Saving the BAY 30 Agriculture and the Chesapeake

VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2018

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Listening to the Universe A Most Resilient Reef Young and Old, Face to Face Welcome to Materials Valley Research Penn State Research | Penn State Spring 2018 2 More research news: President forResearch Vice N the richrewards ofworkingtogether. Each ofthesestoriesillustratesboththegrowing necessityand withindustry. commitment topartnering announces anexcitingdevelopmentinPennState’slong-standing Finally, aconversationwithassociatevicepresident Jeff Fortin over athousandwhoare bringingaboutabrandnewerainastronomy. we hearfrom astrophysicist ofacast ChadHanna onhisrole aspart Park anunlikelycenterforcoralresearch. Andforteamworkwritlarge andcollaboratorsaround the world,havemadeUniversity expertise tary M nutrient pollutionintheBayanditstributaries. ers from around theCommonwealth toaddress thedifficultproblem of Sciences hasemerged asaleaderinbringingtogetherdiversestakehold- the ChesapeakeBay. Overthepastdecade,ourCollegeofAgricultural ofPennState’sefforts tohelpcleanup are atthecrux Partnerships families andcohesive,livablecommunities. across thelifespanas wellasstrongpromoting healthandlearning that spanspsychology, sociology, humandevelopment,andthearts, forourworkinintergenerational studies,agrowingpowerfully field FaceAge, afascinatinginstallationbylaureate AndyBelser, stands State provide abroad samplingoffresh examples. State’s research enterprise,andthestoriesinthisissueofResearch/Penn disciplines andsectors.Thisapproach haslongbeenahallmarkofPenn require thatspans newandcreative alignments,acombinedexpertise Effectiveteamwork becomesmore andmore important. solutions As society’schallengesgrow increasingly complex,thepowerof Teamwork Rules l i e ónica Medinaisoneoffourcoralreef biologistswho,withcomplemen- A. S A. h a y e k r news.psu.edu/topic/research

news.psu.edu/topic/research More researchnews: research.psu.edu/ovpr/magazine Research/Penn Statedigitaledition: Vice PresidentforResearch Photographers: Designer: Production Manager: Editor: DAVID PACCHIOLI Director ofResearch Communications: Publisher: Research/Penn State Research/Penn Tel 814-863-0471. 328 BouckeBuilding,UniversityPark,PA 16802-5901;Email:[email protected]; firmative Action,AffirmativeActionOffice,ThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity, the nondiscriminationpolicytoDr. Provost KennethLehrmanIII,Vice forAf- educational mission,andwillnotbetolerated.Direct allinquiriesregarding violates thedignityofindividuals,impedesrealization oftheUniversity’s and harassment,aswellsexualmisconductrelationship violence, gender identity, geneticinformation,orpoliticalideas.Discriminatoryconduct related conditions,physicalormentaldisability, gender, perceived gender, status, sex,sexualorientation,maritalorfamilypregnancy, pregnancy- service intheuniformedservices(asdefinedstateandfederallaw),veteran person becauseofage,race,color, ancestry, nationalorigin,religion, creed, an environment free ofharassmentandfree ofdiscriminationagainst any and employmentforallpersons.ItisthepolicyofUniversitytomaintain The Universityiscommittedtoequalaccessprograms, facilities,admission, mediaonrequest.This publicationisavailableinalternate Contributor: to reprinttextfrom ©2018 ThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity. Forpermission of tradenamesimpliesnoendorsementbyPennState. do notreflecttheofficialviewsofUniversity. Use inspire theUniversitycommunity. Opinionsexpressed toinform,entertain,and program asapublicservice drama ofPennState’s $863-million-a-yearresearch University. Themagazinesamplesthediversityand Vice PresidentforResearchatThePennsylvaniaState e-mail [email protected]. 18-128) contacttheEditor:phone814-863-4750; Magazine Association Member, UniversityResearch

CHERIE WINNER twitter.com/psuresearch facebook.com/pennstateresearch

KEVIN CARLINI

NEIL SHARKEY

CHAD HANNA

PATRICK MANSELL, MICHELLEBIXBY

KERRY NEWMAN

is publishedbytheOfficeof

Research/Penn State Research/Penn

Photo byAlamy. page30. See story, its agricultural pollution. and thelargestshare of the Bay’s freshwater flow, supply halfof waterways Pennsylvania northwest. River flowinginfrom the shows theSusquehanna the ChesapeakeBay A satelliteimageof ON THECOVER:

(U.Ed. RES

Research Penn State VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2018

2 10 12 36

In Brief At Large Listening to the Universe In Touch With New concussion test, filthy Lifting up to get a better Gravitational waves give Jeff Fortin on the industrial flies, and other news high- view, a lizard reveals its astronomy a soundtrack. partners in Penn State’s hot lights from Penn State true colors. new building. researchers.

16 Courtesy of Mónica Medina.

Buried Treasure What a recently-discovered reef in murky water tells us about survival and stewardship.

22 30 Saving the Bay Mending the Gap It takes plenty of Art, culture, sport, and a new kind of volunteer bring old partners to tackle and young together to strengthen the social fabric. a clean-up this big.

1 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 42 Research

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in Brief S at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth at theJapanAgencyforMarine-Earth Eiichiro Araki,seniorresearch scientist sor ofgeosciencesatPennState,and The researchers, DemianSaffer, profes- volcanoes. depth, ittriggersmeltingandforms reaches theproper sliding underneath because oncetheendofplatethatis thePacificOcean, fire” thatsurrounds the“ringof zoneforms earthquake slides beneaththelatter. Thistypeof a subductionzonewhere theformer and theEurasianPlate—meethere, in Two tectonicplates—thePacificPlate in boreholes eastofthe Japanesecoast. placedontheseafloorand instruments team ofresearchers thatuseddatafrom tsunamis, according toaninternational andthecreation of large earthquakes Slowly Slipping Science andTechnology, focused help researchers understand in subductionzoneareas may tudying slow-slipearthquakes their study on slow earthquakes, their studyonslowearthquakes, slip events that happen over slip eventsthathappenover days orweeks.Recentresearch as ashockabsorber.” complicated thanjustacting but itisprobably more by periodicallyrelieving stress, slow slipcouldreduce tsunamirisk The released inslowearthquakes. around 50percent oftheenergy is “We havefoundthatsomewhere saysSaffer.slow earthquakes,” subduction zonewasdissipatedby percent oftheenergy intheshallow knew ifzero percent orahundred “Until wehadthesedata,noone tectonic plateboundaries. at occurrence slip andearthquake offault oftheoverallpatterns part are animportant slow earthquakes by othergroups hasshownthatthese —A’NDREA ELYSE MESSER the deep-seadrilling vesselChikyu. in holesdrilledoff thecoastofJapanby For thisresearch,instrumentswere placed

Drill sites JAPAN

JAMSTEC Three Mile Island nuclear accident may be NASA/ESA/G. Bacon (STScl) The exoplanet Kepler-13Ab (left) keeps the same side linked to thyroid cancers toward its host star, Kepler-13A, so one side is seething hot in nearby counties. and bright and the other is in a cold, perpetual darkness. - DAVID GOLDENBERG Surgery Sunscreen Snow Astronomers at Penn State have used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a blistering-hot giant planet outside our solar system where the atmosphere “snows” titanium dioxide, the active ingredient in sunscreen. These observations are the first detections of this “snow-out” process, called a “cold trap,” on an exoplanet. The discovery provides insight into the complexity of weather and atmospheric composition on exoplanets, and may someday be useful for gauging the habitability of Earth-size planets. “Understanding more about the atmospheres of these planets and how they work will help us Health benefits of moderate when we study smaller planets that are harder to see and have more complicated features in alcohol consumption have their atmospheres,” says Thomas Beatty, assistant research professor of astronomy at Penn State. probably been overstated. Beatty’s team targeted planet Kepler-13Ab because it is one of the hottest of the known exoplanets. Its dayside temperature is nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Kepler-13Ab is so close to - JEREMY STAFF its parent star that it is tidally locked, so one side always faces the star while the other side is in Criminology and Sociology permanent darkness. The team discovered that the “sunscreen snowfall” happens only on the planet’s permanent nighttime side. The astronomers didn’t go looking for titanium oxide specifically. Instead, their studies revealed that this giant planet’s atmosphere is cooler at higher altitudes, which was surprising because it is the opposite of what happens on similar planets. “Understanding what sets the climates of other worlds has been one of the big puzzles of the last decade,” says Jason Wright, associate professor of astronomy. “Seeing this cold-trap process in action provides us with a long-sought and important piece of that puzzle.” —THOMAS BEATTY AND BARBARA KENNEDY

SPIT IN THE CUP

iagnosing a concussion can sometimes be a guessing “The tools we use to diagnose and manage concussions are game, but clues taken from small molecules in saliva subjective,” Hicks says. “We do a physical exam and then have D may be able to help diagnose and predict the duration them answer a survey about their symptoms. Then, we make of concussions in children, an educated guess about how according to a study done at long that child might continue Penn State College of Medicine. to have a headache or feel nauseous. But those guesses Researchers measured aren’t evidence-based and the levels of microRNAs — aren’t always accurate. tiny snippets of noncoding RNA — in the saliva of “There’s been a big push concussion patients. They recently to find more objective found that the presence of markers,” he adds. “Previous certain microRNAs in saliva research has focused on was able to better identify proteins, but this approach is concussions and more

Thinkstock limited because proteins have a accurately predict the length hard time crossing the blood- of concussion symptoms than brain barrier. What’s novel relying solely on patient surveys. about this study is we looked at microRNAs instead of pro- Steven Hicks, assistant professor of pediatrics, says the find- teins, and we decided to look in saliva rather than blood.” ings could result in a rapid, more fact-based way to diagnose —KATIE BOHN and treat concussion patients. 35

Research | Penn State Spring 2018 64 Research BABES ASLEEP T ers when their babies were ers whentheir babieswere of279moth- from surveys The researchersuseddata after that. to supportroom-sharing says there’s littleevidence professor ofpediatrics, occur then,Dr. IanPaul, 90 percentofSIDScases justified bythefactthat ing thefirstsixmonthsis While room-sharingdur babies. sleeping practicesforthe with lesssleepandunsafe four monthsisassociated ents’ roombeyondthefirst keeping ababyinthepar researchers hasfoundthat State CollegeofMedicine But astudyledbyPenn death syndrome(SIDS). prevent suddeninfant during theirfirstyear, to room astheirparents babies sleepinthesame (AAP) recommends (AAP) recommends emy ofPediatrics he AmericanAcad-

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in Brief

- - with theirpediatrician. discuss safesleeppractices and thatparentsshould sider itsrecommendation gest the AAP should recon- Paul saysthefindingssug- increase theriskofSIDS. other objectthatcould likely tohaveablanketor with aparentweremore babies whosharedaroom alsofoundthat The survey poor sleeplaterinlife. can leadtoobesityand inadequate infantsleep health, saysPaul,because effects onthechildrens’ concerns aboutlong-term room-shared. Thatraises sleep thanthosewhohad stretches ofcontinuous per nightandhadlonger of agegotmoresleep room by4or9months who sleptintheirown old. Atallfourages,babies 4, 9,12,and30months —MATTHEW SOLOVEY

