UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State appears in the news hundreds of times every day. Monthly, the University’s Office of Strategic Communications features national and international news coverage of the work and expertise of Penn State’s faculty, students and staff.
March's highlights:
-- Penn State continues to be a leader in the field of climate change. Senior Research Associate for Earth and Mineral Science David Pollard published findings in Nature this month that it appears the ice sheet around Antarctica will melt sooner than scientists thought, and it could raise the sea-level five or six feet. “We are not saying this is definitely going to happen,” said Pollard. “But I think we are pointing out that there’s a danger, and it should receive a lot more attention.” His research was picked up in The New York Times, Time Magazine, BBC and more than a hundred other outlets.
-- Penn State is teaming up with NASA to build an instrument to detect planets up to 200 light years away. It will take three years and $10 million to build it. "These are hard projects to take on and they are very challenging builds," said team leader and Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Suvrath Mahadevan. "We're very passionate about advancing the state of exoplanet science and at the same time we're passionate about building an instrument that other astronomers can use." Dozens of outlets ran the news, including Space Daily, Inverse, and locally in papers like The Patriot-News.
-- A lack of affordable energy is a constant problem, especially in developing countries. A U.K. scientist is attempting to solve that problem by converting human urine into a fuel option. The Wall Street Journal turned to microbial fuel expert and Professor of Engineering Bruce Logan and asked him to review the findings for them. Logan explained the science for WSJ and talked about the potential of a future for the sustainable energy source. But he doesn’t think we are there yet: “I suspect that the worth of the urine as a fertilizer is greater than its value for making electricity.”
-- More than 70,000 students applied to attend Penn State for the most recent semester. The New York Times wanted to help students understand what can set them apart from the thousands of other students when they apply. They asked Clark Brigger, executive director for undergraduate admissions, and other experts what advice they gave their own children: “I tell my kids, ‘Do not wait for the deadline to submit your applications.’ There’s a rule in our house that I pay for the applications completed before Labor Day, but after that, my children are responsible for the fees. Getting those applications in early is the best way to reduce stress senior year.” Brigger added there are other benefits to applying early. “As an admissions officer, when that deadline comes around, I see a huge spike in applications. That’s when the procrastinators send them in. It’s advantageous to get ahead of the bubble. Think about it strategically: there are thousands of applications and essays to get through. If you get yours in early, the reader may be more relaxed and in a better mood at that point in the process.”
-- And Penn State will be part of the #SleepRevolution. The Huffington Post announced they will be on campus in the Grandfather Clock Lounge of Atherton Hall to talk about students and their sleep habits on April 7. The Huffington Post, Scholars Helping Scholars and former Sears CEO Lou D’Ambosio will conduct “a discussion where students learn how to sleep their way to the top!”
These are just a few of the highlights. For more of Penn State’s experts’ appearances in the media, visit http://news.psu.edu/media-highlights.