UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jon-Paul Maria, Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State, has been named interim head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE), effective July 1. Maria will lead the department while John Mauro, current department head, begins service as the interim John Leone Dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS).
In his role as interim dean, Mauro will lead the college, a globally recognized leader in research and education across energy, materials, earth systems and climate. The college emphasizes sustainability and interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges and is home to institutes including the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, EMS Energy Institute and the John A. Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence, with partnerships and outreach programs around the world.
“Dr. Maria is a remarkable scholar, educator and leader,” Mauro said. “I am very grateful to him for taking on this role. MatSE is in very capable hands, and he will continue to advance the department’s missions of education, research and service.”
Maria joined Penn State in 2018 after 15 years on the faculty at North Carolina State University. A Penn State alumnus, he earned bachelor’s degree in ceramic science and engineering in 1994, his master’s degree in materials science and engineering in 1996 and his doctoral degree in ceramic science in 1998. His research spans electroceramics, electronic materials, thin films and synthesis science.
“I am honored to step into this role and work alongside such an outstanding community of scholars, students and staff,” Maria said. “The department has tremendous momentum, and I look forward to working with our community to expand our impact in research, education and partnerships.”
Maria is recognized for pioneering contributions to entropy-stabilized ceramics, or high-entropy oxides — materials that incorporate multiple elements into a single crystalline structure, enabling properties not found in conventional materials. His group’s influential 2015 publication helped launch the field and contributed to major interdisciplinary efforts, including a $10 million initiative within Penn State’s NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
Maria has also advanced the “ferroelectrics everywhere” concept, challenging long-standing assumptions about where ferroelectricity can occur and opening new possibilities for electronics, energy storage and quantum technologies.
“Much of our work is guided by understanding how atomic structure, chemistry and synthesis connect to a material’s properties,” Maria said. “These relationships help us rethink long-standing scientific assumptions and open new directions for discovery.”