Andrew Zydney appointed to the Bayard D. Kunkle Chair of Engineering
11/30/2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Andrew Zydney, distinguished professor of chemical engineering and director of the new Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology (CoEIB), was appointed the Bayard D. Kunkle Chair in Engineering.
A substantial background in engineering is required for the Bayard D. Kunkle Chair in Engineering. It will provide Zydney with the opportunity to further scholarly excellence through contributions to instruction, research and public service.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized with the Kunkle Chair,” said Zydney. “The previous holder of this chair, Professor Stephen Fonash in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, was truly an extraordinary scholar – he set a very high bar for the future. The Kunkle Chair will allow me to pursue novel research ideas in membrane separations technology and bioprocessing, providing funds to ‘seed’ new initiatives so that we can obtain the initial results needed to develop competitive proposals for major federal and industrial grants. In addition, the Kunkle Chair will provide direct support for both undergraduate and graduate students working in my laboratory.”
Zydney earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985. He joined the Penn State chemical engineering department in January 2002 and served as department head for chemical engineering from 2004 to 2014.
Recently, Zydney was selected to direct the new Penn State Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology. Building directly on Penn State’s existing programs in industrial biotechnology, Zydney will support the CoEIB mission “that stimulates, funds, and promotes interdisciplinary research and educational initiatives, while working to ensure that these efforts complement each other and effectively address the needs of students and the biopharmaceutical industry,” according to CoEIB.
Justin Schwartz, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering, recommended Zydney for the Chair, which was then determined by Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost Nicholas Jones.
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