UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Sridhar Komarneni, professor of clay mineralogy in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has received the 2000 Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research. He will deliver the Black Award Lecture at a college faculty meeting at 3:30 p.m., Nov. 13 in 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building on the University Park campus.

Komarneni has distinguished himself with research into both basic and applied aspects of clay mineralogy, including the study of nanostructures of clays and other minerals, and ascertaining the origin of clay and quartz minerals in soils. His lecture topic will be "Novel Clays and New Functions of Old Clay."

"The applied aspects of my research involve the development of clays and related minerals for slow-release fertilizers and for selective uptake of hazardous non-radioactive and radioactive ions," Komarneni says. "The latter is useful for remediation of contaminated soils and water. My materials research involves processing of nanocomposites, porous materials, ceramic powders, gels, glasses, electroceramics and others using sol-gel, hydrothermal, microwave-hydrothermal and related processes."

He has discovered a whole new family of calcium aluminosilicate cation exchangers, which are clay analogs. He has synthesized new micas (clays), producing materials previously thought impossible to fabricate. Komarneni also patented a method of storing radioactive waste using the materials he developed.

"Sridhar is an excellent scholar and a highly productive researcher," says Steven Fales, professor and head of the agronomy department. "He has excelled in research, grantsmanship, scholarly activities, service to professional societies, and teaching. He also has been an excellent ambassador for the university by supervising or training at least 45 visiting students, scientists and research associates. Many of these are now professors at top academic institutions."

Komarneni has produced more than 350 refereed publications during his tenure at Penn State. He has published four papers in Nature and three papers in Science, and received coverage in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. He has received a total of eight U.S. patents for his innovations in the design of high-performance clays and related materials. He has written one book and edited six others, and has been appointed editor-in-chief of the new Journal of Porous Materials.

His national and international research awards include election as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1991 and as Fellow of the American Ceramic Society in 1993. He was elected Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America in 1994 and of the American Society of Agronomy in 1995. He was awarded the Marion and Christie Jackson Soil Science Award for Outstanding Contributions in Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy in 1997.

Komarneni started with the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a research assistant and project associate from 1969 through 1976, then joined Penn State as a project associate in 1976. He became associate professor of clay mineralogy in 1984, and professor in 1987.

He earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University in Bapatla, India, in 1968, and his master's degree in soil chemistry from New Delhi's Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1970. He earned his doctorate in soil chemistry and geochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973.

Retired Penn State professor Alex Black and his wife, Jessie, endowed the Black Award for Excellence in Research, which offers a $1,000 honorarium and plaque. The award recognizes significant accomplishments in agricultural research at Penn State.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Sridhar Komarneni at 814-865-1542.

Contacts: Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax