The Long Game of Our Research
Stories of Impact from the Penn State Research Enterprise
How we bring impact into our Communities
Pillars of Impact
Research impact comes from a chain reaction of iterative successes. One study builds on the next, methodologies are refined, and the boundaries of knowledge are expanded. The cyclical nature of inquiry — where questions lead to discoveries that spark new questions — drives the breakthroughs that change our communities and the world.
The Latest Stories from Penn State Research
- Materials science professor receives international research honor
Tarasankar DebRoy, professor of materials science and engineering in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, received the 2026 Joining and Welding Science Award from the Joining and Welding Research Institute of the University of Osaka.
- Professor’s acclaimed documentary set to screen at festivals around the world
“To Kill a Nazi,” a Penn State professor’s critically acclaimed documentary, will screen as an official selection this fall at a dozen film festivals as far away as Australia and as close as New York.
- Digital Twins Literacy Center to engage students in immersive technologies
The Digital Twins Hub at Penn State has launched the Digital Twin Literacy Center, a centralized space for students at Penn State to learn about and engage directly with digital twin models — virtual representations of real-life systems — and other immersive technologies. The hub is housed under the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences and the Cozoziello Institute for Real Estate Innovation.
- Penn State Abington students make industry connections at Impact Forum
Students highlighted innovation and career-ready skills at the Penn State Impact Forum, highlighting how the Abington Experience prepares them for success.
- Penn State Harrisburg student participates in national AI program
A Penn State Harrisburg student was selected to participate in AI4ALL Ignite, a national, no-cost program that helps students build AI skills by pairing cross-institutional student teams with industry mentors for hands-on projects, mentorship and discussions about the broader social impact of AI.
- Chatty chatbots can mislead users, but verification tools help, researchers find
The more conversational an AI chatbot is, the more likely users will trust it — even when it shares misinformation, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.