Honors and Awards

Penn State recognized for green power leadership

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized Penn State in its latest “Top 30 College and University List” of the largest green power users from the Green Power Partnership. Penn State ranks No. 14 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten in terms of total kilowatt-hours (kWh) used of green energy. Penn State uses more than 106 million kWh of renewable energy annually, which represents more than 33 percent of its total power needs and, according to the EPA, is equivalent to the annual electricity use of nearly 10,000 average American homes. Penn State’s choice to use green power helps advance the voluntary market for green power, as well as the development of those sources. The EPA defines green power as electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low impact, small hydroelectric sources.

Karpyn named inaugural Donohue Family Professor

Zuleima Karpyn, associate dean for graduate education and research in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering, was named the inaugural Donohue Family Professor. Former Penn State professor David Donohue and his son, Timothy, both alumni of the University, established the professorship with a $1 million gift. The Donohue Family Professorship supports a faculty member whose research focuses on petroleum and natural gas engineering.

Rezaee selected for professorship designed to boost early career

Mohammad Rezaee, assistant professor of mining engineering in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, was selected to receive the Centennial Career Development Professorship in Mining Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Rezaee’s research focuses on developing sustainable mining waste disposal practices from which valuables such as critical elements can be recovered for commercial use while the remaining materials are processed to generate environmentally benign materials. His work centers around the extraction of critical elements from primary and secondary sources, coal preparation, mineral processing, environmental management, and computational fluid dynamics and scale modeling.

Institute awards computational and data sciences seed grants

From making our roads safer to paving the way to exoplanet discovery, the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) seed grants have funded fourteen projects backed by researchers from across the disciplines and around the University. The 2021-22 ICDS seed grant program is designed to help scientists use the latest computational technology and cutting-edge data science techniques to deepen understanding and develop innovation across fields and disciplines. Of the fourteen grants, two were awarded to EI researchers, including Yashar Mehmani, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering, for his work titled "Using AI to Map Infrared Spectra to Geomechanical Properties from the Micron to Meter Scale" and Hilal Ezgi Toraman, Virginia S. and Philip L. Walker Jr. Faculty Fellow and assistant professor of energy engineering and chemical engineering, for her work titled "Development of Data Mining Tools and an Open Source Web-Based Data Platform to Support the Sustainable Development of Plastic Recycling."

Materials Research Institute announces seed grant recipients

The Penn State Materials Research Institute (MRI) has announced the 2021 recipients of seed grants that will enable University faculty to establish new collaborations with partners outside their own units for exploration of transformative ideas for high-impact materials science and engineering. Twelve grants totaling more than $500,000 were awarded by MRI in partnership with Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory and the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center. Randy Vander Wal, professor of energy and mineral engineering and materials science and engineering, was chosen for his project “Upcycling Plastic Waste to Graphitic Carbons.”

Mining engineering faculty member named a Henry Krumb Lecturer

Mohammad Rezaee, assistant professor of mining engineering in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, has been named a 2021-22 Henry Krumb Lecturer by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration (SME). The Krumb Lecture Series was established in 1966 so that SME sections could hear prominent minerals professionals speak on subjects in which they have recognized expertise. Providing professional development opportunities for the mining industry is an invaluable service provided by the Krumb Lecturer and adheres to the spirit of Henry Krumb himself.

Associate professor recognized as rising star in energy research

Shimin Liu, Joseph Kreutzberger Early Career Professor and associate professor of energy and mineral engineering, is one of twenty-nine researchers recognized as a rising star by Energy & Fuel, an international scholarly journal focused on fundamental and applied research within the energy and fuels fields. The journal cited his significant contributions in the field of energy research. Early- and midcareer researchers make up a significant portion of the research workforce and play critical roles in driving knowledge discovery and technological advances in the increasingly globalized research landscape, and Energy & Fuels established the annual recognition to celebrate the contributions of these researchers.

Sanjay Srinivasan named distinguished member by Society of Petroleum Engineers

Sanjay Srinivasan, department head of the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, has been honored as a distinguished member by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). One of twenty-two recipients selected for 2021, he joins 696 other members honored since the establishment of the award in 1983. The Distinguished Member award recognizes SPE members who achieve distinction deemed worthy of special recognition, who made significant contributions to the society, or who have attained eminence in the petroleum industry or the academic community.