Administrator
John Hellmann received the 2021 MatSE Alumnus of the Year Award during the annual MatSE awards presentation. He earned his bachelors of science and doctor of philosophy in ceramic science, both from Penn State.
"I've been a member of the MatSE community for nearly five decades—as a student, researcher, faculty member, and administrator,” said Hellmann, who retired as senior associate dean in February. “I have personally experienced countless examples of how outstanding and insightful our students are, how talented, productive, and renowned our faculty continue to be, and how dedicated our staff have been in enabling our success. I've been blessed to have had the opportunity to work with the best. To say I'm incredibly proud to have been a part of this is a huge understatement. To be recognized by my friends and colleagues in the department as MatSE Alumnus of the Year is both humbling and gratifying. Thank you all so much!"
Hellmann credits some of his great mentors he had along the way: Richard Tressler, Vladimir Stubican, Arnalf Muan, Robert Newnham, Donald Koss, and Carlo Pantano—to name a few.
After graduating from Penn State, he began his career in the ceramics development division at Sandia National Laboratories, where he worked for five years. He then returned to Penn State and MatSE to help start the Center for Advanced Materials which was focused on the design of ceramics in high-temperature systems. With funding from industry and federal agencies, Hellmann and his team were able to grow the center into a $3 million annual operation as they worked to develop components for the Rockwell X-30 and NASA’s National Aero-Space Plane, and radiant ceramic tubes for industrial heating, a technology that is commonplace today.
Hellmann went on to focus on undergraduate education in materials science and became associate head for undergraduate programs in MatSE from 2001 to 2007. In that role, John oversaw two ABET accreditation cycles—one for each of the four programs at that time: ceramics science and engineering, electronic and photonic materials, metals science and engineering, and the brand-new polymer science and engineering—prior to the programs being combined into one. This was MatSE's and Penn State's first accreditation under the EC2000 outcomes-based accreditation criteria. It was a time of unifying four subdisciplines under common objectives.
Hellmann continued to oversee those accreditation processes, as well as for the engineering programs in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, when he served as associate dean for education in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) from 2007 to 2012.
“The ABET accreditations, although arduous, were immensely satisfying and contributed to many improvements in our already fantastic engineering degrees in the college,” Hellman said.
In 2012, he was named senior associate dean for graduate educations and research in EMS. This position included oversight of all graduate degrees and certificates in EMS, a $65 million research enterprise spanning five departments and three institutes, and coordination of facility renovations and research capabilities in EMS.
Throughout his time at the University, Hellmann always kept a vigorous research portfolio and a full teaching load. He had many significant accomplishments in the plethora of roles he held at Penn State.
Elizabeth “Libby” Kupp received the 2021 MatSE Alumna of the Year Award during the annual MatSE awards presentation. Kupp is an associate teaching professor who earned a bachelor of science in ceramic science and a doctor of philosophy in materials science and engineering, both from Penn State.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Kupp began her career as an engineer at Kennametal, providing project leadership for the development of silicon carbide whisker reinforced alumina metal-cutting tools. She subsequently returned to Penn State for graduate school. After graduation, she accepted a yearlong postdoctoral position at Penn State followed by a postdoctoral position at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for two years. Kupp returned to campus as a research associate, developing and optimizing processing for fabrication of transparent ceramic gain materials based on YAG (a synthetic crystal of yttrium aluminum garnet) for high power lasers.
In 2007, Kupp began teaching MatSE 468-Ceramic Processing Laboratory. Since then, she has taught many different classes, and developed new courses to enhance the curriculum. Kupp has mentored countless undergraduate researchers, including Women in Science and Engineering and international internship students as part of the International Internship in Materials program.
In addition to teaching and advising, Kupp has published many peer-reviewed papers, received external funding grants, and provided countless hours of service to the department, college, and University. Since her return to Penn State, she has been actively involved in improving and maintaining laboratory safety, including co-teaching a course on laboratory safety management since 2017. Also, Kupp has been involved in advancing diversity through outreach as a member of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (2010-14) and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Diversity Council (2014-present).
The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has a rich history dating back more than a century, from its original focus on mining engineering, to today's interdisciplinary focus on earth, energy, and materials sciences and engineering. The college was formed in 1896, and we are celebrating the college’s 125th anniversary with ongoing programming throughout the year.
As part of the festivities, MatSE will host the 125th EMS Anniversary – Steidle Café during the spring and fall semesters. A MatSE staff member, a MatSE faculty member, and a MatSE graduate student present information about their personal and professional background. In honor of the college’s anniversary, alumni are also being invited to present. Tim Hsu, Ph.D. ‘91g president of Polymics, Ltd. presented in February, and Amit Das, Ph.D. ‘85 ‘88g director of new product development at State of the Art, Inc. presented in April.
Also in April, MatSE hosted the symposium, “Reflections and Future Perspectives of Polymer Science,” which featured an interdisciplinary group of speakers and experts reflecting on both the past and future of polymer science as part of the 125th EMS Anniversary.
