Alumni Newsletter
Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Jainendra Jain Has Been Named a 2025 Wolf Prize Laureate in Physics
Jainendra K. 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, has been awarded, along with two others, the 2025 Wolf Prize in Physics for “groundbreaking contributions to quantum matter and its topological potential” that revolutionized “our understanding of two-dimensional electron systems in strong magnetic fields.”
The Wolf Prize acknowledges scientists and artists worldwide for their outstanding achievements in advancing science and the arts for the betterment of humanity.
"The Wolf Prize is one of the highest honors in the world of science, and this well-deserved recognition of Dr. Jain’s extraordinary contributions is a proud moment for Penn State," said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. "For over 30 years, his groundbreaking work in theoretical physics has deepened our understanding of quantum matter, paving the way for real-world innovations in high-performance electronics and quantum computing. His research exemplifies the power of university-driven discovery, and we celebrate this prestigious recognition of his remarkable achievements."
Upcoming Events
April 5: Penn State Astronomers Will Present at the Liberty Science Center's Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium
The Penn State Eberly College of Science’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics is hosting a visit to the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Saturday, April 5, as part of the Spring 2025 Johnson Lecture in Scientific Communication. The event will include a reception from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and a presentation on the science outreach and educational opportunities of using an immersive planetarium immediately following until 7:30 p.m.
Randall L. McEntaffer, department head and professor of astronomy and astrophysics, along with Christopher Palma, teaching professor of astronomy and astrophysics, will be giving presentations at the Johnson Lecture event to demonstrate the value of planetariums as educational spaces that are changing the way in which people learn about topics including astronomy, medicine, athletics, and more.
How to Attend
Alumni and friends who live in the New Jersey region and those who have their own transportation to attend the April 5 event can register to attend.
July 21–22: Penn State Will Host the Fourth Annual Big Ten Neuroscience Symposium
The Penn State Neuroscience Institute, through the Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Penn State College of Medicine, will host the Big Ten Neuroscience Annual Meeting on July 21 and 22 at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College.
“The theme for the 2025 annual meeting is WE ARE Building Flourishing Brains, and we’re thinking about all the things that lead to the healthiest brain possible,” said Nikki Crowley, director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute at University Park, Huck Early Career Chair in Neurobiology and Neural Engineering, and assistant professor of biology and of biomedical engineering. “We are taking a translational perspective of understanding the development of a healthy brain at all stages of life.”
Alumni Impact
From left to right: Alumni Society Board President Lori Schrider, Outstanding Science Alumni Awardee Madhumita Ghosh-Dastidar, Acting Dean Mary Beth Williams, and Outstanding Science Alumni Awardee Thomas Gardner at the March 20 awards ceremony. Credit: Michelle Bixby
Six Are Honored with the Outstanding Science Alumni Award
The Penn State Eberly College of Science has selected six alumni to be honored with the Outstanding Science Alumni Award for 2025. The board of directors of the Eberly College of Science Alumni Society established this award to recognize alumni who have a record of significant professional achievements in their field and who are outstanding role models for students in the college. The winners were presented with an award during an event held RE Farm Café on March 20.
The following individuals are the recipients of this year’s award:
- Mario Ciabarra, 1999 bachelor of science degree in science
- Thomas Gardner, 1975 bachelor of science degree in biology and 1998 master of science degree in physiology
- Madhumita Ghosh-Dastidar, 1996 master of science degree and 1999 doctoral degree, both in statistics
- Maura McLaughlin, 1994 bachelor of science degree in astronomy and astrophysics
- Janda Kirk Griffith Panitz, 1966 bachelor of science degree, 1969 master of science degree, and 1975 doctoral degree, all in physics
- John Panitz, 1965 bachelor of science degree, 1966 master of science degree, and 1969 doctoral degree, all in physics
Ryan Henrici Is Honored with the Alumni Achievement Award
Ryan Henrici, a class of 2015 graduate who majored in biochemistry and molecular biology, is one of eight prominent young alumni who will be honored by the Penn State Alumni Association at the 2025 Alumni Achievement Awards Ceremony on Friday, March 28, at 6:00 p.m. The event will be live streamed.
The award is one of the Alumni Association’s most prestigious honors. Recipients are nominated by an academic college or campus and invited by the president of the University to return to Penn State to share their expertise with students and the University community. They demonstrate to students that Penn State alumni can succeed in exceptional fashion at an early age.
