UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Eighteen undergraduate students from Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) were selected as EMS Academy for Global Experience (EMSAGE) laureates. The students received the honor during an EMSAGE ceremony held on May 6.
EMSAGE was formed by EMS in 2009 as a vehicle to foster students’ global competencies and to promote a spirit of integrity, service and leadership. Students achieve laureate status through notable achievement in three areas: scholarship, service, and experiential learning and global literacy.
“EMSAGE fits in with the larger initiative at Penn State that encourages students to get involved with engaged scholarship,” said Nels Shirer, EMS associate dean for education. “Becoming a laureate is a four-year project during which the students take advantage of the opportunities within the college as they take ownership of their futures after Penn State.”
Scholarship
EMSAGE places importance on students going above and beyond with their academic achievement.
For example, Andree Andree showed high achievement by graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering and a master’s degree in energy mineral engineering through an integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) program. He simultaneously completed minors in energy business and finance (EBF) and Japanese. In addition, Andree has received numerous scholarships from EMS and the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering.
“EMSAGE is very beneficial because of its three areas that encourage students to become well-rounded,” said Andree. “I am very thankful and honored to be chosen as a laureate, and I think it speaks to my hard work as an undergraduate.”
Service
Laureates are also encouraged to make an impact by serving others, whether through mentoring fellow students or volunteering in the community.
Giving back has always been a point of emphasis for Jeff Schmidt. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and a minor in energy business and finance, Schmidt mentored students at Penn State’s Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP), which provides incoming first-year students the opportunity to begin their Penn State journey during the summer at University Park. He also mentored first-year students at the College of EMS’ Total Orientation to Earth and Mineral Sciences (TOTEMS), a program designed to help first-year students transition to college.
“I feel accomplished for being named a laureate, and I was always impressed by laureates who graduated before me,” Schmidt said. “I enjoy giving back through leadership and service and EMSAGE is an opportunity to recognize these contributions.”
Schmidt also actively participated in EMS benefitting THON, the EMS Undergraduate Student Council, the Campus Weather Service and Penn State’s chapter of Chi Epsilon Pi, a national meteorology honors society.
Experiential learning and global literacy
Penn State strives to be a leader in the global community, and EMSAGE recognizes the value in this as well.
For Evelyn Bateman, a Schreyer Scholar who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in energy engineering, her undergraduate experience included global opportunities. She participated in solar energy research at the Jülich Research Center in Germany. She also completed summer courses in renewable energy policy and development at Germany’s University of Bonn.
“EMSAGE looks for students with global interests and experiences, and this resonated with me because I spent two summers abroad in Germany,” Bateman said. “It’s important for people to have a global mindset so that we can address international issues in science.”
Bateman will pursue a master’s degree in wind energy at the Technical University of Denmark after graduating from Penn State.
“I look forward to getting involved in the conversations and sharing my Penn State education with others,” she said.
The other students who were named EMSAGE laureates in 2016 include:
- Anne Balogh, meteorology
- Angela Bertagni, geosciences
- Ryan Breton, meteorology
- Ryan Creedon, meteorology
- Faith Eherts, meteorology
- Joshua Gugel, meteorology
- Amanda Hendrix, meteorology
- Mohamad Kanbari, energy engineering
- Nicholas Kolesar, energy business and finance
- Shelby Miller, environmental systems engineering
- Elsa Ng, petroleum and natural gas engineering
- Margaret Norton, geography
- William Rosenow, geobiology
- Matthew Strauser, meteorology
- Maximilian Vido, meteorology