Penn State seed grant leads to NSF funding to study stress wave mitigation

Seismic waves make the Earth quake, shaking the developments on the planet’s surface. But what if there were a way to stop those seismic waves from reaching buildings, bridges, or entire towns? What if the energy from the waves could potentially be redirected or even harnessed, just by building a structure on the ground? Parisa Shokouhi, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics and acoustics at Penn State, is interested in the possibility of controlling this type of stress wave. Known as surface waves, they move along the border between two differing media; a common example is an ocean wave moving along the boundary between water and air. Shokouhi’s interest motivated her to pursue a Penn State Multidisciplinary Seed Grant in 2017, which served as the first step toward an external grant. Now, with a $641,162 National Science Foundation grant, Shokouhi is exploring the possibilities of surface wave control using an array of resonating elements collectively called a metasurface that could redirect waves in the material it is attached to.

College of Engineering awards five Multidisciplinary Research Seed Grants

The Penn State College of Engineering awarded 2020 Multidisciplinary Research Seed Grants to five faculty research teams across the College of Engineering, the College of Medicine, and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The Multidisciplinary Research Seed Grants support research projects that will increase the competitiveness of faculty in attracting high-impact multidisciplinary and centerlevel research funding from the state and federal government, industry, or foundations. These seed grants will support the awardees’ projects for one year. Parisa Shokouhi, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, and Daniel Kifer, associate professor of computer science, were awarded a grant for “A wave physics-informed deep learning framework for acoustic data.” They will develop a framework to integrate complex wave physics into machine learning prediction models that use acoustic sensory data, such as systems used for geophysical surveys, non-destructive evaluations, and medical diagnostics.

Deborah Kelly, far right, reviews lab results with students (left to right) Madison Evans, Michael Casasanta, and G.M. Jonaid.
Photo taken September 2019. Image: Jamie Oberdick

Jump-starting COVID-19 ravaged lungs with newly modified therapeutics

Deborah Kelly, Lloyd & Dottie Foehr Huck Chair in Molecular Biophysics and professor of biomedical engineering, and James Adair, professor of materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering, and pharmacology, are partnering with researchers from the College of Medicine to re-engineer a cancer drug for COVID-19 patients. The team is researching potential viral applications of a protein therapeutic known to be effective at decreasing lung inflammation in cancer patients. The research is one of the projects funded by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences coronavirus seed grant initiative.

IST seed grants support tech projects related to COVID-19

The College of Information Sciences and Technology recently announced six projects that will receive funding from the college’s seed grant program. Each project will take different approaches to tackle various challenges and needs related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The college’s seed grant program is designed to jump-start critical research projects that explore innovative ideas that have a shortterm impact, as well as those that will position researchers to support, advance, and develop long-term solutions to local and global issues. EI’s Sharon Huang, associate professor, received funding for her project titled “AI Methods and Tools in Response to the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset.” This project aims to rapidly develop artificial intelligence methods and tools in response to the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset, using natural language processing, text mining, image mining, and other AI techniques to generate new insights related to COVID-19 for policy makers and medical experts.

Penn State and University of Auckland announce 2020 joint collaboration projects

In late 2019, Penn State and the University of Auckland launched the Joint Collaboration Development Program, a jointly financed seed-fund program with the aim to foster collaborative research and educational projects. The Office of Global Programs has announced that eight projects have been funded and commenced in June 2020. Grant recipients will have the opportunity to help shape the direction and future investment in the university collaboration at the level of an institutional partnership and contribute to the universities’ vision and strategic goals. Among those awarded was Meng Wang, for her project titled "Re-Engineering Anaerobic Treatment Processes for Novel Functionalities."

Seth Blumsack is a part of a multi-university team that is studying the decision-making process that governs how people in the U.S. receive electricity.
Image: Adobe Stock

Shedding light on the rules that govern the U.S. power grid

A Penn State researcher is a part of a multi-university team that received a $513,000 grant to study the decision-making process that governs how people in the U.S. receive electricity. Seth Blumsack, professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy, is co-leading an interdisciplinary team investigating how the rules for the power grid are made and how they affect the real world.

