As they pack for winter break, students may find items in their rooms that they no longer want. Rather then taking the items home or throwing them away, students can be environmental and donate their gently used, unwanted items to theTrash to Treasure winter sale.
Donation bins will be set up in the residence halls from Dec. 7 to 18, and any student who lives on campus can donate items like furniture, clothes, bedding and electronics. More details about where to drop off donations will be posted in the residence halls in the coming weeks. (more)
Clean technology is a growing industry. As the world grapples with the energy crisis, jobs in sectors such as wind power, solar, biofuels and biomaterials, conservation and efficiency are in higher demand. But college students don't have to study science or engineering to work in green industries. At Penn State, a wide variety of students are preparing to work in green professions in some surprising areas. (more)
Penn State's Multimedia Print Center is offering three new ways for campus departments to be environmental. These programs make recycling and reusing office materials easier than ever, and will hopefully encourage University employees to "green" some of their routines. (more)
The Penn State Board of Trustees on Nov. 6 heard an informational report on landscape improvements of several Penn State campuses from Gordon Turow, director of campus planning and design. Landscape influences the perception of the character and quality of the University and the educational experience it offers. "According to a well-known study, many high school seniors base their choice of an institution in large part on the appearance of the campus buildings and grounds," Turow said. "Most of them make that decision within the first 15 minutes of arriving on campus." (more)
In Motion revisits Penn State's Natural Fusion team as they completed work on their solar home and opened it to the public for tours. Prior to departing for the Solar Decathlon national competition in Washington, D.C., the Natural Fusion home was presented to the University community at an open house. Focusing on natural aesthetics, functional design characteristics and innovative, sustainable technology, the house showed visitors a close-up look at the potential for cost-effective, comfortable and environmentally responsible living. (more)
ConocoPhillips and Penn State have awarded the 2009 ConocoPhillips Energy Prize to Scott Anderson of Palm Beach, Fla., and Kenai, Alaska, and his team for their innovation, the ECO-Auger, a hydrokinetic machine that converts moving water from river and ocean currents to renewable electric energy. Its hydraulic storage pressure compensation system guarantees constant energy output regardless of tidal current strength. (more)
"We'll be relying on fossil fuels for the next several decades, but algae-based fuels could be a great way to reduce our carbon footprint," said Tom Richard, professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Penn State. (more)
For most people the idea of a car that gets 1,912 mpg could be something straight out of a new George Lucas movie, but for Penn State mechanical engineering students it's just another successful class project.
More than two years ago, as part of their capstone mechanical engineering design course, a team of 10 students planned and built the University's hydrogen cell vehicle to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon. "Blood, Sweat and Gears" placed first in the fuel cell category for two consecutive years. Because of their success at the Eco-marathon, members of the engineering team and their ultra-high gas mileage car were invited by Shell to showcase their efforts at this year's World Business Forum on Oct. 6 and 7 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. (more)
Penn Staters can flex their environmental muscle in carpooling Web site Alternetride's "Fall Campus Challenge." The competition, which is a part of the University's RideShare program, pits colleges and universities against each other to find which school signs up the most carpoolers during the month of October. (more)
After weeks of hard work restoring and fixing community-donated computer systems, Penn State Shenango's information, sciences and technology students were eager to hear Joe Flecher, executive director of the Prince of Peace Center in Farrell, explain to their class what receiving one of the more than 20 computer systems will mean to his clients at Prince of Peace. "The AWESOME program, one of our many programs at the Prince of Peace Center, enables our 'clients' to take classes to help them better their lives," Flecher told the students. "One particular component of the AWESOME program is to offer computer classes so that people can look for jobs online, compose resumes and cover letters, and help their children with homework. Once an eligible client has completed 12 classes, we will provide them with one of the restored computer systems. You can't imagine how much they appreciate it." (more)
