UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fifteen faculty members have joined the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), reflecting the institute’s growing interdisciplinary reach. Together, they bring expertise that connects energy systems, environmental processes and human dimensions, opening new pathways for collaboration and shared research efforts.
Bruce Logan, director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment, said the group reflects the range of career stages represented across IEE’s research network.
“This is a group that brings both depth and forward-looking momentum,” Logan said. “Experienced faculty contribute a strong foundation and institutional knowledge, while newer faculty introduce emerging ideas and approaches. Together, that balance strengthens collaboration and helps research teams move more quickly from ideas to impact.”
The existing Penn State faculty joining the institute are:
- Richard Alley, Evan Pugh University Professor of geosciences
- Margaret Busse, assistant professor of mechanical engineering
- Nelson Yaw Dzade, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering
- Chris Forest, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science
- Antonia Hadjimichael, assistant professor of geosciences
- Christine Kirchhoff, associate professor of law, policy, and engineering
- Kimberly Lau, assistant professor of geosciences
- Lauren McPhillips, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
- Renee Obringer, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering
- Christopher Rahn, J. Lee Everett Professor of Mechanical Engineering
- Phillip Savage, professor of chemical engineering
- Kimberly Van Meter, associate professor of geography
- Nathaniel Warner, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
- Manzhu Yu, associate professor of geography
In addition, a new faculty member at Penn State is joining IEE. Weston Whitaker is an assistant professor of pharmacology in the College of Agricultural Sciences with a joint appointment in the Eberly College of Science's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He engineers the gut microbiome to address challenges at the nexus of human health and the environment. His work spans from modulating host immunity to developing bacterial sensors for persistent environmental contaminants.
The Institute of Energy and the Environment supports and connects more than 80 interdisciplinary researchers who are solving some of the world’s most difficult energy and environmental challenges.