Thinkstock and viscousflowofaliquidbutrespondsmechanicallyassolid. incorporates itshybridliquid-solidnature:Ithastheatomicstructure This researchledMaurotoproposeanewdefinitionofglassthat depends onthecompositionofthatparticularglass. viscous flowofglass,includinghowtheviscosityapieceglass which theresearcherssaymoreaccuratelycapturesdetailed The newworkresultedintheMauro-Allan-Potuzak(MAP)equation, not includeexplicitfluid-flowcalculations. ments conducteddecadesagointheformerSovietUnion,anddid different composition.Thestudieswerealsobasedonmeasure- tion, ratherthanrealmedievalcathedralglasswithitschemically Mauro sayspreviousstudiesconsideredglassofmoderncomposi- changes totheshapeofglass. that itwouldtakebillionsofyearstoproduceevennano-scale They foundthatthewindowsaretransitioningtoaliquidsoslowly vious estimatesofglassflowrateswereway, wayoff. and threecolleaguesdidofthe13th-centuryglassshowedthatpre- slow transitionfromasolidtoliquid.ButtheinvestigationsMauro begins tosagbecauseofchangesinitsviscosityasitundergoesa dral glassisthickeratthebottombecauseit Other researchershaddispelledthemyththatcathe- science behindtheglass. sparked aquesttobetterunderstandthe science andengineering,thewindows but toJohnMauro,professorofmaterials ings asvividthewindowsthemselves, London’s Westminster Abbeycanevokefeel- Gazing throughthestained-glasswindowsof Through aGlass, Clearly —DAVID KUBAREK

London

iStock In the northern part of their range, snowshoe hares undergo seasonal changes in coat color to blend in with their surroundings summer (above left) and winter (below left). In Pennsylvania, the southernmost part of their range, many snowshoe hares remain brown year-round. iStock Those that turn white in winters with little snow (above) make easy targets for predators. Thinkstock (2) Diefenbach Lab/Penn State Your Hare Looks Different Yukon

nowshoe hares in Pennsylvania, peratures experienced across its The researchers at the southern end of the hares’ range can offer insight into how also found that some of S range, show adaptations in fur, a species might respond to future the Pennsylvania hares Poconos behavior, and metabolism that suggest changes in winter conditions,” did not completely molt, the species has some ability to adjust he says. or change coloration from to a warming climate, according to The researchers compared winter brown to white, in the win- researchers in Penn State’s College of coat characteristics, heat produc- ter. That development would help Agricultural Sciences. tion, movement rates, and resting- them elude predators in areas with spot selection of snowshoe hares in scant snowfall. Changes in winter temperatures and Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains snow cover are predicted to become and Canada’s Yukon. They found “Our results indicate that snowshoe hares may more pronounced in the future, that hares in Pennsylvania differed be able to adapt to future climate conditions especially in Arctic and Boreal regions, from their northern counterparts via changes in pelage characteristics, metabo- noted Duane Diefenbach, leader of in many ways: They were larger; lism, and behavior,” says lead researcher, grad- the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and had shorter, less dense fur; pro- uate student Laura Gigliotti. “Unfortunately, Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State. duced less heat; and chose resting we don’t know if they can adapt as quickly as spots that offered protection from climate change is occurring.” “Understanding how a species has predators over those offering adapted to the different winter tem- thermal advantages. —JEFF MULHOLLEM

5 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 86 Research Courtesy oftheartist. polycrylic, andmicapowder. aluminum rivets,tinted Plastic debris(PET+HDPE), Isla, 2014,byAuroraRobson.

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in Brief Plastic Fantastic P malleable substance. ongoing loveaffairwiththisparadoxical,infinitely aesthetic, andtechnologicalentanglementsofour artiststoexploretheenvironmental, temporary Art, bringstogethersixtyworksbythirtycon- organized byPennState’s PalmerMuseumof lastic Entanglements,amajorloanexhibition duced toagrowingnumberof artists workingwithfoundandsal- for theenvironmentalNGO, English. Asan“ambassador” Wagner-Lawlor wasintro- Plastic PollutionCoalition, vaged plastic as their primary vaged plasticastheirprimary medium. Shewasparticu- and SexualityStudies larly interested in theeffectivenessofart sor ofWomen’s, Gender Wagner-Lawlor, profes- ronmental advocacy. not explicitlyofenvi- communication, if as aformofscience The exhibitwas posed byJennifer originally pro- Researchers have created a flexible, bio- degradable optical fiber that can deliver therapeutic light into the body. PLANTS CAN SMELL A PEST COMING

- JIAN YAN t cannot run away from Biomedical Engineering rod plants exposed to chemi- & the fly that does it so much cals from male flies produced Plastic Fantastic damage, but tall goldenrod more of a chemical that lim- - ZHIWEN LIU I Electrical Engineering can protect itself by “smelling” ited damage by herbivores. In its attacker and quickly initiat- their new study, they identified ing its defenses. and quantified specific compounds put out by male flies, Gall-inducing flies Eurosta( and exposed goldenrod plants solidaginis) in Pennsylvania to the individual compounds. feed only on tall goldenrod They found that the plants (Solidago altissima). Male flies responded most strongly to emit a blend of chemicals that E,S-conophthorin, the most attracts females. After mating, abundant compound emitted the females deposit their fertil- by the flies. ized eggs in the stem of a gold- USDA/Wikimedia Commons enrod. After the eggs hatch, The results indicate a tight the larvae feed on tissue inside co-evolutionary relationship the stem, causing the plant between the two species, says to grow a gall, or protective Tooker. “As the fly has adapted casing, around the larvae. to take advantage of the plant, That diverts energy away from the plant has adapted itself seed production, reducing to protect itself from the fly. the plant’s fitness, says John We are hypothesizing that Tooker, associate professor of when the plant detects the entomology. fly, it up-regulates its defenses to prepare for attack”—and Tooker, postdoctoral fellow Well-Organized Relief minimize damage from the fly Anjel Helms, and colleagues and its larvae. Immediately following a major natural disaster, outside previously found that golden- organizations rush to provide life-saving commodities to —SARA LAJEUNESSE meet health, water, food, shelter, or other needs. That response is expedited by inventory prepositioned by dozens of governmental and non-governmental organi- A goldenrod plant forms a gall around a fly larva growing inside the stem. (Inset) zations acting independently. Cutting open a gall reveals the larva inside. At present, relief organizations manage hundreds of distinct items in dozens of warehouses globally in order to respond to events that vary in location, type, and scale, with no way to measure system-wide stockpile capacity in real time. Research by Jason Acimovic, assistant professor of supply chain and information systems at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, and Jarrod Goentzel of MIT could help

these organizations better coordinate their stockpiles, www.rps.psu.edu improving their response and cutting costs. Acimovic, whose first experience in humanitarian logistics was in Liberia with Doctors Without Borders, and Goent- zel proposed new metrics to assess relief inventory with

respect to time- and cost-to-respond. Using algorithms R.A. Nonenmacher/Wikimedia Commons previously developed for an online retailer, they analyzed data gathered from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot, the Centre for Research on the Epidemi- ology of Disasters, and other public sources. They found Women with Restless Legs Syndrome that repositioning existing inventory could enable the are 43 percent more likely system to respond to disasters as quickly as before but at to die of cardiovascular disease. up to 20 percent lower cost. “Those savings would enable - XIANG GAO organizations to buy more supplies with the same donation Nutritional Sciences budget,” says Acimovic.

—ANDY ELDER 7 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 108 Research A —MATTHEW SWAYNE early-warning systemfordiseases. society, perhapsevenservingaslivingdronesthatcan“sample”anenvironmentandact Flies maynotbeallbad,however. Theresearcherssuggesttheycouldturnintohelpersforhuman from horsestablescarriedfewerpathogensthanthosecollectedurbanenvironments. microorganisms andthoseacquiredfromtheenvironmentstheyinhabit.Surprisingly, fliescollected that blowfliesandhousefliesshareover50percentoftheirmicrobiome,amixturehost-related cause theyusefecesanddecayingorganicmattertonurturetheiryoung.Thestudyalsoindicates Blowflies andhouseflies—bothcarrionflyspecies—areoftenexposedtounhygienicmatterbe- sor ofBiotechnology. Donald Bryant,ErnestC.PollardProfes- pathogens inoutbreaksituations,”says contribute totherapidtransmissionof public healthofficials,andfliesmay sion thathasbeenoverlookedby mechanism forpathogentransmis- “We believethatthismayshowa threat. well asinsightsintotheextentofthat lege ofScience,addsfurtherproof,as initiated atPennState’s EberlyCol- ing diseases,butthisstudy, whichwas they playaroleincarryingandspread- humans, scientistshavelongsuspected mans. Becausefliesoftenlivecloseto ria, manyofwhichareharmfultohu- hundreds ofdifferent speciesofbacte- that insomecases,thefliescarried different continents,researchersfound houseflies andblowfliesfromthree In astudyofthemicrobiomes116 international teamofresearchers. pathogen carriers,too,accordingtoan picnic crashers,theymaybepotent Flies canbemorethanpesky Shoo, Fly! I’LL JUST HAVEJUST THETANGI’LL of microbe,Methylococcuscapsulatus . process isthenusedto“feed” adifferentkind bic digestion.Methanegenerated duringthat microbes breakdownthewaste usinganaero- waste inaquariums.Inthenew system,certain ria-covered, fixed-filmfilters usedtotreatfish The researchersdrewinspirationfrombacte- Christopher House,professorofgeosciences. you’re eatingasmearof‘microbialgoo,’”says be alittlebitlikeMarmiteorVegemite where “It’s alittlestrange, buttheconceptwould beyond. astronauts onyears-longmissionstoMarsor uct thatcouldbeavaluableresourcefor waste andconvertitintoanedibleprod- to usemicrobialreactorsrapidlybreakdownhuman Penn Stateresearchteamhasshownthatitispossible

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in Brief

Anne Fjellbirkeland ® , THANKS Electron micrograph ofthebacteriumMethylococcuscapsulatus . for treatingwaste,”saysHouse.“Whatwasnovelaboutour work “Anaerobic digestionissomethingweusefrequentlyon Earth —LIAM JACKSON ing tomatoesorpotatoes.” space flight,”saysHouse.“It’s fasterthan grow- “That’s whythismighthavepotentialforfuture can takeseveraldays. to existingwastemanagementtreatment,which percent ofwastesolidsin13hours,compared The processisalsofast,convertingupto59 is apotentialsourceofnutritionforastronauts. M. capsulatusgooproducedinthenewsystem At 52percentproteinand36fats,the reactor togrowfood.” intentionally puttingthemintoamicrobial was takingthenutrientsoutofthatstreamand

Thinkstock Similar plankton-likefossils from 3.4billionyearsago as astaplecrop inCentral Maize wasalready domes- have beenfoundinSouth Unusual starlight pattern Unusual starlightpattern America 4,300yearsago. that sparkedspeculation ticated andbeingraised - CHRISTOPHER HOUSE Africa andAustralia. is notduetoanalien - DOUGLASKENNETT - JASON WRIGHT - mega-structure. & KENHIRTH Anthropology Geosciences Geosciences

Carolyn Fish/Penn State

Projected highest flood levels in New York would cover much of the city. A 500-year flood has a 1-in-500 chance of happening in a given year.

