The Millennium Café runs 10-11am in the 3rd floor Café Commons of the MSC Bldg. Join researchers from across campus for a stellar cup of coffee and two <10 min interdisciplinary talks. All Millennium Café events are free and open to the Penn State community, include coffee and breakfast pastries, and are held in the third floor Café Commons of the Millennium Science Complex at University Park.
How Custom Diffractive Optics Help Telescopes Decode the Unseen
Space-based spectrometers rely on a critical component to decode light from distant stars, galaxies, and exoplanets: diffraction gratings. At Penn State’s Nanofabrication Lab, we use electron-beam lithography to craft these gratings with extreme precision, customizing them for NASA’s most ambitious missions. This technology unlocks new designs for astronomical spectrometers, enabling missions that were previously impractical. I will share how our work helps push the boundaries of what is possible in space science.
Fabien Grise
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Designing Polymer-based Sustainable Catalysts
Nature’s photosynthesis shows how light can efficiently power complex chemical reactions—a concept that inspires modern photoredox catalysis. While small molecule photocatalysts have revolutionized organic synthesis, major bottlenecks remain in the efficiency and purification of these processes. We have developed novel homogeneous, recyclable polymer-based photocatalysts for various applications. Here, I will discuss our organic and metal-based homogeneous polymer-based photocatalysts that embrace some key design elements to accelerate photoredox reactions offering a promising route toward more sustainable chemical synthesis.
Shweta Gaikwad
Chemisty