MRI

By Jamie Oberdick

After more than a decade as director of the Penn State Materials Research Institute (MRI), Clive Randall, Evan Pugh University Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, will step down to refocus his efforts to teaching and research. He will remain on as director through the summer of 2026 to help guide the transition.  

A team of researchers at Penn State was awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a graduate training program designed to equip the next generation of engineers and scientists with the tools required to affect transformative change in sustainable materials processing.

Wearable electronics could be more wearable, according to a research team at Penn State. The researchers developed a scalable, versatile approach to designing and fabricating wireless, internet-enabled electronic systems that can better adapt to 3D surfaces, like the human body or common household items, paving the path for more precise health monitoring or household automation, such as a smart recliner that can monitor and correct poor sitting habits to improve circulation and prevent long-term problems.

America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining have awarded a team led by Guha Manogharan, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, $1.5 million to develop a new approach to casting metal components used in machinery and vehicles. The award comes as a part of a project led by a consortium through the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Manufacturing Technology Program, known as IMPACT 3.0, worth a total of $4.5 million.

A fermentation byproduct might help to solve two major global challenges: world hunger and the environmental impact of fast fashion. The leftover yeast from brewing beer, wine or even to make some pharmaceuticals can be repurposed to produce high-performance fibers stronger than natural fibers with significantly less environmental impact, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State and published today (Nov. 3) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Penn State’s research enterprise continues to grow, despite continued shifts in the federal funding landscape, Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read said during a conversation with the Penn State community on Nov. 3. 

Newly developed metallic nanotubes roll out potential for faster electronics, quantum computing

By Jamie Oberdick

A team of researchers at Penn State introduce a novel design approach that optimizes battery performance for extreme climates

By Ty Tkacik

Despite lithium-ion (Li) batteries’ role as one of the most widely used forms of energy storage, they struggle to operate at full power in low temperatures and sometimes even explode at high temperatures. Researchers at Penn State, however, have proposed a design that could hold the key to effective and stable power storage in a variety of climates.  

By Adrienne Berard

A bottled beverage might soon come with a lower carbon footprint thanks to a new partnership between one of the world’s leading glass manufacturers and scientists at Penn State.