UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — John Mauro has been appointed head of Penn State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering starting July 1. He takes over from Susan Sinnott, who has led the department since 2015.
Mauro expressed his excitement about the new role: “I feel truly honored and grateful for this opportunity. I appreciate my colleagues’ trust and Susan Sinnott’s exceptional leadership over the years.”
Joining Penn State in 2017, Mauro is a well-known expert in materials and glass science. He was instrumental in creating LionGlass. Before this, he spent 18 years at Corning Incorporated, where he co-developed Corning Gorilla Glass, a widely used protective cover for billions of smartphones and tablets.
“Mauro’s impressive research and his commitment to this department make him a perfect fit for this leadership role,” said Lee Kump, the Dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
At Penn State, Mauro has been active as the chair of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Materials Science and Engineering and as the associate head for graduate education in the EMS department.
His work includes writing two textbooks, supervising numerous students and postdocs, and publishing extensively in peer-reviewed journals. Susan Sinnott praised Mauro’s track record, noting the high quality of his efforts in research and service to the department.
Mauro’s accomplishments include being recognized as a Fellow by various prestigious organizations and he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. His extensive publication record includes over 380 peer-reviewed articles. He serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and co-authored “Fundamentals of Inorganic Glasses,” a key textbook in the field.
In recognition of his groundbreaking research, Mauro received the Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in 2021 and the EMS Paul F. Robertson Award for Research Breakthrough of the Year in 2020 for his innovative work on the “glass genome.” He was also honored with the Wilson Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2022.
Mauro holds a bachelor of science degree in glass engineering science and a bachelor of arts in computer science, both earned in 2001, as well as a doctorate in glass science obtained in 2006, all from Alfred University.
