Energy Business and Finance Program Joins the Department - page 6

Spring/Summer 2007

www.eme.psu.edu

IN THIS ISSUE:

Alumni Update ............................ 4

EME-Education ........................... 6

EME@Your.Service .................... 8

Professional Society News ......... 9

Faculty Attributes ...................... 10

Research in Motion ................... 12

Student Voice ........................... 14

Newsletter

From The

Department Head

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Business consultant Nido Qubein says, “change brings opportunity,” and we are taking him at his word this year in the department!

After nearly two years of speculation and planning for a potential split within the department, the university administration has determined that our community is best served by remaining intact. Interim Dean Robert Crane details this process in his article on page 3. Suffi ce it to say that this decision has launched us into a whole new realm of planning for our future.

Our fi rst step in moving forward as a reintegrated unit is to re-christen ourselves. I am proud to announce that as of the May 18, 2007 Board of Trustees meeting, our department name has been offi cially changed to the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME). Th is new name refl ects the majors in our department, the primary industries that we serve, our rich heritage, and our forward-looking future. We believe that our many constituents are better encompassed by this name, and we hope that you agree. Of course, this means that we are in a time of transition here in Hosler Building, updating our literature and signage and trying to remember our name when we answer the phone. Please bear with us as we get used to our new identity.

Much of our planning of late has focused around the arrival of new community members. Earlier this year we welcomed a new undergraduate

program, Energy Business and Finance, into our family, and we’ve already seen great success in this pairing. You can read more about this exciting program and its role in the department in our cover story. We expect similar success with another new undergraduate program, Energy Engineering, which will come online in Fall 2007. Th ese programs, together with our legacy programs in mining and petroleum and natural gas engineering will make us a more complete energy department.

To facilitate these program additions, the faculty are working on revisions to our curriculum that will make our undergraduate teaching both stronger and more effi cient. We are also fi nishing up an interview process that will result in at least four new faculty members joining our ranks next year. Be sure to check out the next Connection Newsletter for new faculty profi les!

At the College level, we welcome a new Dean this summer. Dr. William Easterling, Professor of Geography and Earth System Science, will assume his new duties as Dean eff ective July 1. Since 2001, Dr. Easterling has served as Director of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, an affi liation of eight Penn State academic colleges and several University research institutes and centers. We are excited for his arrival and the beginning of this new chapter for our College.

Another new College appointment involves one of our own faculty members. Dr. Chunshan Song has been named the new Director of the EMS Energy Institute. Chunshan takes over from previous Director, Harold Schobert, and Interim Director, Alan Scaroni. Many of the faculty in the department utilize the Energy Institute for the bulk of their research. We look forward to further strengthening the long and historic relationship that exists between the department and the Energy Institute. We congratulate Chunshan and wish him the best in his new administrative role.

Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same….. We continue to award over $250,000 each year in scholarships and student awards. We still lead the College in number of teaching hours. And, we remain the home of award winning faculty, staff , students, and alumni. Please take a look at some of our accolades detailed in this issue.

In a year of so many opportunities born of change, we thought it was a good time to update the look of our Connection Newsletter as well. We hope that you like the new design.

2 www.eme.psu.edu

CONNECTION is a publication of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State.

Submissions for future issues are welcome and can be sent to:

CONNECTION NEWSLETTER

116 Hosler BuildingPenn State UniversityUniversity Park, PA 16802-5000or by e-mail to: eme@ems.psu.edu

Editorial Director: Yaw Yeboah, YDY1@psu.eduWriter/Editor: Rachel Altemus, RLA7@psu.eduPub. Design Assistant: Anna Morrison, AMM277@psu.edu

U.Ed. EMS 07-68

This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is committed to affi rmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

United We StandBy Robert Crane, Interim Dean, EMS

Over the past 22 months the faculty and staff of the Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering (now Energy and Mineral Engineering - EME), the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS), and Penn State University administration have been considering the best future plans for EME. A lot of time and energy has been spent on examining the possibility of splitting into two departments.

After critically evaluating the issues surrounding the department’s structure – teaching, research, budgetary data, and the views and comments of stakeholders including alumni, faculty, staff and students – the University administration concluded that splitting the department would not be in the best interest of Penn State or EMS, and especially not of the faculty, staff and students of EME.

Th e strengths of the existing department are the very things most sought by today’s energy and minerals industries. Companies are moving more and more toward integration, not separation of disciplines, and they are demanding greater breadth in the background and capabilities of their employees. Th e creation of two departments would have required an infusion of signifi cant fi nancial resources and the acquisition of new space that simply is not available in the near-term. Neither of the two new departments would have possessed the personnel, resources, or fl exibility necessary to ensure immediate success. Furthermore, using the few available resources to create the infrastructure necessary to support two departments would have seriously limited our ability to take advantage of the University’s new focus on energy and the increased opportunities for federal, state, and industry funding stemming from the growing national concern surrounding this topic.

With this decision now behind us, the department can take advantage of the lessons learned during this review and discussion process. Th e commitment to all existing programs and disciplines remains as strong

as ever with an added focus on improving effi ciency and eff ectiveness in the delivery of courses. We are working to make the department a modern, cohesive, strong, and well-integrated unit focusing on energy and mineral production, processing, and utilization and the associated environmental, health, safety, policy and economic issues. In essence, the faculty and staff are committed to building a comprehensive and unique energy department while helping Penn State to become the premier “Energy University.”

Your participation in the development and direction of our future department is important to us. We value your input as alumni in the planning process and will appreciate receiving your comments, views, or ideas. Please feel free to contact Dr. Yaw D. Yeboah with your input at ydy1@psu.edu or Energy and Mineral Engineering, 118 Hosler Building, Th e Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.

