Millennium Café

Volumetric defects in additively manufactured components remain a major barrier to their safe adoption in critical applications. This talk shows how we can guide machine learning (ML) models by encoding the underlying wave physics, allowing us to quantify volumetric porosity from raw ultrasonic signals and to image defects with unprecedented resolution. By combining physics-based models with ML, we move toward faster, more reliable, and more automated quality control.

Michail Skiadopoulos | Engineering Science and Mechanics

Effective industry outreach is built on preparation, credibility, and relationship‑building over time. Drawing on lessons from years in both academia and industry, this presentation offers practical guidance on making strong first impressions, engaging companies strategically, and starting collaborations that can grow into long‑term partnerships. Attendees will leave with actionable tips they can apply immediately to strengthen industry connections and expand the impact of their research.

Dave Fecko | MRI Industry Collaborations Director

This talk will overview recent research on human tendency to over-trust and under-trust AI. It will describe the role played by cognitive heuristics (or mental shortcuts) in shaping user perceptions, with a particular focus on machine heuristic. With data from experiments comparing human and AI sources and gatekeepers, it will delineate the effect of both positive and negative machine heuristics upon user trust. Finally, it will suggest ways to mitigate the effect of heuristics and achieve better trust calibration.

S. Shyam Sundar | Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

Breakthrough research doesn’t change the world if no one hears about it. The Researcher to Rockstar initiative helps Penn State researchers learn how to communicate their discoveries, connect with industry and collaborators, and expand the reach of their work beyond traditional academic channels. In this short talk, we’ll share how researchers can amplify their impact without becoming full-time marketers (and offering Penn State resources to help amplify your message).

Todd Price | Office of the Senior VP for Research

Pennsylvania is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, from more frequent extreme weather events to growing risks for infrastructure, agriculture, and public health. In response, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and seven other state agencies partnered with Penn State to establish Prepare PA, a statewide climate resilience network. Built on Penn State’s land‑grant mission and statewide presence, Prepare PA provides communities with access to climate data, technical assistance, education, and peer networks tailored to local needs. This talk introduces Prepare PA and explores how coordinated, equity‑centered approaches can help move communities from climate planning to real‑world action.

Jacqueline O’Connor | Mechanical Engineering

Gold can be assembled into ultra‑small clusters with precisely defined atomic structures, creating what are known as “superatoms”—nanoscale building blocks that behave like individual atoms but with tunable properties. These gold nanoclusters exhibit unusual electronic behavior and strong interactions between electrons and their spins due to gold’s intrinsic properties. As a result, they show exceptionally high levels of spin polarization while remaining stable in liquid solutions, a rare combination. This talk will highlight recent progress in designing and understanding these spin‑active nanomaterials and discuss the key challenges that must be addressed to use them in future quantum information technologies.

Ken Knappenberger | Chemistry