UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Five graduate students in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) were among the 40 recipients of Penn State’s annual graduate student awards, administered by the Graduate School in collaboration with several Penn State units. The awards recognize and celebrate graduate students who are excelling in teaching, research and service, as well as other academic pursuits.

Alumni Association Dissertation Award

Thirteen graduate students, including two from EMS, received the Alumni Association Dissertation Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to doctoral candidates at the University. The award was made possible through a gift from the Penn State Alumni Association and provides funding and recognition to outstanding full-time research doctorate students who have passed their comprehensive examinations and have received approval of their dissertation topic. The college’s two recipients are doctoral students in materials science and engineering: Jingyang He and Rui Zu.

He’s research focuses on designing and discovering optical crystals for lasers, which could have applications to advance medical technology, environmental monitoring and quantum optics. As a doctoral student working with the 2D Crystal Consortium at Penn State, He has identified five promising materials and proven that they are applicable for infrared laser systems. These materials will have a broad impact on the fundamental science in the fields of synthesis techniques, optics and computational science, which will provide insight into the structure-property relationship and guide future nonlinear optical materials discovery.

Zu’s research focuses on nonlinear optical materials that are used in lasers today but could have applications in other technologies. He developed an open-source software package that scientists from interdisciplinary fields can use to precisely analyze these materials with complex properties, which has remained a challenging task for nearly seven decades. The software, called ♯SHAARP, models both linear and nonlinear optical responses of materials, and this can be used by materials researchers to identify new or more effective materials for optical applications. Zu has already found new potential materials to explore using the software he developed, and he is making it available to the materials community widely to empower others.

Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award

Four students, including one from EMS, received the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award, which recognizes excellence in master’s-level thesis research. The EMS recipient is Patrick McFarland, a master’s student in meteorology and atmospheric science.

McFarland studies electrical discharges that form on trees under thunderstorms. Through his work, he sought to understand the impact that lightning and weaker electrical discharges have on atmospheric chemistry by quantifying their production of hydroxyl radicals, the atmosphere’s primary cleanser. His research has established electrical discharges as a potentially significant additional source of hydroxyl, upending theories in the atmospheric science community. He was part of the team that won the 2022 Paul F. Robertson Award for EMS Research Breakthrough of the Year. Watch the video “Cleansing Power of Lightning,” which describes the team’s research.

Intercollege Graduate Student Outreach Achievement Award

Angela Cleri, doctoral student in materials science and engineering, received the Intercollege Graduate Student Outreach Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a student in Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs (IGDPs) who has achieved superior academic records while bringing their scholarship to the community in order to benefit society.

As president of the Science Policy Society student organization, Cleri helps to develop scientific programming for the broader community. One effort she has led is Science on Tap, a monthly community outreach event in which Penn State researchers develop short presentations about their research for the general public. She also leads a podcast series for the group in which she interviews science policy professionals about their work and impact.

Thomas and June Beaver Fund Award

Akshay Pradip Gharpure, doctoral student in energy and mineral engineering, received the Thomas and June Beaver Fund Award, which provides recognition and financial assistance to outstanding graduate students enrolled at Penn State who are performing industrially sponsored research.

Gharpure is interested in developing new ways to obtain graphite-based materials needed for energy storage. As a student, he has worked on several industry-sponsored projects exploring the development and commercialization of novel hydrocarbon conversion technologies. Projects focused on transforming unconventional materials into high-value carbon products with improved properties; improving the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of resins and pitches; improving the quality of tars, pitches and other products obtained from coal using plasma reactor processes; and upcycling plastic waste materials into graphite.

Note: Excerpts used from the news release: “Forty graduate students recognized with prestigious University awards.”