Welcome to our 2021 Virtual Awards Banquet!
We wish that we could be together at our annual celebration, but until that is possible, let's cheer each other on from around the state, the country, and the world.
Student Award Winners
Our students are our pride and joy. They challenge us and inspire us every day. Following are the awards celebrating some of this year’s superlative work by EME students.
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards
These awards are presented to EME graduate students who were nominated by faculty, peers, and students from the classes they instruct in recognition of superior teaching assistance. We typically award up to four Outstanding TA Awards and one TA of the Year Award from the pool of nominated students each year based on the number of nominations received and the strength of the individual nomination statements.
2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Nathan Gendrue, EME Ph.D. student, base option
Nathan was nominated for his work in Mining 331, Rock Mechanics; 411, Energy Science and Engineering Laboratory; and 422, Mine Ventilation and Air Conditioning.
2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Muzammil Soomro, Ph.D. student, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering option
Muzammil nominated for his work in PNG 430, Reservoir Modeling, and EME 301, Elements of Mineral Processing.
2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Xiaojing Yang, EME Ph.D. student, base option
Xiaojing was nominated for her work in EME 301, Thermodynamics, and EGEE 470, Air Pollutants from Combustion Sources.
2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Jiayi Yu, EME Ph.D. student, base option|
Jiayi was nominated for her work in EME 303, Fluid Mechanics.
2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Yiming Zhang, Ph.D. student, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering option
Yiming was nominated for his work in MNPR 30, Elements of Mineral Processing, and 401, Mineral Process Engineering Design.
2021 Teaching Assistant of the Year Award: Paulo Soares, EME Ph.D. student, base option
Paulo was nominated for his work in EBF 301, Global Finance for the Earth, Energy, and Materials Industries; and 304, Environmental Management; and EGEE 437, Design of Solar Energy Conversion Systems.
Fuel Science Awards
Charles B. Darrow Award
Awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, with preference being given to students engaged in the study of coal utilization.
2021 Awardee: Xiaojing Yang, EME Ph.D. student, base option
2021 Awardee: Shubhadeep Banik, EME Ph.D. student, base option
Frank and Lucy Rusinko Graduate Fellowship
Awarded to the most superlative applicants whose studies are focused in fuel science.
2021 Awardee: Shubhadeep Banik, EME Ph.D. student, base option
2021 Awardee: Sandra Ike, Ph.D. student, Fuel Science option
2021 Awardee: Ahmed Maged Aly Hamed, EME Ph.D. student, Fuel Science option
Frank J. Vastola And Ruth J. St. Clair Vastola Graduate Scholarship
Awarded to a student whose research utilizes computational methods in energy or fuel conversion.
2021 Awardee: Xiaojing Yang, EME Ph.D. student, base option
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Merit Awards
Student Merit Awards are presented to individuals who have been chosen by their program faculty members as our most talented and dedicated students based on their academic performance, industry engagement, or leadership qualities. These students will receive an imprinted Nittany Lion statue as soon as the award manufacturers are able to re-open and produce the statues for us to mail to them.
Chosen by the faculty in Energy Business and Finance:
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Mingsong Chen
Graduate Merit Award winner in Energy Environmental and Food Economics: Zachary Teti
Chosen by the faculty in Energy Engineering:
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Shreya Manoj
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Scott McGee
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Brianna Shero
Chosen by the faculty in Environmental Systems Engineering:
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Camila Van Oost
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Sirui Pu
Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Ryan Kovacs
Chosen by the faculty in Mining Engineering:
Junior Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Daniel Buonanno
Senior Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Dean Ambrogi
Graduate Merit Award winner in Mining and Mineral Process Engineering: Mark Hovingh
Chosen by the faculty in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering:
Junior Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Mohammad ALNoaimi
Senior Undergraduate Merit Award winner: Collin Herndon
Graduate Merit Award winner in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering: Jonathan Sant'Anna Garcez Nobrega
The Ertekin Family Award for Student Excellence
Presented in recognition of outstanding academics, student leadership, and industry engagement.
2021 Awardee: Sarah Marsh, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering senior
The Old Timers Club Award
2021 Awardee: Nicholas Boras, Mining Engineering senior
Each year the Old Timers Club presents their Watchman Award to an outstanding senior in the Mining Engineering program.
The Careers in Coal (Ci-Coal) Award
2021 Awardee: Eric Kemper, Mining Engineering senior
Each year the Careers in Coal society presents a miners flame safety lamp to an outstanding senior in the Mining Engineering program.
TO THOSE WHO ARE GRADUATING:
It has been a privilege for the department’s faculty and staff to play a role in your Penn State education. We are confident that you will have successful professional careers and know that you will uphold the tradition of excellence established by your predecessors. You are about to join a loyal and supportive alumni group, and we hope that you will maintain your ties with the department, the college, and Penn State so that we can share in the joy that will accompany your achievements.
AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR ALUMNI, DONORS, AND FRIENDS:
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our alumni and friends for supporting Penn State and the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering. Without such support we would not be able to recognize and reward outstanding performance by the faculty, staff, and students. In difficult times like these, we rely on the funding and opportunities that you provide to our students more than ever.
WE ARE… proud, and grateful, and thankful for each and everyone one of our community members.