City and the Sea

ising sea levels caused by a those storms that strike New York In agreement with previous work, the warming climate threaten City might be bigger and stronger, models show that warmer future con- R greater future storm damage there may be fewer of them as ditions allow stronger storms. But the to New York City, but the paths of changing storm tracks increasingly models also show that the warming causes stronger future storms may shift steer the storms away from NYC and storm tracks to shift offshore and north- offshore, changing the coastal risk toward other regions.” ward, away from New York City. for the city, according to a team of climate scientists. The researchers looked at the his- “If a shift occurs toward less common but “If we cause large sea-level rise, that tory and future of both sea level possibly larger storms, it poses special dominates future risks, but if we could and storm surge, from preindustrial challenges for coastal planners, and high- prevent sea-level rise and just have the times through 2300, in models that lights the value of additional progress in storm surge to worry about, our pro- had been run for the full period. understanding and projecting the tracks jections show little change in coastal They focused on results from simu- as well as the strength of these storms,” risk from today during most years,” lations with rapid carbon dioxide says Mann. says Michael E. Mann, distinguished release, often referred to as “busi- professor of meteorology. “While ness-as-usual” simulations. —A’NDREA ELYSE MESSER Electron micrograph of the bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus. 9 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 1210 At

Large W › BELLY UP Photo byBraulio Assis/Langkilde Lab faster. suchastheabilitytorun have skillsthatmayenhancetheirsurvival, seem toprefer femalesthatdo nothavetheusually-masculinetrait—but female fencelizards. Femaleswith bluepatchesmatelessoften—themales Langkilde’s lab,isstudyingwhythebluecolorationalsoappearsonsome Park inHilham,Tennessee. Assis,adoctoralstudentinecologistTracy Photographer BraulioAssiscaptured thesceneatStandingStoneState displaystofemales. only duringcontestswithothermalesandcourtship

of brightblueonhisbellyandthroat, whichare usuallyvisible potential mealflyingby, heliftedupenough to reveal thepatches Sceloporus undulatus)noticeda fencelizard (Sceloporus hen amaleeastern 1113 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 1412 LISTENING TO LISTENING THE UNIVERSE designed tochange allofthatbydirectly measuringtiny ripplesinspaceitself. thatcoulddetectit.AdvancedLIGOwas is sotinythatuntilnowwe had noinstruments can bendspaceenoughtoproduce Theeffect ripplesthatare measurablehere onEarth. squeezed bypassinggravitational waves.Onlythemostextreme objectsintheuniverse around usspaceisoscillating, distances are changing,andweare beingstretched and gravitational wavepassesby, thedistancebetweenobjectschangeseversoslightly. All matter andenergy warpspaceandtime.Theeffects Asa hepredicted soundbizarre: when More than100yearsago,Einstein hypothesizedthatgravitationalwavesare formed first fewdaysofgatheringdata,ithadfoundone. ofgeneralrelativity—and withinits of thelastunproven predictions ofEinstein’stheory onlinenews TheConversation. site the for he wrote of“multi-messengerastronomy.” birth and the from two Thispieceisadapted articles waves,the group’s studiesgravitational achievements on reflected that team research astrophysicistrecent international decades.Penn ChadHanna,amemberofthe State The 2015 of waves biggest sciencestories ofgravitational discovery isoneofthe L completely off listeningforgravitationalwaves,one guard. LIGOhadjuststarted ofMonday, (LIGO),themorning September14,2015caughtme Observatory ike manyofmycolleaguesworkingfortheLaserInterferometer Gravitational-Wave

With a text alert on a morning in August, astronomy entered the era of talkies.

BY HANNA CHAD

Michelle Bixby Astrophysicist Chad Hanna demonstrates how gravitational waves spread outward like ripples in water. Michelle Bixby

1315 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 1614 Einstein’s revolutionary theory. Einstein’s revolutionary that confirmed in recognition of this firstobservation Barish— effort—Rainer Weiss, andBarry KipThorne, collaborative three ofthefoundersourinternational Last fall,theNobelPrizein physicswasawarded to Einstein hadbeenright.Again. holes thatreleased energy astheysmashedtogether. gravitational wavegeneratedbythemerger oftwoblack labeled GW150914,couldonlyhavebeencausedbya the LIGOteamverifiedthatsignal,whichwe Overthenextseveralweeks, unforeseen occurrence. merger, orsome such asabinary anearbysupernova, cal eventthatreleased immenseamountsofenergy, be responsible. Itwouldhaveto beamajorastronomi- At firstitwasunclearwhichofmanypossibilitiescould Thesignalwas real! formed. 2 p.m.,wereceived word thatnotestshadbeenper- system, nothingtogetexcitedabout.Then,justbefore on theteam,Ithoughtthissignalwasjustatestof Like others to campushoursafterithadbeenobserved. Instead, Iread abouttheeventonmyphoneasIwalked even hadachancetoenablemytextmessagealerts! runthatIhadn’t early inLIGO’sfirstofficialobserving toward thismomentforoveradecade,butitwasso This wasLIGO’sfirstdayonthejob. We hadworked by waves passing gravitational .” and squeezed we are beingstretched “ the two arms willgetout of sync. the twoarms caused byagravitationalwave, thenthelaserlightfrom becomes longerthananother, duetothe changeinspace it’s reflected backbyamirror. momentarily Ifonearm separately. Wheneach beamgetstotheendofanarm, power laserbeamissplitin twototraveldowneacharm built at90degrees with respect tooneanother. Ahigh- The basicideaissimple:LIGOhastwo4-km-longarms, optics everbuilt. lasers, ultra-high vacuum, and some of the most advanced such asmallchange.To doso,LIGOuseshigh-power As youmightimagine,itisnearlyimpossibletomeasure the entire MilkyWay galaxybyatypicalperson’sheight. by about 1 part in10 by about1part GW150914 stretched andsqueezedournearbyspace analyze thatfirstgravitationalwave. team inGermany. Andittookallofustodetectand operates adetectorinItalyandtheGEO600 state. We Collaborationthat alsoworkwiththeVirgo oneinLouisianaand oneinWashingtoninstruments, institutions and15countries.There are twoLIGO ber, includesmore than1,000peoplefrom dozensof The LIGOScientificCollaboration,ofwhichIamamem- LIGO LOGISTICS All around usspace is oscillating and 21 .

This isequivalenttosqueezing Artist’s conception showing two merging black holes similar to those that produced gravitational waves detected by LIGO.LIGO/Caltech/MIT/ Sonoma State (Aurore Simonnet)

The two arms of a LIGO detector, built perpendicular to each other, extend 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles) from the lab facility. This is the detector in Louisiana. Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab

We continuously record the recombined laser light, Around the time that the new signal arrived at the LIGO which encodes how the gravitational wave causes space Washington detector, the LIGO Louisiana detector suf- to stretch and squeeze at frequencies that are very simi- fered from a burst of instrument noise. Data from the lar to what the human ear can hear. That’s why we often Virgo detector in Italy was clean, but the transatlantic data think of LIGO as “listening” to the universe. In fact, you transfer had stopped due to a network connection outage. can literally listen to the gravitational waves detected with LIGO using headphones. Despite these problems, the LIGO rapid response team quickly notified our over 70 observing partners all over The LIGO detectors, for the most part, are sensitive the world. It turned out that the instrumental noise in to sources all over the sky, which means a single detec- the LIGO Louisiana data affected only the very end of tor can’t tell from which direction a gravitational wave the detected signal, which lasted more than 100 seconds. arrived. However, using multiple detectors around the Eventually, we were able to analyze all three gravitational globe, we can localize the source of a given signal. wave detector data streams to figure out when the signal Our aim was to be able to know within seconds that arrived at each one. Then we triangulated the gravita- a gravitational wave had reached the Earth. Then we tional wave source to a sufficiently small area on the sky that astronomers could survey the entire region. could immediately inform other astronomers, who could point their telescopes in the direction of the event We had the gamma-ray data, but astronomers using in the hope that the gravitational wave would have an ground-based telescopes had to wait for nighttime to electromagnetic counterpart. Having information from look for other kinds of signals. About 10 hours after multiple channels would be a bit like having both sound the initial alert, we got the first news of a visible light and picture when watching a film—it would give us a counterpart: A new bright spot that hadn’t been there more complete impression of the event, a better idea of previously was spotted in a galaxy in the direction of the what happened. gravitational wave. Over the coming weeks, we learned We knew that gravitational waves had the potential to that there were ultraviolet and X-ray counterparts and provide something like a soundtrack for our universe, even radio waves that together allowed us to confirm but the 2015 breakthrough and four subsequent gravi- that the gravitational wave was due to the collision of two tational wave observations were never associated with neutron stars. Each observation revealed a new part of electromagnetic counterparts because they all sprang the story. Astronomy had entered the era of talkies! from binary black holes. To be able to observe and document the merger of two neutron stars was a tremendous achievement. We were A NEW ERA lucky to pin down the location of the gravitational wave That all changed last year. My phone now enabled to re- quickly enough to identify the observational counter- ceive LIGO alerts, on August 17, 2017 at 8:47 a.m. EDT, parts in time to capture their views of the event. I received a text message that indicated a gravitational wave candidate had been identified. Not only that, but Next time around, we hope that gravitational wave this new observation, GW170817, had a coincident identification can happen even sooner and at a more gamma-ray burst. favorable time of day so we don’t miss out on the earliest The burst was detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space optical emission. Perhaps one day we’ll even be able to Telescope in low Earth orbit, that happened to be point- use the early gravitational wave emission leading up to a ing in the direction of the new gravitational wave when neutron star collision to predict where on the sky they’ll it arrived at Earth. That was a stroke of luck, but for all merge, and have telescopes already pointed that had gone right that morning, a few things were in that direction, ready for the show. bound to go wrong.

