Research, teaching achievements earn nine Abington faculty promotions

Headshot images of Penn State Abington faculty members Matthew Fury and Faranak Pahlevani

Promotions for Matthew A. Fury and Faranak Pahlevani to full professor of mathematics at Penn State Abington are effective July 1, 2022.

Credit: Pam Brobst

ABINGTON, Pa. — Penn State announced that nine Penn State Abington faculty members will receive academic promotions, effective July 1, 2022. 

Three faculty earned promotion to full professor: 

  • Matthew A. Fury, mathematics. He serves as the division head for science and engineering and earned degrees in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College, Villanova University, and The College of New Jersey. His research interests include functional analysis, operator theory, evolution equations, and ill-posed partial differential equations. 

  • Faranak Pahlevani, mathematics. She earned degrees in applied mathematics and mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Kaiserslautern, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Sciences of Zanjan, and Sharif University of Technology. Her research interests include computational mathematics with a particular interest in sensitivity analysis that has applications in biology, physics, finance, and engineering.  

  • Pierce Salguero, Asian history and religious studies. He earned degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia. Salguero’s research interests include East Asian history, Asian religions, the history of medicine in Asia, and Buddhist studies. 

The following individuals earned tenure and promotion to associate professor:  

  • Thomas Heise, English. He earned degrees in English and creative writing from New York University, the University of California Davis, and Florida State University. His work explores issues of memory, urban culture, and 20th and 21st century American literature. 

  • Yi Yang, computer science and electrical engineering. He earned degrees in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Kansas. His research interests include art conservation and the use of new optical technologies and LIDAR assist spatial sensing for the visually impaired. 

Four nontenure-track faculty were promoted: 

  • Chris Bonner, associate teaching professor, art. 

  • Ola El-Rashiedy, associate teaching professor, chemistry. 

  • Christine Krewson, associate teaching professor, chemistry. 

  • Jonathan Needham, teaching professor.  

About Penn State Abington 

Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With more than 3,000 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 23 majors, undergraduate research, the Schreyer honors program, NCAA Division III athletics and more.   

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