Research

Congratulations to Saint Francis University sophomore, Matthew Berzonsky. The Environmental Engineering student won first place at Bucknell University's Virtual 2020 River Symposium undergraduate poster competition held last November. His authored work, entitled "Analyzing the Impact of Mine Drainage Residuals on Phosphorus Sequestration and Agricultural Production," was among dozens of presenters from regional universities. The work was co-authored by fellow Environmental Engineering student, Benjamin Dumm, and Environmental Engineering alum, Sarah White. Along with faculty members, Dr

Morhard Interview on CBS3 Ahead of Historic SpaceX Launch On Saturday, May 30, NASA astronauts are scheduled to fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:22 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. According to NASA, the Commercial Crew SpaceX Demo-2 Flight Test (Crewed) mission, will validate the company’s crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities. SFU Connection NASA's Launch America program and Saint Francis University share a vital link: NASA Deputy Administrator James Morhard . Morhard, a

The Biology and Chemistry departments were delighted to virtually welcome back 2011 Biology/Biochemistry alumna Dr. Caitlin Brown on May 5. In a Google Hangout, Dr. Brown spoke about her career path from SFU to Thomas Jefferson University for her Pharm.D. degree, then to two different clinical residencies, and to her current role serving patients at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN during the COVID-19 pandemic. She serves as a Neurocritical Care and Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist. Dr. Brown graciously fielded questions as she presented live from the Mayo Clinic to two current SFU

The American Petroleum Institute expects that by the year 2035, the industry will employ almost double the number of petroleum engineers in the workforce as of 2015. There is no field where there is no use of petroleum products; the increasing demand for energy provides a necessity to recruit more petroleum engineers. There is still 40 to 50 percent of the oil resources remaining in the subsurface, which calls for better extraction methods and more advanced technology developments. Jay Hardy, a rising Junior Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and Business double major student, has big goals

Saint Francis University was recently approved to shelter a chapter of Nu Rho Psi , the National Honor Society in Neuroscience. The chapter will be the ninety-first charter to have been granted since the National Neuroscience Honor Society was established in 2006, and the eleventh in Pennsylvania. The Saint Francis University chapter designation is “Kappa in Pennsylvania (k in PA).” Nu Rho Psi is a non-profit, grass-roots organization comprised of faculty and undergraduate neuroscientists. The purpose of Nu Rho Psi is to: (1) encourage professional interest and excellence in scholarship

I'm Dr. John Harris , 1982 graduate of Saint Francis University, and now the Chair of the Engineering , Computer Science and Mathematics departments at SFU. But forty years ago this year I faced the same questions as you: "What should I major in at college? And what college?" Yeah I get it, I am old, but I still remember the fear I felt, the very real concern that I might make the wrong decision. It is a big decision. Huge, right? Well, I had three major things going for me as a senior in high school: awesome parents that loved me and wanted me to go to a safe school where I could get a solid

Ashley Rovder, an Environmental Engineering major, took part in a unique full-immersion study abroad experience in Bolivia. The experience was made possible through a collaboration between Saint Francis University and the University of Dayton’s Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities in Service Learning (ETHOS) project. Below, Ashley discusses her experience abroad. What service project did you work on while in Bolivia? I volunteered for SODIS (short for Solar Water Disinfection), a nonprofit organization in Cochabamba, Bolivia, that focuses on providing clean water for the community

Dr. Alireza Shahkarami, Assistant Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering program, received a $70,000 grant from the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund for Undergraduate Research. The three-year grant allows Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering students to conduct research titled “An Experimental Investigation of Microemulsion Phase Behavior at High Pressure and High Temperature Conditions.” Dr. Shahkarami’s research proposal aims to investigate the effect of the water/oil ratio, pressure, temperature, and oil composition on surfactant phase behavior.

Saint Francis University students looking to study abroad have another option this year to go global: spring break in the Galapagos Islands. The excursion for Biology students departs March 2nd and returns March 10th, 2018 and will fulfill a three credit Field Biology course requirement. Professors Dr. Gail Drus and Dr. Melissa Meadows will accompany ten students on the nine-day excursion. Before departing for the islands off the coast of Ecuador, students will research the ecology and learn about the conservation efforts. Once there, they will experience firsthand the stark differences in

A tiny house phenomenon is sweeping the nation. The typical American home is about 2,600 square feet, but more Americans are choosing to downsize into tiny homes with less than 400 square feet. Tiny houses enable people to live a smaller, simpler life in an efficient space. The idea to build a 160 square foot, tiny classroom was developed in the spring of 2017 by Allison Rohrs, Director for the Institute of Energy at Saint Francis University. “The idea is to utilize the tiny house model in order to educate students and the community about renewable energy, efficient living and producing a