UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Distinguished Lecture Series in Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State will be held in April and will include two Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures in Materials and the David Ford McFarland Award Lecture for Achievement in Metallurgy. The lectures will be from 3:05 to 4:20 p.m. in 111 Forum Building on the University Park campus.
The awards honor Penn State alumni who have honorably distinguished themselves through exceptional contributions in materials science and engineering.
Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures
The two 2026 Richard E. Tressler Award Lectures in Materials will be given by Tabbetha Dobbins, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rowan University; and Jeffrey J. Swab, founder of Swab Consulting LLC.
Tabbetha Dobbins — April 16
Dobbins will receive her award on Thursday, April 16, and will present “What’s fueling your future? Embracing the genius of the AND.” Her lecture will trace her personal and professional journey from clean energy research to leadership in graduate education. Drawing on her work in hydrogen storage and alternative energies, she will explore how scientific curiosity, persistence and passion can serve as “fuel” for one’s future — a drive that later shaped her transition into academic leadership at Rowan University.
Jeffrey J. Swab — April 23
Swab will receive his award on Thursday, April 23, and will present “Advances in mechanical characterization of structural ceramics.” His talk will examine several decades of advances in mechanical characterization methods that have improved the understanding, quality, consistency and reliability of advanced ceramic materials. He will focus on key developments in mechanical testing and fracture analysis that have shaped modern ceramic design and qualification practices.
The award is named after Richard E. Tressler, who was an international leader in the development of high-temperature materials and served as head of Penn State's Department of Materials Science and Engineering from 1991 to 2001.
McFarland Award Lecture
Mehrooz Zamanzadeh — April 9
The 2026 David Ford McFarland Award Lecture for Achievement in Metallurgy will be presented on Thursday, April 9, to Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, CEO and engineering director at Matergenics Inc.
Zamanzadeh will give the lecture “Corrosion-driven electrochemical degradation and quantitative condition assessment of infrastructure systems in United States.” He will examine how corrosion — acting alongside mechanical loading, environmental exposure, and aging — drives major failures in U.S. infrastructure, illustrated through case studies. Zamanzadeh’s presentation will advocate for condition-based assessment frameworks grounded in measurable material-state variables, enabling proactive, data-driven technical management of aging assets rather than reactive repair following failure.
The McFarland Award was established in 1948 by the Penn State Chapter of the American Society for Metals (now ASM International) to honor graduates of Penn State who have honorably distinguished themselves in some field of metallurgy. The award was named in honor of David Ford McFarland, former professor and department head.
Visit the website for more details on the awards and lectures.