Science Journal Summer 2019

Nano, big science in small packages

Dean's message

Dear Friends of the College

Douglas R. Cavener, Verne M. Willaman Dean.
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About this photo

A look between the two anvils of a Paris-Edinburgh press used in John Badding’s lab to synthesize carbon nanothreads.

A look between the two anvils of a Paris-Edinburgh press used in John Badding’s lab to synthesize carbon nanothreads.
Nitin Samarth

A Note from Our Guest Editor

Photo of Nitin Samarth.

Tiny but mighty

Nanoscale tubes of carbon hold outsized promise

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In his lab, Mauricio Terrones uses lasers for characterizing nanomaterials such as the carbon-nanotube arrays at the heart of the CNT-STEM. Credit: Nate Follmer.

Shape of a thread! Form of a Diamond!

Penn State chemists eschew subfield boundaries to advance the science of carbon nanotubes

Read more
Model of a nanothread.

Nanocontrol freak

A Penn State chemist strives to control the arrangement of atoms to develop novel materials

Learn about Ray's research
Ray Schaak in his office.

What does nanoscience mean to me?

Eberly scientists explain the value of what’s invisible to the naked eye

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Visually impaired students engage science using adaptive tools. Credit: Carmen Vanderhoof.

Modeling a long-standing “nanoproblem”

Penn State mathematicians work from the atom up to describe heat flow in nanomaterials

Learn about his work
Xiantao Li in his office.
The Paris-Edinburgh press used to synthesize carbon nanothreads.
Yin-Ting “Tim” Yeh, outside his office in Osmond Building. Credit: Nate Follmer.
Person-to-Person with Yin-Ting “Tim” Yeh
Yin-Ting “Tim” Yeh's research
Sikai Wu in the laboratory. Credit: Nate Follmer
Sikai Wu's research
Person-to-Person with Sikai Wu and Margaret Gerthoffer

Research leading to practical benefits for society

A one-stop shop for corporate partners

Corporate Engagement
The Corporate Engagement Team (L-R) Ashley Chan, Brenda Lucas, and Tomalei Vess. Credit: Nate Follmer.

New deans

Two new associate deans for undergraduate education

Meet the deans
On the left Mary Beth Williams is now senior associate dean of instruction and curricula and on the right Chris Palma associate dean for undergraduate students.

The Millennium Scholars Program at Penn State

New research shows promise for success of underrepresented scholars in STEM

About the program
One of the first of two graduating classes from the Millennium Scholars Program at Penn State.

2018 Climate and Diversity Awards

The college’s Climate and Diversity Awards recognize the efforts of faculty, staff, and students the improve the climate and diversity of the college. 

About the recipients
2018 Climate and Diversity Award recipients Kristin Dreyer, Latisha Franklin, and Eric Hudson.

Science communicator on the frontier of science

Celebrating the career of former Science Journal editor Barbara Kennedy

Barbara's Accomplishments
Barbara Kennedy. Credit: Lian Wang
Model of a nanothread.

Celebrating two stellar anniversaries in astronomy and astrophysics.

Team R Rusty dominates the field at 2019 DataFest, a 48-hour number-crunching frenzy.

Major mathematics misconceptions.

Department News

Research Now

A selection of research press releases from the Eberly College of Science.

The Summer 2019 Research Now PDF
A selection of press releases featured in the Summer 2019 Research Now insert.

Traffic noise stresses out frogs, but some have adapted

Frog adaptation
A wood frog among leaves on the ground.

How hot are atoms in the shock wave of an exploding star?

Find out
An international team of researchers combined observations of nearby supernova SN1987A, made with NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory, with simulations to measure the temperature atoms in the shock wave that occurs from the explosive death of a star. This image superimposes synthetic X-ray emission data onto a density map with from the simulation of SN1987A. Credit: Marco Miceli, Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Università di Palermo, and INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Beyond the blackhole singularity

Loop quantum gravity
Artist representation of a black hole. The bottom half of the image depicts the black hole which, according to general relativity, traps everything including light. Effects based on loop quantum gravity, a theory that extends Einsteins general relativity using quantum mechanics, overcome this tremendous pull and liberate everything (top half of image), thus providing a concrete avenue for recovery of information previously thought to be lost in the black hole singularity. Credit: A. Corichi and J. P. Ruiz.

Iridescent color from clear droplets

View more
A Petri dish containing transparent droplet emulsions made from a mixture of oils of different density and water-based surfactants photographed from different angles. When illuminated with white light the oil droplets reflect different colors dependent on the viewing direction. New research explains how this “structural color” is formed based on the size and curvature of the droplets, along with the droplet’s total internal reflection. Credit: Zarzar laboratory, Penn State.

Male birth control for the malaria parasite

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Fluorescent staining of the CAF1/CCR4/NOT complex in the malaria parasite. This complex, which new research shows is important for RNA stability and the maturation of the male sexual form of the malaria parasite, is found as granules (green) throughout the cytosol of the malaria parasite. Credit: Kevin J. Hart, Penn State.

Unlocking the mystery behind blood clots

How clots start
An activated human platelet, a blood-clotting cell that plays a crucial role in preventing bleeding, but when overactivated can play a role in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. New research identifies one of the main mechanical mechanisms of blood clotting. Credit: Lining Arnold Ju (University of Sydney) and Qian Su (University of Technology Sydney).

New sensor detects rare metals used in smartphones

Learn how
Close up view of a smartphone screen.
Nicole Famularo and Albanie Hendrickson-Stives Credit: Nate Follmer.

Fall 2018 Commencement and Spring 2019 Commencement student Marshals.

Four undergraduate students win Goldwater Scholarships.

Proactive students find inspiration in Penn State science labs.

Grad students find going “nano” might be the solution to big questions.

Student Spotlight
Call to action

An open letter from Eberly Alumni Society board president Mark Lane

Photo of Mark Lane
James Balog

A life in science and business

James and Alvina Balog.
Mentoring Helps

Students benefit, and Eberly alumni give back, through Mentoring Program

Isiah Holt stands in the 2.3-acre dish of the Green Bank Telescope.
The Paris-Edinburgh press used to synthesize carbon nanothreads.
Penn State graduate John Patton and his wife, Natalie.
Alumni gifts to fund Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center
Inspiring research
Millennium Society chairpersons Karen and Matt Keller.
Impacting science
Millennium Society members making a difference
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