Professor R. Lee Penn

Biography

Professor Penn leads a world-class, interdisciplinary research program and is a national leader in the fields of nanoscience, crystal growth, materials chemistry, and environmental chemistry. Their interdisciplinary and highly collaborative research focuses on nanoparticles and particularly their mechanisms of growth and dissolution, and the environmental implications of those phenomena. This research work has been published in a range of scientific journals, including the Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Green Chemistry, Geochemical Transactions, Journal of Crystal Growth, Environmental Science & Technology, ACS Nano, and Nature Materials.

Penn is an exceptional teacher. A member of the University’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, major teaching accolades include the CSE’s George Taylor Award for Teaching, and the University’s Morse-Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.

Service to the scientific community and outreach to underrepresented groups in the sciences are priorities for Professor Penn. At the national level, this includes serving as Program Chair and Division Chair of the ACS Geochemistry Division. For the department, Penn served as founding chair of the chemistry’s Diversity Committee, and on the Space Committee, Graduate Curriculum Committee, Tenure Committee, Fellowship Committee, and Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) Fellowships Committee. Penn serves on the Electron Microscopy Management Committee, working to ensure the quality training for and best use of the college’s transmission electron microscopy facilities. Outreach activities include Penn’s Microscopy Camp, the Women in Science & Engineering’s Cool Chemistry program, and the college’s Energy & U program. They recently received the George W. Taylor Award for Distinguished Service, honored for their outstanding service to the University, scientific community, and profession.

Penn is an active and committed advocate for marginalized communities. They have become an effective instructor and facilitator for workshops addressing topics from intersectionality, bullying, implicit bias, micro-aggressions, serving as effective allies, LGBTQ+ identities, gender equity, and more. They share this knowledge and expertise, giving lectures and leading workshops nationally. This advocacy also includes serving as adviser to the UMN Chapter of National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChe), serving as informal adviser and mentor to the Out in Science and Engineering (o-STEM) student group, and mentoring several gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GLBTQ) identified students studying science, technology, engineering and math through the University’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life year-long mentoring program.

In addition, they are also a mental health advocate.

This work has garnered a Community Excellence Award from the University of Minnesota’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life, Charlotte Striebel Equity Award from the University Office for Equity and Diversity’s Women’s Center, and the Breaking the Silence Award from the University of Minnesota's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Ally Programs Office.

Professor Penn joined the Department of Chemistry faculty as an assistant professor in 2001, was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2008, and to full professor in May 2015. Penn earned a bachelor degree in chemistry from Beloit College in 1992, and master’s degree in 1994 and doctorate in 1998 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before coming to the University of Minnesota, Penn was an adjunct faculty member at Towson University, and a post-doctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University. Penn is an ACS Fellow.

Vita

Education

9/1998 - 4/2001 Post-doctoral research position, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

8/1998 Ph.D. in Materials Science, U. of Wisconsin - Madison.

6/1992 B.S. in Chemistry, Beloit College, WI.

Academic Employment

2017 - present: Director of Undergraduate Studies (Chemistry)

2015 - present: Professor, Chemistry, University of Minnesota.

2008 - 2015: Associate Professor, Chemistry, University of Minnesota.

7/2001 - 2008: Assistant Professor, Chemistry, University of Minnesota.

I also hold graduate appointments with Water Resources Science and Earth and Environmental Sciences.

9/1998 - 4/2001: Post-doctoral researcher, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

9/1999 - 12/2000: Adjunct faculty, Chemistry, Towson University, Baltimore, MD.

9/1992 - 8/1998: Research Assistant, Materials Science Program, U. of Wisconsin — Madison.

Research Interests

Environmental solid-state chemistry - especially electron transfer reactions at the particle-solution interface

Geochemical cycling of natural and synthetic contaminants (e.g., Arsenic)

Aggregation and Growth mechanisms of nanocrystalline particles in suspension

The link between chemical reactivity and particle size, shape, and microstructure

Magnetism of natural and synthetic nanoparticles

K-12 Chemical Education in the Particular Nature of Matter and Nanotechnology

Teaching Interests

General Chemistry

3D Printing

Nanotechnology

Green Chemistry

Effective Allyship for Folks with Marginalized Identities

Peer-to-Peer Workshops to Improve Equity, Access, and Diversity in STEM Fields

Selected Awards and Honors

George W. Taylor Award for Distinguished Service, 2020

Merck Professor (2017-2021)

Community Excellence Award (University of Minnesota’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life), 2017

Charlotte Striebel Equity Award, 2016

American Chemical Society Fellow, 2015

Distinguished University Teacher (2015)

The Horace T. Morse - University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education, (2015)

Institute on the Environment Fellow Award (2012)

George W. Taylor/IT Alumni Society Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2009

McKnight Presidential Fellow (2008)

U of MN "George W. Taylor Career Development Award" (2008)

Voted "Best professor in the Chemistry program" by student in the Institute of Technology (2008)

U of MN "Thank a Teacher" Award (2007)

National Science Foundation CAREER award (2004-2009)

U of MN "Thank a Teacher" Award (2002)

Albert and Alice Weeks Best Student Research Papers Award, 1999

MSA crystallography award, 1998

National Physical Science Consortium fellowship, a six year award, 1992