Penn State University forms “Center for Agricultural & Shale Law”
University Park, PA — Through its Agricultural Law Resource & Reference Center, Penn State Law has conducted extensive outreach activities in agricultural law for nearly two decades.
To more accurately reflect the focus of this work and the interconnected nature of agricultural law and shale gas development, the center’s name has been changed to the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law.
The mission of the research center, to conduct and disseminate research on current and emerging legal issues of interest to agricultural and rural communities, remains the same.
Through a variety of programs, the center seeks to serve a wide variety of stakeholders, including agricultural producers, landowners and royalty owners, business professionals, judges, attorneys, legislators, government officials, community groups and the general public.
“Our new name is simply a reflection of our work in this area and the inescapable overlap between agricultural law and issues associated with shale development resulting from the location of shale deposits,” said Ross Pifer, clinical professor at Penn State Law and director of the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law.
Prime Location – Located on Penn State’s University Park campus in State College, Pennsylvania, the center sits atop the Marcellus Shale Formation, the largest source of natural gas yet to be discovered in the United States.
An electronic newsletter, as well as webinars and podcasts, are planned to keep stakeholders abreast of developments in agricultural and shale law.
The center will also work closely with the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and other University units to develop further outreach programs and educational programming.
Much of the center’s work will be based on its membership in the Agricultural and Food Law Consortium, a national partnership supported by a $750,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant and established to study how food and agriculture laws affect land- and sea-based food, fiber, and energy production.
The consortium, which launched in fall 2014, seeks to expand the reach of objective agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community of producers, state and federal policymakers, attorneys, Cooperative Extension Service professionals, and others at the state, regional, and national levels.
Current Issues — Ag-Gag Law, Animal Welfare, Biofuels, Climate Change, Food Safety, GMO Labeling, Marcellus Shale Resource Literature, Raw Milk, Urban Chickens, WTO/Doha Trade Talks
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New WVU Position: Statler Endowed Faculty Chair in Energy
Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources: Endowed Faculty Chair Position in Energy
WVU seeks applications and nominations for a new endowed Chair position in the Statler College. A campus-wide initiative to increase demand for, and utilization of, natural gas has been identified as one of five strategic focus areas for investment, interdisciplinary research, and collaborations with industrial partners.
Specific research areas of interest and emphasis include, but are not limited to, conversion processes for gas to liquids or gas to chemicals, fuel cells powered by natural gas, development and control of highly efficient combustion processes in engines, turbines and other power generation systems.
The primary goal is to advance technologies that will increase the utilization of natural gas or natural gas liquids either as compressed gas or liquids, as feedstock for chemicals, as alternative fuel, or in blends with other fuels for transportation and power generation systems.
They must be familiar with the current national and global landscape and future trends for energy research, especially as it pertains to energy generation, conversion, storage, distribution, efficient and responsible utilization.
In addition to sustaining a strong, externally funded research program within his/her domain of professional expertise, the Endowed Chair will build and lead an interdisciplinary research center related to natural gas utilization. This center will operate within the WVU Energy Institute.
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