Robinett to Receive Undergraduate Program Leadership Award

17 March 2005 — Richard Robinett, professor of physics at Penn State University Park, will receive the 2005 Undergraduate Program Leadership Award. The honor was established in 2002 to recognize faculty members who have demonstrated exemplary leadership that has transformed or revitalized existing undergraduate degree programs.

In nominating him for the award, Robinett's colleagues cited his personal attention to the development of every student and prospective student in the physics major.

Since assuming duties as director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Physics in the Eberly College of Science in 1996, Robinett has taken responsibility for and played a central role in every aspect of the undergraduate program, including personally overseeing department interaction with prospective and declared physics majors and physics minors, from their first visit to Penn State as high-school students until after graduation.

Robinett developed the physics first-year seminar in 1999 and teaches the course each spring semester, aiding students in understanding the offerings of the department, career options, how best to approach the major and more.

His personal attention and encouragement has led to a large number of students pursuing major national and international scholarships and awards. In the past five years, physics majors have been awarded two Goldwater Scholarships as well as a National Science Foundation Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, National Institute of Health-Cambridge Scholarship and Fulbright Scholarship.

In addition to his contributions to numerous University-wide committees such as the Faculty Senate's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Schreyer Honors College Faculty Advisory Committee, Robinett has helped mentor new faculty in the physics department and developed the Physics Undergraduate Teaching Handbook. In recognition of his energetic approach to undergraduate education, he was elected to the American Physical Society (APS) Forum on Education and named Fellow of the APS for his success in educating and advising undergraduate students

Robinett earned his B.S. in physics and mathematics and his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Minnesota. He came to Penn State as an assistant professor in 1986.