Dr. Brennan has secured over $8M in external research funding and over $800k in total education funding as PI or Co-PI. The list below provides details on many of these projects. Click on the links to learn more!
Leveraging the power of the “mega-section” to transform instructional challenges into active learning opportunities in core engineering courses.
Sponsor: The Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education (Challenge Grant)
Total funding: $9,999 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Collaborator: Chris Gorski
Status: ACTIVE, 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2025
Protecting the Amazon rainforest from oil exploitation: combining indigenous body-territory epistemology with environmental monitoring to empower local conservation efforts.
Sponsor: Institute of Energy and the Environment
Total funding: $40,000
PI: Belén Noroña
Co-PI: Rachel Brennan
Status: ACTIVE, 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025
ECO-CBET: Transforming the Nitrogen Bioeconomy.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Award No. 2033717
Total funding: $1,700,000
PI: Rachel Brennan
Co-PIs: Christine Costello, Wayne Curtis, Alex Hristov, Lauren McPhillips
Status: ACTIVE, 1 Nov. 2020 – 31 Oct. 2025
News article: Penn State News
Food Resilience in the Face of Catastrophic Global Events.
Sponsor: Open Philanthropy Project
Total funding: $3,187,683
PI: Charlie Anderson
Co-PIs: Behring, Brennan, Connolly, Di Gioia, Jacobson, Jaenicke, Kemanian, Lambert, Lasky, Pecchia, Ransom
Status: ACTIVE, May 2020 – September 2025
News article: Penn State News
IGE: Stakeholder-Driven Sustainable Development Experiences for Enhancing STEM Graduate Education.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Award No. 2105726
Total funding: $458,240
PI: Rachel Brennan
Co-PI: Meng Wang
Key personnel: Kathleen Hill, Carter Hunt, Jay Regan, Julio Urbina
Status: ACTIVE, 15 June 2021 – 31 May 2025
News article: Penn State News
IRES Track I: Manifestations of Climate Change in Extreme Events.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Award No. 2107275
Total funding: $300,000
PI: Julio Urbina
Co-PIs: Rachel Brennan, Chris Forest, Alfonso Mejia, Heather Randell
Status: ACTIVE, 1 Sept. 2021 – 31 Aug. 2024
A Systems Approach for Meeting Local and Global Food-Energy-Water Nexus Challenges.
Sponsor: Penn State University Strategic Initiative Seed Grant
Total funding: $250,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Core collaborators: Jacobson, Thiede, Crane
Extended project team: Over 80 collaborators from 11 academic colleges, Penn State Law, and the School of International Affairs.
Status: ACTIVE, July 2019 – June 2024
News article: Penn State News
A New Sustainable Lab Ambassador Program within the College of Engineering.
Sponsor: Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education
Total funding: $17,481
PI: Rachel Brennan
Staff Administrators: Kristin Dreyer, Lydia Vandenbergh
Head Laboratory Leader: David Jones
Status: ACTIVE, July 2022 – June 2024
A one-stop online platform for water-energy-food nexus research: Integrating systems modeling and deep learning-based literature mining.
Sponsor: Institutes of Energy and the Environment Seed Grant Program
Total funding: $30,000
PI: Rachel Brennan
Co-PIs: Lee Giles, Femeena Pandara Valappil
Status: Complete, March 2022 – June 2023
Piloting a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Model for Improving Smallholder Livelihoods and Environmental Sustainability in Magdalena, Colombia.
Sponsors: Penn State Global Programs, University of Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano (UTadeo), and the Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad (ICETEX)
Total funding: $33,000
PSU PI: Rachel Brennan
UTadeo PI: Rodrigo Gil Castaneda
Status: Complete, January 2021 – December 2022
News article: Penn State News
Integrating Law, Policy, and Engineering: Digital Open Badges for Sustainability.
Sponsor: Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education
Total funding: $14,800 (no overhead)
PI: Sandra Allain
Co-PIs: Rachel Brennan, Esther Obonyo
Status: Complete, January 2020 – August 2022
Drawdown as a Unifying Theme in First Year Seminars to Promote Engagement and Retention within the College of Engineering.
Sponsor: Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education
Total funding: $10,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Co-PIs: Julio Urbina
Status: Complete, January 2020 – May 2022
Characterizing Food-Energy-Water Systems in Ethiopia.