15 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 1816 A newlydiscovered reef offers lessons inresilience BY DAVID PACCHIOLI in theCaribbean.CourtesyofMónica Medina. busy portofCartagena,isone thebestcoralreefs Varadero reef,hiddenundermurky waternearthe he bay of Cartagena might be the last place you’d expect to find a coral reef. The skyscrapers and hotels of resort-heavy Bocagrande hug the nearby beach. Cruise ships and freighters ply the busy harbor. The vibrant, historic city itself T is both Colombia’s leading tourist destination and one of its major ports. At one point, indeed, this shallow bay was virtually cov- ily penetrate. How could a reef be thriving here, starved ered in coral. But that began to change when the Span- of light and choked with sediment and pollution? iards arrived in 1533. As they discovered the riches of the South American interior, Spanish engineers built the It’s a question whose answers may have global implica- Canal del Dique, diverting the mighty Magdalena River tions. With reefs around the world dying off in response to carry out silver and gold. Emptying into the bay, the to rising ocean temperatures, resilience has become a canal brought two other things as well, both detrimental key concept among coral biologists. As Medina and oth- to marine invertebrates: fresh water, and tons and tons of ers have shown, some species of coral have the ability to sediment. Today, five hundred years later, almost all the survive in less-than-optimal conditions, while others per- coral is gone. But there at the mouth of the bay, hidden ish. What gives these hardier specimens the strength to beneath ten feet of water so murky and foul you might adapt and bounce back? Pinpointing what makes them blanch to stick your elbow in it, lives a square kilometer different could be vital for coral’s survival. of reef that is one of the best in all the Caribbean. As a microbiologist, Medina was most interested in Varadero reef has long been known to the inhabitants Varadero’s microbiome, the dizzyingly complex com- of the local island communities. Descendants of slaves munity consisting of all the bacteria, archaea, and fungi brought to build the sturdy stone forts that still overlook living within the corals that make up the reef. Like the harbor, they have always fished the reef for their human guts and public toilet handles, each individual food. But it was only in 2013 that Varadero was discov- coral hosts its own microscopic menagerie, shaped by ered by science. That’s when local biologists went diving where it lives and what sorts of organisms it has encoun- for an example of a degraded reef, one they thought tered. Coral that could succeed in this challenging en- might be overgrown with invasive sponges. What they vironment, she reasoned, ought to have a very unusual found instead was a veritable coral garden, with over microbiome indeed. 30 species covering up to 80 percent of its surface. Back in 2007, Medina, then at the University of Califor- Mónica Medina found out about Varadero a year later. nia at Merced, was one of the first to use next-genera- A coral microbiologist at Penn State, she had gone to a tion gene sequencing technology to look at microbiomes conference in Cartagena to give a talk about her work. in corals. That early work she calls comparatively crude: When the conference was over, a colleague insisted on “We just grabbed pieces of coral from a dozen or so taking her out to the spot. species and ground them up and sequenced them, as deeply as we could,” she says. Even so, “We uncovered “What’s crazy is that you swim down and you can’t see a vast microbial diversity.” Subsequent refinements the person next to you, it’s so murky,” Medina says. showed that each part of a coral—its skeleton, the soft “There’s this dirty layer of fresh water on top, and then tissue, and the mucus the animal secretes—harbors its it gets clear and there’s an amazing reef down there.” own separate community.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Over the past few years Medina has worked with Rebec- ca Vega-Thurber of Oregon State University to catalogue Medina’s first thought was automatic: Why is this reef the biodiversity of coral microbiomes around the world, doing so well? Corals, she knew, depend like no other and she fully expected to find a distinctive signature in animal on the presence of sunlight. More precisely, the microscopic algae that live within corals depend on those able to survive at Varadero. The question sunlight to generate, via photosynthesis, the energy that was, why? Was it simply because these corals had corals require to live and grow. Corals, therefore, do best acclimated so well to their atypical environment? in crystal clear waters, shallow enough for sunlight to eas- Or were they in fact genetically different?

1719 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 18 impending disaster. Whenthatrequestwasdenied, she forurgentactioninthefaceof RAPID grant,reserved plied totheNationalScience Foundationforaso-called had notyetgainedmuchtraction, soMedinaquicklyap- Local oppositiontothegovernment’s development plan if thefullerlessonsofVaradero weretobelearned. there. Butamuchmorethoroughstudywouldberequired composition andcataloguingthevarietiesoflifetheyfound thereef,detailingitsstructureand gists tomapandsurvey Pollock workedwithateamofColombianandU.S.biolo - leagues RobertoIglesiasPrietoandpostdoctoralfellow Joe Throughout 2014and2015,MedinaPennStatecol - being destroyed. unnoticedforsolongissuddenlyindangerof survived slices rightthroughtheheartofVaradero. Thereefthat channels, andthecurrentblueprintforthatimprovement engendered plansfordredgingtowidenitsshipping tourism.Theswelloftraffichas in shippingandluxury The bayofCartagena,inparticular, isundergoing aboom protect: Colombia’s amazingbiodiversity. thing thatthelongshadowofviolencehadmanagedto unleashed. Theresultingrapidgrowththreatenssome- suppressed forcesofeconomicdevelopmenthavebeen of optimism,investorconfidenceissurging,andthelong- bloody conflict.Withincreasedsecurityandanewspirit of a historicpeaceaccordaftermorethanhalf-century of greatfermentinColombia,triggeredbythesigning Ironically, Varadero’s coincideswithaperiod discovery Approaching theanswerhasmeantracingagainsttime. RACE AGAINST TIME A communities thatdependonit.PhotobyCarterHunt. Cartagena’s harbor, threateningboththereefandfishing An increaseinfreightertraffichasbroughtplanstodredge few minutes.” is thatthetransitionineither directioncantakeplaceina how muchtheother,” IglesiasPrietosays. “Whatweknow “We don’t yetknowhowmuchofthetimeitisone,and ing fromthecanal,and prevailingcirculationinthebay. It alldependsonthevolume ofthesedimentplumepour shrouded inturbidity—sometimesthewateraboveitis clear. rapidly.”change very Varadero, inotherwords,isnotalways learning isthattheopticalpropertiesofwaterhere he says,pointingtotheopaqueversion.“Butwhatweare “The firsttimeIwentthere,theconditionswerelikethis,” of areef. transparent—plenty clearenoughtoshowtheoutline is impenetrable,amurkycloud.Inthesecond,itnearly 2015.Intheearlierphoto,water surface in January of thereef,onetakeninDecember2014andother plain, IglesiasPrietoproducesapairofaerialphotographs is morecomplicatedthantheyhadfirstthought. To ex- Medina andIglesiasPrietodiscoveredthatVaradero’s story When theyreturnedtoColombiaandbegandigdeeper, SUN CLOUDS AND emergency grantwasawarded. Iglesias Prietoreworkedtheirproposal,andthistimethe appeared,Medinaand more vocal.”Soonafterthestory helped ourColombiancolleaguesholdthefortandbe says. “Italsomadethelocalnewstakenotice,whichhas kindofhelpedusgetNSF’s“That story attention,”Medina Varadero forthejournalScience. took hercasetojournalistLizzieWade, whowroteabout

He and his students have placed sensors in the bay to light availability, the other has always the same light. record these shifts, and are working with ocean circula- I think all of this plays out in the microbiome.” tion experts on computer models to predict them. In the meantime, there is rich evidence to be gleaned from the To determine how stable their differences might be, Me- coral itself. dina and Iglesias Prieto next transplanted small samples of coral from each of the four reef sites to all of the oth- Corals grow by depositing calcium carbonate to build new ers. Although it’s early to say whether the microbiomes skeleton. This calcification depends heavily on the energy contained in these samples are morphing to match their produced by the coral’s symbiotic algae. Under cloudy new environments, the researchers have already noticed skies, photosynthesis tails off, and so does calcification. that transplants from Rosario and Baru survive better Conversely, where sunlight penetrates, growth speeds up. on Varadero than the Varadero samples do on these It’s been known since the nuclear testing at Bikini atoll “cleaner” reefs. during World War II that an x-ray of a coral skeleton will reveal bands of annual growth, like tree rings, correspond- “That surprised us,” Medina says. “But what we’ve seen ing to the duration and intensity of seasonal sunlight the is that when the circulation is right, there is actually very animal has absorbed. But that same skeleton, Iglesias Prieto clean water—and good light—over the reef. When it’s says, may also record changes in light occurring on much not, the dirty water contains all kinds of little critters for shorter timescales—perhaps even those related to the them to feed on. It looks like they’re having the best of clouds of sediment. both worlds.”

While he continues to examine the skeletal physiology, he COMING HOME and Medina have also been testing her hypothesis about Recent reports of a Brazilian reef thriving under heavy Varadero’s microbiome, comparing bacterial samples sediment at the mouth of the Amazon suggest that taken there to samples from three nearby reefs, each a Varadero might not be as unusual as Medina and others little farther out to sea and therefore less exposed to sedi- originally believed. There could be coral reefs lurking ment and pollution. What they have found confirms her elsewhere in unlikely spots where no one has thought to suspicion: The Varadero samples are much different from look for them. But to Medina, that only makes this one those taken only a few kilometers away. more important. “Given the fact that more and more lo- cations may be facing this sort of pollution, understand- Analysis is ongoing, but Medina thinks it unlikely that the ing reef response is critical, especially that of a reef that corals themselves are genetically distinct. “The reefs are has withstood so many years of abuse,” she says. so close together, there’s no barrier to prevent gene flow between them,” she explains. “I suspect that these cor- She is also interested in the human populations that als must have interbred in the past, but once they were have depended on Varadero—that handful of poor settled in these different environments, the demands on fishing communities, cut off from the mainland, that them were different. One environment is nutrient-rich, have existed here for centuries. Can they, like the the other nutrient-poor; one has very large oscillations in reef itself, survive the coming wave of development?

At the bottom of this satellite image, a plume of sediment emerges from the Canal del Dique into Cartagena bay. At right is the city of Cartagena. Inset drawing shows Varadero reef, outlined in yellow, situated at the mouth of the bay. A proposed second shipping channel would destroy the reef. Photo ©2018 Google Earth.

First shippingExisting channel shipping channel

Proposed second shipping channel

VARADERO REEF Kevin Carlini

19 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 2220 particularly badtime.”Abductionsandassassinationswere back whenIfinishedmyPh.D.,”shesays,“butitwasa ate schoolintheU.S.1992.“Ialwayswantedtogo She wasbornandraisedinColombia,leavingforgradu- For Medina,however, Varadero ismorethanacasestudy. laying thatwiththepresent-dayethnography. ofthebay,that detailtheenvironmentalhistory andover- recorded inthecoralitselfwithdustyarchivaldocuments real time,combiningthehistoricalandgeneticevidence Iglesias Prietohopetoexaminethesecoupledimpactsin Gorenflo,Medinaand scientists, LelandGlennaandLarry With Hunt’s help,andthatoftwootherPennStatesocial nities thatrelyonsystemareaffectedinturn. can impactanaturalsystemandhowthehumancommu- the interrelationships:howhuman-causeddisturbance at thismomentofloomingchange,andtohelpexplore quences oftourism,todocumentlifeinthesesettlements Hunt, anexpertonthesocialandenvironmentalconse- Medina hasenlistedPennStateanthropologistCarter destroyed, theywillhavenothing,”sheworries. these communitieswillbelostinthefray. “Ifthereefis ous rightsofownershipandnopoliticalvoice,shefears in. Approvalshavebeengivenfor16marinas.”Withtenu- ignored,” Medinasays.“Nowtheresortchainsaremoving recently,“Until very thesepeoplehavebeencompletely general. Itbringsmehome.” contribute,” shesays.“To thepeaceprocess,andin scientific pointalone.“Butit’s alsoawayformeto To Medina,tobeclear, thisprojectiscriticalfroma we started,”shesays. muchindoubt,“IammorehopefulthanIwaswhen very find theirvoice.”Thoughtheoutlookfor Varadero isstill these communities.Already, Ithinkwe’vehelpedthem I do,andtobringitanewmeaning.Becausecanhelp like adream.It’s theidealproject,achancetodowhat Varadero shouldcomealong,atthisturningpoint,“seems “was somethingIalwayslongedfor,” Medinasays.That In theyearssince,achancetodoresearchinColombia kidnapped, thoughlaterreleased. a frequentoccurrence—even herowngrandfatherwas Courtesy of Mónica Medina. University Park.PhotobyPatrickMansell. examine specimensinasharedlabspaceat Mónica Medina,left,andRobertoIglesiasPrieto What’s a coral reef biologist doing in the middle of Pennsylvania?

