Solar power continues to grow — accounting for most new capacity added to U.S. electric grids in 2024 — but the mid-1950s technology most often used to capture the sun’s energy comes with environmental costs.
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Making computer chips smaller is not just about better design. It also depends on a critical step in manufacturing called patterning, where nanoscale structures are carved into materials to form the circuits inside everything from smartphones to advanced sensors.
Lee Kump, the John Leone Dean of the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS), has announced his decision to step down as dean, effective June 30. Kump, who has served as dean for nearly nine years and is celebrating 40 years of service to the college and University in 2026, will remain at Penn State as professor of geosciences on the College of EMS faculty after his deanship concludes.
Imagine, March 2026 
Dear MatSE friends and alumni,
I hope you are all doing well as the early signs of spring are bringing renewed energy after an especially cold winter season. Here at Penn State, our students, faculty, and staff have just returned from spring break refreshed and ready to take on the remainder of the semester. The final stretch of the academic year is always an exciting and productive time in the department as research continues to advance, students prepare for graduation, and we gather as a community to celebrate achievements in materials science and engineering.
One highlight of the coming weeks will be our annual Distinguished Lecture Series in Materials Science and Engineering. This series includes two Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures in Materials and the David Ford McFarland Award Lecture for Achievement in Materials. These awards honor researchers who have distinguished themselves through exceptional contributions to the field of materials science and engineering. It is always a privilege to welcome these accomplished professionals to campus to receive their awards and share their insights with our students, faculty, and the broader materials community. Their stories illustrate the remarkable impact of materials science and engineering, providing inspiration for the next generation of materials scientists and engineers.
We also have exciting news to share from our faculty. Venkat Gopalan has been appointed distinguished professor of Materials Science and Engineering, one of the highest honors bestowed by the University. This title recognizes faculty members whose research, teaching, and service have achieved exceptional national and international distinction. Venkat’s pioneering contributions to ferroic materials, domain topology, and functional materials have shaped our understanding of complex materials systems and have had a profound impact on the broader materials community.
In addition, Allison Beese has been named senior associate director of Penn State’s newly established National Security Institute. Allison’s work in advanced manufacturing, particularly in understanding and improving the mechanical performance of additively manufactured metals, has positioned her as a national leader in this rapidly evolving field. Her new leadership role will help strengthen Penn State’s contributions to research and innovation in areas critical to national security.
As always, thank you for staying connected with Penn State MatSE. Your continued engagement as alumni, collaborators, mentors, and supporters plays an essential role in the vitality of our department and in the success of our students. We look forward to sharing more updates and celebrating the accomplishments of our community in the months ahead.
We Are!
John C. Mauro
Department Head and Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
2026 Distinguished Lecture Series in Materials Science and Engineering to be held in April
The Distinguished Lecture Series in Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State will be held in April and will include two Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures in Materials and the David Ford McFarland Award Lecture for Achievement in Metallurgy. The awards honor Penn State alumni who have honorably distinguished themselves through exceptional contributions in materials science and engineering. The lectures will be from 3:05 to 4:20 p.m. in 111 Forum Building on the University Park campus.
Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures
The two 2026 Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures in Materials will be given by:
- Tabbetha Dobbins, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rowan University,
- Jeffrey J. Swab, founder of Swab Consulting, LLC
Dobbins will receive her award on Thursday, April 16, and will present “What’s fueling your future? Embracing the genius of the AND.” Her lecture will trace her personal and professional journey from clean energy research to leadership in graduate education. Drawing on her work in hydrogen storage and alternative energies, she will explore how scientific curiosity, persistence and passion can serve as “fuel” for one’s future—a drive that later shaped her transition into academic leadership at Rowan University.
Swab will receive his award on Thursday, April 23, and will present “Advances in mechanical characterization of structural ceramics.” His talk will examine several decades of advances in mechanical characterization methods that have improved the understanding, quality, consistency and reliability of advanced ceramic materials. He will focus on key developments in mechanical testing and fracture analysis that have shaped modern ceramic design and qualification practices.
The award is named after Richard E. Tressler, who was an international leader in the development of high-temperature materials and served as head of Penn State's Department of Materials Science and Engineering from 1991 to 2001.
McFarland Award Lecture
The 2026 David Ford McFarland Award Lecture for Achievement in Metallurgy will be presented on Thursday, April 9, to Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, CEO and engineering director, Matergenics, Inc.
Zamanzadeh will give the lecture “Corrosion-driven electrochemical degradation and quantitative condition assessment of infrastructure systems in United States.” He will examine how corrosion — acting alongside mechanical loading, environmental exposure, and aging — drives major failures in U.S. infrastructure, illustrated through case studies. Zamanzadeh’s presentation will advocate for condition-based assessment frameworks grounded in measurable material-state variables, enabling proactive, data-driven technical management of aging assets rather than reactive repair following failure.
The McFarland Award was established in 1948 by the Penn State Chapter of the American Society for Metals (now ASM International) to honor graduates of Penn State who have honorably distinguished themselves in some field of metallurgy. The award was named in honor of David Ford McFarland, former professor and department head.
For more details on the awards and lectures, visit matse.psu.edu/ lectures.
We are looking for videos and photos from the 2025-26 academic year for the year-end video for MatSE!
Please fill out the form below and upload your media. Examples of the images we are looking for: research groups, events, conferences, trips, in the lab, anything that features our amazing MatSE folks!
We want to make sure that anyone included in the media submitted is aware that their image will be used not only in the year-end video, but also may appear in other places such as print and on the internet, i.e., social media, websites, YouTube, etc.
If you have any questions, please email Heather Dehnel, hbj100@psu.edu.
share-your-photos-and-videos
Kyle Hart, Ph.D.
Research and Development Program Director, Dow
2014g
Kyle Hart is a program director in Core R&D for the Packaging, Specialty Plastics and Hydrocarbons business. He is responsible for the alignment of corporate research portfolio for Dow’s ethylene envelope and identifying new disruptive technology innovations in the area of packaging, industrial, consumer, and transportation plastic products, hydrocarbons and energy, digital technologies, and sustainability.
Kyle was previously in the Packaging and Specialty Plastics Polyethylene Product R&D group. As a research scientist and platform leader he led the global platform research and development project team to develop and launch several new innovative products. Then as the Senior R&D Leader, he lead the LDPE product development team focused on growing the product innovation portfolio. Also, he was the focal point for R&D in PE product sustainability, recycling, and circular polymer initiatives that resulted in the launching and commercialization of the REVOLOOP™ product line, which was awarded Edison Gold Award and R&D100 Award for materials innovation.
Prior to joining Dow, Kyle completed a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the Penn State where his dissertation focused on computational evaluations of carbon sequestration polymer membranes.
Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) recognized exceptional staff at its annual Dean’s Staff Appreciation Luncheon held in December 2025 at the Nittany Lion Inn. The awards program consists of three annual awards, the Future Star Award, Circle of Excellence, and the EMS Ambassador. The Charles Hosler Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Award was also recognized.
The following are accessible MatSE branded templates for use by department members.
Shield Design Template in widescreen (16:9) size:
Shield Design Template in standard (4:3) size:
Steidle Design Template in widescreen (16:9) size:
Steidle Design Template in standard (4:3) size:
Penn State's Office of Faculty Affairs has named 14 new distinguished professors for 2026.