Eberly College of Science Alumni Newsletter: April 2026

A Chemistry Alumna Finds Her Passion Creating Solutions and a New Penn State Product

Vivian Valenty, Penn State Eberly College of Science alumna and founder of Dazzle Dry, speaking to a group of students about how she began Dazzle Dry using her experience learned at Penn State during the Penn State x Dazzle Dry launch event.

A student painting her nails with Gambit, one of Dazzle Dry's new Penn State colors, during one of the master classes put on at the Penn State x Dazzle Dry launch event.

Close up shot of a student at the Penn State x Dazzle Dry painting her nails using Gambit, one of the new colors in the Dazzle Dry x Penn State nail polish line.

Tracy Langkilde, dean of the Penn State Eberly College of Science, speaks with students during one of the master classes put on at the Penn State x Dazzle Dry launch event.

More than 100 Eberly College of Science students, postdocs, alumni, staff, and friends attended a launch party on March 22 to celebrate a new collaboration between Penn State and global nail polish brand Dazzle Dry. Attendees had the opportunity to meet Penn State chemistry alumna and Dazzle Dry creator Vivian Valenty, take a master class to learn about the science behind the nail polish system, and how to paint their nails.

Valenty's knowledge of chemistry can be connected back to her time as a graduate student in Penn State's Department of Chemistry, where the hands-on research she did was crucial for learning those skills. Her love for Penn State comes in the form of an officially licensed partnership between her alma mater and Dazzle Dry—three colors based on Penn State's signature blue and white, made with the chemistry she learned on campus.

Alumni Impact

Matthew Kapelewski, Eberly College of Science alumnus, accepting the Alumni Achievement Award from Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi.

Chemistry Alumnus Matthew Kapelewski Has Been Honored with the Alumni Achievement Award

Matthew Kapelewski, a Class of 2012 graduate in chemistry, was selected by the Penn State Alumni Association to receive the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award, which recognizes the University's alumni aged 35 or younger. On March 20, the Alumni Association honored the 10 awardees.

Read about Kapelewski on the Eberly College website.

Sherveen “Shevy” Karbasi, biology alumnus, speaking to students at Penn State Startup Week.

Biology Alumnus Shevy Karbasi Shared His Entrepreneurial Advice with Students During Penn State Startup Week

Sherveen "Shevy" Karbasi, a Class of 2019 graduate in biology, returned to campus for Penn State Startup Week to speak to students about how he got his start as an entrepreneur during his time at Penn State. He presented a session titled, "Build, Break, Pivot: A Y Combinator Founder's Journey to VC," which focused on starting his own venture capital company.

Robert "Bob" Houston speaks about his military excellence scholarship.

Spotlight on the Robert J. Houston Military Excellence Scholarship

Robert "Bob" Houston, Eberly College of Science alumnus and philanthropist, spoke recently on campus with other alumni and friends of the college about why he gives back.

He also shared this video, where he speaks about his life experiences and impetus for creating the Robert J. Houston Military Excellence Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science.

Watch the video above, and read about Houston's story of philanthropy on the Eberly College website.

Visit our giving page if, like Bob, you'd also like to support an opportunity for students in the college.

University Highlights

Ken Knappenberger, professor of chemistry and physics and head of the Department of Chemistry.

Penn State and Delta Gold Have Signed a $3 Million Research Agreement to Advance Quantum Science

Delta Gold Technologies, a technology company focused on developing intellectual property in the quantum computing sector, has signed a three-year, $3 million research agreement with Ken Knappenberger, professor of chemistry and of physics and head of the Department of Chemistry, to support research exploring applications of nanoscale gold clusters in quantum information science.

Read about this unique agreement, with an industry partner funding foundational research, on the Eberly College website.

Jainendra Jain, Evan Pugh University Professor and Erwin W. Müller Professor of Physics and holder of the Eberly Family Chair in the Penn State Eberly College of Science.

Professor Jainendra Jain Has Been Selected as the Founding Director of India's Lodha Theoretical Physics Institute

Jainendra Jain, Evan Pugh University Professor, Erwin W. Müller Professor of Physics, holder of the Eberly Family Chair in the Eberly College of Science, and director of the Center for Theory of Emergent Quantum Matter at Penn State, has been selected as the founding director of the Lodha Theoretical Physics Institute, established by the Lodha Foundation, a leading philanthropic organization in India.