“Electricity is the platform for our economy and is tightly connected to people’s well-being,” said Blumsack, a cofunded faculty member in the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, who has been studying the electric power industry for more than twenty years. “These rules that govern the grid are critical elements for changing the way we produce electricity.”

According to Blumsack, the rules have important implications for the grid and society, such as grid reliability, cost to customers, environmental impact, and technology.

Lo Prete receives NSF CAREER award to investigate capacity adequacy options

Chiara Lo Prete, associate professor of energy economics, received a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation to investigate electricity market structures to provide efficient incentives for generation capacity investment under increasing renewable penetration. Organized wholesale electricity markets in the United States converged to a common market design framework that has been successful at promoting efficient and reliable operations of electric power systems since the 1990s. However, the growth of intermittent renewables poses challenges that were unknown, or less material, in the early design efforts. Lo Prete’s group will examine market design challenges associated with increasing renewable penetration using an approach that combines optimization and experimental economic methods.

CDC grant to focus on effects of nano-coal dust on lung disease in coal miners

Penn State researchers in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering received a $400,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to research coal dust in underground mines and its effect on lung disease in miners.

Inhaling coal mine dust is a major occupational hazard for coal miners and is known to cause several types of respiratory diseases, with coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP), often called black lung, the most common. The increase in CWP in certain areas of the country points to the need for further research into the cause of this increase. This research will characterize physical, compositional, and petrophysical properties of coal dusts and investigate the biological effects of nano-coal dust on lung cell and tissue using a lung-on-a-chip device.

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences awards computational and data sciences seed grants

Understanding polarized political opinions, predicting Arctic Sea ice levels, and accelerating quantum computing with machine learning—these are just a few focuses of the dozens of new Penn State research projects that have been funded by Institute for Computational and Data Sciences seed grants, in conjunction with supplemental funding from the colleges of Arts and Architecture, Earth and Mineral Sciences; Information Sciences and Technology; Education; and Engineering. Of the fifty-one proposals received, thirty-two projects were funded. Among those, Arash Dahi Taleghani, associate professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering, received funding for his proposal titled “Artificial Intelligence Method for Fast and Reliable Interpretation of DFIT and Flowback Data.” Sharon Huang, associate professor of information sciences and technology, also received funding for her proposal titled “Towards Dynamic Patient-centric Personal Health Libraries.” Tieyuan Zhu, assistant professor of geosciences, received funding for his proposal titled “Machine Learning of Massive Real-time Environmental Monitoring Data from Penn State Fiber-optic Array for Mitigating Urban Geohazards.”

Penn State faculty teams awarded seed grants for AI research

Multi-Disciplinary Research Grants were recently awarded to eight research groups from across Penn State’s colleges and campuses conducting research related to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In collaboration with numerous research institutes and colleges, these grants are funded in concert with the 2020 industryXchange, an annual University-wide event hosted by the College of Engineering. These one-year seed grants will support research on application-specific development in AI and ML in the areas of cybersecurity, energy, health care, manufacturing, and transportation. Among them were Jinchao Xu, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Science, and John Yilin Wang, associate professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering, for their project titled “Advanced and Fast Simulation Technologies for Modeling Shale Gas Wells.”

Mining engineering professor selected as honorary member of AIME

Barbara Arnold, professor of practice in mining engineering, has been awarded honorary membership in American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). AIME honorary membership is one of the highest honors that the institute can bestow on an individual. Honorary membership is awarded in appreciation of outstanding service to the institute or in recognition of distinguished scientific or engineering achievement in the fields embracing the activities of AIME and its member societies.

2020 Millennium Café Pitch Competition winner

The 2020 Millennium Café Pitch Competition was held virtually on June 2, 2020. Sponsored by PPG Industries, the Millennium Café Pitch Competition is an opportunity for graduate students to pitch research in two minutes or less using no more than four supporting slides. Sandra Ike won first place for her presentation titled "Creating Graphitic Carbons from Biopolymers."

