By Jamie Oberdick
At Penn State’s Materials Research Institute (MRI), undergraduate students are gaining invaluable hands-on experience in cutting-edge scientific research. Through a variety of programs, these students are not only advancing their academic knowledge but also accessing state-of-the-art research facilities, often for the first time.
By Jamie Oberdick
From growing perfect crystals to testing materials in real-world conditions, Penn State’s advanced lab tools are making scientific breakthroughs possible
Great ideas and brilliant researchers are essential for discovery—but so is having the right equipment. At Penn State, scientists are pushing the boundaries of materials science thanks to new, state-of-the-art tools that let them explore questions they couldn’t answer before.
By Jamie Oberdick
When optical networking company Infinera was acquired by telecommunications giant Nokia in early 2025, it was hailed as a strategic move that would solidify Nokia’s leadership in data transport technology. But behind this $2.3 billion deal lies a story of innovation that’s been quietly unfolding in central Pennsylvania, thanks to a long-standing partnership between Infinera and Penn State’s Materials Research Institute (MRI).
DUBOIS, PA - Penn State DuBois and Metaltech Inc., a local leader in powdered metal manufacturing, are teaming up on a new research initiative focused on next-generation energy storage. Backed by a $70,000 grant from the 2025 Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, the project aims to develop sponge iron electrodes for use in iron-air batteries by repurposing mill scale, a byproduct of steelmaking.