December 2015 Science Journal

Faculty Spotlight
Faculty Awards and Honors
John
Badding,
professor of
chemistry and
physics, has
been selected
to receive the
2015 Penn State Faculty
Scholar Medal for
Outstanding Achievement in
the Physical Sciences.
Established in 1980, the
award recognizes scholarly or
creative excellence represented
by a single contribution or a
series of contributions around
a coherent theme. A committee
of faculty peers selects
candidates after reviewing
nominations together with
outside evaluations from peer
institutions.
Augustin
Banyaga,
professor of
mathematics,
has been
named a
Distinguished
Senior Scholar. The title
is given by Penn State's
Eberly College of Science in
recognition of a sustained
record of extraordinary
achievement in research and
education. Holders of this
position have had a profound
effect on their fields through
creative innovation and
internationally acclaimed
scientific leadership, as well as
exceptional accomplishments
in teaching and mentoring of
undergraduate and graduate
students.
Squire J.
Booker,
professor of
chemistry
and of
biochemistry
and molecular
biology, has been named
an investigator of the
Howard Hughes Medical
Institute (HHMI), a science
philanthropy whose mission
is to advance biomedical
research and science
education for the benefit of
humanity. As one of 26 new
HHMI investigators chosen
from 894 applicants, Booker
joins a group of scientists,
including 17 Nobel laureates,
widely recognized for their
creativity and research
accomplishment. The HHMI
chooses investigators based
on a “people, not projects”
philosophy allowing its
investigators the freedom to
explore creative approaches to
difficult biomedical problems.
Booker will receive flexible
support designed to enable
him to move his research
forward in creative new
directions.
Jane
Charlton,
professor of
astronomy and
astrophysics,
has been
selected to
receive the 2015 President's
Award for Excellence in
Academic Integration. The
award is given to faculty
members who excel at
integrating teaching, research,
and service to the University.
The award is presented by the
Office of the President of the
University, based on the
recommendations of the
President's Council and
academic deans.
Charlton has also been
selected to receive one of
three Penn State Teaching
Fellows Awards for 2015/2016.
The Teaching Fellow Award
was established jointly in
1986 by the Penn State
Alumni Association, the
Undergraduate Student
Government, and the
Graduate Student Association
with the purpose of honoring
distinguished teaching
and providing incentive for
teaching excellence at Penn
State.
The
International
Astronomical
Union (IAU)
announced the
election of
Eric D.
Feigelson, professor of
astronomy and astrophysics
and of statistics, as the
president of its new
Commission on
Astroinformatics and
Astrostatistics at its General
Assembly in August. The IAU
is the world’s largest scholarly
society in astronomy. Together
with G. Jogesh Babu,
professor of statistics,
Feigelson is one of the
founders of the field of
astrostatistics that endeavors
to improve applications of
sophisticated methodology to
the analysis and
interpretation of astronomical
data. Feigelson and Babu
have organized research
conferences, graduate-level
summer schools, and coauthored
a prize-winning
textbook in the field.
Charles
Fisher,
professor of
biology and
associate dean
for graduate
education in
the Eberly College of Science,
has been named a
Distinguished Senior Scholar.
The title is given by Penn
State's Eberly College of
Science in recognition of a
sustained record of
extraordinary achievement in
research and education.
Holders of this position have
had a profound effect on their
fields through creative
innovation and internationally
acclaimed scientific leadership,
as well as exceptional
accomplishments in teaching
and mentoring of
undergraduate and graduate
students.
Kin Fai Mak,
assistant
professor of
physics, has
been selected
by the U.S.
Department of
Energy's (DOE) Office of
Science to receive funding for
his research as part of the
DOE's Early Career Research
Program. With this funding,
Mak will study a new method
for transmitting information
by controlling a parameter of
electrons known as the “valley
degree of freedom” in twodimensional
crystals. The
research has potential
application in next-generation
electronic and optoelectronic
devices, such as spin and
valley transistors and
polarization-sensitive LEDs.
Gerald D.
Mahan,
distinguished
professor of
physics, has
been honored
with the 2015
Outstanding Achievement in
Thermoelectrics Award from
the International
Thermoelectric Society (ITS).
The award recognizes the
outstanding achievements of a
senior scientist for
contributions to the field of
thermoelectricity. The award
was presented at the banquet
of the 2015 International
Conference on Thermoelectrics
in Dresden, Germany, where
Mahan presented a plenary
lecture.
Jennelle L.
Malcos,
lecturer in
biology, has
received the
George W.
Atherton
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