Sridhar Komarneni, distinguished professor of clay mineralogy, marked 50 years with the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences on March 1. He joined the university in 1976 and said he has never regretted his decision to come to Penn State.
“I feel highly satisfied with my career at Penn State,” Komarneni said. “The research I conducted and the teaching I have done over five decades have been a labor of love, and the time has flown by. I visited many countries to give invited lectures and made many friends. Because I traveled so much for work, I never took a sabbatical. That is how much I love working for Penn State and living in State College.”
Komarneni continues to teach undergraduate and graduate courses while conducting research in clay mineralogy. Over his career, he has advised or co-advised more than 30 graduate students, produced over 850 refereed journal articles, authored 11 books, and developed nine patents. His work has earned him numerous honors including fellowships in several scientific societies such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Ceramic Society, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Royal Society of Chemistry, World Academy of Ceramics; he was also named distinguished professor at Penn State in 2007.
Reflecting on his early days at Penn State after earning his doctorate from University of Wisconsin-Madison under Professor M.L. Jackson’s mentorship, Komarneni said, “This was my best decision, career-wise. I started working on a project related to shale rock as a nuclear waste repository.” At the Materials Research Laboratory at Penn State—now part of an interdisciplinary institute—he developed new materials for various applications based on knowledge derived from naturally occurring minerals.
Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, said, “Dr. Komarneni’s academic contributions to the college and his representation of the university both at home and abroad have long been exemplary… His record of guidance and mentoring young scientists in clay mineralogy is impressive and personifies a servant leader.” Fred Cannon, professor emeritus who collaborated with Komarneni for two decades on foundry processing projects among others involving millions in research grants, noted, “It was always such a breath of fresh air collaborating with Dr. Komarneni… We developed a process and commercialized it that offered tens of millions dollars savings to the foundry industry.”
Komarneni observed shifts over his five-decade career from environmental research focus through catalysis material development toward energy materials such as fuel cells today: “In the ’70s and ’80s there was emphasis on research related to clean environment… In this century it is all about energy materials such as fuel cells… water-splitting materials for hydrogen energy generation.” He also praised interdisciplinary collaboration fostered by institutes like Materials Research Institute where he holds joint appointment.
Penn State College Of Agricultural Sciences operates as Pennsylvania State University’s land-grant college with facilities including barns, laboratories, and classrooms located on University Park campus; its mission includes advancing agricultural research and education, enhancing quality of life, extending expertise through statewide extension programs, collaborating with industry, and promoting equity and inclusion according to its official website.