Sponsor: Institutes of Energy and the Environment Seed Grant
Total funding: $50,000 (no overhead)
PI: Brian Thiede
Co-PIs: Rachel Brennan, Michael Jacobson
Status: Complete, April 2019 – August 2021
Identification of Links between Surface Water Microbiomes and Microbiological Water Safety.
Sponsor: Institutes of Energy and the Environment Seed Grant
Total funding: $50,000 (no overhead)
PI: Jasna Kovac
Co-PIs: Rachel Brennan, Luke Laborde
Students: Ben Roman, Runan Yan
Status: Complete, April 2019 – August 2021
Full-Circle Nutrient Management for Regenerative Agriculture in a Local Watershed.
Sponsor: Drawdown Scholars Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program
Total funding: $12,000 (stipend, housing, & meals for students)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Georgia Christopoulos, Ashleigh Henry
Status: Complete, June 2019 – July 2019
Solving Global Engineering Challenges in Our Own Backyard: Advanced Nutrient Recovery from Wastewater with Simultaneous Production of Feedstocks for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioenergy Production.
Sponsor: Penn State Wastewater Management Committee
Total funding: $40,355 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Ben Roman, Yichen Lyu, Michael Vital
Status: Complete, July 2018 – June 2019
Sustainable Biofuel Production from Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems: Duckweed as a Diverse and Well-Distributed Feedstock for Enhancing Energy Diversification.
Sponsor: Northeast Regional Sun Grant Center (USDA)
Total funding: $40,000
PI: Rachel Brennan (70%)
Co-PI: Charlie Anderson
Student: Ozgul Calicioglu
Status: Complete, February 2018 – June 2019
Feeding 11 Billion: The Biosynthesis of High-Quality Protein from Wastewater.
Sponsor: Penn State Sustainability Seed Grant
Total funding: $25,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan (70%)
Co-PI: Joshua Lambert
Student: Benjamin Roman
Status: Complete, July 2017 – June 2018
Sustainable Biofuel Production from Ecological Wastewater Treatment Systems: Maximizing Starch Content and Carboxylic Acid Production from Aquatic Plant Biomass.
Sponsor: Penn State Sustainability Seed Grant
Total funding: $25,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan (80%)
Co-PI: Charlie Anderson
Students: Ozgul Calicioglu, Nicole Urban, Kayla Wirth
Status: Complete, July 2016 – June 2017
Development of an Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) System for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants at the Penn State Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Sponsor: Penn State Wastewater Management Committee
Total funding: $113,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Michael Shreve, Sarah Wood
Status: Complete, July 2015 – June 2018
Enzymatic Biocatalysis of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Wastewater: A Sustainable Technology for Emerging Contaminants.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Award No. CBET-1236730
Total funding: $316,000
PI: Rachel Brennan (80%)
Co-PI: Frank Dorman
Students: Michael Shreve, Sarah Wood, Joseph Titman
Status: Complete, Sept. 2012 – Aug. 2017
Video related to this work: Inspiring Engineering
Sustainable Engineering in Coastal Equatorial Zones: A Platform for Innovative Research, Integrated Education, and Global Engagement at the Water-Energy Nexus.
Sponsor: College of Engineering Global Engineering Leadership Program
Total funding: $20,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Status: Complete, Sept. 2014 – June 2016
Full-Circle Wastewater Treatment: Using Aquatic Biomass to Maximize Nutrient Recovery, Increase Crop Yields, and Reduce Agricultural Runoff.
Sponsor: Penn State Sustainability Seed Grant
Total funding: $25,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Co-PI: Mary Ann Bruns
Students: Andrew Kreider, Carlos Fernandez Pulido, Jonathan Caballero, Wenyan Zhang
Status: Complete, March 2014 – June 2015
Multi-Detection Microplate Reader for Collaborative Environmental Innovation: Meeting Current and Future Challenges in Teaching, Research, and Outreach.
Sponsor: Penn State College of Engineering Instructional and Research Equipment Grant
Total funding: $47,264 (15% match)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Status: Complete, Sept. 2014
Beneficial Uses of Duckweed Salvaged from Ecological Wastewater Treatment Systems.