Plans for fall events are continuing to be announced with the pinnacle of the celebration scheduled for October 2021. Learn more about the 125th EMS Anniversary celebration at https://www.ems.psu.edu/about/our-excellence/125th-anniversary.
Amy Robinson, associate teaching professor, has been appointed associate head for undergraduate education in MatSE. Robinson starts her new role July 1.
“Robinson will be an excellent associate head for our department’s undergraduate program,” said Susan Sinnott, professor and head of MatSE. “She brings a wealth of experience in educating MatSE students as well as in interfacing with materials-oriented industries in Pennsylvania. Her in-depth knowledge of materials science and engineering and of education more generally makes Robinson ideal for the position.”
Robinson will succeed R. Allen Kimel, who held the position since 2007. Kimel will serve as associate head through the end of June, and after, he will continue as an associate teaching professor and a valued member of the MatSE faculty.
“I am honored to have been selected as the next associate head for undergraduate education in MatSE,” Robinson said. “Prof. Kimel was key in many significant initiatives and critical to MatSE’s success over the last 14 years. I am appreciative of his endeavors, and the strong foundation he has set. My goal is to continue to build this program with effective leadership and meaningful contributions.”
Robinson brings a wealth of experience working with undergraduates to the position. She has taught numerous materials and metals-focused courses in the undergraduate curriculum since 2008. Robinson has helped forge new relationships with the metals industry and enjoys helping students bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. She takes students on field trips twice a year to industry locations. Additionally, she is the faculty adviser for the Material Advantage undergraduate student organization and, the newly developed Women in Materials Science group, and chair of the Penn State ASM chapter.
“My goals for undergraduate education dovetail with the most recent MatSE Strategic Plan and will focus on sustaining and promoting the world-class education provided by MatSE at Penn State,” Robinson said. “Our department is a world leader in materials science education, and I aim to continue and enhance that reputation by establishing a new laboratory paradigm for lecture-based courses, enhancing our curriculum in data science and computational materials science, developing our students into independent professionals through improved communication skills and ethics, and continuing our efforts to develop a diverse community and a culture of acceptance and support for all students in our department.”
Prior to her focus on academic teaching and administrative roles, Robinson’s research interests included microstructure development in titanium and steel alloys, deformation and mechanical behavior of metals, and processing, structure, and property relationships in metals. She continues to support industry in these areas.
Robinson holds bachelor of science, master of science, and doctor of philosophy degrees in material science and engineering, all from Penn State.
Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering and materials science and engineering, has taken on a new role as the associate head for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in MatSE. Gomez holds a 40 percent appointment in MatSE and a 60 percent appointment in chemical engineering with his new position.
“I am honored to be the inaugural associate head for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Gomez said. “I am excited to help MatSE strengthen its already inclusive environment to address the needs of such a dynamic and world-class department.”
The associate head for diversity, equity, and inclusion is responsible for strengthening and furthering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all students within MatSE and is positioned to provide education and engagement regarding equity, inclusion, and a true sense of community.
Gomez aims to help organize and coordinate inclusive recruitment efforts while benchmarking and tracking measures of an inclusive culture in the department. Since Gomez’s appointment, he has organized virtual cultural events for Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride and Diversity Month, and Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month. He is also spearheading MatSE’s efforts within the newly formed Rainbow EMS Network, which fosters a fully inclusive environment in research groups and identifies research groups that have received advanced training on LGBTQ+ issues beyond the University’s Safer People Safer Places network.
Gomez has led an active research program while at Penn State. He is the director for the Center for Self-Assembled Organic Electronics, a $7.5 million center funded by the Office of Naval Research through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. He has been active in pre-first year summer engineering programs, as well as ScienceU summer camps for K-12 students and teachers.
“I hope to create tangible and realistic goals for the department and concrete metrics for assessing progress and success in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Gomez said. “I also hope that I am more successful as an organizer of efforts that encompass many faculty, staff, and students, rather than serving as a single person tackling these crucial challenges.”
Gomez earned his bachelor of science in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and doctor of philosophy in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He was a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University before joining Penn State as a faculty member in 2009. Gomez’s research is focused on polymer science and engineering, and he is a long-time collaborator of several MatSE faculty working in this discipline.
For more information and events vist Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Six Penn State graduate students involved in materials or engineering research presented a concise rundown of their research, in two minutes or less, for judges from companies including PPG, Corning, Dow and Murata at the finals of the Millennium Café PPG Elevator Pitch Competition on May 18.
Each year, the University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) selects three outstanding staff for their accomplishments and contributions to the University and honors them at a celebratory event.
Using solar energy to inexpensively harvest hydrogen from water could help replace carbon-based fuel sources and shrink the world’s carbon footprint. However, finding materials that could boost hydrogen production so that it could compete economically with carbon-based fuels has been, as yet, an insurmountable challenge.