How about four coral reef biologists? Unlikely as it may Merced. He was impressed enough to ask Medina to re- seem, Penn State’s coral reef group is one of the larg- peat the talk at University Park, and subsequently to push est—and best—in the United States. Some of the credit for her hiring. When Medina agreed to come east, Fisher goes to Chuck Fisher, professor and distinguished se- remembers, “That’s when we knew we had something.” nior scholar of biology, and for decades the University’s lone marine biologist. The arrival of Roberto Iglesias Prieto from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2016 rounded out Fisher studies mostly the deep ocean, and is known the group. A veteran field researcher whom Fisher calls for important contributions to our understanding of “probably the top coral physiologist in the world,” Iglesias hydrothermal vents and the amazing organisms that Prieto had been working for 20 years at a research station populate these hot spots on the ocean floor. Recently, near Cancun—an idyllic spot, to be sure, but he missed he spearheaded efforts to document the effects of the the stimulation of a major university campus. In the small Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But Fisher was trained in world of coral reef biology, he and Fisher and LaJeunesse shallow reef biology, and he knows well the importance had all trained under the eminent Robert Trench at the of coral reefs, one of the most University of California at Santa diverse—and fragile—ecosystems Barbara, and Iglesias Prieto had on the planet. also known and collaborated with Medina for years. “We thought if we Coral reefs provide vital habitat could get Roberto, we could have for a cornucopia of marine life, the best coral reef group in the protect vulnerable coastlines U.S.,” Fisher says. “And now against tropical storms, and gener- we do.” ate billions of dollars in economic value via fishing and tourism. “The group is strong, really Their potential for biomedical strong,” Medina agrees. “We discovery has hardly been tapped. complement each other well, and Yet their continued existence is we all have projects going with each in serious jeopardy in many places around the world, other. We’re being recognized as a hub, and because of due to overfishing, pollution, and rising ocean tempera- that we’re attracting amazing students.” tures. “Coral reefs are in the forefront of the danger zone,” Fisher says. “Understanding them is critical to To the familiar question, “Why central Pennsylvania?,” understanding the impacts of global warming.” LaJeunesse offers a ready answer. “With an airport close Penn State’s current flush of expertise in this area by, State College is as good as anywhere in the world for began almost by chance. Iliana Baums, a specialist in coral reef biology,” he says. “Better, when you look at the evolution and spread of coral populations around Penn State’s research facilities.” His fieldwork takes two the world, arrived here when her husband joined the or three weeks a year; for the rest, he says “We’ve got a department of geography in 2006. Two years later, wonderful DNA core facility, some of the best genomi- Todd LaJeunesse was a young assistant professor weary cists in the world, people in bioinformatics who are at of life in Miami when he learned that Penn State was the top of their field. Why not here?” looking for a microbial ecologist. LaJeunesse, who studies the microscopic algae that the corals need for their Iglesias Prieto, for his part, has been most impressed by survival, fit the bill, and his work nicely complemented the opportunities for cross-disciplinary exchange. “I’ve what Baums was already doing. enjoyed every minute,” he says. Well, maybe not every minute. For a native of Mexico City and long-time resi- In 2012, Fisher was at a meeting in Puerto Rico when he dent of Cancun, there is one significant hardship associ- happened to hear a presentation on coral microbiomes ated with doing coral reef research in central Pennsylva- by Mónica Medina of the University of California at nia. It sets in around December.

2123 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 2422 FaceAge CreativeTeam. about youthandaging.Photoby installation thatexaminesattitudes break infilmingFaceAge,avideo Assigned partnerschatduringa THE GAP MENDING OLD AND YOUNG COME TOGETHER THROUGH ART, CULTURE, AND SPORT

It’s such a simple gesture, a hand reaching out to stroke a cheek. GAP Between friends and loved ones, it conveys caring, trust, tenderness. Between people who met just a few hours ago and who think they don’t have much in common, it can feel scary, threatening, too intimate. It can also dissolve the emotional and perceptual barriers between the people involved. Andy Belser had that in mind when he brought together pairs of strangers, separated by a gulf of decades, for three days of revelation and reflection that resulted in a video installation called FaceAge. Belser, professor of theatre and the 2017-18 Penn State Laureate, designed the project to bring together people of different generations in a way that would take them deeper than a typical social exchange. “In our culture, young people don’t tend to approach old people and older people don’t tend to approach younger people,” he says. “FaceAge is intentionally trying to help communities of people take the time to see one another differently.”

BY CHERIE WINNER

2325 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 2624 be theirlegacy: tohelpmovethosechildren forward.” cal agencieson agingacrossthestate.“And thatwould tor oftheCentreCountyOffice ofAging,one52lo- on thekidsaroundthem,”says KenPendleton,direc- “I thinkseniorswereintended tohavealifelongimpact during difficulttimes. offer alongperspectiveand asympatheticear lost theexampleandrefugeofelderswhocould but alsoaremostinneedofsupport.Youngsters have life whentheyhavethemostexperiencetocontribute become cutofffromyoungerpeopleatthetimeof The costtoallofusisenormous,saysBelser. Seniors once ortwiceayear. don’t evenseetheirown grandparentsmorethan kids don’t knowanyelderstheyaren’t relatedto;some generations nolongerbuiltintodailylife.Now, many become muchlesscommon,withinteractionsamong But inthepastfewdecadesthatkindoffamiliarityhas anything ofit.” me andwewentoutgolfingalot,Ididn’t think an orchardthatIworkedon,andhetookalikingto 16, oneofmybestfriendswas72,”saysBelser. “Hehad members routinelylivedintotheir90s.“WhenIwas central Pennsylvania,inalargeextendedfamilywhose with peoplemucholderthanhimself.Hegrewupin Belser, nowinhismid-50s,sayshe’s alwaysfeltatease WHATLOST WE’VE karate class.PhotobyPatrickMansell. Matt Kaplan(right)inKaplan’s intergenerational A fatherandhistwinsonsreceiveguidancefrom

back together.” ken,” hesays. “Matt’s workisaboutputtingthe pieces the processofcomingtogether naturallyhasbeenbro- by Kaplan’s efforts. “We’ve becomesosegregated that Pendleton welcomestheideas andenergygenerated kids,” hesays.“Whynotlearn amartialarttogether?” ents arealwayssayingtheywant moretimewiththeir off toplaysoccerorsoftballinanadultleague.“Par parents droptheirkidsoffatyouthsoccerandthengo parent andgrandchild.Hegottheideaafterseeing in intergenerationalpairs:parentandchildorgrand- dojo inStateCollegewheremostofthestudentscome time. Ablackbeltinkarate,herunsafamily-oriented He evenbringsgenerationstogetherinhispersonal nals andwiththepublicviaextensionWeb. shares hisfindingswithcolleaguesviascientificjour studies whichapproachesworkingivensituations,and produce totheircommunity. Hedesignsprograms, together cancreateanurbangardentoprovidefresh schoolclassrooms,orhowseniorsandkids elementary problems, suchashowseniorscanhelpat-riskkidsin and youngsterstogetherinwaysthataddresslocal education, isespeciallyinterestedingettingelders Matt Kaplan,aprofessorofagricultureandextension ogy exploringrelationshipsbetweenoldandyoung. in fieldsrangingfrominformationsciencestosociol- a leaderinintergenerationalwork,withresearchers Over thepastseveralyears,PennStatehasbecome - - In the first Weaving Wisdom workshop, elders and children teamed up to weave bracelets based on kente cloth. Photo by Patrick Mansell.

INTERSECTING STRANDS Three years ago, Kaplan launched the Intergenerational themselves and their family. More than 75 people Leadership Institute (ILI) to teach senior volunteers participated. how to develop programs for other seniors and younger It’s not always easy getting such programs off the people. Participants learn how to identify local issues, ground, says Kaplan. He cites a project created by what’s needed to address them, and some approaches to two other ILI Fellows, Christine Tyler and Dorothy working with elders and kids. Kaplan encourages the ILI Christensen. Their project, SAVOR (Sharing and “Fellows” to tap into their own expertise and interests to Valuing Our Relationships), brings college students come up with program ideas. together with elders who have been isolated for a long At the first meeting of one ILI class, three students dis- time, to share a meal and an activity such as a sing- covered they shared an interest in woven things. Sandy along or drum circle. “What I wasn’t prepared for was Lopez was wearing earrings and a bracelet of woven how hard it is to get these older people there,” says sweetgrass made by Gullah artists from the Low Country Kaplan. “Some don’t answer the door even if you call of South Carolina, where she had lived for many years. them and tell them who will be coming to pick them Fran Scalise, who lives in South Carolina part-time up.” The solution, he says, is patience, building trust, and has long been fascinated by sweetgrass basketry, and gentle persistence. “You have to work with them recognized them right away. Grace Hampton, recently over time. You can’t just put out flyers announcing the retired from her position as senior faculty mentor at dinner, because those won’t appeal to the people who Penn State, was familiar with Gullah basketry and also are most vulnerable and probably need the program had deep knowledge of kente cloth and other fabrics of the most.” West Africa. The Weaving Wisdom team is planning new work- The three hit it off, and soon zeroed in on baskets and shops for the summer of 2018, this time featuring Ear- fabrics as vehicles for their project. It didn’t take long ly American and Amish quilts. Like sweetgrass baskets for them to find a larger context. and kente cloth, such quilts often carry cultural mean- ing, not least in the way they were made. Tradition- “When we first started looking at the baskets, we were ally, young girls sat alongside their mothers, grand- looking at the objects,” says Lopez. “But we quickly mothers, and other adult women for hours, learning shifted to looking at who made the objects, and where needlework skills and absorbing lessons about how to they were made. It became more an idea of, how can work hard, how to deal with setbacks, where they fit we help transmit culture? How can we transmit a love in the community. Adults would do well to keep this of culture and history? And do all this in a way that gets in mind when they’re with youngsters, says Hampton. seniors and young people to want to share stories and “Sometimes you don’t know what you’re transmitting.” learn new things together?” In the summer of 2017 they hosted a day of “Weaving A NEW KIND OF VOLUNTEER Wisdom” workshops at Schlow Library in downtown State College. In the morning, they introduced adult Like many ILI Fellows, Hampton, Lopez, and Scalise attendees to sweetgrass baskets and kente cloth. In the came into the program with professional experience afternoon, kids joined the group. They learned that the they could draw on. That was part of the appeal for original baskets, wide and shallow, were an essential tool them. After spending decades teaching or manag- that rice-growers used to separate the grains from the ing others, says Hampton, “it’s hard to just stop when chaff, and that the weaving techniques used to make you reach retirement. It was beneficial to us to have them were brought here by slaves from West Africa, a meaningful outlet for our skills, knowledge, and whose descendants became the Gullah. They learned creative energy.” that the colors and patterns of kente cloth represent Pendleton, whose agency oversees about 850 active life events or qualities of character the wearer aspires senior volunteers working with 70 local organizations, to. With the help of an adult partner, each child wove says the ILI goes beyond traditional forms of volun- a kente-style bracelet, choosing colors to represent teering where you show up and are told what to do.

