Shimin Liu, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering at Penn State, has been named the inaugural Joseph Kreutzberger Early Career Professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, effective July 1.
“I am really honored to receive this professorship,” said Liu. “It will be beneficial for my early career development and will provide financial support for my research group.”
Liu’s research focuses on coal mine gas control, coal bed methane reservoirs, and shale gas development and carbon storage.
“I am planning to buy new equipment using funds from the professorship,” Liu added, “but most importantly I’ll be able to provide critical support for graduate students.”
“The Kreutzberger professorship will help provide the support necessary for Liu and his research group to continue making valuable contributions to the field of energy and mineral engineering,” said Turgay Ertekin, head of the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering and George E. Trimble Chair in Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Liu received a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in 2005 and a master’s in mineral processing engineering in 2007, both from the China University of Mining and Technology Beijing. In 2012, he received a doctorate in engineering science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and joined Penn State’s faculty.
The Kreutzberger Early Career Professorship is intended to encourage and support young faculty in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering during the critical first 10 years of their academic career. The holder of this endowment can direct initial energies to the classroom, establishing a commitment to teaching. Support can also be used to explore new areas of research or to innovate teaching laboratories. The professorship was endowed by James J. and Coral V. Bryja in honor of James Bryja’s mentor, Joseph Kreutzberger, executive vice president of safety for the Pennsylvania Mines Corp.