Department Committees
July 1, 2026 through June 20, 2027
Department Committee members for the period July 1, 2026 through June 20, 2027.
Executive Committee
Eric Kirby, Department Head
Miquela Ingalls, Assoc Head of Grad Programs
Chuck Ammon, Assoc Head of Undergrad Programs
Liz Hajek, Assoc Head for DEIB Programs
New Members
Nicolas Choquette-Levy (one-year term)
Sarah Ivory (one-year term)
Promotion & Tenure
Andy Smye (year 2 of 2-year term)
Matt Fantle (year 2 of 2-year term)
Christelle Wauthier (year 1 of 2-year term)
Kim Lau (year 1 of 2-year term)
Don Fisher (year 1 of 1-year term)
Graduate Program Committee
Miquela Ingalls, Chair
Brian Kelley (year 2 of third term)
Rachel Housego (year 1 of second term)
Roman DiBiase (year 1 of first term)
*the remaining two positions will be appointed by Miquela as part of standing admissions committee
Undergrad Program Committee
Chuck Ammon, Chair
Tanya Furman (year 2 of first term)
Max Lloyd (year 2 of first term)
Anastasia Piliouras (year 1 of first term)
Ben Cardenas (year 1 of first term)
DEIB Committee
Liz Hajek, Chair
Sarah Ivory
Brian Kelley
Sara Peterson
Integrated Safety Committee
Matt Fantle
Bill Ballock
Steve Swavely
Outreach Coordinator
Tim Bralower
Awards Committee
Tim Bralower, Chair
Richard Alley
Kate Freeman
Sara Peterson
Green Team
Matt Fantle
Amy Best
Ombudspersons
Christelle Wauthier
Sridhar Anandakrishnan
College Service
Faculty Senate (EMS Caucus of Senators)
No senator 26-27
Tenure Line Faculty Advisory Committee
Brad Foley (25-28)
Tenure Line Faculty Performance Evaluation Committee
Kevin Furlong (24-27)
Tenure Line P&T Committee
Kate Freeman (26-29)
Non Tenure Line Faculty Advisory Committee
Needed
Non Tenure Line Faculty Promotion & Tenure Committee
Erin DiMaggio (26-27)
Academic Integrity College Committee
Sridar Anandakrishnan
Graduate Council
Sarah Ivory (26-29)
Travel
Employee Travel
Completed for all Employee Travel and return to Kati Taylor, Financial Coordinator, klt5425@psu.edu.
Travel Reimbursement (CONUS) Checklist Form
Penn State has lifted the requirement of prior approval for travel for all faculty, staff, students and post-docs. We are to return to pre-COVID travel processes, so please work with your respective department staff to coordinate travel. If you are traveling internationally, you must be fully vaccinated by the date of their departure and must register your international travel in the Travel Safety Network (TSN) at least 30 days in advance or as soon as possible.
For more information, please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu/travel-guidelines/#employeedomestictravel
Group Meals
Complete and return to Kati Taylor, Financial Coordinator, klt5425@psu.edu.
Non Employee Travel
Must be completed for travel reimbursement by non-employees. Return to Kati Taylor, Financial Coordinator, klt5425@psu.edu.
Department Policies
Department Key Policies
Department Key Policies Form is to be signed and turned in along with the Key Issuance form to Laura Rush, lbr5310@psu.edu or stop by 116 Deike, in order to receive any keys.
Key Issuance Form
Bring completed, signed forms to 116 Deike, Laura Rush. Must have faculty's approval for lab keys (faculty signature on form giving permission to student/PostDoc). Keys will be ready to be picked up the following day after 8:30 a.m.
Human Resources
Geosc new hire information and forms
The Department of Geosciences' greatest strength is its people. Our faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and students drive the department's mission of excellence in education, research, and service. Their expertise, dedication, and innovation contribute to advancing the understanding of Earth systems and preparing the next generation of geoscientists.
To support our community, the department, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and Penn State work together to provide the resources and services needed for professional growth and success.
To begin the hiring process, please select the appropriate form below:
- Wage Payroll New Hire Form
- Postdoctoral Scholar New Hire Form
Please review Penn State Policy HR68 – Postdoctoral Appointments before submitting. - Visiting Scholar/Scientist Appointment Form
For questions regarding HR, payroll, or hiring procedures, please contact Amy at alh31@psu.edu.
Other Resources
AC23 Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations (Formerly HR3)
Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations | Penn State Policies (psu.edu)
Earth and Mineral Sciences, Department of Geosciences Promotion and Tenure Criteria
Working within the framework established by University regulations (AC-23) and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (as detailed in the statement of criteria to be used for Promotion and Tenure), the Faculty Promotion and Tenure Review Committee in the Department of Geosciences will base its recommendations on the scholarly achievements of the faculty members. This concept, in our interpretation, encompasses research, teaching, and other scholarly services to the academic community and society, and involves quality as well as quantity of scholarly production, as reflected by peer-reviewed publications. The most critical measure in our evaluation will be the individual's impact on science and higher education, i.e. their impact on students, colleagues, departmental programs, and field of specialization. We wish to promote and reward those who excel in their academic work and thus serve to uphold or enhance our reputation as a distinguished, inclusive, and equitable Department of Geosciences.
The Committee's recommendations will be based on merit, not on seniority, although it must be recognized that protracted diligence is required to establish a reputation meeting the criteria set forth above.
Although it is recognized that the composition of the faculty, in the long range, is affected by budgetary factors or the evolution of new educational trends, these factors will not be considered in tenure and promotion recommendations.
Thus, the three main criteria are teaching ability and effectiveness; research, creative accomplishment and scholarship (including, where appropriate, the scholarship and research of geosciences pedagogy, justice, or diversity); and service to the University, the public, and the profession. The relative weighting given to these three criteria may vary amongst individuals and through a faculty member’s career.
Revised and approved by the Geosciences Faculty, September 14, 2010
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on September 8, 2011
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on September 6, 2012
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on November 14, 2013
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on September 11, 2014
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on August 27, 2015
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on August 30, 2018
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on September 26, 2019
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on September 24, 2020
Ratified by the Geosciences Faculty on August 26, 2021
Department Contact:
Amy Best, Administrative Support Coordinator, alh31@psu.edu
Risk Management Home Page
http://www.controller.psu.edu/Divisions/RiskManagement/index.html
Approved Vendors
http://www.controller.psu.edu/Divisions/RiskManagement/vendors.html
Contract Cover Sheet
http://www.controller.psu.edu/Divisions/RiskManagement/docs/coversheet.pdf
Software and Software-as-a-Service (Saas) – New Software Request Form
In order to standardize the process for fulfillment of software or software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements that are routed to Purchasing or Risk Management, users can now utilize a single, consolidated questionnaire to gather relevant information about the use of the software or SaaS by the requestor. The information gathered in the questionnaire is very important in the review of the license terms. If you were responsible for completing the Risk Management Electronic Agreement Cover Sheet or Purchasing’s Software Agreement Cover Sheet, you will now instead complete the new online Software Request Form (https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_en6NEiMElsu35l3). After you complete the survey, further instructions will be provided on how to process the request based on information submitted in the new Software Request Form.
Please refer to the following websites for additional information:
Purchasing: https://purchasing.psu.edu/software
Risk Management: https://controller.psu.edu/forms
If you require additional assistance, please contact purchasesoftware@psu.edu.