EI faculty member joins the Institutes of Energy and the Environment

Hilal Ezgi Toraman, an assistant professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering, has become a cofunded faculty member in the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE). Toraman’s research interests include chemical reaction engineering with a focus on developing new processes, materials, and technologies for efficient and sustainable use of shale gas, biogas, biomass, and plastic waste. Her research is in line with the Stewarding Our Planet’s Resources thematic area of Penn State’s strategic plan. Toraman was also recently named the Virginia S. and Philip L. Walker Jr. Faculty Fellow in Materials Science and Engineering and Fuel Science Program at Penn State.

Penn State, Colorado School of Mines will support U.S. need for critical minerals

Penn State has entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Colorado School of Mines to establish a collaboration designed to be responsive in supporting the United States’ need for critical minerals. Through the MOU, the two universities will partner on research to support U.S. producers and consumers of critical mineral commodities and help advance the country’s manufacturing sector while developing a well-trained workforce to meet the demands on U.S.-sourced critical minerals.

“Both schools are committed to developing new innovations to enable a complete U.S. capability for critical minerals, from basic science to supply chain through to production,” said Lora Weiss, Penn State’s senior vice president for research. “Together we span from Appalachia to the Rockies and collectively we have the technical base and established relationships with stakeholders to realize the full potential value of our natural resources. Our combined team is well positioned to be extremely responsive to the country’s critical minerals needs.”

Rezaee named outstanding young engineer

Mohammad Rezaee, assistant professor of mining engineering in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, has been awarded the Outstanding Young Engineer Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration’s (SME) Mineral and Metallurgical Processing Division. The Outstanding Young Engineer award was created in 1984 and recognizes a young individual, age thirty-six or younger, with a significant contribution within the mineral processing and extractive metallurgy discipline. Rezaee, who holds the Thomas V. and Jean C. Falkie Mining Engineering Faculty Fellowship in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, was selected for “his significant contributions in the development of methodologies and applications of mineral processing unit operations and circuits to enhance the sustainability of mining operations.” He received the award at the SME 2020 annual Conference & Expo held in Phoenix, Feb. 23-26, 2020.

Energy, chemical engineering professor receives fellowship

Hilal Ezgi Toraman, assistant professor of energy engineering and chemical engineering, has been named the Virginia S. and Philip L. Walker Jr. Faculty Fellow in Materials Science and Engineering and Fuel Science Program. The fellowship was awarded to Toraman for her contributions to teaching, research, and service in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering.

“I want to convey my sincere thanks to Virginia and Phillip Walker for supporting me as a researcher in the field of fuel science,” Toraman said. “The Virginia S. and Philip L. Walker Jr. Faculty Fellowship is not only a source of funding to further my contribution in teaching, research, and public service but also a great source of motivation.”

Interdisciplinary team wins Department of Energy Optimization Challenge

A team of Penn State researchers is part of the first round of winners for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Optimization Competition. Presented by the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the selective competition presents challenges for the development of optimization algorithms for a crucial set of operational problems faced by the United States’ power grid. The team, led by Uday V. Shanbhag, the Gary and Sheila Bello Chair and professor in the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering in the College of Engineering, received $100,000 to advance their methods and share their technology with industry partners. Future competitions, beginning with challenge two, will build on the models used in challenge one, but may include complicating factors such as solving larger network models, optimizing power flows over both transmission and distribution systems, contending with uncertainty and discreteness, leveraging power flow control devices, and increasing model detail. Challenge two will likely continue its focus on optimal power flow and disburse fewer, but larger, awards.

EMS Energy Institute Awards by Source

(Fiscal Year 2019/2020)

Total Awards 41

EMS Energy Institute Awards by Source

(Fiscal Year 2019/2020)

EMS Energy Institute Funding by Source

(Fiscal Year 2019/2020)

Total Funding $7.27 million

EMS Energy Institute Funding by Program Area

(Fiscal Year 2019/2020)

125^th Anniversary

The Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has a rich history dating back more than a century, from the original focus on mining engineering, to today's interdisciplinary focus on earth, energy, and materials sciences and engineering. The college was formed in 1896, and we are embarking on a yearlong celebration in 2021 of our upcoming 125^th anniversary. The college will be hosting numerous celebratory events to commemorate this milestone.

