Student

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.”

Irena Potochny first picked up a needle to sew buttons on felt in preschool, and she hasn’t put down crafts since. Now a student entering her senior year at Penn State, Potochny spends her free time creating upcycled clothing and tackling myriad projects, like 3-D printing her own spinning wheel one weekend this spring semester.

Parker Przybylski has been named Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ student marshal, the top graduate overall; and Shahad Alsadoon has been named the college’s engineering honor marshal, the top graduate in an engineering discipline. They will be recognized during the college’s spring 2025 commencement ceremony, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, in the Pegula Ice Arena on Penn State's University Park campus.

The winners of the 17th annual Materials Visualization Competition (MVC), a scientific visual and artistic competition sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute at Penn State, have been announced. MVC celebrates the quality of research in materials at Penn State and promotes awareness of materials science through visualization.

Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) recognized exceptional students and faculty for their academic excellence, service and leadership during its annual Wilson Awards Celebration, held on March 30. The Wilson Awards are named in honor of Matthew and Anne Wilson, major benefactors of the college. 

The 2025 David Ford McFarland Award Lecture for Achievement in Metallurgy will be held at 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building on Penn State's University Park campus. Rose Hernandez, science program director at the International Space Station National Laboratory, will deliver the lecture, “From Earth to Space: Advancing Materials Technologies and Embracing Life's Mission.”

The Penn State Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation hosted its inaugural Student IdeaLab on the University Park campus in December 2024, bringing together a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students interested in shaping the future of the real estate and built environment sectors. Designed to help students connect with peers across the University’s many disciplines and to promote co-creation of future institute activities, the event offered attendees a platform to share their interests, experiences and ideas.

Penn State’s Sustainable Labs Program ushers participating labs through a yearlong certification process, guiding them in implementing sustainable practices across multiple domains, including energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, green chemistry and sustainable purchasing. The program will host a virtual information session from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, and from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, Feb. 21, for those interested in learning more or applying for the next cohort.

Duanchen Zhang has been selected to represent Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences as the student marshal for the college’s fall 2024 commencement on Sunday, Dec. 22, in the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus.

Penn State student Matias Moreno sees a path to bettering his own future in higher education. He sees the engineering skills he’s learning along the way as a path to a more sustainable future for all of us.