Connection 3

Introducing the Dean: Dr. William EasterlingBy Jill Shockey and Annemarie Mountz, Penn State Live

Hosler Building, home of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering

William Easterling, director of Penn State’s Institutes of Energy and the Environment and professor of geography and earth system science, has been appointed dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, eff ective July 1.

“Bill Easterling has the expansive vision and leadership qualities that will position one of the University’s most distinguished colleges for an even brighter future,” said Rod Erickson, Penn State executive vice president and provost.

Easterling joined the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences in 1997 and also holds an affi liate faculty appointment in agronomy in the College of Agricultural Sciences. He has held positions at Resources for the Future, a Washington, D.C. think tank, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From 1996 to 1998 Easterling was interim director of the National Institute for Global Environmental

Change for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Easterling is an internationally recognized expert on how global warming may aff ect the Earth’s food supply. He was a lead author of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that was recently released in Brussels.

“My focus is on helping the college strengthen its position as a world leader in the earth, material, and energy sciences and engineering. Th e college has unique strengths to train students and create the new knowledge needed to solve some the greatest challenges of our time, whether in the development of materials with unprecedented properties, desirable energy alternatives or the science for a secure, economical and sustainable planet. It is particularly important that the college be a leader in Penn State’s new emphasis on energy science and engineering,” said Easterling.

Easterling received a doctoral degree in geography-climatology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; he received post-doctoral fellowships at the National Academy of Sciences and the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana.

Dr. William Easterling

Alumni Update

4 www.eme.psu.edu

Barbara J. Arnold (‘82, B.S. Mining Engineering, ‘85, ‘89, M.S., Ph.D. Mineral Processing) was awarded both the SME Distinguished Member Award and the SME Coal & Energy Division Distinguished Service Award for 2006. She was also presented with the 2007 Rob-ert Stefanko Distinguished Achievement Award at the annual EME Awards Banquet. Barbara is President and owner of PrepTech, Inc., an engineering services and mineral processing equipment company based in Apollo, Pennsylvania.

Barbara is active in alumni events. She served as Secretary and President of the Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences (GEMS) Alumni Board, and she is a member of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering Industrial Advisory Board.

Sukumar Bandopadhyay (‘79, M.S., ‘82, Ph.D. Mining Engineering) was awarded the 2007 Ivan B. Rahn Educa-tion Award by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc. Th e Rahn Award, established in 1995, recognizes distinguished con-tributions to the educational activities within SME relat-ing to ABET, student aff airs, continuing education, profes-sional registration, and/or the

Council of Education. Dr. Bandopadhyay is Dean of the School of Mineral Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Colleen (Stryker) Demark (‘97, B.S. Mining Engineering) proved her pop-culture prowess by bringing home the gold (literally!) from Round 10 of the AOL Gold Rush game show fi nals, held in Mem-phis. Colleen is not the only pop-culture wiz in the family. Her husband Tony (‘97, B.S. Meteorology) made it to the Round 8 Finals in New Orleans.

Peter J. Pappano (‘98, B.S., Science, ‘00, M.S., ‘03, Ph.D., Fuel Science), Research Associ-ate with the Carbon Materials Technology Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is co-author of the cover article of the March 31, 2007 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Materials. His article is entitled, “Estimation of maximum coated particle fuel compact packing fraction.”

B.K. Parekh (‘72, M.S., “79, Ph.D., Mineral Processing), Se-nior Research Engineer with the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, received the SME’s Distinguished Member Award in 1999, the Robert H. Richard Award in 2004 for his contributions to the science of treating and dewatering coal fi nes and the advancement of related process technologies, and the Ivan B. Rahn Education Award in 2005. Dr. Parekh also

Stefanko Award winner, Dr. Barbara Arnold (center), with Dr. Raja Ramani, and Mrs. Margaret Stefanko

Colleen with her gold bar winnings

Dr. B.K. Parekh

Dr. Peter PappanoPhoto from http://www.ornl.gov

Dr. Sukumar Bandopadhyay

Connection 5

received the American Filtration Society’s Senior Scientist Award (2000) and the Frank Tiller Award (2004). He is the Chairman of the Frank Aplan Award Committee for the year 2007 and serves as an Executive member of the SME Coal and Energy Committee.

Terrence M. Pegula (‘73, B.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engi-neering) was presented with the 2007 C. Drew Stahl Distinguished Achievement Award at the annual EME Awards Banquet. Mr. Pegula is President, CEO and sole shareholder of East Resources, Inc., an oil and natural gas exploration and production company with headquar-ters in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.

Terry has provided private college scholarships to students, and has given many internship opportunities to geology and engineering students, with great success in providing them with full time employment upon graduation. Terry is also a proud supporter of Penn State athletics and recently purchased a home in the State College area.

In addition to supporting Penn State, Terry and East have made other academic contributions including renovation for the Edwyn R. Brown Petroleum Engineering and Geology Building at Marietta College and the purchase of science classroom and lab equipment for the Lincoln County High School, Lincoln County, West Virginia.

Pamela Quigley (‘83, B.S. Petro-leum and Natural Gas Engineering) visited the University Park campus September 13-16, 2006, to present a talk entitled, “Fueling More Th an Just Your Car: UnEARTHing the Hidden Costs & Linkages of Our Petroleum-Fuel Economy,” sponsored by the College of Engineering’s Cen-ter for Sustainability and the Depart-ment of Architecture. During her visit, Pamela was inducted into the Obelisk Society which honors major contributors to the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, a society whose members refl ect their

Stahl Award winner, Terry Pegula (right), with Dr. Turgay Ertekin (left)

commitment to the continuing achievement of the College through their involvement and generosity.

Ms. Quigley is the technical advisor to the University of California Oil Forum, and she served as a member of the College’s Alumni Con-stituent Society, GEMS (Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences), from 1997-2000. She worked for 16 years as a BP reservoir engineer and her experience includes supervising exploration and well test-ing in Alaska’s North Slope, the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Pam also served as a product line manager for BP Solar’s crystalline photovoltaic plant in Maryland before leaving BP to become a solar energy advocate.