Upcoming Events

• June 25: Village Lecture Series: Conversations with Colleagues Speaker: Bill Brune Talk: "Lightning Induced Chemistry in Atmospheric Science"
• June: GEMS 125^th Anniversary Educational Series Speaker: Clive Randall, director of the Materials Research Institute. Talk: "Commercialization of Cold Sintering of Ceramics"
• July 28: Pioneers in Remote and Online Education Speaker: Jane Suttelin and Maria Wherley Talk: "How Technology and Learning Science Can Change Your Teaching"
• August: GEMS 125^th Anniversary Educational Series Speaker: James Kasting, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences (tentative) Talk: "The Search for Life on Planets Around Other Stars"
• Ryan Family Student Center Welcome Home Event will be held in conjunction with Homecoming annual parade watching gathering
• October 29-30: “Carbon: From Fuels to Materials” - 125^th Anniversary Symposium A series of invited lectures, primarily by Penn State alumni, that illustrates the history, the progress and the synergism of fuels/materials connections with a view toward an even brighter future.
• October: Ryan Family Student Center Showcase Ribboncutting ceremony and open house for newly renovated center, will showcase expanded services, etc.
• October: Materials Research Institute Showcase Facilities will be open for guided tours.
• October: John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering’s 125^th Anniversary Celebration Events will include a graduate student research showcase, facility tours, presentation of Hosler renovation plans, activities with student societies, and reception with the dean
• October: Joel N. Myers Weather Center Friday reception and Saturday breakfast/brunch
• October: Computational and Data Science in Earth Science 125^th Anniversary Innovations in Education and Research Symposia Sponsored by the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
• October 29-30: Celebration Weekend Recognition of 125th Fellows, poster sessions, tours of facilities, etc.
• October 30: Earth and Environmental Systems Institute Showcase and Reception Open house showing the renovated second floor and sharing of plans for third floor JEWEL renovation

Previous Events

• May 19: Panel - "Getting to Negative: strategies, ethics, and co-benefits of carbon capture and sequestration" Panel was part of IEE's Energy Days.
• April 20: GEMS 12^5th Anniversary Educational Series (virtual webinar) Speaker: Tim White, research professor and director of the EMS Sustainability Council
• April 15: 125^th EMS Anniversary Steidle Café Speakers: Amit Das, State-of-the-Art; Long-Qing Chen, MatSE; George Kotsoni, doctoral candidate.
• April 14-15: "Reflections and Future Perspectives of Polymer Science in EMS" (virtual event) Series of lectures by both Penn State and non-Penn State faculty and keynote and plenary speakers, Geoffrey Coates and Thomas Epps III
• April 14: Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science's Hussey Lecture (virtual event) Speaker: Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• April 14-15: Celebration of Undergraduate Engagement (virtual event) Student presentations, workshops, and guest speakers highlighted undergraduate research and engagement experiences.
• April 11: Center for Energy Law and Policy and EME Joint Webinar Panel Discussion: "Planning for the Unplanned: Designing Resilience in Energy Systems"
• April 9: 2021 G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Mineral Engineering Speaker: Sustainability Officer - Freeport-McMoRan Americas Talk: “Meeting Escalating Stakeholder Expectations of the Mining Sector”
• March 26-27: EMEX - 125^th Anniversary Century of Excellence Activity (virtual event) Earth and Mineral Sciences EXposition (EMEX) is the college's annual student-run open house
• March 25: Center for Energy Law and Policy and EME Joint Webinar Panel Discussion: "Who Decides on Resilience for Energy Systems?"
• March 25: Village Lecture Series: Conversations with Colleagues Speaker: Erica Smithwick Talk: "Role of Wildlife on Ecosystem Function"
• March 18: 125^th EMS Anniversary Steidle Café Speakers: Doug Wolfe, ARL; Trevor Clark, Materials Characterization Lab; Conghang Qu, doctoral candidate.
• March 8: Center for Energy Law and Policy and EME Joint Webinar Panel Discussion: "What Messed With Texas, and Could it Happen Here?"

