2014 Wilson Awards Banquet

2014 Wilson
Awards
Banquet
2014
Wilson Awards
Banquet

The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’
annual celebration of accomplishments
The Nittany Lion Inn
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Reception: 5:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:00 p.m.
Matthew J. Wilson, Jr.
and
Anne Coghlan Wilson
Through their bequests, Matthew and Anne Wilson are the major
benefactors of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. In the 1950s,
Matthew Wilson inherited a stock portfolio that provided the basis
for the funds he generously gave to the then named School of Mineral
Industries. His giving started in 1957 with a modest scholarship
endowment and was later increased with additional gifts. Over the
years the endowments blossomed into a substantial fund that today
provides the College with support for its well-known student loan
program and a number of faculty and student awards and scholarships.
The fund also supports the annual Wilson Awards Banquet.
Matthew Wilson was born in Willow Grove, PA and graduated from
Penn State in 1918 with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering.
He attended the University of Colorado, where he received master’s
degrees in geology and chemistry and met his wife Anne, a biochemist.
After graduating, he started working as a chemist for the Atlantic
Refining Company in Philadelphia and later moved to Holland,
Michigan, where he developed a career in sales starting first with the
U.S. Industrial Company, then the Karr Spring Company, and later with
the Spring Air Company. He served as the Washington representative
for Spring Air’s industrial and military sales for many years; he also
served on the company’s board of directors. In retirement, the Wilsons
lived in Michigan but moved to Scottsdale, Arizona shortly before
Matthew died in 1963.
Throughout the next twenty years Anne Wilson increased the family
endowments and took an active interest in EMS students and faculty.
When she died in 1983, it was said of her:
“Anne believed in giving. Her dream to become a doctor was
never realized so she wanted the dreams of others to come
true. She felt it was important that the University hold on to
its best teachers. Awards were a wonderful way to do so,”
Rewarding Student Achievement
College Awards
William Grundy Haven Memorial Award
Established in 1950 by William G. Haven to honor the memory of his son, this award
recognizes excellence in scholarly writing.
First Place Winner: Ethan Lucas, Materials Science and Engineering
Second Place Winners: Rachel Passmore, Geography
Olivia Price, Geography
Honorable Mention: Abraham Duplaa, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
Kahindo Kamau, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
Ellen Steidle Achievement Award
Established in 1953 by Dean Edward Steidle to honor the memory of his wife, this award
recognizes students who have been active in advancing the welfare and improvement of the
College.
Senior:
Junior:
Dakota Smith, Meteorology
Everleigh Stokes, Geography
Edward Steidle Memorial Scholar Award
Established in 1981 to honor Edward Steidle, Dean of the College from 1929 to 1953, this
award broadens the educational opportunities for EMS students.
Danhao Ma, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
Jay M. and Katherine Definis Award for
Outstanding Student Leadership
Established in 2005, this award honors outstanding student leadership abilities within the
student organizations of the College.
Dakota Smith, Meteorology
The following awards will be acknowledged at the Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences (GEMS)
Spring 2014 Commencement Reception on Friday, May 9, 2014.
GEMS Diamond Award
Established in 2006, the GEMS Diamond Award grants a lifetime membership in the Penn
State Alumni Association to a graduating student who is found to have the most well-rounded
involvement and achievement in both the university and community environment during his/
her student experience while in the College.
Patrick W. Boynton, Double Major in International Politics and Geography
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Co-Student Marshals
Tying for the title of College Student Marshal—our most accomplished graduate overall—are
two students graduating with highest distinction, earning B.S. degrees in difficult engineering
programs:
Nawaf Abalkhail, B.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
Minor in Energy, Business and Finance
Drew Gardner, B.S. Energy Engineering; B.S. Energy, Business and Finance
Minor in Environmental Engineering; Schreyer Scholar
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Honor Marshal
Our top-ranking graduate in an EMS natural sciences discipline, the Science Honor Marshal,
earns his B.S. in Meteorology with highest distinction.
Zachary Barkley, B.S. Meteorology
Minor in Mathematics; Schreyer Scholar
Earth and Mineral Sciences Academy for Global Experience
(EMSAGE)
Established in 2009, the EMSAGE program helps students develop as communicators and
collaborators and prepares them to be effective leaders in their disciplines and responsible
global citizens. Students may aspire to EMSAGE Laureate status by achieving notable success
in scholarship, service, global literacy and experiential learning.
