Seong Kim named chemical engineering department head

June 25, 2025

By Ty Tkacik

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Seong Kim has been named department head and holder of the Walter L. Robb Family Department Head’s Chair of Chemical Engineering at Penn State, effective July 1. Kim’s promotion follows over 20 years of committed service to Penn State as a faculty member, leader and interdisciplinary researcher.

“Professor Kim has been an engaged member of the chemical engineering department for 24 years, helping support the growth and excellence of the community,” said Tonya L. Peeples, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering. “He has already left an incredible mark on the College of Engineering through his work supporting interdisciplinary research, and his leadership will continue fostering collaboration and creativity between chemical engineering students and faculty.”

Prior to his promotion, Kim served as associate department head of the John R. and Jeannette Dachille McWhirter Graduate Program in chemical engineering, a distinguished professor of chemical engineering, a professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and a professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Science. Kim also holds an affiliation with Penn State’s Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Materials Science and Engineering and he represents the chemical engineering department on the Engineering Faculty Council.

“I was deeply honored and humbled to learn that I had been selected to be the next department head for the chemical engineering community at Penn State,” Kim said. “Knowing that I have the trust and support from my colleagues, staff and students has energized me to foster a culture that supports the collective success of our entire community.”

Kim’s research includes surface science engineering, tribology, glass surface science and cellulosic nanomaterials. Additionally, his cross-disciplinary research group investigates the structure-property relationships of biomaterials produced by plants and animals, including the structures of plant cell walls and new forms of renewable bioenergy.

Kim has earned several awards during his time at Penn State, including the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) Outstanding Research Award in 2014 and the PSEAS Premier Research award in 2019. He earned the title of distinguished professor in 2021, and was the sole recipient of the Hayashi Jisuke Prize from the Cellulose Society of Japan in 2022.

Kim said that, as department head, he plans to focus on defining and amplifying the department’s unique identity to prospective students and fostering a more open and connected culture across the department. He hopes that his work will help him leave a lasting impact on the chemical engineering community at Penn State.

“I want to work with the faculty, staff and students across our college to maintain the proud tradition of research and teaching excellence Penn State chemical engineering has historically shown,” Kim said. “I hope that I can go beyond just guiding the department into its next chapter and really lay down a foundation to help our community grow and flourish over time.”