The Dean Files
News, announcements, and ideas from Dean Eric Barron and his staff

November 5, 2004 :
  1. President Spanier Attends EMS Fall Faculty Meeting
  2. Knight Named Gosnell Senior Faculty Scholar
  3. Recipients of the Miller Professorships in Geography Announced
  4. EMS Faculty Members Named John T. Ryan, Jr. Faculty Fellows
  5. EGEE's Mining Engineering Team Receives Grant from MSHA
  6. Chander Named Recipient of the Gaudin Award
  7. Bise Nominated as Member of Careers in Coal
  8. EMS Recognizes Cahir and Faber with the Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal
  9. EMS Recognizes Ciminelli, Hess and Nese with GEMS Alumni Achievement Awards
10. Penn State Recognizes Berents and Perry with Alumni Fellow Awards
11. Archives

Do You Know . . .

Executive Council agenda items and minutes are now online for you to view. Also, we have added the Faculty Advisory Committee minutes as well as the EMS Fall Faculty Meeting minutes. Don't forget to add these sites to your "Favorites."

The Energy Institute received an award of recognition from the Polish Coal Combustion Products Union for support of a recent conference and other joint activities at a conference in Zakopane, Poland. Congratulations are extended to The Energy Institute team.

Amy Trauger, Ph.D. candidate in Geography, was recently interviewed about her M.S. and Ph.D. research by the National Public Radio as they profiled women farmers. Amy's in-person interview was included in the All Things Considered show. This is an excellent highlight of our joint Geography and Women's Studies graduate program in the national media.

Penn State President, Graham Spanier, was invited by Dean Barron to attend the EMS Fall Faculty Meeting on Wednesday, October 27, 2004. Dr. Spanier commended the College on its strategic planning efforts and the future goals we have set for the College. The new Ryan Student Center offers wonderful accessibility for our students, which is important because Penn State is now the most expensive public university in the United States. He praised our student-centered emphases, which complement our high per-capita productivity in research, scholarship, graduate education, and outreach. He was delighted to see a standing-room-only faculty meeting.

Again, the EMS Fall Faculty Meeting minutes are on-line for you to view.

Knight Named First William H. Gosnell Senior Faculty Scholar

C. Gregory Knight has been named the first Gosnell Senior Faculty Scholar. This bequest by William H. Gosnell (EMS, 1913) was designed to benefit the College, through support of instructional innovation, travel, and visitors, or to promote other activities that will enrich the faculty, students and/or staff. The concept of a Senior Faculty Scholar allows the College to put the wisdom of our most experienced faculty members to work on behalf of the College. The Senior Faculty Scholar is given considerable leeway to be innovative in using the earnings from the Gosnell endowment to enrich the College.

Greg Knight is currently a professor in the Department of Geography and founding director of the Center for Integrated Regional Assessment (CIRA). Dr. Knight served as the Department Head of Geography from 1982-1989 and Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education at Penn State from 1989-1993. He has worked in Africa (Tanzania and Nigeria) and Southeastern Europe (Bulgaria). He is also interim coordinator of the SCENIC network for climate change impacts in central and eastern Europe.

 
Amy K. Glasmeier

   
Alan M. MacEachren

On Friday, October 15, 2004, Dean Barron announced the first two holders of the E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Professorships. Amy Glasmeier and Alan MacEachren were selected from nominations made by colleagues in the Department of Geography. The Miller Professorships provide annual support, for three years, and are intended to further enable the scholar's contribution to teaching, research, and public service. The award recognizes gifted faculty members in the Department of Geography who have excelled in teaching and research and who have potential to make truly outstanding contributions in the area of his or her special competence.

Will and Ruby Miller, in their work and lives, epitomized the very best of committed scholarship. Will built the Department of Geography and Ruby built the Map Library in Pattee Library. Together they formed an inseparable team committed to furthering geography at Penn State, in Pennsylvania, and nationally. While this award honors Amy Glasmeier and Alan MacEachren, it also enables us to maintain the memory of two gifted people who excelled in their work, who made outstanding contributions, and who devoted their lives to Penn State. The University recently named one of the new residence halls, Miller Hall, in honor of Will Miller.

Please join Dean Barron in congratulating Amy Glasmeier and Alan MacEachren on their accomplishments while remembering the many contributions of Will and Ruby Miller.

Dean Barron is pleased to announce the appointment of three outstanding young faculty members for the John T. Ryan, Jr. Faculty Fellowships. The Ryan Fellowships were created to provide supplementary funds to outstanding members of the EMS faculty to assist them in continuing and furthering their contributions in teaching, research, and public service. The recipients of the 2005-2006 John T. Ryan, Jr. Faculty Fellowships are as follows:

Kenneth J. Davis, Associate Professor of Meteorology

Elizabeth C. Dickey, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Peter D. Wilf, Assistant Professor of Geosciences

Please join Dean Barron in congratulating each of the Ryan Faculty Fellows.

