The Penn State Sustainable Labs Program has concluded its fourth year, continuing to expand its reach across campuses while advancing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of research spaces.
Administrator
Long-Qing Chen, Hamer Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, has been named an Evan Pugh University Professor, the highest honor that Penn State bestows on a faculty member. This prestigious distinction, effective July 1, has been conferred by Penn State to only 84 faculty members since the designation’s establishment in 1960.
Thank you to all who participated in the Penn State Today 2026 spring photo contest! The winning photo was submitted by Priyasha Fernando, a graduate student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, of a single white tulip standing out against purple flowers at the Arboretum.
Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has named Dipanjan Pan, Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Huck Chair Professor in Nanomedicine and professor of materials science and engineering and of nuclear engineering, to serve as the Huck’s first director for innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Joshua A. Robinson, professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State, has been named director of the University’s Materials Research Institute (MRI), effective July 1.
Nitin Samarth, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics and professor of materials science and engineering, has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for distinguished contributions to the physical sciences. He is one of 252 leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science elected in 2026. The induction ceremony for new members will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October.
John Mauro, department head and professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State, has been named interim John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, effective July 1.
Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) recognized exceptional students and faculty for their academic excellence, service and leadership during its annual Wilson Awards Celebration, held on March 29. The Wilson Awards are named in honor of Matthew and Anne Wilson, major benefactors of the college.
Award recipients from MatSE:
Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) recognized exceptional students and faculty for their academic excellence, service and leadership during its annual Wilson Awards Celebration, held on March 29. The Wilson Awards are named in honor of Matthew and Anne Wilson, major benefactors of the college.
“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our faculty and students,” said Lee Kump, the John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. “This annual award celebration offers the college an opportunity to honor and recognize the hard work of our faculty and students.”
Matthew Wilson graduated from Penn State in 1918 with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering, and the Wilson endowment provides the college with support for its well-known student loan program and a number of faculty and student awards and scholarships.
2026 Award recipients from MatSE:
- E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Faculty Fellowship - Robert Hickey, associate professor of materials science and engineering, for his proposal “From Waste to Capacitor Materials: Chemical Transformations of Discarded Plastics”
- Wilson Research Initiation Grant The Wilson Research Initiation Grant - Ivy M. Asuo, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, was selected for her project: “Reliable Ambient Optoelectronic Performance through Complementary Human-Robot Materials Optimization”
- Gladys Snyder Junior Faculty Grants - Nicholas Clark and Maziar Montazerian, both assistant research professors in the materials science and engineering, selected for their proposal, “In vitro Bioactivity Assessment of LionGlass”
- Earth and Mineral Sciences Academy for Global Experience - 2025-26 EMSAGE Laureates (undergraduate students)
- Elizabeth Aichele
- Asad Al-Abri
- Allison Evans
- Irena Potochny
- Pavan Kumar Reddy Pothula
Read full EMS Wilson Awards article.