Every year in April the department holds an awards banquet to celebrate the success of our students and to thank those who sponsor our scholarships and program support funds. The event brings students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends together to acknowledge the accomplishments of our community and present awards to our brightest and best.
Banquet History:
The annual awards banquet has been an important part of our year since the early days of our programs at Penn State. In more recent years the banquet has been paired with the G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture Series in Mineral Engineering since that lecture’s inauguration in 1992. The lecture is open to the public.
The awards banquet is a by-invitation-only event, and invitations are sent out in February each year to all EME faculty, staff, students, stewardship contacts, and friends who serve on department committees, panels, and boards. If you have not seen your invitation by the beginning of March, please contact Rachel Conaway, the EME alumni relations and stewardship officer.
Awards are disbursed to many members or our community at the banquet each year.
For alumni:
- Richard L. Gordon Distinguished Achievement Award in Mineral Economics and Energy Business and Finance: This award was established to honor the memory of Dr. Richard Gordon, an energy economist and Penn State professor who served with distinction, great productivity, and professionalism, and it recognizes achievements and leadership that enhance the mineral economics and energy business profession.
- Distinguished Achievement Award in Energy Engineering and Fuel Science: This award was established to recognize our alumni for their leadership and professionalism in all matters connected with the energy environmental and safety industries.
- Distinguished Achievement Award in Energy and Sustainability Policy and Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems: This award was established to recognize our alumni for their leadership and professionalism in all matters connected with the energy sustainability field.
- Distinguished Achievement Award in Environmental Systems Engineering and Geo-Environmental Engineering: This award was established to recognize our alumni for their leadership and professionalism in all matters connected with the energy industry.
- Robert Stefanko Distinguished Achievement Award in Mineral Engineering: This award was established in 1992 to honor the memory of Robert Stefanko (’48, ’57, ’61), a professor who served with distinction, great productivity, and professionalism and provided lasting benefits to his alma mater, and it recognizes achievements and leadership that enhance the mineral engineering profession.
- C. Drew Stahl Distinguished Achievement Award in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering: This award was established in 1998 to recognize Penn State Petroleum and Natural Gas engineers who are acknowledged for their leadership and professionalism in all matters connected with the petroleum industry, as Dr. Stahl was during his illustrious career in industry and at Penn State.
For staff:
- EME Outstanding Staff Award: This award was established to celebrate the exemplary performance of duties by a departmental staff member each year.
For students:
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards: These awards are presented to EME graduate students who were nominated by faculty, peers, and students from the classes they instruct in recognition of superior teaching assistance.
- C.C. Wright Award: This award is given by the Fuel Science faculty to a graduating student who has achieved excellence in their graduate research only during years when there is an outstanding candidate. The award was named in honor of Dr. C.C. Wright, Professor and Head of the Fuel Science Program at Penn State from 1945 to 1954. Dr. Wright was internationally known for his research on the origin, constitution, processing, gasification, carbonization, and utilization of coal.
- Undergraduate and Graduate Student Merit Awards: Student Merit Awards are presented to individuals who have been chosen by their program faculty members as our most talented and dedicated students based on their academic performance, industry engagement, or leadership qualities.
- The Old Timers Club Award: Each year the Old Timers Club presents their Watchman Award to an outstanding senior in the Mining Engineering program.
- The Careers in Coal Award: Each year the Careers in Coal society presents a miners flame safety lamp to an outstanding senior in the Mining Engineering program.
- EME Good Citizenship Award: These awards are presented to students who take an active role in their community – be that within their academic program or through a professional society, club, advisory committee, or external organization/group.