WE ARE for Science fields questions from inquiring kids, adults at Grange Fair
As rows of tents dotted the countryside, the Grange Fair offered a chance to get back to more simple times. But for members of the group WE ARE for Science, it was a chance to shape the future of science policy, education and public outreach. About 40 members of the group recently spent a day at the fair fielding questions from kids and parents alike, in areas such as astronomy, entomology and geosciences at their “Ask a Scientist” event.
Materials Science and Engineering’s Arkema Speaker Series to begin Aug. 31
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has announced speakers and dates for the fall 2017 Arkema Speaker Series. The series features talks from leaders in materials science and engineering research and are held from 12:05 to 1:20 p.m. on Thursdays in 101 Thomas Building. Seminars are free and open to the public.
Three faculty members join the Institutes of Energy and the Environment
The Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) announced the addition of three new cofunded faculty members who will join Penn State during the 2017–18 academic year. Jillian Goldfarb will join the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State in January 2018 as an assistant professor.The faculty other two faculty members are Kristina Douglass and Jonathan Duncan.
Course introduces students to critical zone science
A new course encourages students to take a highly interdisciplinary approach to dealing with pressing environmental challenges. The curriculum is an introduction to critical zone science, an emerging field that brings together scientists with diverse backgrounds to study the place where rock, soil, water, air and life meet.
NASA Space Grant project livestreams eclipse from near-space
Millions will be watching Monday, Aug. 21, as the moon eclipses the sun, darkening a large swath of the United States. People from Oregon to South Carolina will witness a total eclipse, a rare phenomenon not seen in the U.S. since 1979. Others in the continental U.S. and beyond will be treated to a partial eclipse. But if you can’t make it outside Monday, you’ll still have a chance to witness something special — a livesteam featuring videos and photos of the eclipse from high above the Earth.