Ganesh Thakur (‘72, M.A., Mathematics, ‘72, ‘73, M.S., Ph.D., Petroleum and Natural Gas Engi-neering) was named as a recipient of the 2006 GEMS Alumni Achieve-ment Award. Th is award was established in 1993 by the College’s alumni society to recognize out-standing achievement by their alumni. Th ese prominent recipients are invited to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators.

Dr. Th akur is currently Chevron Energy Technology Company’s Global Technical Advisor for Reservoir Management and a Chevron Fellow in Houston, TX. He is responsible for championing Asset and Reservoir Management throughout Chevron’s domestic and International Operations, and is considered a leader and expert in reservoir engineering and management.

Pamela Quigley

Dr. Ganesh Thakur

Upcoming Alumni Receptions

Make plans to attend the EME Alumni and Friends Reception being held at your next professional society meeting. It’s the perfect place to re-connect with old friends over drinks and snacks. Plus you have the chance to win lots of EME- and Penn State-themed door prizes. You also get the opportunity to chat with your favorite professors and meet some of the current students following in your footsteps. If you don’t see your society of choice listed below, drop us a line (eme@ems.psu.edu) and let us know when there is an upcoming meeting. We hope to see you there!

Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE) ATCE: Nov. 11-14, 2007, Anaheim, CA Reception to be held Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Hilton Anaheim, time to be determined.

Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) Annual Meeting: Feb. 24-27, 2008, Salt Lake City, UT Reception date and time to be announced

American Chemical Society (ACS) Annual Meeting: April 6-10, 2008, New Orleans, LA Reception date and time to be announced

EME Education

6 www.eme.psu.edu

EME welcomed many new faces this fall with the addition of the Energy Business and Finance (EBF) program to the department. Originally created in 2004 as an outgrowth of the EMS major in Mineral Economics, and off ered jointly by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and the Smeal College of Business, EBF is an undergraduate program that combines training in business, economics, fi nance, and the physical sciences with a core of classes focusing on energy and related industries.

With a curriculum crossing multiple disciplines, and strong initial demand for the EBF major, questions began to arise last year over the best way to administratively support EBF and its students. With its focus on energy and natural resources, a committee of distinguished EMS alumni recommended that EME would be the ideal home for EBF and its students, and the committee’s recommendation was accepted. Andrew Kleit, Professor of Energy and

Environmental Economics and the founding chair of the EBF program, also joined the EME department. “Locating in EME off ers exciting benefi ts for both EBF and the department,” said Kleit. “It has allowed us to heighten our resources through integration with EME faculty. It allows us to off er energy business courses directly to EME students, and it gives us a platform for hiring new faculty members doing exciting research in energy economics.”

Other benefi ts are already beginning to accrue. Since joining EME, enrollment in EBF has swelled to over 120 students (up from 75 a year ago and 42 two years ago) and is projected to continue growing. Indeed, EBF is now the third largest major in the EMS College. As Dr. Kleit points out, this increased student population serves as a platform to hire new faculty, and indeed, the department has already hired two new faculty members with focus on energy policy and management. In addition, students in the EBF program now enjoy the same advantages as all EME students including access to the department’s industry recruiting eff orts and professional development seminars, and the opportunity to participate in the newly created EBF professional society.

Energy Business and Finance Program Joins The Department

Th e diverse nature of the EBF major has proven to be a big draw for both students and employers. Th is prepares students for careers in the energy and resource industries, as well as fi nancial institutions, non-profi t groups and international organizations dealing with energy and environmental issues. Designed so that students can specialize in related fi elds as part of their undergraduate studies, graduates are trained to face a wide variety of tasks including: how to analyze markets for new energy products and services; how to monetize energy or mineral-related environmental impacts; how to attract or analyze investment alternatives in the earth resources-related industries; and how to measure and reduce weather-related risk.

Recognizing that new market dynamics have increased the demand for graduates with the unique combination of business, policy, and natural resources knowledge, EME is also planning for further development of the EBF program within the department, and the EMS College. Current plans include adding new courses to the undergraduate curriculum, adding EBF options in energy engineering and geographic information sciences, having faculty in the EBF program teach energy economics and policy classes to EME graduate students, and joining with other departments across the Penn State campus in a proposed graduate program in Resource and Applied Economics.

Andrew Kleit, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics, and founder

of the EBF program

Since joining EME, enrollment in EBF has swelled to over 120 students (up from 75 a year ago). Indeed, EBF is now the third largest major in the EMS College.

Connection 7

New Undergraduate Program in Energy Engineering

With the world’s thirst for energy continuing to grow, there is now an urgent demand for a well trained workforce to develop, process, utilize and manage conventional, unconventional, and renewable energy sources in an environmentally safe and economically feasible way. To meet that need, the department has created a new B.S. program in Energy Engineering to round out its undergraduate curriculum.“Adding the energy engineering program to our curriculum allows us to address the call for the development of alternative sources of energy as well as conventional fossil fuels at the undergraduate level,” said Yaw Yeboah, EME department head. “Th e new program, together with our legacy programs in Mining and Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, will put the university another step closer to becoming the premier academic institution in energy education and research.”

Th e idea for the new program came about in the fall of 2005 and is consistent with the fi ndings in last year’s University Energy Task Force report. Recognizing that the increased demand for energy and a trained energy workforce called for innovative methods to increase enrollment and graduation rates of students in energy-focused disciplines, the report recommended that the University develop an exciting new undergraduate curriculum in energy.

