Penn State research team pushes the limits of lunar innovation starting with a kitchen microwave
By Chara Fitch Penn State student Samuel Highfield holds a red-hot sample of lunar ilmenite after only 30 seconds in an ordinary microwave. Photo: Kate Myers / Penn State. “We’re an exploration species,” said Sven Bilén, Professor of Engineering Design, Electrical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering at Penn State. From the first global explorers to the […]
Penn State-created LionGlass will cut carbon emissions in half, create energy-efficient options
By Gracie Mullan Image: Adrienne Berard / Penn State One of the largest challenges facing the glass industry today is the immense amount of carbon emissions produced by the production of glass. At least 86 million tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere each year from glass manufacturing. LionGlass engineered and researched at […]
Made at Penn State: Seven inventions and discoveries that have changed the world
By Holly Riddle Current headlines tout Penn State’s prowess in all things research and innovation. In 2021, the university benefited from $993.1 million in research expenditures, with $93.1 million dedicated with industry and privately sponsored research and $610 million dedicated to federal research. Each and every year, the university ranks near-first in annual spending on […]
Turning big ideas into viable business
By Gracie Mullan Have an idea or invention that is poised to change the world? Unless it answers one giant question, there’s not a very big chance of success, according to Roger Dagen. Dagen is the Executive in Residence for Transformation Business Services Network (TBSN) at Ben Franklin Technology Partners, which is widely considered one […]
Happy Valley infrastructure: investing in Penn State
By Gracie Mullan Are there 5½ square miles anywhere else in the country enjoying more investment dollars than Happy Valley? With Penn State bucking the national trend of declining enrollment—University Park enrollment grew 2.7% in 2022, boasting higher numbers than fall 2019 pre-covid enrollment—the university is investing heavily in campus renovations. Want an overview of […]
The U.S. only produces 12% of semiconductors produced globally. A Penn State-led consortium is poised to change that.
By Cara Aungst The CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion for American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce development. Semiconductor use is skyrocketing, used in everything from military equipment to mobile phones to climate-friendly lighting and is the lifeblood to the new boom in artificial intelligence. They are projected to become a trillion-dollar industry […]
Penn State research supports Pennsylvania’s nation-leading mushroom industry
By Sean Yoder Pennsylvania is the #1 mushroom producing state in the country and Penn State’s one-of-a-kind mushroom science program is unlike any other in North America. Pennsylvania’s mushroom cultivators produced 446.58 million pounds of white button mushrooms and accounted for 66 percent of the total volume of sales during the 2021-2022 growing season, according […]
spotLess Materials readying product launch with leadership of startup-experienced VP
By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger Tim Hurley doesn’t shy away from sticky situations. After starting out as a mentor to the spotLESS Materials team, he took on the role of Vice President of Business Development in November, 2022. In bringing Hurley on board, the company’s goal is to attract more customers in the both residential and commercial […]
AI wrote this week’s content. Here’s how it went
by Cara Aungst Opening ChatGPT for the first time reminded me of my first memory of the world wide web (yes, I’m that old). I was in the Audio-Visual department at my small liberal arts college, and the AV director showed me how to find, and buy, a font to use in the yearbook design. […]
