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James Hodges Joins Faculty of Department of Chemistry

2 June 2021
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James Hodges

The Penn State Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce that James Hodges will be joining the department faculty as an assistant professor of chemistry starting January 1, 2022.

Hodges earned his doctoral degree here at Penn State with DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry Raymond Schaak, and he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University. He comes to Penn State from Honeywell UOP, where he is a research and development scientist.

Hodges is looking forward to returning to Penn State as a faculty member. “As an alum of the department, I have first-hand experience working with all of the great staff, faculty, and students at Penn State,” he notes. “The University has amazing facilities to accommodate the various materials programs that span chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, and MatSE. There’s no place I’d rather be doing materials chemistry!”

Hodges’ research focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of crystalline inorganic solids. Inorganic materials play an important role in a multitude of important technologies. The Hodges lab will use a variety of synthetic tools to generate new inorganic materials that will be used in catalysis and energy-related applications.

Outside of the lab, Hodges is looking forward to returning to teaching. “I’m looking forward to getting back into the classroom,” he adds. “I have a passion for solid-state chemistry and hope to develop a graduate level course in the future.”

Department Head Phil Bevilacqua adds, “Jim brings an assortment of talents and experiences to Penn State.  He has outstanding academic training as well as an experience in industry.  His research at the interface of solid-state chemistry and materials will be a perfect fit for the department.  Jim is also an outstanding communicator and I am sure will be a first-rate teacher and trainer of Penn State students.”

After living in Chicago for the last five years, Hodges and his wife are looking forward to enjoying all of the outdoor activities that central Pennsylvania has to offer. In their free time, they enjoy hiking, skiing, and spending time with the family dogs.

Please join the Department of Chemistry in welcoming James Hodges.