Th e resulting program incorporates some elements of the old Fuel Science undergraduate program with the addition of courses focused on renewable energy and electrochemical engineering as well as professional electives on business, fi nance, and management. Graduates of the program will be able to understand engineering fundamentals and apply that knowledge to solving problems in the production, processing, storage, distribution, and utilization of energy using multiple techniques such as synthesis, analysis, design, and case

studies. Overall, the degree is designed to prepare students to become valuable contributors in addressing society’s energy needs and demands. Its graduates should become successful leaders in advancing the technology and management of energy; innovators and entrepreneurs in the energy sector; and educators, practicing engineers, and national leaders on energy issues.

Th e fl exibility of the curriculum makes it an attractive dual or concurrent major and minor option for students in other energy-related programs. A testament to this is the fact that several Energy Business and Finance majors have already opted to minor in Energy Engineering when the program becomes active in the fall. Th e department has also received positive feedback about the program from other Colleges at Penn State as well as private energy companies and national labs that have expressed enthusiasm about the curriculum and the benefi cial impact it will have for their aging workforce.

“Th is is a new and exciting major and is fi rst of its kind in the country,” says Dr. Sarma Pisupati, the new Undergraduate Program Offi cer for Energy Engineering. “Th is is an important fi eld of engineering to be studying in these challenging times when the country and the world are seeking energy security.”

EME faculty, staff and students are especially looking forward to welcoming two new faculty members who will begin teaching EBF courses in the fall. Dr. Seth Blumsack is a post-doctoral fellow at Carnegie-Mellon University, and has a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy. Dr. Blumsack’s research focuses on the economics of the electricity transmission system, and contains path-breaking innovations in the intersection between economics and engineering. “ I think that engineers and economists have a lot to learn from each other,” Dr. Blumsack states, “and I look forward to taking part in that exchange in the EME Department.”

Also joining the department in the fall will be Dr. Fan Zhang, who in April received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Th is year Dr. Zhang also received the prestigious Stone Fellow Award for the best sole-authored paper on environmental and natural resource issues by a Harvard doctoral student. Dr. Zhang’s research emphasis is on the impact on pollution of various energy sources, and the regulatory policies that govern pollution emissions from those sources. Dr. Zhang’s research

investigates the critical questions society faces between balancing its desire for an effi cient supply of energy with its desire for a clean environment. “I am excited to be joining EME,” says Dr. Zhang, “because the interdisciplinary perspective of the department provides me a unique opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research on energy and the environment.”

One of the innovative features in the EBF program is the chance for EMS alumni to interact with EBF students through joint alumni-student projects in EMSC 401, the capstone class in Energy Business and Finance. Th is year EMSC students worked with distinguished EMS alumni from the fi nancial, mining, and information technology industries. If you are interested in participating in this class, please let Dr. Kleit know about it!

With the inclusion of EBF in EME, the department is now the Penn State home for the many distinguished alumni of the EMS College’s Mineral Economics program, which existed from 1950 to 2002. “We look forward to welcoming MnEC alumni into our EME family,” stated Dr. Yaw Yeboah, EME department head. “We are proud to be the new home of the Mineral Economics mission, and we believe we will strengthen that legacy for the College.”

In just one short year, the union with EBF has shown itself to be most advantageous for both the students and the department. We look forward to continued success with the expansion of the program in the coming years, working together with faculty, staff , students, and EME alumni, across the EME programs.

Recognizing that market dynamics have increased the demand for gradu-ates with the unique combination of busi-ness, policy, and natural resources knowledge, EME is planning for further development of the EBF program.

Dr. Sarma Pisupati, Program Offi cer, Energy Engineering

EME @ Your Service

8 www.eme.psu.edu

A Chance To Vent

2007 Shoemaker Lecture Takes a Global View

From June 5 to 7, 2006, approximately 180 attendees gath-ered at the Penn Stater Conference Center to take part in the 11th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Sympo-sium, co-chaired by Raja Ramani and Jan Mutmansky, both Professors Emeritus in Mining Engineering.

Th e conference was a great success, off ering 29 sessions during which 91 papers were presented. Each of the three days of the confer-ence began with a keynote address from an industry or government expert. Th e special evening session on “Increasing the Eff ective-ness of Mine Disaster Pre-vention, Response, Escape, and Rescue Processes” was well attended, as were the two pre-conference short courses and all three of the post-conference fi eld trips. Th ere were 16 exhibi-tors and donors on-site to showcase their products and services, and the recep-

tions, banquet, and gift items directly sponsored by their participation were much appreciated by all attendees.

Th e 12th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Sympo-sium will be hosted by the University of Nevada, Reno, and Mine Ventilation Services, Inc., June 9-11, 2008 in Reno, Nevada.

Co-Chairs Jan Mutmansky (left) and Raj Ramani (right) with Keynote Speaker Peter Lilly, Chief Operating Offi cer, CONSOL Energy, Inc.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Dina Kruger, Director, Climate Change Division, US

EPA

(L-R) Raja Ramani; Keynote Speaker, Dr. Stephen

Hardcastle, Senior Research Scientist - Ventilation Specialist,

CANMET; Dr. Malcolm McPherson, CEO, Mine

Ventilation Services, Inc.; Jan Mutmansky

Th e high point of the year for members of the department is the G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Mineral Engineering, held in conjunction with the annual departmental awards banquet.

Th e 2007 Shoemaker Lecturer was Mr. Steven Hinchman, (‘80 B.S., PNGE) Senior Vice President, Worldwide Production, for Marathon Oil Corporation. His presentation on “Th e Global Energy Landscape” had wide appeal and drew approximately 150 people from across the College and University. “Mr. Hinchman’s lecture was timely and relevant not only to our department, but to the community at large,” commented Department Head, Yaw Yeboah.

Th e Shoemaker Lecture Series was established in 1992, in honor of Mr. G. Albert Shoemaker, a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and a leader in the minerals industry. Th e lectures are intended to bring today’s outstanding leaders of the energy and mineral resource industries to the Penn State campus to discuss with students and faculty the issues of critical importance to their fi eld.

