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Materials scientists can learn a lot about a sample material by shooting lasers at it. With nonlinear optical microscopy — a specialized imaging technique that looks for a change in the color of intense laser light — researchers can collect data on how the light interacts with the sample and, through time-consuming and sometimes expensive analyses, characterize the material’s structure and other properties. Now, researchers at Penn State have developed a computational framework that can interpret the nonlinear optical microscopy images to characterize the material in microscopic detail.

Building on a legacy of excellence in glass science and engineering, the new Center for Glass Research (CGR) was recently launched at Penn State. It brings together the expertise of researchers from Penn State, Alfred University, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in a strategic collaborative initiative.

The entrepreneurship and innovation minor (ENTI) at Penn State introduced the energy transition cluster, focused on energy innovation, this semester focused.

The Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) has welcomed five new faculty members to its community. Their expertise spans artificial intelligence, water treatment, marine ecosystems, sustainable buildings and solar cell efficiency, strengthening IEE’s interdisciplinary approach to addressing complex challenges. By uniting diverse perspectives, IEE fosters collaborations that can address problems from multiple angles.

Heating and cooling account for most of the energy used in homes and businesses, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Additionally, heat gain and loss through windows can waste up to 30% of the energy used to heat and cool a home. With this in mind, a research team at Penn State is exploring the development of smart windows that use a unique polymer to block sunlight. On the latest episode of “Growing Impact,” the team discusses how the material works and how these smart windows might change the way buildings are designed, built and operated.

Sarah Perry, professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Penn State, will present “Polyelectrolyte complex materials” as part of the Penn State Department of Materials Science and Engineering’s (MatSE) 590 Seminar series. The event will be held from 3:05 to 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, October 2 in 112 Kern Building on the University Park campus.

Artificial intelligence-powered large language models (LLM) need to be trained on massive datasets to make accurate predictions — but what if researchers don't have enough of the right type of data?

The 2025 Nelson W. Taylor Lecture in Materials will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Friday, September 26, in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Heritage Hall on the Penn State University Park campus. The theme of this year’s lecture series is “Forging the future of steel.”

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has selected eight research teams that span 12 departments across six colleges to receive 2025-26 seed grant funding.

Seventy years ago, in Osmond Laboratory on Penn State’s University Park campus, Erwin W. Müller, Evan Pugh Research Professor of Physics, became the first person to “see” an atom. In doing so, Müller cemented his legacy, not only at Penn State, but also as a pioneer in the world of physics and beyond.