Science on Tap July 16 at Federal Taphouse. Talk starts at 7pm but get there as early as 6 to claim your seat and grab some food and drinks!

After the catastrophe caused by 2017’s Hurricane Maria, many Puerto Ricans were left without electricity for months. Now, what is the best plan to radically reform electricity access on the Caribbean island? Better still, how can we reform our national and global energy systems to meet the demands of net-zero carbon emissions? Is Puerto Rico the canary in the coal mine or something more?

Dr. Cecilio Ortiz Garcia and Dr. Marla Perez-Lugo are co-Founders of the University of Puerto Rico’s National Institute of Energy and Island Sustainability, recognized after Hurricane Maria by the Department of Energy as “the foundation in which to firmly establish Puerto Rico as a Center for Excellence on distributed grid operations , and could also provide both the supply of interdisciplinary engineers and policymakers Puerto Rico will need and the expertise other island and remote grid systems will need in their transition to a distributed, resilient electric sector."

Annual arts festival spanning campus and downtown State College.

How do we meet the goals of energy affordability, sustainability, and security to ensure innovation, policy, and investment in our energy system going forward? To meet these current and future energy challenges, Penn State is hosting the Energy Days Conference on May 29-30, 2019, at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center on University Park campus.

Energy Days is an annual conference that brings together leaders from across the energy realm, including members of industry, government, non-profits, and academia. The purpose is to identify and discuss the regional, national, and global energy challenges facing society in a way that helps inform the issues as a whole and identify areas where Penn State can be a strong partner.

Did you know that nearly two-thirds of white button mushrooms consumed in the U.S. come from Pennsylvania? Join Science on Tap at Federal Tap House where mushroom researchers, Dr. David Geiser and Dr. Margherita Cantorna, will discuss their research to the public.

Dr. Geiser is a professor of Mycology (scientific study of fungi) and is the Director of the Fusarium Research Center at Penn State. His research focuses on the molecular evolutionary genetics of pathogenic and toxigenic fungi and his lab seeks to classify and understand the biology of different species of fungi.

Dr. Cantorna is a distinguished professor of Molecular Immunology and Nutrition and is the Director of the Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease. She has expertise in immune-mediated diseases such as multiple scerlosis and inflammatory bowel disease and studies the effects of edible mushrooms on the microbiome and glucose control.

Ferguson Township Supervisor Peter Buckland and Ferguson Twp. Climate Action Committee Chair Brandi Robinson discuss the actions being taken and considered by the township in response to climate change.

Free public Q&A session with Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic. Coordinated by campus chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media and sponsored by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Session moderated by alumna Audrey Snyder of The Athletic.

The Penn State Council of Sustainabile Leaders will be hosting 12 Sustainability Showcases this spring to make connections between faculty research, personal and professional interest and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while broadening the discourse surrounding sustainability. Speakers are invited to give a 30 minute talk, answer questions and hang around to mingle with attendees.

This year, the theme for the showcase series is: What is your "Big Idea" that will advance sustainability in the 21st century?

Events are on Fridays 12 - 1:30 pm, are held in various locations in the HUB and include lunch for RSVP'd guests.

Join us in the Freeman Auditorium in the HUB as Gina McCarthy, the 13th Administrator of the EPA and the EPA Administrator under President Obama chats with Central PA about public health, climate change, and why communication about science and policy can get so muddled! We'll look at what the road ahead look like and what we can do, as individuals and as a country, to make sure the future will be healthier, safer, and better for us all.

Following the lecture will be a Q&A session, as well as a catered reception in the Auditorium Lounge at 7:00 pm, right outside of the Freeman Auditorium.

The event is FREE and open to the public! You can learn more here on the Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/260561508167031/