The John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering helps solve the world’s energy problems through high-quality, innovative teaching, research, and service. From mineral recovery to its use, the department plays a major role in the "power of life." Its mission is to help supply society with an affordable supply of energy and minerals; work to ensure human health and safety; and protect and maintain the quality of the environment.
Department head: Luis Ayala
Associate Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Chiara Lo Prete
Associate Head for Undergraduate Education: Eugene Morgan
Associate Head for Graduate Education: Shimin Liu
Degrees offered: B.S., B.A., M.S., Ph.D., minors, and certificates
Visit Department Website: https://eme.psu.edu
The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School encourages all graduate students, including those from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, to submit videos to the first round of the 2025-26 Three Minute Thesis competition until Dec. 5.
A multidisciplinary team of Penn State students participated in the 2025 Society of Exploration Geophysicists' EVOLVE program, a mentor-guided, six-month virtual internship that uses commercial data to give students real-world experiences on energy exploration and carbon solutions. The team presented their results on a prospective gas reservoir at the SEG IMAGE Conference, held Aug. 25-28, in Houston, Texas.
The Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State is focusing its fall 2025 EarthTalks series on needs, opportunities and research in critical minerals. Ten public seminars through early December will highlight ongoing work and viewpoints both at the University and across the sector, including at the federal level.
The entrepreneurship and innovation minor at Penn State introduced the energy transition cluster, focused on energy innovation, this semester. The new cluster will help prepare undergraduate students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and apply innovative strategies in the energy space, and will be led by Jesse Reimink, the Rudy L. Slingerland Early Career Professor of Geosciences.
Thandie Moyo, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering, will give a public talk, “From Ore to Metal: Designing efficient extraction pathways with mineralogical and geochemical precision,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, in 112 Walker Building. The free presentation is part of the EarthTalks series held by the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.
Sarma Pisupati will give the talk, “Securing Domestic Critical Mineral Supply Chains: Penn State’s Efforts from Lab to Pilot-Scale,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, in 112 Walker Building.
Ashok Moza says he gives back to Penn State because the University gave him the tools he needed to start and grow a successful business.
Chandima Sudantha Subasinghe, a doctoral degree candidate in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, received the SME Ph.D. Fellowship grant.
This summer, 10 Penn State students from diverse majors immersed themselves in urban sustainability and high-performance building design thanks in part to the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State.
Nelson Dzade recently participated in the African School on Electronic Structure Methods and Applications held in June at the University of Ghana.