EGEE's Mining Engineering Team Receives Grant from MSHA

Mine inundations from abandoned mines is a severe safety problem for the mining industry around the world. If you remember, in 2002, nine miners working in the Quecreek Mine were trapped underground for more than three days. The miners drilled into an abandoned mine filled with water, which led to one of the greatest rescue operations in the history of mining. In the wake of the incident at Quecreek Mine, Congress appropriated $10 million in special funding for the detection of mine voids and mine map digitization programs. The proposal submitted by the Penn State team lead by Dr. Ge was titled, "In-Seam Seismic (ISS) Method Based Mine Void Detection Technique. With the proposed technique, reflected channel waves will be utilized to determine whether there are voids within the given distance from survey locations within active mine sites and the location of these voids. On October 14, a special awards ceremony was held by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) at the Quecreek Mine rescue site. David Lauriski, Assistant Secretary of Labor, presented the EGEE's Mining Engineering team with a grant for their award winning proposal. The team members include Maochen Ge, PI; Andrew Schissler, Co-PI; H. Reginald Hardy, Emeritus Professor; Raja V. Ramani, Emeritus Professor; Mark Radomsky, Director of Field Services, Miner Training Program; Hongliang Wang, Research Assistant; and Jin Wang; Research Assistant.

Congratulations are extended to the Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering's Mining Engineering team.

Chander Named Recipient of the SME Gaudin Award

Subhash Chander, Professor Mineral Processing & Geo-Environmental Engineering, was recently named recipient of the 2004 Antoine M. Gaudin Award "for his outstanding contributions to the interfacial electrochemistry of sulfide minerals." Dr. Chander will be recognized at the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc's annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah in Spring 2005.

Please join Dean Barron in congratulating Subhash Chander on his accomplishments.

Bise Nominated as Member of Careers in Coal

Christopher J. Bise, Professor and Chair of Mining Engineering and Industrial Health & Safety; as well as Holder of the George H. and Anne B. Deike Chair in Mining Engineering, was recently nominated for membership in Careers in Coal. Careers in Coal (CI-Coal) is a group of coal industry executives, formed in the 1960, that give out yearly awards to mining students. Most Careers in Coal members are from industry rather than academia. Dr. Bise accepted their nomination and will attend an induction ceremony in Spring 2005.

Please join Dean Barron in congratulating Dr. Bise on his accomplishments.

The Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal was established in 1992 to recognize the achievements of Earth and Mineral Sciences alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the development of science through research, teaching, or administrative leadership. The Hosler Alumni Scholar Award honors Dr. Charles L. Hosler, who retired from the University in 1992 as Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. To honor his work in meteorology and education and his many years as a faculty member, head of the department of meteorology, and dean of the college, this award was established to recognize the very highest levels of intellectual achievement or academic service attained by those educated in the College. Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is proud to announce the 2004 recipients of the Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal, John J. Cahir, '61 and '71, Meteorology; and Katharine T. Faber, '78, Ceramic Science.

John Cahir, professor of meteorology and vice provost and dean for undergraduate education emeritus for Penn State, is a world-class scholar, mentor, and role model to hundreds of individuals. John has been described as “a tireless advocate for students” and “an innovative leader in developing new ways to engage students in interactive and collaborative forms of education.” His exemplary national and international service to academia and industry includes countless committee memberships, administrative positions, and publications which have improved undergraduate education and strongly influenced the next generation of scholars and citizens.

Katharine Faber, professor of materials science and engineering, Northwestern University, has excelled in all facets of academic leadership. After completing her Ph.D. at Berkeley, she joined the faculty at Ohio State University. She is highly-respected for her many publications, research contributions, and administrative leadership, holding such positions as associate dean for graduate studies and research and head of the department of materials science and engineering at Northwestern which rated consistently in the top five during her tenure. Katharine has numerous honors, awards, memberships and service to professional societies all of which highlight her extensive influence and highly-valued opinion.

Please take a moment to e-mail John Cahir and Katharine Faber and congratulate them on their accomplishments.

Virginia S. T. Ciminelli

John "Jack" Hess

Jon M. Nese

EMS Recognizes Ciminelli, Hess and Nese with GEMS Alumni Achievement Awards

The Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences (GEMS) Alumni Society recognizes the outstanding achievements of Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences alumni by presenting the GEMS Alumni Achievement Award during the fall semester each year. All bachelor and graduate degree alumni of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences are eligible to receive this award. The 2004 recipients of the GEMS Alumni Achievement Award are Virginia S. T. Ciminelli, '87, Mineral Processing; John W. Hess, '69 and '74, Geosciences; and Jon M. Nese, '83, '85, and '89, Meteorology.