Seminar examines initiative’s effects on energy costs, power grid

Pennsylvania is set to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multistate compact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electric power grid. The Commonwealth hosts one of the largest and most diverse power generation fleets in the country, and its decision to join RGGI will affect electricity provision across many states in the region. Joel Landry, assistant professor of environmental and energy economics in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, discussed the effects of joining RGGI on energy costs and the power grid on October 2, 2020.

Landry’s talk covered topics such as how RGGI works, the impact of the RGGI carbon price on power grid operations, and its effectiveness at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from power plants.

Landry’s talk is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative seminar series hosted by Penn State’s Center for Energy Law and Policy. The center is a University-wide initiative that supports independent and interdisciplinary research, education, and stakeholder engagement on complex energy issues. It provides thought leadership on energy issues where emerging science and technology are intertwined with legal, economic, and social institutions. For more information on the Center for Energy Law and Policy, contact Seth Blumsack, center director, at sab51@psu.edu.

EESI EarthTalks panel to focus on energy education in post-pandemic world

The current coronavirus pandemic caused (dramatic) volatility in the price of oil to drop and education to happen remotely. How should institutions like the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, which offers degree programs in petroleum and natural gas engineering as well as renewable energy and climate, adapt? Susan Brantley, director of the Earth and Environmental System Institute, and Lee Kump, John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, led a panel discussion on the future of energy education.

Panelists included Jennifer Baka, assistant professor of geography; Seth Blumsack, professor of energy policy and economics and international affairs; Mike Loudin, former head of geoscience workforce development at ExxonMobil; Kevin Smith, CEO for the Americas, Lightsource BP; and Sanjay Srinivasan, head, John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering.

The panel was held on May 18, 2020. The talk was free and open to the public.

The energy panel was part of the spring 2020 EESI EarthTalks series, "Societal Problems, EESI Science towards Solutions." The series featured scientists from Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EESI) and explored the human impacts on the global environment and how to apply this knowledge to decision-making.

Energy forum engages Penn State community

A series of energy forums is being held to discuss how Penn State can continue to strengthen its position as an energy leader. The first forum took place on December 11. The virtual event was titled “Energy University: Concept and Current Activities.” Penn State faculty, staff, and students were invited to participate.

The forum featured an Energy University overview from Penn State President Eric Barron. He discussed the status of Energy University and introduced areas that the University will focus on for growth and investment.

"Universities have an obligation to the people and the communities they serve to create a better tomorrow,” Barron said. “In the case of energy, we need solutions that will provide sources that are clean, abundant, safe, and affordable. At Penn State, we take this challenge very seriously, from the solar energy that will provide more than 25 percent of Penn State’s purchased electricity over the next twenty-five years, to the education and support that the University provides through Penn State Extension and beyond. The demand for energy is only increasing, and it’s imperative that universities lead the way through education, research, and implementation to show that it is not just reasonable, it is achievable."

The followed focal areas had short presentations:

• "Energy Transitions" was delivered by Seth Blumsack, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy, who was introduced by Hari Osofsky, dean of Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs.
• "Developing Solutions" was delivered by Bruce Logan, director of the Consortium for Integrated Energy Systems, who was introduced by Lee Kump, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
• "Strengthening Communities" was delivered by Esther Obonyo, director of the Global Building Network, who was introduced by Marie Hardin, dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
• "Advancing Literacy and Leadership" was delivered by Rachel Brennan, director of the Drawdown Scholars Program, who was introduced by Justin Schwartz, dean of the College of Engineering.

Lora Weiss, senior vice president for Research, moderated a panel that focused on big ideas for Energy University. The panel discussion explored the opportunities and impacts that Penn State can have in energy.

“For Penn State to bolster its impact as an energy leader, we must use the resources, talent, and creativity within our research enterprise,” Weiss said. “The University’s extensive knowledge in all aspects related to energy is found within our world-renowned energy researchers and facilities that house some of the most advanced research equipment in the world; we have a responsibility to explore and advance research directions that can be translated into real-world improvements.”

