Sustainability | Penn Today

Environmental sustainability as a competitive advantage in international student recruitment

Institutions with sophisticated student recruitment strategies know that market segmentation is an important element of ensuring programmes are presented to the students most likely to be interested in them

Tensile test for welding procedure. It, also known as tension testing, is a fundamental materials science and engineering test in which a sample is subjected to a controlled tension until failure

Repairing fractured metals for more sustainable construction

Mining, refining, and processing metals commonly used in construction are estimated to contribute around three billion tons of CO2-equivalent emissions. Now, researchers have developed a new metal-healing technique that fully restores previously unrepairable metals, presenting sustainable options for manufacturers.

Four scientists speak in a dairy cow facility

Cross-disciplinary collaboration for a healthier planet

The Environmental Innovations Initiative announces a third round of funded research communities to catalyze interdisciplinary research at Penn, investigating issues from regenerative agriculture to project-based learning for global climate justice.

Newly planted trees aim to help combat effects of climate change

Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that it’s critical to provide ways for under-served communities to adapt to the increased heat of climate change.

Caring for the campus landscape with an ecological mindset

The Ecological Landscape Stewardship Plan, developed in 2018, offers a framework for the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services to design, maintain, and celebrate the beauty of the campus landscape with an emphasis on its role as a balanced ecological system.

Winners of President’s Sustainability Prize are making a difference for people and the planet

Springboarded by University recognition and support, the alums behind the three prize-winning projects—Baleena, The Community Grocer, and Shinkei Systems—are realizing, even surpassing, their goals.

Q&A

Climate scientist Michael Mann makes a home at Penn

Known for his “hockey stick” graph that hammered home the dramatic rise of the warming climate, the climate scientist is now making his mark on Penn’s campus, both through his science and his work on communicating the urgent need for action on the climate crisis.

Solar panels and three wind turbines set against a blue sky and setting sun.

At Penn Energy Week, a time to reflect on energy science, technology, and policy

Hosted by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, the third annual Energy Week, which runs March 20-24, offers events on decarbonization, careers in the energy sector, global energy security, and more.

Industrial landscape with electric power lines, hydroelectric dam and metallurgical plants with smoke in the sky.

Q&A

The hidden costs of AI: Impending energy and resource strain

AI models like ChatGPT have seen notable improvements, but some people are concerned about the societal impacts these new technologies may bring. Deep Jariwala and Benjamin C. Lee discuss energy and resource problems with AI computing.

Laia Mogas-Soldevila leans over a railing to smell a hanging display at the ICA.

Clearing the air with biomaterials

Senseable Biomaterials for Healthier Habitats, a project led by assistant professor of architecture Laia Mogas-Soldevila, contributed a lattice installation made from architectural biomaterials to the ICA, acting as an antimicrobial air purifier.

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