Within five years of Virginia Ciminelli completing her Ph.D., she was lead organizer of two national meetings, an international symposium, as well as lead editor on the proceedings. In the next two years she achieved the academic rank of full professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, making her the first woman to receive this rank in the College of Engineering at the 85-year-old institution. Dr. Ciminelli has built a world-class school of Aqueous Processing and is the leading hydro metallurgist in Brazil and a worldwide leader in the field, and has served as both head and associate head of the department. In addition she has supervised many students and is credited with over 100 publications. Virginia has represented Penn State well through her numerous international collaborations, and is an excellent role model for women professors and researchers. Her leadership contributions are extensive both within and outside Brazil.

John “Jack” Hess, executive director of The Geological Society of America is responsible for influencing government planning and policy on science and technology issues. He launched his illustrious career as a researcher and administrator at the Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, holding such appointments as executive director of the hydrogeology division, vice president for research and vice president for academic affairs. While performing his administrative duties, Jack maintained an active research program and produced over 90 publications. Next, he served as a legislative fellow in Senator Harry Reid’s office, working closely with the Senate Environment and Public Works and Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water. Jack is a role model for his colleagues and students alike, successfully conducting meaningful research, communicating results to experts and lay persons, and devoting himself to his profession.

After completing his Ph.D., Jon Nese spent nine years on the faculty at Penn State, winning two teaching awards while juggling several different television forecasting positions. He accepted a position as chief meteorologist at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, overseeing operation of it acclaimed weather center, forecasting facility and exhibits. Jon is currently an on-air storm analyst for The Weather Channel and has co-authored two books and published several journal articles. In addition to his outstanding career, his pride for Penn State has moved him to start an alumni affiliate group for meteorologists as well as participate in countless volunteer boards and activities to create relationships and collaboration between alumni, students, and the College.

Please take a moment to e-mail Virginia Ciminelli, Jack Hess and Jon Nese and congratulate them on their accomplishments.

The Alumni Fellow Award is the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Since 1973, the Alumni Fellow Award has been given to select alumni who, as leaders in their professional fields, are nominated by an academic college and accept an invitation from the President of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators. Penn State and The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences are proud to announce the 2004 recipients of the Alumni Fellow Award, Charles N. Berents, Jr., '62, Mineral Economics; and Katharine B. Perry, '74, Meteorology.

Charles N. “Skip” Berents, Jr. is senior vice president and chief investment officer for North American Management Corporation which provides comprehensive wealth management services .Berents began his distinguished career as a Navy gunnery officer in the Pacific Amphibious Attack Force. Upon completion, he accepted employment as a security analyst for Morgan Guaranty followed by a move to Massachusetts Financial Services. Skip then became president of Berents and Hess where he provided investment counsel to individuals, families and eleemosynaries. In 2001, Berents & Hess merged with North American Management Corporation, where he serves as chief investment officer. Berents is director of the Boston Securities Analysts Society and is active in the Investment Counsel Association of America as well as the CFA Institute where he is a member of the U.S. Advocacy Committee and the Corporate Governance Task Force. He is a trustee of the Boston Chamber of Music Society and served on the membership committee for Trinity Church of Boston. Skip has dedicated both time and financial resources to the advancement of Penn State and to Earth and Mineral Sciences. He served as a member of the College’s alumni constituent society, served and chaired the EMS Grand Destiny Campaign Committee, is a member of the College and University distinguished donor organizations, the Obelisk Society and Mount Nittany Society. He holds an EMS Centennial Fellow Award and is currently a member of the National Council for Penn State Philanthropy as well as a lifetime member of the Alumni Association.

Currently Katharine Perry is senior vice provost for academic affairs at North Carolina State University. Perry moved through the ranks at North Carolina. State starting as extension specialist in 1980. By 1992, she was promoted to full professor and also served as the department extension leader until 1998. Later that year, Perry was promoted to assistant dean for administration at North Carolina State. She served in this capacity through 2003 when she became associate dean for administration until assuming her current position as the senior vice provost for academic affairs. Perry has authored more than 100 refereed journal articles, research reports, extension publications, and abstracts. She is a board member of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology representing the American Society for Horticultural Science, is a former chairperson of the American Meteorological Society's Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Committee, and is a two-time program chairperson for the Conference on Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. She was selected as a 1999 Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and was awarded its 2002 Leadership and Administration Award for the Southern Region. Perry also was selected as a 1996 Penn State Centennial Fellow by the Department of Meteorology in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and is a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association.

Please take a moment and e-mail Skip Berents and Katharine Perry to congratulate them on their accomplishments.