25 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 2826 of North Carolina Wilmington, where he worked before of NorthCarolinaWilmington,whereheworkedbefore while visitingtheFaceAgingInstituteatUniversity FaceAge, saysBelser. Theideafortheprojectcametohim Confronting thoseassumptionswastheimpetusbehind about howtheirownliveswillchangeastheyage. their beliefsaboutagingnecessarilyinvolveassumptions younger peoplewillbecomeeldersthemselvesoneday; foreign-born. Inthecaseofgenerations,though, men andwomen,blackwhite,native-born cases thegroupswillremaindifferentinkeyrespects: people andgroupswedon’t knowwell,andinmost preconceptions. It’s easytomakeassumptionsabout Much ofintergenerationalworkinvolvesdealingwith FACING ASSUMPTIONS resource. dous atremen- be can seniors opportunity, the leton; given Pend- says point, the missing are services and budgets on aburden local People as general elders who in see for more everyone. cohesive livable and communities their making more people who need support, reaching by agencies volunteers senior help local ILI, Through we help “It’s can everybody?” says. that, just need,” who has help“We’re to he anybody try happy to support. general and transportation, care, for health needs their keep to up with struggle will agencies local Pendleton— says nationwide, for next years, 20 day the a retire—10,000 Boomers Baby As resources. munity on elders com reliant leaves many structures family al of tradition loss The age. citizens their as face munities com solution problems to many apartial offers It also ahome.” and bridge bit of a alittle creates ILI The powerful. and relevant be to way, not to but have pathways it’s regretful, explicit an in “It’s he says. notunder-utilized,” painful feeling report older “Some adults agrees. Kaplan useful.” is that away in of information wealth that harnesses program this today—and to life’s applicable are experiences of your majority overwhelming the is, fact “The says. no and longer out suddenly is of date relevant,” he you’ve what that learned myth “It’s into the buy to easy helping.volunteers are the thepeople it much benefits as as volunteers almost the it benefits thought creativity—and It and demands Photo byPatrick Mansell. Belser’s videoinstallationFaceAge. her class,whichwasinspiredby Andy Belser(center)speaksin Amy Lorek(back)looksonas - - - in the 56-minute film, which ran in a continuous loop. in the56-minutefilm,whichranacontinuousloop. space intheHUBwherevisitorscouldimmersethemselves Park apreviewofthefilm.Hesetuptentedtheater given moment.Inthefallof2016,BelsergaveUniversity you seedependsonwhichscreenyou’rewatchingatany ence. Itshowsonthreelargescreens,andthevisualstory Watching CLASSROOM INTO THE It’s aprocessofgainingjoy, happiness,wisdom.” understand thatgrowingolderisn’t justaprocessofloss. older peopletogether, sotheyoungerpeoplecanbeginto grams, saysBelser. “We shouldgetyoungerpeopleand Which putsawholenewslantonintergenerationalpro- views ofothers. happier thanyoungadultsandmoregenerousintheir limitations, andinevitableregrets,those65overare Despite thelossoflovedones,theirphysicalailmentsand shows thatmostpeoplegethappierastheyolder. pleasure inlifegoessteadilydownhillafterthat,research culture tellsuswe’rehappiestinour20sandearly30s It’s calledtheagingparadox,saysBelser. Whilepopular lives. They’rehappy. share onething:Theyarecontentedandateasewiththeir participants aswelltoviewers—isthatalltheeldersinit One ofthefilm’s mostprofoundrevelations—toitsyoung how agingwillunfoldslowlyandmaybeevenbeautifully.” plan forit.Andtheycertainlydon’t haveawaytoconsider students’ ages,theythink50is‘thefrontier.’ Sotheydon’t er,” hesays.“We don’timagineourselves.Peopleofthese imagine ourselvesastenyearsolder, weimagineastrang- chology. “AresearcheratPrincetonfoundthatwhenwe reluctance stems,inpart,fromanoddityofhumanpsy- participants seemedreluctanttoface.Belserthinkstheir when older. Thatprovokedfeelingssomeoftheyounger computer-generated imagesofhowtheyarelikelytolook mirror astheyrespondedtotheirownreflectionand aging. Inonesetting,theywerefilmedthroughatwo-way they almosthadtoconsidertheprospectoftheirown In change, andhowdoweasage?” and wasjustsomovedbythisquestionof,howdoourfaces as theyage,primarilyforuseincriminalforensics.“Isawit, software tomapandpredictthechangesinpeople’s faces coming toPennStatein2013.TheInstitutedevelops , Belser put the participants in situations where FaceAge, Belserputtheparticipantsinsituationswhere FaceAge isanactive,almostinter-active, experi-

Belser noticed that many viewers sat through it more than once, or left after one viewing but returned later to see it again. “We had no idea they would do that,” he says. “People come back to it. It gives you infinite opportunities to change the narrative for yourself.” Amy Lorek, an assistant research professor in the Center for Healthy Aging, set up a dialog wall just outside the tent, where viewers could post sticky notes to comment on FaceAge, aging issues in general, or comments from other viewers. Seeing how deeply people were affected by the film, she hatched an idea for a class based on the FaceAge model of pairing elders with young adults. With a small grant from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, she offered the course for the first time in 2017, with 15 undergraduates from various majors and 15 older adults recruited through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). The partners created a video together and kept journals about their experiences in the class. A big part of the course was confronting the assumptions they came in with. That applied to both groups of students, says Lorek. “Undergraduates come with these very narrow experiences of older adults. But often times, older adults have narrowed their interactions to just their peer group.” Many of the younger students said they don’t know any older adults that they’re not related to. Some came in expecting all elders to be like their grandparents—which was not always a good thing. Lorek recalls a female student who was moved by a passage in FaceAge where a young gay man worried about what his older partner, a straight woman, would think of him.

During the filming of FaceAge, one young man, touching the deeply-creased face of his 87-year-old partner, expressed surprise at how the skin felt. “Even the scars are soft,” he said. Photo by FaceAge Creative Team.

2729 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 28 a reassuringvoice thatthestudentscancome tohear:We went throughthis.We We survived. didfine. You willtoo.” are comingup forthemandthatthey’re gettingpressureabout,and thattheoldercommunity membersofferthem going tobeOK.Whateverhappens.’ I’vecometoappreciatethatthestudentshave anxietyaboutallthethingsthat their worrieswithLorek,“but attheend,theywerewritingthingslike,‘Ijustfeel somuchbetter. Irealizethatit’s all one oftheelderssaidtoher,.” Thestudentshadn’t talkedabout “Thesestudentsaresoworried.Abouteverything to oldage,andwerehappy withlifeingeneralmadeabigimpressionontheiryoung partners.Lateinthecourse, All thesame,sometimes elderswere“wisesages.”Thesimplefactthattheyhad beenthroughalot,hadmadeit research: Learningnewthingscontributestohealthy aging.” do that,andIwantedtheolderadultstonotjustbe ‘wisesage.’That’s oneofthethingsweknowfromrecent “I wantedtheundergraduatestudentstobelievethatthey hadsomethingtoofferandthengivethemthechance personintheclassbebothalearnerandteacher.It wasimportanttoLorekthatthroughouttheirdiscussions, every tion. Whichmayornotcounterbalancetheweight ofagrandparent,butitstillispositiveexperience.” ed. Andthestudentcametounderstandthatnotallolder adultsaregoingtoclosethedoorandstopconversa- about howthingsaredifferent,they’rethesame, andtheyhadthisconnectionthatIwouldneverhavepredict- “The student’s partnersaid,‘Iworkedatthefirstgaybar hereinStateCollege.’Sothentheyhadthisconversation door, oneLorekdidn’t evenknowwasthere. the rightmanyet.“Thatcloseddoortoconversation,” saysLorek.Butsharingthatinclassopenedadifferent Lorek’s studentsaidshehadrecentlytoldhergrandmothershe’s gay, andthegrandmothersaidshejusthadn’t met Patrick Mansell. in theCivilWar. Photoby in Massachusettstofight husband lefttheirhome grandmother whenher 1862 byLopez’s great- examine aquiltmadein of Weaving Wisdom, Fran Scalise,thecreators Grace Hampton,and (From left)SandyLopez,

The Weaving Wisdom team used sweetgrass baskets from South Carolina and colorful West African kente cloth to talk with kids about culture, history, and art. Photo by Patrick Mansell.

In the first Weaving Wisdom program, adults and kids teamed up to weave bracelets based on the colors and patterns of kente cloth. Photos by Patrick Mansell.

NEXT STEPS Amy Lorek offered the course again this spring. So many undergraduates wanted to take it that she had to cap enrollment. Participants range in age from 19 to 92. Among the elders in her first class were Sandy Lopez and Fran Scalise of Weaving Wisdom, who were inspired by their experience in the class to come up with an ambi- tious new project: to work with OLLI to take elders and undergraduates to the Low Country to interview Gullah basket-makers. They hope to partner with an academic department whose students could use the trip as part of a research project. The lead partner for FaceAge is ADRI, the Arts and Design Research Incubator in the College of Arts and Architecture, which provides seed money for projects with the goal of moving them off campus and into the wider world. By that measure, FaceAge is a spectacular success. What started as an artistic exploration of the fears and realities of aging has found audiences Belser never anticipated. He has been showing it at Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses, and it is now part of the first- year curriculum at Penn State College of Medicine. It’s in demand by museums around the world that want to use it as a jumping-off point for community-engagement events. He’s been invited to help develop versions of Face- Age in other countries or focusing on specific contexts, such as workplace issues. This October, it will be shown in Philadelphia at the national conference of Leading Age, a group of more than 6,000 agencies, nonprofits, retirement communities, and health-care providers. Matt Kaplan is working with groups in Asia, Europe, and across the U.S. to develop ILI chapters in other cities, and demand is just as high for his other intergenerational projects. “When I started this kind of work in the late ‘80s, it was more like trying to convince people to take a chance and try something,” he says. Now it’s more an issue of, how can he work with everyone who has an interest in mending the rift between generations? “It’s more than any single program,” he says. “It’s a movement, and we’re riding the wave.”

