UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — W. Larry Kenney has been named a thematic area lead for the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE). In this role, he will guide the Health and the Environment research theme, which focuses on collaborative efforts addressing environmental challenges and their impact on human health. Kenney will serve as both a liaison and a primary point of contact for researchers engaged in this area, helping them connect with the broader research community. He will also facilitate communication between researchers and IEE by providing feedback and insights related to the theme’s direction and initiatives.
Bruce Logan, director of IEE, said Kenney’s collaborative spirit and expertise will strengthen the Health and the Environment theme.
"We’re thrilled to have Larry Kenney step into this leadership role at the Institute of Energy and the Environment,” said Logan. “His research on how heat affects human health has influenced public health guidelines and improved safety during extreme temperatures. From protecting workers in high-heat environments to helping people exercise safely in summer weather, his work connects environmental challenges to human well-being in meaningful, practical ways.”
A recognized authority on human thermoregulation, Kenney is a professor and the Marie Underhill Noll Chair in Human Performance in the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Development. His career has advanced understanding of how aging, dehydration and physical exertion interact with heat stress. Through the PSU HEAT Project, which he founded, Kenney spearheaded the creation of internationally adopted protocols that set safe environmental limits for older adults. These protocols, along with his ongoing research, continue to guide health recommendations and workplace safety standards worldwide.
“I am pleased to have been named the lead for the Health and the Environment theme for the Institute of Energy and the Environment,” Kenney said. “In that role, I hope to bring the human health element, grounded in thermal physiology, to the forefront.”
Logan said he is grateful to Rebecca Bascom, a professor at Penn State College of Medicine who led the Health and the Environment theme for more than four years.
“Dr. Bascom’s leadership of the Health and the Environment theme was distinguished by her unique perspective as both a practicing physician and clinical researcher,” he said. “Her expertise and dedication helped catalyze research focused on critical public health challenges, including heat exposure, air quality and climate impacts.”
In addition to Health and the Environment, IEE’s four other research themes and their leads are: Climate and Natural Systems, Charles Anderson, professor of biology; Equitable Communities and the Built Environment, Chingwen Cheng, professor of landscape architecture, Integrated Energy Systems, Michael Janik, professor of chemical engineering; and Water Sustainability, Christopher Scott, professor of ecosystem science and management.