Hemant Yennawar

Hemant Yennawar is a Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University and Director of the X-ray Crystallography Facility. He holds a PhD in Physics (X-ray crystallography) from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. His research focuses on elucidating molecular structures using X-ray diffraction, with applications in biochemistry, materials science, and chemistry. He manages advanced X-ray instrumentation, including Rigaku MicroMax 007 and Bruker Smart Apex diffractometers, serving both academic and industry collaborators. Dr. Yennawar’s work spans over 60 peer-reviewed publications, emphasizing structural analysis of organic and inorganic compounds. He teaches the 'Biomolecular Structure' course, earning recognition as a 'Most Highly Rated Faculty' in 2012.

His research collaborations involve departments across Penn State’s main and sister campuses, with a focus on structural biology and material science. The X-ray facility provides services to private industry under a fee-based structure. Key awards include the Dean’s Office SRTE recognition for teaching excellence.

Notable research areas include: crystal structures of thiazinones, phosphazenes, tin chloride adducts, and fluorescent protein chromophores. His contributions bridge structural chemistry and applied materials science, with recent work on ferroelectric polymers and nonlinear optical materials.