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A U.S. Navy platoon commander who is a Penn State World Campus student has received this year’s Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the geospatial intelligence community.

Mark Ortiz, a Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar in Penn State’s Department of Geography, is one of 15 geographers selected to the American Association of Geographers’ (AAG) first-ever cohort in the new Elevate the Discipline, or Elevate, program.

Poaching wild animals poses global environmental risks, from threatening the survival of keystones species to potentially spreading animal-borne diseases to humans. Technology like unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can help combat poachers, but finding the best way to use the large amounts of geospatial data generated by these tools remains a challenge, according to Penn State scientists.

Over spring break 2023, Penn State graduate students traveled to Arizona to participate in a transformational research experience as part of the Landscape-U program.

In May, the Department of Geography held a workshop aimed at supporting third- and fourth-year students from underrepresented groups in their journeys toward applying for graduate programs in geography.

Each year, millions of pounds of fireworks illuminate the skies across the United States, captivating audiences with their dazzling displays. What many people may not realize is that perchlorate, a significant ingredient in fireworks, may pose potential health risks to humans and animals.

Fourteen graduate students from Penn State have been awarded research fellowships and nine undergraduate students from around the commonwealth have been awarded scholarships from the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium (PSGC).

From facial recognition on smart phones to digital voice assistants like Siri to tools like ChatGPT, artificial intelligence and machine learning are part of our everyday lives. Their benefits are many, but their rapid rise is also spurring questions about their risks. The ethical use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in scientific research is also becoming a more visible and important consideration, according to Guido Cervone, professor of geography and meteorology and atmospheric science at Penn State.

Karl Zimmerer, a professor of geography, is wrapping up what he said was a "transformative" sabbatical at the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAK’IT) in Montpellier, France. Zimmerer applied and was accepted as a visiting scientist with MAK’IT, renowned as a global center of excellence for his research area, at the University of Montpellier.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Department Executive Officers (DEO) program has gained five additional fellows from the Penn State ranks.