(L to R) Turgay Ertekin, Mercedes Shoemaker, Steven Hinchman, Raj

Ramani

It seems that we are not the only ones who think that our student professional societies are superlative. In the past year, three of our chapters have received regional and national awards and recognition.

Th e Penn State I H S student chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers received the ASSE Region VIII Outstanding Student Section award this year. Th ey went on to receive second place, out of 67 student chapters, in the national chapter competition and received a $1000 award. Four of the current IHS students, seniors Alex Pawlowski, Eric Yanochko, Adam Soden, and Jere Pallis, also received Book Grants of $200 each from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the ASSE.

Penn State’s Student Mining Society was also recognized at their national meeting. Th e students received the 2006 SME Outstanding Student Chapter award at the SME Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Matt Mowry, Chapter President, was presented with a certifi cate and check for $500.00.

Our student chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers was selected as one of six fi nalists, out of 136 student chapters in 42 countries around the world, for the annual Outstanding Student Chapter Award. Th e SPE students also competed in this year’s PetroBowl at the SPE national

meeting in San Antonio. Earlier this year the students took a fi eld trip to the Haliburton facility in Armagh, PA to observe a hydraulic fracturing job. Th e chapter has also been busy organizing activities here in State College. On April 28th, they hosted the 2007 Penn State SPE Golf Outing, an annual event that brings petroleum company representatives to town for technical presentations followed by an afternoon of golf with the students.

“We are lucky to have such dedicated leaders and motivated members in our student chapters. Th ey are a fi ne example of Penn State and EME’s best,” says Dept. Head, Yaw Yeboah.

Each year at the departmental awards banquet, top Mining En-gineering students are recognized with awards from two profes-sional mining societies - Th e Old Timers Club and Careers in Coal. At this year’s banquet, Dr. Stanley Suboleski (‘63 B.S., ‘78 Ph.D., Mining Engineering) current Chair of the EME Industrial Advisory Board, presented senior Gary Galley with the Old Tim-er’s Club Watch Award. Dr. Raja Ramani, Professor Emeritus and George H. Deike Chair Emeri-tus, presented senior Christopher Pecora with the Careers in Coal Lamp Award.

Th e Old Timers Club was con-ceived during the American Min-ing Congress Convention of 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nine leaders in the mining industry formed a group with the intent of improving the techniques of coal mining. Th e written purpose of the Old Timers Club was to “perpetuate friend-ships formed within the coal industry and to promote worthy activi-ties directed toward the betterment of coal mining.”

Today, the club has more than 70 members. Each year, members select outstanding engineering students or recent graduates from a pool of universities to receive the Old Timers Award. Th e club has now chosen more than 550 students with an interest in coal-oriented engineering to receive the award.

Careers in Coal had similar beginnings. While attending the AMC Coal Show in 1962, John Schroder, Dave Zegeer and Fred Toothman discussed the formation of an organization similar to the Old Timers and the King Coal Club for young middle management people. Th e object would be to provide a dinner meeting at each coal show for people with similar backgrounds and interests to get together for the purpose of establishing close rapport and exchanging news and views. Th e organization has been presenting their Lamp Award at Penn State since 1982.

Professional Society News

Connection 9

Old Timers and CI-Coal Awards Presented

Penn State Student Chapters Receive Recognition

Members and advisors of the I H S Student Society with this year’s regional and national awards

Dr. Stan Suboleski presents the Old Timer’s Award to Gary Galley

Dr. Raj Ramani presents the Careers in Coal Award to Christopher Pecora

Faculty Attributes

10 www.eme.psu.edu

Michael Adewumi, Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and Director of the Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Development in Africa (AESEDA), has been named the inaugural UNESCO Chair in Georesources Engi-neering Management at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. His appointment begins May 1 and will run for six months. Th e United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organiza-tion (UNESCO) established the UNESCO Chairs Program as “a way to advance research, training

and program development in higher education by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through trans-fer of knowledge across borders.”

André Boehman, Professor of Fuel Science, and Chunshan Song, Professor of Fuel Sci-ence, both separately published two of the fi ve most-cited articles in 2005 in the journal Energy & Fuels, a publication which is ranked number 6 in total citations out of 64 journals in the Energy and Fuels category and ranks in the top 10 in ISI impact factor. André was promoted to Profes-sor in 2006, and he received an EMS 2007 Faculty Mentoring Award for his work at the Energy Institute during this year’s Wilson Awards Banquet.

Semih Eser, Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engi-neering, was promoted to Professor in 2007.

William Groves, Associate Professor of Industrial Health and Safe-ty, received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2007. He has also been appointed a member of the Committee to Review the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research Programs during the period 12/2006-12/2007.

Joel Haight, Associate Professor of Industrial Health and Safety, received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006.

Reginald Hardy, Professor Emeritus of Mining Engineering, was presented with the Distinguished Member Award for 2006 from the Pittsburgh Section of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Explo-ration, Inc for “notable and signifi cant contributions to the technology and professional activities of the Pittsburgh Section.”

M. Thaddeus Ityokumbul, Associate Professor of Mineral Pro-cessing and Mineral Engineering, received an EMS 2007 Faculty Mentoring Award for his work with Th e Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Development in Africa (AESEDA).

Vladislav Kecojevic, Associate Professor of Mining Engineering, received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2007.

Andrew Kleit, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics, received an EMS 2007 Faculty Mentoring Award for his work with the Energy, Business, and Finance program in EME.

Jan Mutmansky, Professor Emeritus of Mining Engineering, was nominated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration to be one of the six members of the Technical Study Panel on Belt Air, and Jan was elected Chair of the Panel. Jan was also the winner of the 2006 Howard L. Hartman Award, which recognizes distinguished contri-butions in practice, teaching or research in the fi eld of underground ventilation engineering.

