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EMS
Faculty Honored at Wilson Banquet
April
14, 2002
Top
Earth and Mineral Sciences faculty and students were
honored tonight at the college's annual Wilson Banquet.
Sanat
Kumar, professor of materials science and engineering,
Harold Schobert, professor of fuel science
and director of the Energy Institute, and John Wyngaard,
professor of meteorology, received the Wilson Award
for Excellence in Research. the college's highest honor
for sustained research achievement.
Kumar
is recognized as a leader in the field of polymer physics
who has performed innovative work in the fundamental
understanding of polymers in highly confined environments.
He has introduced new and creative experimental techniques
that have led to a quantum jump in the understanding
of the thermodynamics of polymer systems.
Schobert
put Penn State on the map in the field of advanced jet
fuels. His commanding knowledge of fuel chemistry has
led the way to formulating a coal-based jet fuel with
superior properties for the advanced aircraft of the
future. He has shown commitment and dedication to the
multi investigator, multi year initiative known as "the
jet fuel project."
Wyngaard
is lauded for his contributions to turbulence theory.
He has applied his research to diverse environmental
and defense related problems: the resolution of sub-grid
scale variables in a turbulent flow field, which leads
to improved forecast model parameterizations; the propagation
of electromagnetic radiation in the marine planetary
boundary layer; and surface fluxes of carbon dioxide
from geothermal areas.
David
DiBiase, senior lecturer in geography and director
of the e-Education Institute, and Eugene Clothiaux,
assistant professor of meteorology, were recognized
with the Wilson Award for Excellence in Teaching. DiBiase
has been called a pioneer in the pedagogy and technology
of online education. Both graduate and undergraduate
students note that Clothiaux is extremely dedicated
and always accessible.
Richard
Tressler, professor of materials science and engineering,
received the Wilson Award for Service. According to
his nominators, Tressler successfully and unselfishly
presented and implemented a vision of a cohesive materials
science and engineering department. Under his tenure
as department head, Penn State became a leader among
major universities in both materials education and interdisciplinary
materials research.
Tanya
Furman, associate professor of geosciences, has
been awarded the George H. Deike Research Grant in support
of innovative research projects.
Chris
Benner, assistant professor of geography, Paul
Markowski, assistant professor of meteorology, Joel
Haight, assistant professor of industrial health
and safety, and David O'Sullivan, assistant professor
of geography, were given Wilson Research Initiation
grants, established to help young faculty establish
their research careers.
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