The Center for Healthy Aging in the College of Health and Human Development is the lead community engagement partner for FaceAge and a sponsor of the Intergenerational Leadership Institute. The lead research partner for FaceAge is the Penn State College of Nursing.

2931 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 3230 W And thepolitics are multi-layered andthorny, involvingawiderange ofstakeholdersandcompeting interests. A wickedproblem, academicshave calledit.Itssources are diffuse, andhard toregulate. Thescienceiscomplex. widespread, costlyandchallengingenvironmental problems.” affecting waterqualityaround theworld:The U.S.Environmental Protection Agencynamesit“oneofAmerica’s most Nutrient pollutionisnotlike that.Itsimpactsmountgradually, andtheycanbedifficult tospot.Butit’samajorissue beaches.Thingsthatare easytosee,thathavedrastic,immediateimpacts.” fire, smoginversions,oilspills on California Center. outofthosetelevisedimagesfrom the1960s,imagesofriverscatchingon lawwasborn “Mostofourcurrent oftheenvironmental movement,”saysRoyer, withahistory “I start director ofPennState’sAgriculture andEnvironment POLLUTION, HECALLSITANEXT-GENERATION ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM. HEN MATT ROYER TEACHESUNDERGRADUATES ABOUTNUTRIENT BY DAVID PACCHIOLI

PENN STATE’S COLLEGE OFAGRICULTURAL SCIENCES TAKES ALEADROLE IN CLEANING UP CHESAPEAKE.THE PENN STATE’S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES TAKES A LEAD ROLE IN CLEANING UP THE CHESAPEAKE.

Royer, an environmental lawyer who grew up on his family’s poultry farm in Lancaster County, likes to say that we all contribute to nutrient pollution. We all use the bathroom, and rely on wastewater treatment, and eat farm-raised foods, and depend on the roads and paved surfaces that convey storm water into our streams. But in an agricultural state like Pennsylvania, the largest single source of nutrient pollution is the runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers applied to farm fields: nutrients that are vital for plant growth, but that in excess create blooms of algae that eat up oxygen and choke aquatic life.

These nutrients seep into groundwater and creeks, fouling drinking water and killing fish. The sediments that carry them coat stream beds, smothering habitat for insects and other creatures at the low end of the food chain. The pollution flows on into larger tributaries, proceeding downstream to join the Susquehanna River. Eventually, much of what washes from Pennsylvania’s fields winds up in the Chesapeake Bay.

The Susquehanna River, seen here in Bradford County, runs past thousands of Pennsylvania farms on its way to the Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli/Wikimedia Commons.

3133 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 32

Natural Resources Institute,Shortlemade nutrientpol- Agricultural Science’s newlyformedEnvironmentand In 2005,whenhebecamedirector oftheCollege addressing thiskindofimbalance. sive solution,heargues,would involvepoliciesaimedat Midwest, andputtingthem intotheBay.” Acomprehen- he says.“Effectively, we’retakingnutrientsfromthe these nutrients,andtherestgoesintoenvironment,” western soils.“Ouranimalsuseonlyabout30percent of That corncarriesnitrogenandphosphorusfromMid- ports vastquantitiesofcornfromtheMidwestforfeed. nated byanimal-intensiveagriculture,Pennsylvaniaim - economist Shortlesays.Oneexample:Asastatedomi - the Bay, therearebiggerissuestheydon’t address,the tices arecriticalforreducingtheflowofpollutioninto Further, much.” whileenvironmentallyconsciousfarmingprac- that not pollution in reductions the “and “The spendingforthishasbeenenormous,”Shortlesays, measures. to convincefarmersadoptconservation Clean Water Act,thestatehasreliedheavilyonincentives are theexception—arenotregulatedunderfederal Pennsylvania farms—largeconfinedanimaloperations Part oftheproblemislimitedresources.Becausemost tal economics.Buttheresultshavebeenmixedatbest. distinguished professorofagriculturalandenvironmen- solve ourenvironmentalproblem,”saysJamesShortle, if weputalotofthesebestpracticesintoplace,we’d and managingthestorageofmanure.“Theideawasthat aimed atlimitingfertilizeruse,maintainingsoilhealth, establishment ofasetbestpracticesforfarmers:steps the 1980s.Oneoutcomeoftheireffortshasbeen at PennState,havebeenworkingonthisproblemsince ecologists, extensionagents,andothers,includingmany Soil scientistsandenvironmentalengineers,wetlands the largestshareofitsagriculturalpollution. supplies fullyhalfoftheBay’s freshwaterflowand includes almosttwo-thirdsofPennsylvania,which out acrosssixstatesandtheDistrictofColumbia.It The Baywatershed,hometo18millionpeople,spreads other waterbodyintheworld,”Royersays. thatofalmostevery “The land-to-waterratiodwarfs Chesapeake isinsomerespectsaworst-casescenario. shallow, narrowbodyofwaterjust200mileslong,the With some64,000squaremilesoflanddrainingintoa LAND TO WATER

on building community partnerships. on buildingcommunity partnerships. and extension,putmost ofitsemphasis into it.To that end,thecenterwouldintegrateresearch that feed Bay wouldrequirecleaning upthewaterways water qualityproblemsinthe addressing that was others, search byPennStategeographer DeniceWardrop and for itsongoingefforts.Thegeneralpremise,echoingre - Environment Center, theCollegeestablishedaplatform With thesubsequentcreationofAgricultureand with asharedvisionforPennsylvaniaagriculture.” water quality—couldinfactco-exist.We cameout ofit a vibrantfarmeconomy, beautifulrurallandscapes,and “There wasarecognitionthatourmultipleinterests—in “Agriculture inBalance,”wasamajorstepforward. were doing.”Intheend,however, that2008conference, some ofthemcallingmeandaskingwhattheheckwe were yellingateachother,” Shortlesays.“Iremember that hadnevertalkedtoeachother, oriftheydid It wasn’t aneasysell.“We werebringingtogethergroups would beoncollaboration. tohashoutsolutions.Thefocus and concerns,try ists—to cometogetherinworkinggroups,shareideas officers, environmentalactivists,andlobby- conservation representatives fromlocal,state,andfederalagencies, and variousstakeholders—electedofficials,farmers, lege wouldinvitearepresentativemixoftheBay’s many to beuslecturingeverybody,” hesays.Instead,theCol- stage aconference,inHarrisburg.“Butitwasn’t going gaged.” Afterconsultingwithcolleagues,hedecidedto the Bay,” Shortlesays.“We hadtofindawaygeten- long time,andtherewerealotofsilosbuiltuparound “Many peoplehadbeenworkingonthisproblemfora The immediatechallenge,heknew, would bepolitical. non-player.” some extensionwork,butonthewholePennStatewasa thy contributionstothescienceofBay, wehaddone aware oftheproblem,wehadcertainlymadenotewor the Universityhadyettoassumesucharole.“We were sector tofacilitatethis,”hesays.Atthetime,however, with theconnectionsandtrustofagricultural our Collegethathasthescientificcapacitycombined role. “There’s nosingleentityinthestateapartfrom nated approach,andhesawPennStateplayingacritical effectively, hethought,wouldrequireamorecoordi- lution hisnumberonepriority. To attacktheproblem Photo byJenniferFetter. State’s GreeningtheLowerSusquehannainitiative. riparian buffer onanAmishfarmaspartofPenn Volunteers inLancasterCountyhelptoplanta

- “WE NEED TO PUT THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS IN THE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.” -JAMES SHORTLE Natural Resources Conservation Service/USDA Jennifer Fetter

(Left) The Bay watershed, home to 18 million people, spreads out across six states and the District of Columbia. (Right) Susquehanna River just south of Three Mile Island, where the Conewago Creek drains into the river. Mud plumes are eroded sediment washed into the river after a heavy deluge of rain.

“We in Pennsylvania don’t tend to connect with the Bay that A POLLUTION DIET much—we don’t live on it, or recreate on it, most of us,” Royer explains. “But we do care about our local streams. In 2011, prompted by continued poor water quality in Our job at the center is to build capacity to address things the Bay and its tributaries, the U.S. EPA established at a local watershed level.” the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load. This comprehensive “pollution diet” mandates steep reduc- He’s the right man to do it. In 2001, Royer and his father tions in nutrient pollution to be accomplished by every took it upon themselves to clean up their own home state in the Bay watershed by 2025. For the first time, watershed, south of Hershey. Noticing the diminished states are to be held accountable for nutrient pollution health of their local creek, the two discussed what they under federal law. For Pennsylvania, especially, that could do about it. The younger Royer posted signs to deadline presents an enormous challenge. advertise a community meeting, and a grassroots watershed restoration effort was born. The sheer number of farms in Pennsylvania is one thing, Shortle says: The state has over 34,000 within the Adopted by Penn State, the Conewago Creek Initiative eventually brought together over 30 public and private Bay watershed. Lancaster County alone has over 5,000, organizations, from the state Department of Environmen- more than the entire state of Maryland. “In Pennsylva- tal Protection to Trout Unlimited chapters to local high nia, too, we have a lot of small farms,” he adds, “and schools. With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife it’s harder for them to comply. Reducing agricultural Foundation, teams of volunteers worked with residents and pollution is something that has economies of scale.” landowners to raise awareness about water quality issues To meet the EPA mandate, he and Royer stress, will and promote tried-and-true best practices, like streamside require a strategic approach. “We need to put the most buffers and cover cropping, as well as innovations coming cost-effective solutions in the places where we have out of the latest Penn State research, like manure injection the biggest problem,” Shortle says. That means, for and low-protein feeds. In the end, the effort succeeded in example, focusing incentive programs on our most substantially improving the local water quality in one of the agriculture-intensive counties—Lancaster and York— more heavily agricultural watersheds in the state. Conewago instead of making their application uniform across the Creek has since been designated a Chesapeake Bay “Show- state. But pollution “hot spots,” Royer says, can also case Watershed” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, be pinpointed within local watersheds, and even within and Royer and his team have adapted the model for use in individual farms. other local watersheds.

