Eight Penn State faculty members were recognized by the Institute of Energy and the Environment for outstanding contributions to energy and environmental research. Selected through nominations from across the Penn State community, the awardees were honored for their collaborative, interdisciplinary scholarship and their commitment to mentoring students and colleagues. The researchers who received awards were Rahman Azari, Ashmita Bhattacharya, Sven Bilén, José Pinto Duarte, Tamy Guimarães, Konstantinos Papakonstantinou, Aleksandra Radlińska, and Gordon Warn.
In addition, Chaopeng Shen, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Penn State, was named the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s Person of the Year.
These faculty members exemplify the collaborative spirit and innovative thinking that drive meaningful progress in energy and environmental research. Their work not only advances knowledge but also strengthens Penn State’s role as a leader in interdisciplinary research and partnership building.
Director, Institute of Energy and the Environment
Water, AI researcher honored with IEE 'Person of the Year' award
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Institute of Energy and the Environment awards eight Penn State researchers
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Person of the Year Award
This award celebrates an exceptional researcher whose accomplishments in energy or environmental research have yielded notable successes over the past year. In addition to research excellence, the IEE Person of the Year Award recognizes leadership, innovation, mentoring, and service.
Chaopeng Shen has been named the 2025 Person of the Year for his pioneering work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and water and Earth systems science. A professor of civil and environmental engineering at Penn State, Shen is internationally recognized for developing transformative AI-enabled models that improve the understanding, prediction, and management of water resources. His research integrates physical principles with machine learning to deliver more accurate, actionable insights - supporting flood forecasting, climate resilience, and sustainable decision-making at local, national, and global scales. Guided by a lifelong commitment to protecting water and human well-being, Shen’s work exemplifies the impact-driven, interdisciplinary leadership at the heart of the IEE mission.
Advancement of Knowledge Award
This award recognizes a team of two or more Penn State faculty whose interdisciplinary research within one of IEE’s five research themes has led to a significant advance in science, as demonstrated by a peer-reviewed article.
Ashmita Bhattacharya, Konstas Papakonstantinou and Gordon Warn accepted the award on behalf of the research team for their study, “Optimal life-cycle adaptation of coastal infrastructure under climate change.” The findings provide an important alternative to static climate adaptation approaches and offer communities a flexible, cost-effective framework for long-term infrastructure planning as climate conditions continue to evolve.
Translational Research Award
This award recognizes a team of two or more Penn State faculty researchers for their collaborative, interdisciplinary research efforts on a topic within one of IEE’s five research themes that have benefited society.
José Pinto Duarte, Sven Bilén and Aleksandra Radlińska accepted the award on behalf of the research team for their work on Affordable Housing Through Additive Construction, which developed and applied sustainable 3D concrete printing technology to build durable, customized homes using low-carbon, recycled and locally sourced materials. The effort reduced construction time, cost and waste while translating innovative research into real-world impact, including projects completed with local nonprofit partners and in extreme environments.
Research Guidance Award
This award recognizes the efforts that a faculty member may make in demonstrably helping a pre-tenured or non-tenured faculty member begin studying a research topic relevant to at least one of the five IEE research themes.
Rahman Azari and Tamy Guimarães received the award for their collaborative mentorship and partnership, which helped launch a new interdisciplinary research trajectory at the intersection of digital twins, indoor air quality, and decarbonization. Through sustained collaboration and shared student mentoring, the partnership enabled Guimarães to establish an IEE-aligned research program that has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, funded projects, and student mentoring.
Award Committee
The awards process was guided by IEE’s Award Committee, which was led by Hannah Wiseman. The committee members for this year’s awards were Ying Gu, Siela Maximova and Sanjay Srinivasan.