Dean Lee Kump: Convergence and Inclusivity - The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences 2017-2026

The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is a vibrant, inclusive community of faculty, staff and students driven by curiosity to unlock how Earth's systems, energy, and materials interact with one another and society. EMS is where convergence happens; where students learn, discover, and innovate by integrating depth in their chosen field with breadth across disciplinary boundaries; where our faculty translate scientific discoveries into practice, improving people's lives; where our staff, with a strong sense of belonging, support those efforts and find new solutions as challenges arise. Together with our alumni, friends, and stakeholders, we are creating a sustainable and inclusive future for society.

Note: Events prior to the 1990s are documented in earlier historical publications (see “The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State” book by E. Willard Miller) and are intentionally not repeated here. 

  • 2017
    Lee R. Kump becomes Dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
    A man with light brown hair and blue eyes wearing a dark blazer over a light blue checkered shirt, smiling while standing indoors near a window with an outdoor scene behind him.
  • 2017
    Postdoc-Facilitated Innovation through Collaboration established

    This program enables two or more faculty members, preferably from different departments and disciplines, to submit proposals for support of a postdoc to facilitate their collaboration in an area of emerging importance.

  • 2018
    Center for Energy Law and Policy launched

    Recognizing Penn State’s opportunity to lead in shaping energy policy for the Commonwealth and nation, EMS and (now) Penn State Dickinson Law (at the time, Penn State Law) established the Center for Energy Law and Policy. CELP provides a hub for systematic interdisciplinary research around pressing energy issues where technology, social, and legal frameworks are critical ingredients to successful policy design and implementation. The Center also convenes stakeholders from industry, government, non-profits, and communities to discuss the implications of this research.

    Conference setting at Penn State Law with a speaker standing at a podium and a large projection screen displaying discussion questions about methane control and regulatory approaches. Several panelists are seated at a table on stage, and attendees are seated in rows facing the front.
  • 2018
    ALLWE: The Assessment of the Living, Learning and Working Environment in EMS initiated

    The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences undertook a vital and relevant assessment of the environment for living, learning, and working - the Assessment of the Living, Learning, and Working Environment (ALLWE) survey. The initiative's goal was to make positive, lasting changes, and to help create a more inclusive campus. The results of the survey were used in the implementation plan to better enable the college to not only develop programs and policies that will increase inclusivity in areas which are shown to be problematic, but also enhance and replicate programs and policies in areas which are shown to be successfully meeting the needs of the community. 

    Silhouettes of diverse people in a variety of poses, shown in a rainbow gradient from green to blue to purple to red to orange to yellow, with the word ‘ALLWE’ in bold blue letters on the right.
  • 2018
    Established the Center for Critical Minerals

    Recognizing that the U.S. was completely dependent on imports of twenty-one out of the fifty nonfuel commodities, posing a national security and economic risk if the U.S. did not develop methods and technologies to create its own supply of critical materials, Dr. Sarma Pisupati established Penn State’s Center for Critical Minerals. The C2M combines Penn State's expertise across several colleges in partnership with industrial partners to develop the fundamental science and technology needed to harness domestic mineral sources. 

    Laboratory setup with four large glass containers connected to equipment and digital displays, illuminated by blue and orange lighting. Labels over the containers show chemical elements: Mn for manganese, Co for cobalt, Rare Earth elements, Al for aluminum, and Fe for iron.
  • 2019
    John Leone Dean’s Chair in EMS funded

    The John Leone Dean’s Chair in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences provides the dean of the college with discretionary funds to enhance student engagement opportunities outside the classroom, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, address underrepresentation of women and minorities in the STEM disciplines of EMS, and sustain and grow leadership in energy, materials, and environmental education, research, and outreach, among other priorities. This gift built on Leone’s nearly four decades of giving to areas across the University, especially the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Intercollegiate Athletics, and the College of Arts and Architecture. 

    Man wearing a dark suit jacket, white dress shirt, and a black-and-white striped tie, standing indoors in front of a large window with trees visible outside.
  • 2019
    Office of Student Engagement created in the Ryan Family Student Center

    The Office of Student Engagement was established to help ensure that all EMS undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in out-of-the-classroom experiences, including research, study abroad, community engagement, and internships.

