Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation

09/02/2026

This week, we're proud to spotlight Dr. Nan Zhu, a member of the Cocoziello Institute's Faculty Advisory Council!

Dr. Zhu is an Associate Professor of Risk Management and the Elliott Fellow in Actuarial Science at Penn State's Smeal College of Business. His research focuses on longevity risk, insurance markets, and insurance contract theory, and more recently, risk assessment in the built environment.

Dr. Zhu has been involved with the Institute since its formation and was officially appointed to the inaugural Faculty Advisory Council in January 2026, representing the risk research area. What drew him in? The Institute's interdisciplinary vision, bringing together expertise from across the University to tackle real-world challenges that don't fit neatly into a single discipline.

Since joining, he's collaborated with colleagues in Architectural Engineering on projects combining risk management and the built environment, including a Learning Factory capstone project and a newly funded Cocoziello seed grant for the 2026–27 academic year.

Thank you, Dr. Zhu, for helping build new bridges across disciplines and advancing research that connects business, risk, and the future of the built environment!

08/28/2026

🍦 Thank you to everyone who came out to our Ice Cream Social this week!
It was such a SWEET way to kick off the semester with great conversations, familiar faces, and a few new ones too. A special shoutout to our Student Advisory Council members who helped lead the event and made it such a success in collaboration with our faculty and staff.
We're excited to see what this year has in store for the Cocoziello Institute and the built environment. Here's to a great semester ahead!
Want to learn more about what we do? Visit us at cocoziello.psu.edu 🏗️

08/27/2026

We are not going to sugarcoat it, this was a SWEET start to our semester 🍦 thanks to everyone who came out for our ice cream social. Here’s to a great year ahead!

08/24/2026

Welcome back, Penn State! 🎉
Whether you're a returning member of our Cocoziello Institute community or just discovering us for the first time, we're so excited to kick off another year together. From groundbreaking research to hands-on industry experience, this year is packed with opportunities to explore the future of real estate and the built environment.
Here's to a great semester ahead! We can't wait to see what we build together. 🏗️
Start off the semester with the Cocoziello Institute with an ice cream social this Wednesday, September 26th from 1-3 PM in the Engineering Quad, by the Applied Science building!

08/21/2026

Welcome back to our final Fun Fact Friday of the summer!

🏙️ Did You Know?

Cities can actually be warmer than the areas around them! ☀️

It's called the urban heat island effect.

Buildings, roads and parking lots absorb and hold onto heat, while cities often have fewer trees and green spaces to provide natural cooling. The result? Urban areas are typically about 1–7°F warmer during the day than surrounding areas.

But thoughtful design can help.

🌳 Planting more trees
🌿 Adding green roofs
🏢 Using cool and energy-efficient building designs
🛣️ Incorporating cooler, more permeable surfaces

can all help reduce the effects of urban heat islands.

💡 Why it matters: Building a more resilient future means thinking about not only how buildings perform, but how entire communities interact with their environment.

08/14/2026

🎉 Welcome back to Fun Fact Friday: Cocoziello Institute Edition!

🪟 Did You Know?

The Empire State Building has more than 6,500 windows!

While windows offer incredible views, they're also one of the most important components of a building's energy performance. Today's innovations in glass technology are helping create buildings that are stronger, more energy efficient, and more sustainable.

That's where LionGlass comes in.

Supported by the Cocoziello Institute's Seed Grant Program, Penn State researchers are advancing LionGlass—an innovative glass designed to significantly reduce carbon emissions during manufacturing while offering greater durability than conventional glass.

💡 Why it matters: Sometimes the biggest innovations in the built environment are hidden in plain sight. Reimagining everyday materials like glass can help shape a more sustainable future.

📖 Read how LionGlass is moving from the lab toward commercialization: [Insert article link]

08/12/2026

This week we are proud to spotlight Krishna Gupta, a member of the Cocoziello Institute’s Student Advisory Council, in our Building Futures Internship Series.

Krishna is an architectural engineering student in Penn State’s College of Engineering and will begin his sophomore year this fall.

This summer, Krishna is interning with Grunley Construction in Rockville, Maryland, where he serves as a field intern in the operations department. He is working on the construction of a new Fire and Emergency Medical Services building, a state-of-the-art facility designed as a Net Zero Energy building, meaning it will generate as much clean, renewable energy on-site as it uses over the course of a year.

In this role, Krishna is working with more than 30 subcontractors, reviewing project questions and documents, coordinating with the owner and architect, and helping manage quality and timelines to keep the project on track.

In addition to his construction internship, Krishna is also serving as a backpacking leader for Penn State’s Aurora Program, a five-day outdoor orientation program for incoming first-year students in Rothrock State Forest. He will lead a group of 10 students, helping them build outdoor, leadership, teamwork and survival skills throughout the experience. Krishna loves the outdoors and is also a member of the Penn State cycling team.

Congrats, Krishna! We are proud to have you on our Student Advisory Council and excited to see all you are accomplishing this summer and this next school year.

08/07/2026

🎉 Welcome back to Fun Fact Friday: Cocoziello Institute Edition!

🏢 Did You Know?

Some of today's buildings are smarter than ever before!

Modern buildings can use thousands of sensors to monitor temperature, lighting, air quality, occupancy, and energy use throughout the day. These systems help buildings automatically adjust to changing conditions, creating more comfortable spaces while using energy more efficiently.

💡 Why it matters: Smart building technology is helping create healthier, more sustainable places to live, work, and learn.

08/03/2026

Turning research into real-world impact requires more than a promising idea—it takes collaboration, investment and the right partners.

LionGlass™, invented by Penn State researchers John Mauro and Nicholas Clark, has the potential to transform architectural glazing by reducing manufacturing emissions while creating stronger, more sustainable glass.

The Penn State Cocoziello Institute is proud to have been one of many supporters that helped move LionGlass™ toward commercialization. Through one of its earliest seed grants, the institute supported co-principal investigators John Mauro and Julian Wang, helping advance the technology during a critical stage of development alongside numerous faculty, industry and funding partners.

Read how early-stage support helped accelerate LionGlass™ from the laboratory toward commercialization: https://www.psu.edu/news/cocoziello-institute-real-estate-innovation/story/seed-funding-commercial-momentum-rise-lionglass

Penn State College of Engineering

Penn State's patent-pending LionGlass continues to move from the laboratory toward commercial applications with support from the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation.

07/31/2026

🎉 Welcome back to Fun Fact Friday: Cocoziello Institute Edition!

🌿 Did You Know?

Green roofs can be up to 30–40°F cooler than traditional rooftops on hot summer days.

So, what exactly is a green roof?

A green roof—also called a living roof—is covered with vegetation planted over a waterproof roofing system. Beyond creating beautiful spaces, green roofs help absorb rainwater, improve air quality, support pollinators, and reduce the urban heat island effect.

💡 Why it matters: Smarter building design isn't just about what's inside a building. Innovative features like green roofs can help create healthier, more sustainable, and more resilient communities.