Sarma Pisupati, Associate Professor of Energy and Geo-Environ-

(L to R) Department Head Yaw Yeboah, Sarma Pisupati, Rma Pisupati, and Interim Dean Robert Crane at the 2007 Wilson Banquet

Michael Adewumi

André Boehman with the Faculty Mentoring Award

Connection 11

mental Engineering, was presented with the 2007 G. Montgomery and Marion Mitchell Award for Innovative Teaching. Sarma received fi rst place in the Best Paper Award Competition, from the Energy Conversion and Conservation Division of the American Society for Engineering Education, at the Annual Conference and Exposition, in Chicago. Sarma was also honored by the Penn State Greek Commu-nity and the Sisters of Kappa Alpha Th eta as an outstanding member of the Penn State Community. He received an e-Education Faculty Fellowship at the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute in recogni-tion of contributions to the Hybrid and Blended Learning Initiative. Sarma was also appointed Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Energy Technology Resources.

Ljubisa Radovic, Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental En-gineering, was awarded the American Carbon Society’s SGL Carbon Award for his “overall contributions and achievements that have sig-nifi cantly infl uenced the progress of the science and/or technology of carbon materials.” Th ere have been less than 20 winners of this award, including Phillip Walker (Penn State Professor Emeritus), since 1969.

Raja Ramani, Professor Emeritus, Mining Engineering & Geo-Environmental Engineering and Emeritus George H. and Anne B. Deike Jr. Chair in Mining Engineering, was awarded the 2006 Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal for his “outstanding contri-butions to the development of science through research, teaching and administrative leadership.”

Alan Scaroni, Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research, was recognized by the College with the 25-Year Service Award.

Chunshan Song, Professor of Fuel Science, has been appointed Director of the Penn State EMS Energy Institute. Chunshan received the 2007 Herman Pines Award in Catalysis from the Catalysis Club of Chicago for research on novel catalysts and sorbents in hydrocarbon conver-sion for ultra clean fuels and chemicals, especially for “in-novative approaches to catalysis and liquid-phase adsorption for desulfurization and fuel reforming of liquid fuels for fuel cells.”

Chunshan was also selected by the Ministry of Education of China as the recipient of the 2006 Cheung Kong Scholar Award, which includes the Cheung Kong

Chair Professorship at Dalian University of Technology in Dalian, China.

Robert Watson, Associate Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and Geo-Environmental Engineering, was recognized by the College with the 25-Year Service Award.

In Memoriam

We were greatly saddened by the loss of two colleagues this year.

In September 2006 we said goodbye to David Cliff ord. Dave received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Fuel Science and Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State (1994, 1996), and he was an analytical chemist at the Energy Institute, where he worked with his wife, Caroline Burgess Cliff ord, who is a graduate faculty member in EME. Previously he worked in the Netherlands at the Oceanographic Institute of Research and Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and the Trinity Lutheran Church, where he was in the bell choir and the Trinity Wheelman. He enjoyed mountain and road biking, gardening, cooking, tailgating,

traveling, and outdoors in general. He was also a triathlete.

In December we bid farewell to Subhash Chander. Subhash joined Penn State’s Mineral Processing faculty in 1983 after leaving the University of California, Berkeley. He was a founding member of the Mineral Engineering program and served as founding Director of the Center for Sustainable Mining with Penn State’s Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Development in Africa (AESEDA). Dr. Chander’s research and teaching expertise lay in the application of colloid science and electrochemistry to coal and mineral processing and environmental remediation. He was a recipient of Penn State’s Wilson Distinguished Teaching Award. A Distinguished Member, he provided key leadership to the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), serving as Director of the Society and Chair of the Mineral and Metallurgical Processing Division. He organized and chaired several major symposia and received the prestigious Taggart and Gaudin awards for his noteworthy research contributions. Dr. Chander was also Editor-in-Chief of the leading journal in the fi eld, the International Journal of Mineral Processing. He enjoyed traveling, photography, working on his computer, and taking local ballroom dance classes with his wife, Neera. He valued time with his family, including children Ankit and Charu.

Chunshan Song

Dave Clifford

Subhash Chander

Alan Scaroni

Research In Motion

12 www.eme.psu.edu

PEM Fuel Cell Research at the Energy Institute a Part of DOE Working GroupBy Sarah Haner, Writer/Editor, Energy Institute

Fuel cells are often described as a more technologically advanced cousin of the battery. It’s true that both technologies work by converting the chemical energy of a fuel into electricity, but fuel cells have one important characteristic that batteries are lacking—the ability to continuously take in fuel and produce energy without ever having to recharge.

All in all, fuel cells are energy effi cient, fuel fl exible and, despite their obstacles, could someday replace the combustion engines in the cars we drive. Given their potential, fuel cell research and development continue to grow as priority in energy research at the national level and at Penn State.

Th e Electrochemical Laboratory at the Energy Institute is actively researching a promising type of fuel cell called a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, also sometimes called a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell. Th is type of fuel cell uses hydrogen, oxygen and water to produce electricity and heat. PEM fuel cells have some stationary applications, but are primarily geared towards applications in transportation.

Under the leadership of Program Coordinator Serguei Lvov, the Electrochemical Lab became a member of the Department of Energy’s High Temperature Membrane

Working Group in May of 2006. Th e group is charged with developing new membranes to enable PEM fuel cells to operate at higher temperatures—an undertaking that proves very challenging, but could result in important increases in effi ciency.

Th e High Temperature Membrane working group consists of

universities, government, national labs and industry members. All units conduct research individually; meetings are then held twice a year to compare results. Th e forum-like structure aims to increase interaction and encourage the eff ort to fulfi ll the working group’s goal.