Finally, Tom Richard, director of the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, moderated an open discussion where attendees could share their feedback and input on Energy University.

“Energy is central to nearly every aspect of our lives, from housing and transportation to food, manufacturing, education, and health,” Richard said. “The full depth and breadth of disciplines from across Penn State are critical in this era of rapid energy transitions. I look forward to this dialogue about how we can work together to achieve our Energy University ambition.”

Seminar examines Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative amid state energy policy

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the electric power sector, will change Pennsylvania’s energy landscape, but it will not be the only major element of the Commonwealth’s energy policy. Daniel Mallinson, assistant professor of public policy and administration at Penn State Harrisburg, and graduate student Andrew Bell discussed how RGGI might interact with Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard and Act 129 on December 4, 2020.

The talk also covered topics such as reinvesting revenues generated by RGGI and ideas for leveraging these revenues to encourage equitable energy innovation for the post-COVID-19 economic recovery in Pennsylvania.

The seminar, which was free and open to the public, was held through Zoom.

Mallinson’s talk is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative seminar series hosted by Penn State’s Center for Energy Law and Policy. The center is a University-wide initiative that supports independent and interdisciplinary research, education and stakeholder engagement on complex energy issues. It provides thought leadership on energy issues where emerging science and technology are intertwined with legal, economic, and social institutions. For more information on the Center for Energy Law and Policy, please contact Seth Blumsack, center director, at sab51@psu.edu.

Welcome to the spring 2021 edition of the EMS Energy Institute (EI) newsletter. This edition showcases faculty research in several topical areas, introduces new faculty, and highlights the honors received by our students, faculty, and staff.

The research, education, and outreach efforts of the institute continue to focus on energy and energy-related environmental effects and involve researchers in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and the College of Engineering, along with collaborators worldwide. Current research projects cover the production and use of energy along with carbon dioxide capture, storage, and utilization, and the recovery of critical materials from various feedstock streams. In 2019 and 2020, 224 proposals were prepared by the Institute resulting in seventy-two newly funded external research projects, supported by nearly $18 million in funding.

As you know, this last year saw many changes and was extremely trying. We received notice on a Friday afternoon in mid-March that all laboratories had to be closed down within days following a specific protocol and checklist. IT personnel worked quickly so that the faculty and staff could work remotely. Faculty pivoted from in-person learning to remote learning over spring break week. March flew by like a whirlwind. Many levels of pandemic-related planning were performed over the next several months for safe return to research, safe return back to work, and many more action items. The staff performed wonderfully during this era of the unknown. Limited back to research started in May/June, and all faculty research was on-going by summer. The staff and faculty continue to work remotely if they are able in order to limit personnel on campus until everyone can be fully immunized for COVID-19.

While all of this was occurring, Chunshan Song, director of EI since 2007 retired June 30, 2020 and accepted a deanship at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. We all wish him well in his new position. A national search is underway for a new director with a start date goal of July 1, 2021. We also saw the departure of Grace Choi, financial assistant, who moved to another position within the college.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all EI faculty members, research staff, students, and visiting scholars whose ideas and hard work have advanced energy science and engineering research, especially in these difficult times. I also want to thank our staff members whose hard work supports our faculty-driven research efforts. The staff has done a phenomenal job working during this unprecedented time. They have dealt not only with an entirely new mode of work, but have done so while the University forged ahead with some major enterprise changes. I am so proud of how the staff has handled the pandemic and has continued to work efficiently, accurately, and productively. I want to specifically acknowledge Ronnie Wasco for his herculean safety and facilities efforts, starting with closing down forty labs (half over a single weekend, half with faculty and student help over the next several days) followed by endless planning and safety issues along with getting the labs operational. I want to acknowledge Ron Nargi for making sure that the staff could work remotely within a week’s time. And I want to acknowledge Kelly Rhoades for her leadership of the administrative staff to ensure continued EI proposal and research support.

Bruce G. Miller 
Interim Director and Research Professor, EMS Energy Institute

Barbara Arnold

Can you tell me about your area of expertise?

