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.
Predicting Blackouts in College Student Drinkers using Alcohol Biosensors - Veronica Richards | Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
Blackouts are common in college students and are associated with increased alcohol-related harms. Self-report is the most common way to assess college student drinking but becomes less reliable at higher quantities of alcohol consumption. Self-report also does not tell us how students are drinking, which may be important in the prediction of harm. In this talk, I will discuss the use of alcohol biosensors to measure the manner in which students drink to predict the occurrence of alcohol-induced blackouts. I am interested in exploring other novel approaches, including the development of new sensors to address alcohol-related harm reduction.
Waste to Resource: Sustainable Plastic Management for a Circular Global Economy - Hilal Ezgi Toraman | Energy & Mineral Engineering | Chemical Engineering
About 60% of all plastics ever produced are currently in waste sites, resulting in a yearly loss of $80-120 billion USD. Additionally, plastic production, which makes up 6% of global oil use, is expected to increase to 20% by 2050. Unique conditions in landfills and the natural environment expose plastic waste to factors like high salinity, varied temperatures, and microbial breakdown which can lead to the formation of tiny plastic particles. Our lab leverages expertise in catalysis and reaction engineering along with advanced techniques such as two-dimensional gas chromatography and artificial intelligence to study the fundamental chemistry behind mixed plastic recycling technologies.
***Feb 20th, 1:00 – 2:30 Stop by the CBEB Knowledge Commons for a pop-up event (15 posters!) with coffee, dessert, and for conversations with MCL staff about new characterization capabilities. This will also be an opportunity for grad students to connect with the PSU BMES and ChE GSA.