“Th is is a very interesting program working with quite interesting new things,” Lvov says. He estimates the total project costs at about $25 million.

So far, Lvov and his research team have developed a completely new composite material that has improved mechanical and transport properties in mainly organic membranes. Th ey were able to operate a PEM fuel cell at 120 degrees C and at 13 percent relative humidity—up 40-45 degrees C from the average operation temperature. Th e composite material is based on the combination of inorganic hydrogen ion conductors and an end-chain functionalized Tefl on-type polymer.

Fuel cell research has received a signifi cant increase in funding in the past year due in part to a recent initiative launched by President Bush called the Freedom Cooperative Automotive Research (CAR) initiative. Th e $1.5 billion endeavor is specifi cally geared towards furthering the development of fuel cell technologies for transportation applications.

However exciting the prospect of a fuel cell vehicle may be, Lvov says there is still a long way to go with the technology. Th ere are relatively good pilot specimens out, but problems remain to be solved, he says, including the cost and durability of the technology and the availability of hydrogen fueling stations.

Additional information on the High Temperature Membrane Working Group and their research can be found online at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/htmwg.html.

Serguei Lvov, Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering

Connection 13

Visiting International Scholars Join in Departmental Research

Over the past 18 months, EME has had the privilege of hosting a handful of visiting faculty, scholars, and postdoctoral research fellows. Th rough lectures in the classroom and participation in ongoing faculty research projects, their presence has proven to be a valuable asset to the department.

Alessandro GiraudiEducation:M.S., Environmental and Land Engineering at Politecnico di Torino, 2004

Alessandro Giraudi came to EME in December 2006 as a visiting scholar from the Politecnico di Torino in Torino, Italy where he is working towards his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Geo-Engineering. While at Penn State he conducted theoretical and experimental research on blast vibration monitoring and control in mining with Vladislav Kecojevic, Professor of Mining Engineering. He returned to the Politecnico di Torino in May to fi nish his Ph.D. thesis. We wish him much success for the future.

Eunnyeong HeoEducation:Ph.D., Mineral Economics, Th e Pennsylvania State University, 1996

M. S., Mineral and Petroleum Engineering (Mineral Economics), Seoul National University, 1989

B. S., Mineral and Petroleum Engineering, Seoul National University, 1987

Eunnyeong Heo came to the department in August 2006 for a one year appointment as a visiting Associate Professor. He currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics in the College of Engineering at Seoul National University in South Korea. Dr. Heo’s research interests fall into four categories: 1) energy economics with focus on international energy prices, energy markets and industry, energy policies; 2) technology economics with focus on technology valuation, technology transfer, R&D policies (especially in energy and natural resources areas); 3) environmental economics with focus on valuation of environmental goods, policies on recycling and recycling goods; and 4) econometric modeling.

While at Penn State, Dr. Heo has been working on two research projects with Timothy Considine, Professor of Natural Resources Economics, in the fi eld of “economics of world steel industries” and “economic valuation of energy technology R & D.” He is also in the process of writing a textbook called, Engineering, Economy and Economics and translating into Korean a book entitled, Energy at the Crossroads by Dr. Vaclav Smil, Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba.

Ki-Bok MinEducation:Ph.D., Engineering Geology, Royal Institute of Technology, 2004

M.Sc., Mineral and Petroleum Engineering (Rock Mechanics), Seoul National University, 1999

B.Sc., Mineral and Petroleum Engineering, Seoul National University, 1994

A two year postdoctoral research fellow, Ki-Bok Min came to the department in January 2006 from the Itasco Consulting Group in Sweden where he served as a consultant for the global company that deals with rock mechanics numerical simulation for the civil, mining, and petroleum industries. Before that, he worked in Korea as a geotechnical engineer and researcher for tunnel constructions and rock slope stability problems.

While at Penn State, Dr. Min is involved in the U.S. Department of Energy supported project to investigate the feasibility of building an underground repository (300 m below the surface) of high level nuclear waste in the Yucca Mountain in south-central Nevada. Together with his postdoctoral supervisor Derek Elsworth, Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, he is looking at both the mechanisms and processes aff ecting the transport of the material and the mechanical properties of rock fractures. In essence, the research focuses on ensuring that an underground repository would stay mechanically stable and would not allow radioactive material to reach the surface through rock fractures. Th is requires the research group to determine how the mechanical stress, temperature change, and geochemical processes controls the ability of rock fractures to transmit the water.

In addition to this research work, Dr. Min has also taught the EGEE 520 graduate course in mathematical modeling of energy and geo-environmental systems with Dr. Elsworth. His fellowship will keep him with the department through the end of 2007.

Leyla MuradkhanliEducation:Ph.D., Management Information Systems, Azerbaijan State Oil Academy, 1992

M.S., Control Systems, Azerbaijan State Oil Academy, 1988

B.S., Control Systems, Azerbaijan State Oil Academy

Leyla Muradkhanli came to the department in January 2007 as a Junior Faculty Development Program ( JFDP) Scholar. An Associate

Continued on page 15

Student Voice

14 www.eme.psu.edu

Students Recognized For Excellence

Hard work and long hours are a primary component of the graduate student experience. Such behavior is essential in the pursuit of an advanced degree and therefore sometimes is viewed as “just part of the job.” Th is makes it all the more gratifying when that eff ort and determination is recognized and rewarded both within the department and on a larger scale.

Each year we ask our students and faculty to nominate those graduate students doing a superior job as teaching assistants (TAs) for the EME Outstanding Graduate TA Award. Juan Fernandez Luengo, Tawatchai Petchsingto, and Suntichai Silpngarmlert (all doctoral students studying PNGE) received awards. Two other students were named the Graduate Assistants of the Year: Matthew Benusa (M.S. student, MNPR) for his work in Mineral Processing and Mineral Engineering and Prasanna Chidambaram (Ph.D. student, PNGE) for his work in General Education.

