Newswise — ROLLA, Mo. _ Dr. Angela Lueking, a professor of energy and mineral engineering and chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University and a recent program director at the National Science Foundation, is joining Missouri University of Science & Technology as associate dean of research in the College of Engineering and Computing starting Aug. 1.
At the NSF, Lueking oversaw the molecular separations program during a two-year appointment that concludes this month. The program supports fundamental research to identify new materials and mechanisms to decrease energy consumption in the chemical process industries, water purification, gas separations and downstream biological processing.
Lueking served as a Penn State faculty member since 2003, with an interdisciplinary research emphasis that spanned chemical, environmental, mechanical and materials engineering. Her research has received support from the Department of Energy, NSF and the American Chemical Society.
“Angela Lueking is a world-class researcher with a very successful track record of working across multiple engineering disciplines,” says Richard Wlezien, vice provost and dean of engineering and computing at Missouri S&T. “We’re excited about her arrival as we look to expand the college’s research footprint and continue to build our research enterprise.”
Lueking is co-author of a new general education textbook, “Science of the Earth, Climate and Energy,” and was one of 25 scientists selected for a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship in 2012, which allowed her to further her research as a visiting scholar at the University of Crete in Greece.
As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, Lueking led creation of the Re-entry to Active Research (RARE) program, an NSF effort to provide those who’ve taken a hiatus from active research in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities to return.
“The most rewarding part of my job at NSF has been mentoring junior faculty on how to frame their research ideas to get reviewers excited about the broader impact of the work,” Lueking says. “The faculty at S&T have set the ambitious goal of doubling their research expenditures — and there seems to be a cultural upswelling to accomplish this. I look forward to working closely with Dean Wlezien and our entire CEC faculty.”
A native of rural Nebraska, Lueking earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nebraska, and master of science degrees in chemical engineering and environmental engineering and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan. She will also hold a faculty appointment in chemical engineering at S&T.
“Rolla reminds me of my upbringing in a small Midwestern town, and how my early career success was the product of a scholarship to a land-grant university combined with personal attention by STEM faculty,” she adds. “These experiences motivate my research vision for Missouri S&T: to address regional problems that have risen to national prominence, leverage students’ background, and engage alumni and industrial partners to spur statewide economic growth.”
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