Alumni Newsletter
Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Remembering Homecoming 2024
On September 27, we were thrilled once again to see so many turn out for our Alumni and Friends Tailgate, and proud to see our own Jennelle Malcos, assistant dean for undergraduate students, in the Homecoming Parade with the University Court!
Alumni Impact
Heard on Campus: Alumni Fellow Richard Gottscho
On September 19, Penn State Alumni Fellow Richard Gottscho presented the Erwin W. Müller Memorial Lecture, where he discussed his work with semiconductors.
“Behind the equipment is a cadre of very talented and experienced engineers, people, that are not only designing the equipment but designing the recipes that go into the equipment,” he said.
College Highlights
Chemistry Professor Joey Cotruvo Named a Finalist for Prestigious Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists
Joseph Cotruvo Jr., professor of chemistry at Penn State, has been named as a 2024 national finalist for the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in the chemical sciences. The awards, administered by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences, recognize exceptional scientists in the early years of their professional careers.
“This is a major and highly competitive award,” said Kenneth L. Knappenberger Jr., professor and head of chemistry at Penn State. “We have nominated some of our best chemistry faculty for this award over the years and I believe Joey is the first to receive this honor. It’s a clear indication of the importance and impact of Joey’s research and we couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Biology Professor Kateryna Makova Is Among 12 Penn State Faculty to Receive 2024–25 US Fulbright Scholar Awards
Twelve Penn State faculty members—including Kateryna Makova, Verne M. Willaman Chair of Life Sciences and professor of biology—have received Fulbright Scholar Awards for the 2024–25 academic year, according to the Fulbright US Scholar Program.
Penn State was also recognized as the top US producer of faculty Fulbright Scholars for the 2023–24 academic year by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This marks the second year in a row, and the third time in five years, that Penn State has held the No. 1 spot. The Fulbright US Scholar Program is the US government's flagship international educational exchange program.
A New Tool Focused on Classroom Engagement Is Being Prepped for Spring 2025 Launch
A new teaching observation tool focused on engagement in the classroom is undergoing beta testing with preparations for a rollout across the Penn State Eberly College of Science in spring 2025. Available as an app, Capturing Classroom Engagement Data for Instructor Reflection makes it easy for instructors to gather data on their teaching.
"The CCEDIR teaching observation tool was created to support the teaching development of instructors and instructional teams," said Jackie Bortiatynski, director of the Eberly College of Science’s Grove Center for Excellence in Science Education. "So how do we create a culture in which people are excited about receiving feedback on their teaching?"
Heard on Campus: Nobel Laureate Stan Whittingham
Nobel laureate Stan Whittingham, a distinguished professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering at Binghamton University who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for the discovery of lithium-ion batteries, spoke at the Allcock Group Alumni Lecture on September 30.
"What I want to do today is give you a little bit of background on what lithium-ion batteries are and what we’re trying to do," Whittingham said. "Lithium batteries were invented in the U.S.; we developed them here, then it all disappeared to Japan to Sony, then Korea, now China, so our goal these days is to bring the batteries back here, and the goal is to have the batteries made in America."
Astronomy Professor Joel Leja Presents to Residents of the Village at Penn State
On September 25, Joel Leja, Lee M. Hammarstrom-Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Early Career Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, presented an overview of his research exploring the formation of distant galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope to residents of the Village at Penn State.
In the News
Physics Department Head Mauricio Terrones Featured by Onward State
Mauricio Terrones, George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough Head of the Department of Physics, Evan Pugh University Professor, and professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering, was recently interviewed by Oscar Orellana for Onward State.
"The key for Mauricio Terrones, the head of the Penn State physics department who stepped into the role in July 2023, is to never give up," writes Orellana, a first-year broadcast journalism student at Penn State. "His title is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work navigating his way through the world of science."
Read the article, "‘Never Give Up’: Penn State Professor Mauricio Terrones’ Illustrious Career In Science."
University Highlights
Biology Professor–Led One Health Microbiome Center Launches New Video Series
The Penn State One Health Microbiome Center—directed by Seth Bordenstein, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences and professor of biology and entomology—has announced the launch of a new video series highlighting the center's state-of-the-art resources, research capabilities, and collaborative efforts in microbiome sciences that allow the University to address the full extent of their microbiome science and education.
"Collaborative innovation and multidisciplinary approaches are in the center’s DNA. The challenges we seek to solve are massive in scale, and this video series is a small showcase of the resources and spirit that are at the heart of our mission," Bordenstein said. "By bringing these tools and capabilities to the forefront, we seek to inspire and support the research community in making new discoveries."
Assistant Dean Jennelle Malcos Goes 'Over the Edge'
On October 8, Jennelle Malcos, assistant dean for undergraduate students, went 'Over the Edge' of Beaver Stadium to raise money for the Centre County United Way.
Funds raised during the event support the annual Penn State United Way Campaign, which contributes more than 40 percent of all dollars raised annually for the Centre County United Way. Every year, one in three Centre County residents access the resources and services funded through the United Way and over 53,000 county residents can live fuller, richer, more stable lives because of the University’s support for the Centre County United Way.
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