3335 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 3634 Patrick Mansell study, ledbyassistant professor ofagricultural engineering adoption hasfaced someresistance. To address this,thenew toinstallandmaintain,forthis reason their for farmers reducing erosion andnutrientloss.Buffers canbeexpensive streams thatcanbehighlyeffectivetion bordering farm in a fresh lookatriparianbuffers, shadedzonesofvegeta - example isaproject recently fundedbytheUSDAtotake understanding localconstraints andfindingsolutions.One involving communitymemberswhoseinsightsare criticalfor theresearch iscollaborative, In thespiritofpartnership, places, giveusthelevelsofreduction we’re lookingfor.” says.“Wenarios,” Shortle canseewhichpractices,in Bay. “We canusethesemodelstoexplore different sce- the UniversityParkcampus,tomodelpollutionentering the office,on ing withtheUSDA’sAgriculturalResearch Service work- PennsylvaniaandoneinMaryland—and southeastern monitoring nutrientflowinfourpilotwatersheds—three in through airpollution.Inaddition,theyare and phosphorus ofnutrients,andthedepositionnitrogen importation system-level questions:theregional imbalancescausedby andcolleaguesare addressing Shortle sity ofMaryland. university, atUSDAandtheUniver- andincludespartners The centerencompasseswaterresearch from around the water research, in2014. Solutions, oneoffourEPA-funded nationalcentersfor of geographyandecology, theCenterforNutrient started andRobBrooks, professor Shortle precision conservation, specific.” To strengthen thesciencebehindthiskindof needed variestothepointthatitbecomesalmostsite- agricultural operation,andmanyotherfactors,what’s “Depending onsoiltype,topography, thetypeof Jim Harbach WHERE MAXIMIZINGCONSERVATION YOU’RE AND Getty Images Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program “WE’RE TRYING TO FIND THAT SWEET SPOT,SWEET FIND THAT TRYING TO “WE’RE PRODUCTION AT THE SAME TIME.” AT THE PRODUCTION

because theywere beingforced todoso. embracing best practicesbecausetheywanted to,not obstacles, proposing solutions they foundworkable,and takethelead—identifying they thought,toletfarmers was likelytobecounterproductive. Itwouldbebetter, tocomplywithramped-upregulations pushing farmers thatastrategy of andotherswere concerned Shortle themselves. the front lines:thefarmers Buttheleadrole thistimewould falltothoseon forward. The object,again,wastositdowntogetherandfinda way stakeholders wasonceagaininvited,thistimetoHershey. reflected theirsenseofurgency. Theentire rangeofBay this follow-upconference, “Pennsylvania intheBalance,” its pollution-reduction efforts. Thenametheychosefor 2025 target, thestatewouldhavetosharplyaccelerate Pennsylvania wasgoingtohaveanychanceofmakingthe to theEPA’s deadline,ithadbecomeclear thatif right foranothersummit.Approaching themidpoint andRoyerknewthetimewas By early2016,Shortle PA IN THE BALANCE and production atthesametime.” that sweetspot,where you’re maximizingconservation existing operations,”Royersays.“We’re tofind trying andwhattheycanfitintotheir be interested intrying might “It’s alwaysagiveandtakebetweenwhatfarmers affordable. thatare botheffective looking foralternatives and team willevaluateavarietyofflexiblebuffer designs, Heather Gall,willbeginwithfocusgroups. ThenGall’s

reduces erosionandrunoff. 900-cow dairyfarm.Buffering Farm inLancasterCounty, a A buffered streamonBrubaker -MATT ROYER

Steve Droter/Chesapeake Bay Program James Shortle Matt Royer

“We wanted to tap into the stewardship ethic that farmers MOVING FORWARD

share,” Royer says. That ethic showed in the results of a survey the College conducted, drawing responses from By all accounts, “Pennsylvania in the Balance” was a nearly 7,000 Pennsylvania farmers. Funded by the state’s resounding success. “One of the really exciting things Department of Environmental Protection and Penn State, that came out of it,” Royer says, “was the realization the first-of-its-kind survey sought to learn what farmers that farmers are eager to take the lead in solving this problem.” were doing on their own initiative to improve water quality on their farms. As Royer explains, the DEP tracks Kelly Shenk, the EPA’s agricultural advisor for the conservation practices implemented to reduce pollu- Chesapeake Bay region, agrees. “It was the first time the tion, and reports those efforts to the EPA to document agriculture community came together with a unified progress. But practices that farmers pay for themselves, voice and said, ‘Listen, we can figure this out,’” she says. Steve Droter/Chesapeake Bay Program without government grants, don’t get counted. “The “And it couldn’t have happened without Penn State.” survey results confirmed what we suspected—that a lot is being done already,” he says. “It’s important that farmers From Harbach’s perspective, “It was a chance to sit get credit for that.” down with high-ranking officials, with the EPA, and no- body was pointing any fingers. Everybody was working Conference attendees agreed that farmers who are lead- on finding solutions. That’s created some good partner- ers in their communities can play an outsized role in ships moving forward.” spreading acceptance of environmentally friendly practices. One such leader, Jim Harbach, sat on the panel Progress is being made. Most of the indicators for that kicked off the meeting. Harbach and his family run nutrient pollution into the Bay seem to be turning Schrack Farms Resources, a 1,000-cow dairy operation in slowly in the right direction, Royer says. But there’s Loganton, Clinton County, that won the 2018 Innovative still a long way to go. He and Harbach are both Dairy Farmer Award of the International Dairy Foods involved in writing the agriculture component of the Association. He is also co-director of the Pennsylvania No- DEP’s implementation plan, the document that will Till Alliance, a “farmer-to-farmer” organization that pro- guide the final push to the 2025 EPA deadline. Both motes the benefits of no-till farming and cover-cropping, say the lessons of “Pennsylvania in the Balance” will be practices that can dramatically improve soil structure, an important component. reduce erosion and prevent nutrient runoff. Harbach is “I think the conference has helped position Pennsylva- passionate about spreading the gospel of good soil health. nia differently with regard to water quality issues,” says “We got into no-till for all the wrong reasons,” he says. Mary Seaton, assistant director of College Relations. “We were tired of picking rocks out of our fields. Then “Instead of being the state that’s a problem, we’re we saw what it was starting to do to the soil, and we real- viewed as a state that’s working on some great new ized we had an obligation to share our observations.” ideas. We’ve become a model for others, as far as getting people to work together constructively.” Indeed, peer-to-peer education is vital in farming communities, where traditional ways can be hard to let go of, Seaton’s comment might as well refer to the College’s and change means risk. But meeting higher conservation entire decade-long effort, assuming the leadership standards also requires that farmers master a new type of role that Shortle envisioned back in 2005. “It’s been expertise. Many simply don’t have the technical know- remarkable,” Shortle says. “We have really elevated how—or the time—to draw up and carry out the detailed what we do. This has been a model engagement of conservation and nutrient management plans that are our capacities in addressing a complex problem.” now mandated by the state, Harbach says, and a lack of qualified planners for them to call on exacerbates the “It’s a great example of what Penn State can provide, as a land grant institution,” Royer adds. problem. To address this shortage, the College developed a certificate program for training undergraduates as con- “We can be a big part of the solution.” servation technicians.

35 Research | Penn State Spring 2018 36 38 In touch you canimagine, justabout,wehavethere. facility. kindoftechnique AdvancedTEMs,SEMs, every acterization Labappealedto them,too.That’sanamazing Institute andthetoolsthat we haveintheMaterialsChar- lications inthatfield,behind MIT. OurMaterialsResearch ten-year period,wewere numbertwointhevolumeofpub- outthatovera isinmaterials. Itturned what ourexpertise for aCarbonScienceCenterofExcellence,andtheyasked industries.Theywere lookingforalocation transportation They makesub-componentsforsystemsinthemedical and ADVANCED MATERIALS. TELL MEABOUTTHEFIRSTTENANT, MORGAN for officespace. ofPennState,notjustacompanythat’slooking partners prototyping. We research wantthisbuildingtohousetrue research anddevelopmenttolightmanufacturing their ownspaceandcanuseitforavarietyofthings,from It’s whattheycalla‘flex’building. Tenants candesign WHAT’S SPECIALABOUTTHENEWBUILDING? benefit theUniversityandstate. new buildingandhowthecompaniesthatoccupyitwill Office ofIndustrialPartnerships,spokewithusaboutthe associate vicepresident forresearch anddirector ofthe 30,000-square-foot buildingatInnovationPark.Jeff Fortin, corporation MorganAdvancedMaterialstoitsbrand-new, Later thisyear, PennStatewillwelcometheU.K.-based

with ›

HOW WILLTHAT POLICYHELPOURRESEARCHERS? really isappealingtocompanies. well inthemarket,wewould likealittlebitback.Thatpolicy those patentstothematnoroyalty—but ifitdoesextremely with us,wetellcompaniesthatcantransferownership of that’sgeneratedfromlectual property research theysponsor universities. Insteadofcharging themalicensefeeforanyintel- We differently handle intellectualproperty thanalotof other WILL PENNSTATE OWNANYPRODUCTSTHEYDEVELOP? aboutourmaterialscapabilities. and learned development. Whiletheywere here, theyvisitedcampus the worldforaconference onresearch andproduct Morgan brought 70oftheirtop scientistshere from around new. contacts.Recently, They’re alsobringingusnew industry jobs here—about 25peopledoingresearch—will bebrand- development forthelocalarea andthestate,becausealltheir problem, they’re goingtogetajoblikethat.Also,it’seconomic students whospendtheirthesisyearsworkingonareal-world on technologythatcouldgotomarketin,say, fiveyears. Ph.D. work onreal-world problems. Morgan, they’llbeworking With They’ll directly sponsorresearch withus.Ourfacultyloveto BENEFIT FROMHAVING THEMHERE? HOW WILLTHEUNIVERSITY world. Afaculty membermaycomeupwith aproduct oranew much intranslating thatresearch outintothecommercial We’ve ofbeingleadersinresearch butnotso hadahistory JEFF FORTIN ON

technology that could solve a problem. They may have an interest in seeing their technology make it into the world, but translating something like that into a commer- cial product can be a little murky. We help them identify an industry partner or a team that can start a company with their technology.

MATERIALS SCIENCE SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR EMPHASIS IN THESE PARTNERSHIPS, SO FAR. The whole state has this history of minerals and materials—powdered metal and ceramics in the northwest, steel and anthracite and coal in the southwest, and so on. There are already a lot of companies in the State College area based on materials, companies that are here because of technology that spun out of research here at Penn State. With all the materials expertise we have, I’ve been calling the area ‘Materials Valley.’ We’re not only Happy Valley and Hockey Valley!

WHAT ABOUT OTHER AREAS OF RESEARCH? Penn State’s Office of Industrial Partnerships connects We’ve already engaged with Morgan in areas beyond companies and the University, with a focus on promot- carbon. They joined our center on ceramics, they joined ing research, helping companies solve their technical our center on 2D materials. They asked, do you guys problems, and helping faculty members find business do much with batteries? And we said, we have a battery partners who can turn their ideas into commercially research center! These relationships start in one area, viable products, technologies, or services. but they evolve. That’s one of the good things about Penn State—we have so much to offer. Sometimes I have to go find it, but I know it’s there. Michelle Bixby

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Mending the Gap An intergenerational karate class welcomes kids and their parents or grandparents. This mother and her adult son (behind her) have been coming since he was 12. SEE PAGE 22 Patrick Mansell