    A group of students standing on a snowy and icy landscape in front of a large glacier with jagged blue ice formations and a rocky mountain in the background. The group is dressed in winter gear and holding climbing equipment.
  • 2020
    EMS Pivots to Remote Operations during COVID-19

    With the help of the skilled staff and faculty of the John A. Dutton Institute, faculty moved their courses to remote instruction using online tools such as Canvas (the university’s learning management system) and Zoom. Laboratories were shuttered, and all but essential services were conducted remotely through the spring of 2020. In the words on one EMS instructor:

    "You would have thought that the personnel in the Dutton Institute had run possible scenarios for such an event [COVID-19 pandemic]! They were just that well prepared to launch into instruction across the University to teach us the nuts and bolts as well as a few nuances in remote teaching resources.he week of spring break, March 8 through March 13, 2020 when the pandemic broke out exponentially worldwide, the learning designers as well as the management team at the institute kept their heads when others including our Federal government personnel were losing theirs. They organized and offered training sessions in Zoom, Kaltura, and other on-line resources to the faculty and staff during that first week.... Thus, here at Penn State, myself included, we started distance learning using Zoom, Kaltura, etc. the Monday after Spring Break!"

    Classroom lecture with a presenter pointing to a projected slide showing scientific images, while students sit at tables wearing masks.
  • 2020
    Associate heads for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion established in all five academic departments
    Collage of five individuals shown from the shoulders up, each with their name and academic title displayed below. The text reads: Eugene Clothiaux, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science; Lorraine Dowler, professor of geography and women’s, gender and sexuality studies; Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering and materials science and engineering; Elizabeth Hajek, associate professor of geosciences; Chiara Lo Prete, associate professor of energy economics.
  • 2020
    Consortium for Planetary and Exoplanetary Science and Technology (CPEST) established

    CPEST aimed to bring together the Penn State Community in exploration of space, with an aspirational goal of bring a planetary mission to PSU. Through its centers, CPEST promotes interdisciplinary research in the exciting and rapidly developing fields of Planetary Science, Exoplanetary Science, and Space Technology. Within Penn State planetary, there are six centers: the Astrobiology Research Center, the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, the Center for Space Research Programs, the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, the Planetary System Science Center, and the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center. CPEST is an intercollege project involving the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, College of Engineering, and the Eberly College of Science.

    Image of a planet in space with text overlay that reads ‘PennState planetary’ and ‘Consortium for Planetary and Exoplanetary Science and Technology.
  • 2021
    Dean’s office moves to Barron Building

    Designed to facilitate the renovation of Hosler Building  by consolidating the geochemistry laboratories for Geosciences in Deike Building, a relocation of EMS Dean’s offices, including Human Resources and Finance, together with Strategic Communications, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research (ADGER), and Development and Alumni Relations, was initiated once the soon-to-be-named Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub was completed at 123 South Burrowes Street.

    A modern multi-story glass and metal building with a large entrance canopy labeled ‘Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub Building,’ set along a city street with trees, sidewalks, and a person walking by.
  • 2021
    125th Anniversary of EMS celebrated

    The college celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2021. The Crescendo weekend, which was to mark the closing of the anniversary year, was postponed due to COVID-19. It was rescheduled for October 14 -15, 2022. The celebration included a series of showcase events and symposia and a celebration weekend honoring our 125th Anniversary Fellows.

    Graphic with the text ‘Celebrating 125 Years’ in large blue letters, and a ribbon banner below displaying ‘1896 – 2021.
  • 2022
    Record fundraising campaign for EMS completed

    Initiated by Director of Development Susan Powell and completed by her successor, Christopher Brida, the campaign more than doubled its original goal of $67M, which itself would have been a record, with a final total of over $156M raised to support students, faculty research, and academic programs.

    A speaker stands at a podium addressing an audience in a conference room. A large screen behind the speaker displays the number $156,523,714 in bold white text on a blue background, along with the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences logo and collage-style images of people and technology.
  • 2022
    LionGlass invented

    A research team led by John Mauro, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, creates a new glass that has superior properties to conventional glass, can be formed at lower temperatures, thus using less energy, and significantly reduces CO2 emissions during its manufacturing. The very next year, LionGlass was taken to market!

    Three people wearing safety goggles, face shields, and black lab coats stand around a metal worktable in a laboratory, using tools to handle hot glass during an experiment.
  • 2023
    Growth in AESEDA-affiliated faculty

    Five tenure-track faculty positions were advertised and filled in 3 departments, adding considerable strength to research and teaching in in natural hazards, energy and materials with a focus on collaborations and capacity building with African institutions. Penn State’s Alliance for Education, Science, Engineering and Design with Africa (AESEDA) is committed to underserved populations in Africa and its diaspora through research, innovation and solution-based collaboration.