I'm a coal preparation engineer with a focus on flowsheet design (including the application of mathematical models) and fine coal processing–gravity, froth flotation, and dewatering. That is the expertise that I'll bring to the beneficiation/concentration piece of the work being done in Penn State's Center for Critical Minerals.

How does your work impact society?

Coal preparation for thermal coal can be used to reduce sulfur in coal and, therefore, sulfur emissions. Ensuring that the proper quality of coal is used in power plants increases their efficiency and decreases carbon dioxide emissions. The new focus on critical minerals will impact the availability of domestically produced renewable energy technologies. And I'd like to make an impact on the reduction of materials going into tailings disposal sites and, perhaps, putting those materials to beneficial use.

What various positions did you hold in industry, and what did you do in these positions?

My first industrial experience came as a summer student with U.S. Steel research. That's where I learned how to do coal froth flotation tests and fine coal washability analysis. The Electric Power Research Institute sponsored my Ph.D. research, and I went to work at their Coal Cleaning Test Facility before I finished my dissertation. I managed projects in our 20-tph test facility that looked at coal quality impacts on power plant efficiency and conducted research on coal handling, blending, and trace element removal. I also helped to develop a coal cleaning simulator using the Aspen platform. I was there for ten years and then started PrepTech, Inc. in 1997. My business partner, John Munjack, and I started out doing engineering projects for coal companies and engineering contractors, mostly looking at flowsheets for new coal preparation plants as well as retrofits. In 1999, we were approached by Multotec Process Equipment from South Africa to become their U.S. representative. We sold their cyclones and spirals and also picked up a few other product lines along the way. I also continued doing consulting, mostly developing flowsheets, though also doing some plant audits and the odd bid specification package.

Can you describe one or two standout projects you’re most proud of?

One of my earliest projects was for my master’s degree—the effect of clay on coal froth flotation. That work is referenced widely and has applications in other areas of mineral processing and dewatering of solids. Then there are the projects for which I've developed a flowsheet that went on to become an operating plant. Getting the flowsheet to balance; ensuring that equipment sizing is correct. Those aspects are always satisfying. I had one director of coal preparation tell me that my numbers were always good! That was a proud moment.

Have you had any involvement in the field outside of your career?

I wrote papers and volunteered with the Coal Preparation Society of America (CPSA) and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. (SME). I serve as the CPSA Board Secretary and as the representative to the International Organizing Committee for the International Coal Preparation Congress. I have also had the opportunity to help organize several conferences, and I served as the SME Foundation President in the early 2010s and as the 2018 SME President. Those are all roles in which I have had the opportunity to meet mining professionals nationally and internationally.

What brought you back as a professor of practice at Penn State?

I was asked! And the timing worked out well as Multotec decided to do their North American sales through their Canadian office. But, additionally, I have always had an interest in academia. I can share my experiences in the classroom and can also do research in some very interesting areas related to coal and mineral processing.

Why are you so passionate about your work?

I've generally been able to do something different every day! It's interesting! There have been some days when I started my morning interacting with South Africa or Spain and ended the day interacting with Australia, China, or India. And now, with the emphasis on critical minerals for batteries and renewable energy, someone has to figure out how to keep up with the demand with domestic sources. More mining and more mineral processing. It's cool stuff!

Are there any other additional achievements you’d like to mention?

My recent selection as an honorary member of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) was certainly a capstone to my career as an SME volunteer! Receiving the Frank F. Aplan Award given by SME/AIME and the Percy Nicholl's Award given by SME's Coal & Energy Division and ASME's Power Division have been highlights as well as becoming a Penn State Alumni Fellow. And I'm honored to present the Arthur Le Page Lecture to the Australian Coal Processing Society (virtually) in March 2021.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I sing at church—both in the choir and as a cantor. I volunteer with my "local" Penn State Alumni Society at the New Kensington Campus. I knit, crochet, etc. And there are a few TV shows that I never miss: The Curse of Oak Island, The Walking Dead, and, when it was on, Game of Thrones (go Arya!). And I have been known to be an avid reader—just need a bit more time to get back to fiction—I've been reading too many technical books to prep for classes!