UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded five workshops as a part of its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program for 2025. In its second year, the Climate Solutions Accelerator continues to foster impactful research and bring effective climate solutions to communities in Pennsylvania and around the world. The purpose of the collaborative workshops is to establish and/or advance teams aligned with the Climate Consortium’s themes.
The 2025 workshops span a wide range of climate-related goals, including community health, climate justice, climate-smart communities, critical mineral recovery, emissions reduction, Indigenous female-led forest and land restoration, and improving climate action networks.
“These workshops are designed to bring together diverse voices and innovative ideas, fostering collaboration and driving practical solutions that address both local and global climate challenges,” said Erica Smithwick, director of the Penn State Climate Consortium. “By focusing on key areas like community health, equitable climate action and cutting-edge technology, we aim to create lasting positive impacts for future generations.”
The workshop titled “Research Program for Assisted Subnational Climate Planning” is being led by Peter Buck, director of education for Penn State Sustainability, and Brandi Robinson, associate teacher professor of energy and mineral engineering. This workshop brings together researchers, educators and practitioners to develop a research-to-action plan supporting local climate policy and planning through Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program. By analyzing policy challenges, organizational readiness and educational needs, the initiative aims to enhance local government climate ambition and improve technical assistance for communities.
The “Co-Design Climate Resilient Community Health and Climate Justice in Harrisburg, PA” workshop is being led by Chingwen Cheng, director of the Stuckeman School and professor of landscape architecture; Shirley Clark, professor of environmental engineering; and Gregory Jenkins, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science, of geography and of African studies. This workshop will focus on co-designing resilient communities to enhance coping capacity with floods and heat, environmental health and climate justice. This study emphasizes the importance of a co-design approach that meaningfully involves community members and a transdisciplinary team to co-produce knowledge and applied solutions.
The workshop titled “Designing the Future of Recovery: Catalyzing Conversations on Community-Centric Resilient Housing Solutions in Rural Appalachia” is being led by Mariantonieta Gutierrez Soto, assistant professor of engineering design; and Kristina Brant, assistant professor of rural sociology. It will examine the significant challenges faced by people in rural Appalachia recovering from substance use disorder, particularly those caused by inadequate housing and employment opportunities, which are further compounded by frequent climate-related disasters. Penn State, in partnership with Fahe, a network of nonprofits serving Appalachia, and RCCR, community partner focusing on recovery housing, will bring together a nexus of interdisciplinary players to co-design novel recovery housing programs that integrate disaster resilience, community-centric design, and sustainable development.
The “Furthering Indigenous Female-Led Nature-Based Climate Solutions through Land Rights and Carbon Onsets in the Global South” workshop is being led by Ida Djenontin, and Belén Noroña, both assistant professors of geography. This project explores Indigenous and female-led nature-based climate solutions as alternatives to market-based carbon offset strategies, emphasizing equitable and sustainable carbon removal. By integrating Indigenous knowledge and rights-based approaches, the initiative seeks to co-design a research-action agenda that enhances forest conservation, climate mitigation and community livelihoods.
The workshop titled “Integrated CO2 Mineralization and Critical Mineral Recovery for Sustainable Urban and Transportation Systems” is being led by Juan Pablo Gevaudan, assistant professor of architectural engineering; Sarma Pisupati, professor of energy and mineral engineering; and Anne Menefee, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering. This workshop fosters international industry-academia partnerships to advance CO2 mineralization technologies that produce carbon-negative building materials and recover critical minerals. By addressing emissions from the built environment and concrete production, the initiative aims to transform the sector into a net carbon sink, promoting sustainable construction and decarbonized urban systems.
The Penn State Climate Consortium was formed in 2023 and is committed to identifying, creating and implementing research-based solutions to climate change. In 2024, the consortium awarded 11 workshops and four projects as a part of its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program.