Ariel Alvarez, Geography
Cody Beaver, Environmental Systems Engineering
Thomas Bedard, Meteorology
Devin Boyer, Meteorology
Shannon Grumbly, Geography
Rachel Guarriello, Materials Science and Engineering
Calvin Johnson, Jr., Geosciences
John Marshall, Energy Engineering and Energy, Business and Finance
Justine McCann, Geosciences
Meredith Nichols, Meteorology
Rachel Passmore, Geography
Melissa Peterson, Geography
Dakota Smith, Meteorology
Paul Svenson, Jr., Meteorology
Burkely Twiest, Meteorology
Heather Waldman, Meteorology
Ziran Wei, Geosciences
Kelsey Yates, Energy Engineering
Recognizing Commitment to Service
Wilson Award for
Outstanding Service
Cynthia Brewer
Department Head and Professor of
Geography
Faculty Advising Award
Mark Klima
Associate Head, John and Willie Leone Family Department
of Energy and Mineral Engineering &
Associate Professor of Mineral Processing and
Geo-Environmental Engineering
Faculty Mentoring Award
Venkatraman Gopalan
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
25-Year Service Awards
Richard Alley
Geosciences
Donald Fisher
Geosciences
William Brune
Meteorology
James Kasting
Geosciences
Celebrating Excellence in Research
Wilson Award for
Excellence in Research
James Runt
Professor of Polymer Science
George H. Deike, Jr.
Research Grant
Luis Ayala
Associate Professor of Petroleum and Natural
Gas Engineering and Associate Department
Head for Graduate Education
“An Integrated Experimental and Analytical
Approach to Production Performance
Analysis of Liquid Rich Shale Reservoirs”
E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller
Faculty Fellow
Randy Vander Wal
Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering and
Materials Science and Engineering
Wilson Research Initiation Grant
Nasim Alem
Assistant Professor of Materials Science and
Engineering
“Graphene-mediated Imaging of
Nanostructures”
Celebrating Junior Faculty
Accomplishments
Gladys Snyder Junior Faculty Grants
David Miller
Research Assistant, Meteorology
“A Certified Labview Developer Training”
C. James Kelly
Lecturer-Tutor, Ryan Family Student Center
“Furthering Calculus Education in the
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences”
Timothy White
Research Associate, Earth and Environmental
Systems Institute
“Assessing the Timing and Extent of an
Eocene Cryosphere in Alaska”
Jeremy Gernand
Assistant Professor, Energy and Mineral
Engineering
“Connecting Cells to Worms to Mice
to Workers: Extending Nanomaterial
Toxicity Modeling for Environmental and
Occupational Risk Assessment”
ShunLi Shang
Research Associate, Materials Science and
Engineering
“An Integrated First-Principles and
Computational Thermodynamics Approach to
Study Earth Abundant SN(S,Se) Photovoltaic
Materials”
Honoring Excellence in Teaching
Wilson Award for
Excellence in Teaching
Jeffrey
Brownson
Associate Professor of Energy
and Mineral Engineering
G. Montgomery and Marion
Mitchell Award for Innovative
Teaching
Anthony Robinson
Lead Faculty, GIS Certificate and Master of
Geographic Information Systems programs,
Dutton e-Education Institute
George H. K. Schenck Teaching
Assistant Award
Anna Domask
Materials Science and Engineering Teaching
Assistant
Paul F. Robertson Award for
the Breakthrough of the Year
Donald Fisher
Professor of Geosciences,
Department of Geosciences
Chris Marone
Professor of Geosciences and
Associate Head Graduate Programs
and Research,
Department of Geosciences
Demian Saffer
Professor of Geosciences,
Department of Geosciences
Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal
Ronald Latanision
Senior Fellow at Exponent and
Emeritus Professor, MIT
Promotion Awarded
Seth Blumsack, Associate Professor
Jeffrey Brownson, Associate Professor
Kimberly Del Bright, Senior Lecturer
Michael Hickner, Associate Professor
Peter LaFemina, Associate Professor
Paul Markowski, Professor
Jonathan Mathews, Associate Professor
Mark Patzkowsky, Professor
Jamal Rostami, Associate Professor
Erica Smithwick, Associate Professor
Xiaoxing Wang, Senior Research Associate
Peter Wilf, Professor
Tenure Granted
Seth Blumsack
Jonathan Mathews
Chris Forest
Jamal Rostami
Michael Hickner
Erica Smithwick
Peter LaFemina
Retirements
Richard Parizek, Professor Emeritus of Geosciences
Our departments
Energy and Mineral Engineering
Geography
Geosciences
Materials Science and Engineering
Meteorology
Our institutes
Earth and Mineral Sciences
Energy institute
Earth and Environmental Systems
Institute
John A. Dutton e-Education institute
www.ems.psu.edu