News

Fighting fire with fire

Research by Huck Institutes affiliate Alan Taylor focuses on whether suppressing naturally occurring wildfires increases the possibility of their eventually becoming severe.

Penn State open online course "infects" learners, causing a "virtual pandemic"

In a free new online course, "Epidemics: the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases," offered by the Eberly College of Science at Penn State, students and members of the public will learn about how infectious diseases spread by playing a real-time epidemic game " a "virtual apocalypse," which instructors will run in parallel with the more traditional lessons.

Computer modeling breaks new ground in study of root architecture

The United Nations estimates that one in every seven people around the world is hungry; fortunately, Jonathan Lynch and Kathleen Brown are getting to the root of this problem using Information Technology (IT).

Social media abuzz about how to breed super queen bees

While honey bee populations dwindle across the globe, Christina Grozinger and other Penn State researchers aim to use communication technologies to spread revolutionary beekeeping techniques that will help offset the effects of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Nine Huck Institutes faculty members featured in Discovery U videos

Peter Hudson, Scott Selleck, David Hughes, Melissa Rolls, Paula Droege, Tracy Langkilde, Phil Bevilacqua, Stephen Schaeffer, and Robert Paulson talk about research that's driving scientific discovery at Penn State.

Three Huck Institutes faculty members are named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Peter Hudson, Matthew Thomas, and Andrew Read have been elected by their peers for distinguished efforts to advance science.

Students get unique environmental research experience in Spain

Over the past two years, Margot and Jason Kaye have coordinated trips to Madrid, Spain, for students in the College of Agricultural Sciences to conduct research in global climate change ecology.

Research looks at hydrology, soil constraints to shale-gas development

Across the Appalachian Plateau in Pennsylvania, 50 to 70 percent of shale-gas pads are being developed on slopes that could be prone to erosion and sedimentation problems, according to Patrick Drohan and other researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

A warm, wet fall would dampen foliage colors

This summer was notable because of drought conditions in June and July, and searing heat in July, but that won't limit the beauty of Pennsylvania's fall foliage.

DNA analysis aids in classifying single-celled algae

A group of single-celled algae known as Symbiodinium, which live inside corals and are critical to their survival, are only now being separated into species via DNA analysis by researchers including Todd LaJeunesse.