College Highlights
Heard on Campus: Alumna Shirley Malcom at the Inaugural Science Equity & Diversity Conference
“Within our country, within our institutions, within Penn State there are stories of hidden figures. ... Every field has hidden figures they have lost to history. They have stories that need to be held up and held onto,” said Eberly College alumna Shirley Malcom, senior adviser and director of SEA Change, an international nonprofit organization housed in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and dedicated to advancing science, technology, and innovation for the benefit of all.
Malcom gave the keynote address at the inaugural Science Equity & Diversity Conference in the Penn State Eberly College of Science. The event brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external partners in the college to explore and strengthen the impact of inclusive excellence in STEM.
Her talk, “Eberly Inclusive: Identifying and Removing Barriers to Success,” centered on the history of scientific institutions and scientific progress, and steps institutions can work to improve access to science education and research, such as through blind reviews of proposals.
Astronomer Kevin Luhman Tells the Story Behind the Cosmic Image on a New US Stamp
Over 50,000 submissions are made for images on US stamps every year, and out of those, about 40 are turned into real stamps. For Kevin Luhman, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, seeing an image he took with the James Webb Space Telescope on a US stamp has become a reality.
In 2022, Luhman took images of a nebula—a giant cloud of gas and dust in space where stars often form—in the Perseus constellation. His goal was to use these images to detect brown dwarfs—starlike objects that are not big enough to sustain nuclear fusion at their cores—at a much smaller mass than had been seen before. Now, three years later, one of the images taken during his research is being used on a US stamp, specifically with priority express mail.
Chemistry Professor Ray Schaak Is Honored by the American Chemical Society
Ray Schaak, DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry in the Penn State Eberly College of Science and professor of chemical engineering, has been honored with the 2025 F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry by the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award recognizes outstanding achievements in synthetic inorganic chemistry.
Schaak was presented with the award at the spring 2025 ACS meeting in San Diego. The meeting also featured a symposium in his honor that was organized by four doctoral alumni of the Penn State Department of Chemistry.
University Highlights
Penn State Biology Rises to the Top 10 percent in the 2025 QS World University Rankings
Penn State ranked 76th for biological sciences in the 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject, rising from 85th in 2024 and placing the University in the top 10 percent worldwide.
The University also showcased its interdisciplinarity, continuing to rank in the top 100 in the world in subject areas that are key strengths in the Eberly College of Science, including natural sciences (astronomy and physics), statistics, math, and chemistry.
“This strong showing in the internationally recognized QS annual rankings reaffirms what we already know: Our college is a leader in both research and education,” said Mary Beth Williams, acting dean of the Eberly College of Science and James and Alvina Balog Faculty Fellow in Science. “I continue to be proud of the breadth and impact of our faculty’s scholarly expertise and the collaborative approach they take across our disciplines to truly advance scientific discovery.”
Graduate Students Will Present Their Journeys in Science to Local High Schoolers at ENVISION
When they present the keynotes at this year's ENVISION: STEM Career Day Supporting Young Women on Saturday, March 29, Penn State graduate students Nazifa Tabassum and Katie Yan will share their experiences in STEM and provide advice to more than 100 middle school and high school students from Centre County and the surrounding area who are eager to get involved as scientists.
The annual ENVISION event helps inspire young girls and women to see themselves in STEM fields.
Read a Q and A with Tabussum and Yan on the Eberly College website.
In the News
DNA Profiling: Tracing Killers and Solving Mysteries Using Genetic Clues
Every DNA fragment tells a story. Forensic experts—among them, Penn State forensic scientist Mitchell Holland—use these genetic breadcrumbs to solve old mysteries and modern crimes, including helping to identify the remains of the Romanovs, Russia's last imperial family.
Boost for Alien Hunters? Earth Life May Not Be So Improbable, Study Suggests
“This new perspective suggests that the emergence of intelligent life might not be such a long shot after all," said Jason Wright, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, whose recent research contributes to a shift in how we think about life and the origin of humanity.
Wright was recently featured alongside the paper's coauthors on Space.com.
AI-Generated Birdsongs May Shed New Light on Human Language
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now being used to mimic how birds produces songs, thanks to Penn State researchers like Dezhe Jin, associate professor of physics, who was quoted on Earth.com describing how this research can open up new possibilities for understanding how both bird and human brains encode language and communication.
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