Tawatchai Petchsingto and Chunmei Wang, a doctoral student in EGEE, both received Honorable Mention at the 2006/2007 EMS Poster Exhibition. Tawatchai’s poster was entitled, “Micro-Scale Simulation of Two-Phase Flow inside a Fracture with Variable Aperture,” and Chunmei’s poster was entitled, “Size Resolved Characteristic Comparison of Dekati and Berner Low Pressure Impactors.”

At this year’s Twenty-second Annual Penn State Graduate Exhibition, Claudia Parada Minakowski, a doctoral student studying PNGE, took third place in the Engineering Poster

Competition with her poster entitled, “An Artifi cial Neural Network Based Tool for Screening and Designing Miscible CO2 Injection Processes.”

Masoud S. Almarri, a doctoral student in EGEE, was a recipient of the Arnulf I. Muan Graduate Fellowship in Earth and Mineral Sciences. Th is award is given to select students who exhibit academic excellence and who are currently enrolled full-time within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Elana Chapman, a doctoral student in EME studying Fuel Science, has been selected to receive a 2007 Women in the Sciences and Engineering (WISE) Recognition Award. Th ese awards are presented to those who have voluntarily, over a period of time, excelled in helping women and girls recognize and achieve their potential in the sciences and engineering.

Denis Pone, also a doctoral student in EGEE, won the 2007 A.L. Medlin Scholarship in Coal Geology from the Geological Society of America. Th is award provides monetary support and recognition to deserving students in coal science. Monies from the scholarship are used towards successful completion of student’s research projects.

Th e department is extremely proud of the many accomplishments of its graduate students.

Prasanna Chidambaram (L) with the Graduate Assistant of the Year Award,

and Dr. Sarma Pisupati (R)

Claudia Parada Minakowski

Elana Chapman Denis Pone

Tawatchai Petchsingto (top) and Chunmei Wang (bottom) at the

2006/2007 EMS Poster Exhibition

Connection 15

Visiting International Scholars... Continued from page 13

Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Khazar University in Baku, Azerbaijan, her research interests include environmental economics and management, information technology, decision sciences, and teaching methodologies in higher education.

While at Penn State, Dr. Muradkhanli worked with Yaw Yeboah, EME Department Head, in the fi eld of environmental economics. She also served as a guest lecturer for the department and attended classes taught by Timothy Considine, Angela Lueking, and other university instructors as part of her eff orts to develop an undergraduate course in environmental economics and management for her home university.

Dr. Muradkhanli returned to Khazar University on May 20, and we wish her well in her future endeavors.

André NiemeijerEducation:M.Sc., Geochemistry, Utrecht University, 2001B.S., Geology, Utrecht University, 1996

A postdoctoral research fellow, André Niemeijer came to the department in April 2006 on a two year Rubicon grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientifi c Research (NOW). While at Penn State he is currently working with Derek Elsworth and Chris Marone, Professor of Geosciences, on the eff ects of fl uids on the transport properties of fault gouges and fractures. Th e research involves experiments on granular rock salt gouges and perhaps, in future, salt blocks and/or granular quartz gouges. Th e aim is to measure the permeability evolution of the simulated fault gouges during deformation, which plays a key role in processes such as the earthquake cycle, fault sealing and ore deposit emplacement. Before coming to Penn State, André’s Ph.D. research in the High Pressure and Temperature Laboratory of the department of Geosciences at Utrecht University dealt with the eff ects of fl uids and phyllosilicates on the frictional behavior of granular salt aggregates. He performed experiments in a rotary shear apparatus capable of producing large shear strain (> 1000) and concluded that the combination of fl uids and the presence of a phyllosilicate foliation drastically reduced the strength of the aggregates.

Superlative Staff

Several members of the department’s staff have received recognition for their hard work and dedication this year.

Rachel Altemus, Writer/Editor and Alumni Coordinator, received the 2007 Outstanding Staff Member Award at the department’s annual awards banquet in April. One staff member from the department is recognized each year for their attitude and overall quality of work.

Rachel also received the EMS Circle of Excellence Award in December 2006. Th is new award honors a staff member in the College who motivates and inspires others while fostering excellence in achievements and performance, encourages the growth of others, promotes diversity, provides superior customer service, and is viewed as an outstanding staff person.

Joan Andrews, Administrative Assistant, received the 35 Years of Service Award in December 2006. Th e award recognized Joan’s years of service to Penn State, however, it is worth noting that her time has also all been spent in this department (called the Department of Mineral Engineering when she began in 1973).

Joan also completed the ACOR Certifi cation and Education Series (ACES), a two-year (80 classroom hour) learning experience combining workshops, on-line education, mentoring, and competency assessment all leading to certifi cation.

Judith Hite, Staff Assistant, completed the Offi ce Professional Excellence program, which is a two semester-based program at Penn State.

Th e department is fortunate to have such accomplished staff members in our community.

By The Numbers

Yaw Yeboah and Rachel Altemus

Joan Andrews

Judi Hite

In 2006/2007, thanks to the addition of EBF and increases in almost all programs, particularly Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, the department had over 270 enrolled undergraduate students and over 100 enrolled graduate students.Eight new student scholarships became active this year, bringing next year’s projected scholarship pool to over $275,000.With the addition of four new faculty members in the next year, EME will have 31 faculty members (plus instructors, adjunct professors, and our extremely active emeritus faculty members!)

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16 www.eme.psu.edu

Newsletter

Department of Energy and Mineral EngineeringCollege of Earth and Mineral SciencesThe Pennsylvania State University110 Hosler BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16802Phone: (814) 865-3437

An Opportunity To Give

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The Pennsylvania State UniversityEME Undergraduate Scholarship Funds116 Hosler BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16802

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