Funding support: Civil and Environmental Engineering, PSU
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Dane Kelsey, Andrew Kreider, Victoria Whyte
Status: Complete, 2011 – 2014
Video related to this work: Inspiring Engineering
Materials Translation for Bindered Anthracite Briques in Foundry Cupolas.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Award No. IIP-1127817
Total funding: $366,000
PI: Fred Cannon
Co-PI: Rachel Brennan (20%)
Student: Dane Kelsey
Status: Complete, Aug. 2011 – July 2014
Klondike-1 Crab Shell Pilot Test.
Sponsor: Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
Total funding: $15,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Project partner: Clearfield Creek Watershed Association
Students: Jessica Grembi, Sara Goots, Shan Lin
Status: Complete, 2010 – 2012
Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Strategies: Toward the Development of an Enhanced Water-Energy Infrastructure.
Sponsor: Penn State Sustainability Seed Grant
Total funding: $50,000 (no overhead)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Co-PIs: Wayne Curtis, Pete Romaine, Ming Tien
Students: Abby Caporuscio, Erin Henry, Michael Shreve, Andrew Kreider
Status: Complete, 2010 – 2012
An Emerging Technology for Emerging Contaminants: Biocatalysis of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Wastewater for Beneficial Reuse.
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Institute (USGS)
Total funding: $52,500 (2:1 match)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Abby Caporuscio, Neil Brown, Erin Henry
Status: Complete, 2009 – 2010
News article: Clean Water Act
CAREER: Solving a Global Water Crisis in a Local Watershed: A Comprehensive Analysis of Chitin as a Multifunctional Substrate for the Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF) Award No. CBET-0644983
Total funding: $429,500
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Mary Ann Robinson-Lora, Caroline Newcombe, Amanda Brown, Jessica Grembi, Yishan Lin, Brad Sick, Sara Goots, Min Pack, Andrew Kreider
Status: Complete, Feb. 2007 – Jan. 2014
Patent: US 7,959,806 B2
News article: Crustacean Cleanup
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of a Halorespiring Community in the Presence of Trichlorothene and a Fermentable Substrate.
Funding support: Civil and Environmental Engineering, PSU
PI: Rachel Brennan
Student: Jennifer McElhoe
Status: Complete, 2005 – 2011
Passive Remediation of Acid Precipitation in the South Branch of Kinzua Creek.
Sponsor: PA Fish and Boat Commission, Cooperative Agreement No. 1434-03HQRU1548 WO 16
Total funding: $20,350
Amount to Brennan labs: $15,729
Co-PIs: Steven Bloser, Rachel Brennan, David Shearer, and Tyler Wagner
Student: Abby Caporuscio
Status: Complete, 2009
A Comparison of Crab-Shell vs. Insect Chitin for the Remediation of Metal-Laden Waters.
Funding support: Civil and Environmental Engineering, PSU
PI: Rachel Brennan
Student: Erin Henry
Status: Complete, 2008
Sustainable Treatment of Diesel Contaminated Sediments Using Spent Mushroom Compost.
Sponsor: The California Mushroom Farm, Inc.
Total funding: $8,500
PI: Rachel Brennan
Student: Alessia Eramo
Status: Complete, 2007 – 2009
Passive Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage Using Chitin.
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Institute (USGS)
Total funding: $54,000 (2:1 match)
PI: Rachel Brennan
Students: Mary Ann Robinson-Lora, Linda Daubert
Status: Complete, 2006 – 2007
In Situ Bioremediation of Perchlorate in Vadose Zone Soil Using Gaseous Electron Donors.
Sponsor: Department of Defense (ESTCP), Award No. ER-0511
Total funding: $750,148
Amount to Brennan labs: $90,211
PIs: Patrick Evans and Al Bourquin, CDM
Co-PIs: Rachel Brennan and Bruce Logan
Students: Hua Cai, Booki Min
Status: Complete, 2005 – 2007
Biological Denitrification of Drinking Water Supplies Using Chitin.
Funding support: Fulbright program; PSIE
PI: Rachel Brennan
Student: Mary Ann Robinson-Lora
Status: Complete, 2004 – 2006
SBIR Phase II: Bioremediation of Chlorinated Solvents in Saturated, Low Permeability Soils.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Award No. DMI-0239859
Total funding: $499,996
Amount to Brennan labs: $42,000
Co-PI: Rachel Brennan
Student: Jennifer McElhoe
Status: Complete, 2003 – 2005