Cervone, Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) interim director and professor of geography, of meteorology and of atmospheric science, was recently named chair of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting program committee. 

In 2018, the side of the Anak Krakatau volcano collapsed in a powerful eruption and produced a tsunami that killed hundreds and injured thousands on nearby Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. A new analysis of satellite data showed the mountainside was slipping for years and accelerated before the eruption — information that could have potentially offered a warning of the collapse.

Shweta Bhogale, postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will give the talk, “Run on the Reservoir: Evidence on Administrative Competition for Groundwater in India,” at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in 157 Hosler Building at Penn State University Park.