Seth Bordenstein and Francesca Chiaromonte, recently elected AAAS fellows

Biologist Seth Bordenstein and Statistician Francesca Chiaromonte Have Been Named AAAS Fellows

Seth Bordenstein, professor of biology and of entomology, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair of Microbiome Sciences, and director of the Penn State One Health Microbiome Center; and Francesca Chiaromonte, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Statistics for the Life Sciences and professor of statistics, have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their extraordinary achievements in advancing science.

Read more about Bordenstein's and Chiaromonte's recognitions on the Eberly College website.

Professor Andrew Patterson Has Been Elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

Andrew Patterson, John T. and Paige S. Smith Professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of molecular toxicology, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology, based on his record of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.

Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics, working on a computer.

Biophysicist Denise Okafor Has Been Awarded the Sloan Research Fellowship

Denise Okafor, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics and assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry, has been honored with the 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, which honors extraordinary researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.

Read the full announcement about Okafor's recognition on the Eberly College website.

Joseph Cotruvo Jr., professor of chemistry at Penn State

Chemist Joseph Cotruvo Jr. Has Received the Mildred Cohn Young Investigator Award

Joseph Cotruvo Jr., professor of chemistry, has received the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Mildred Cohn Young Investigator Award, which recognizes outstanding research contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology. Recipients must have no more than 15 years of experience since receiving their doctoral degree.

College Highlights

Astrophysicist Chad Hanna Has Been Named a Distinguished Professor

Chad Hanna, professor of physics and of astronomy and astrophysics, has been selected to receive the title of distinguished professor in recognition of his exceptional record of teaching, research, and service to the University community.

Read the full announcement about Hanna's recognition on the Eberly College website.

Nikki Crowley and Santhosh Girirajan speaking at a Q&A session at the Village at Penn State for Brain Awareness Week.

How Penn State and the Eberly College of Science Celebrated Brain Awareness Week

The Eberly College of Science partnered with Penn State's Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Materials Research Institute to celebrate Brain Awareness Week, a global public-health movement created by the Dana Foundation in 1996 to highlight science and public health issues related to the brain.

From videos that cover an overview of Brain Awareness Week, how sleep affects the brain, and addressing common neuroscience myths to a Q&A session hosted by the Village at Penn State and a tour of the Materials Research Institute, Penn State units aimed to educate the public on the importance of brain health.

Read the overview of Brain Awareness Week on the Eberly College website.

Attendees watch the final Ashtekar Frontiers of Science lecture of 2026.

Watch a Recap of the 2026 Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lecture Series, "Unexpected Pairings"

The 2026 Ashtekar Frontiers of Science lecture series, titled “Unexpected Pairings: Addressing Today’s Biggest Societal Questions Using Different Disciplinary Approaches,” brought together two researchers from disparate disciplines to hear how they tackle pressing scientific issues and help shape the future of science, health, and humanity. Over the course of six weeks, 12 researchers from the college’s seven departments shared how they are approaching some of today’s biggest societal questions. This past winter, the lecture series celebrated its 32nd year.

Promotional collage for "Come for football. Stay for SCIENCE." shirts and Penn State x Dazzle Dry nail polish, also featuring the Nittany Lion, and two students showing off their painted nails.

Prep for a Blue-White Spring with the Penn State x Dazzle Dry Collection and New "Stay for SCIENCE" Merch

There is a lot to be excited about here at the Penn State Eberly College of Science! 🎉

With the Blue-White game coming up on April 25, now is the perfect opportunity to stock up on Penn State–themed nail polish from alumna-founded Dazzle Dry and the new polo shirts that were recently added to our "Stay for SCIENCE" merchandise collection.

Now, you can represent your alma mater in the workplace or on the green. Order soon! The collection is available now through June 30. Short-sleeve and long-sleeve "Stay for SCIENCE" T-shirts are also still available for purchase.

Five dollars of the proceeds from the sale of each item will go to the Penn State Eberly College of Science and help contribute to a student scholarship fund.

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