Affiliated Researchers

Affiliates are Penn Staters who have a connection to or an interest in the work of the Institute of Energy and the Environment. Currently, 1013 faculty and researchers from across Penn State, including the Commonwealth campuses, are affiliates of IEE.

Joseph Najem


Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Top research keywords: Memristors, Lipid Bilayers, Ionic Polymer, Ions, Plastic Property

Raymond Najjar


Professor, Meteorology and Atmospheric Science
Top research keywords: Ocean, Estuary, Chesapeake Bay (US), Chesapeake Bay, Estuaries

Rebecca Napolitano


Assistant Professor in Architectural Engineering, Architectural Engineering
Top research keywords: Structural Health Monitoring, Photogrammetry, Virtual Reality, Lighthouses, Cracks

Ashkan Negahban


Associate Professor of Engineering Management, Engineering Division (Great Valley)
Top research keywords: Agent-based Simulation, New Products, Hybrid Simulation, Problem-Based Learning, Sales

Robert Nicholas


Associate Research Professor, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute
Top research keywords: Climate Change, Climate Modeling, Climate, Flood Protection, Downscaling

Martin de Jesus Nieto-Perez


Associate Teaching Professor, Nuclear Engineering

Sarah Nilson


Assistant Professor of Biology, Penn State Beaver
Top research keywords: Heterotrimeric GTP-binding Proteins, Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins, Forest Farming, Allium Tricoccum, Droughts

Xianzeng Niu


Assistant Research Professor, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute
Top research keywords: Natural Gas, Shale Gas, Water Quality, Oil And Gas Fields, Groundwater

Xinwei Niu


Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Science, Engineering & Technology (Harrisburg)
Top research keywords: Hardware/software Co-design, Video Coding, Embedded Systems, Energy Consumption, Chip

Tracy Nixon


Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Top research keywords: Sinorhizobium Meliloti, ATPases Associated With Diverse Cellular Activities, Cellulose Synthase, DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases, Adenosine Triphosphate

Gina Noh


Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Top research keywords: Hydrogenation, Selectivity, Catalysts, Acids, Organometallics

Calvin Norman


Extension Educator, Forestry And Wildlife

Belén Noroña


Assistant Professor of Geography

Andrew Nyblade



Top research keywords: Earth Mantle, Upper Mantle, Cratons, Antarctic Regions, Tanzania

Jacqueline O'Connor


Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Top research keywords: Combustors, Flames, Flame, Soot, Nozzles

Esther Obonyo


Professor, School of Engineering Design and Innovation
Top research keywords: Earth (planet), Brick, Fibers, Construction Industry, Students

Renee Obringer


Assistant Professor in Energy and Mineral Engineering, Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME)
Top research keywords: Demand, Smart City, Climate, Electricity, Sustainable Development

Olumide Ogunmodimu


Assistant Professor, John and Willie Leone Department of Energy & Mineral Engineering (EME)

Hee Jeung Oh


Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Top research keywords: Polyethylene Glycols, Ethers, Block Copolymers, Sulfone, Membranes

Masataka Okutsu


Associate Professor of Engineering, Division of Engineering and Science (Abington)
Top research keywords: Mars, Trajectories, Earth (planet), Low Thrust, Gravitation

Mark Ortiz


Assistant Professor, Department of Geography

Troy Ott


Professor, Animal Science
Top research keywords: Sheep, Trophoblastin, Interferons, Pregnancy, Endometrium

Zoubeida Ounaies


Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Top research keywords: Polymers, Electric Fields, Nanocomposites, Composite Materials, Carbon Nanotubes

Burcu Ozden


Assistant Professor of Engineering, Division of Engineering and Science (Abington)
Top research keywords: Polariton, Polaritons, Condensates, Spin Orbit Coupling, High Electron Mobility Transistors

Frans Padt


Teaching Professor

Emily Pakhtigian


Assistant Professor in School of Public Policy, School of Public Policy
Top research keywords: Nepal, Household, Sanitation, River Basin, Hydropower

Bing Pan


Professor, Recreation, Park and Tourism Management
Top research keywords: Tourism, Tourist, Search Engine, Marketing, Travel

Herschel Pangborn


Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Top research keywords: Temperature Control, Model Predictive Control, Thermal Management, Hot Temperature, Power Management

Kostas Papakonstantinou


Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Top research keywords: Markov Processes, Inspection, Life Cycle, Dynamic Programming, Partially Observable Markov Decision Process

Aparna Parikh


Assistant Teaching Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Asian Studies

Harland Patch


Assistant Research Professor, Entomology
Top research keywords: Bees, Bee, Honey, Bombus, Pollen

Praharsh Patel


Student Water Council Member

Andrew Patterson


Professor, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Top research keywords: Metabolomics, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Microbiota, Pharmacological Metabolism, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptors

Paul Patterson


Professor, Animal Science
Top research keywords: Hens, Poultry, Ammonia, Laying Hens, Diet

Mark E. Patzkowsky


Professor, Geosciences
Top research keywords: Ordovician, Extinction, Brachiopod, Mass Extinction, Biofacies

Gregory Pavlak


Assistant Professor, Architectural Engineering
Top research keywords: Thermal Energy, Uncertainty, Heating, Sensitivity Analysis, Model Predictive Control

John A. Pecchia


Associate Research Professor, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
Top research keywords: Mushrooms, Agaricus Bisporus, Mushroom, Agaricus, Composting