Katheryn Penrod

Katheryn Penrod is an Assistant Teaching Professor and Assistant Laboratory Director of Physical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University. She collaborates closely with Dr. Milosavljevic to oversee and develop courses like CHEM457 and CHEM459W. Her academic journey includes a B.S. in Chemistry from York College of Pennsylvania (2014), an M.S. (2017), and a Ph.D. (2021) in Chemistry from Penn State.

Research Interests: Dr. Penrod’s work spans pedagogical research in STEM education, focusing on student engagement in physical chemistry courses and integrating computational skills into undergraduate curricula. Her scientific research emphasizes computational and theoretical chemistry, including force field development for materials and biomolecular systems. Key areas include reactive force fields for polymer dielectric breakdown, quantum chemistry applications, and molecular dynamics simulations of RNA flexibility.

Research Trends: Her publications highlight advancements in computational modeling for energy materials (e.g., solid oxide electrolysis cells), reactive chemistry mechanisms, and biomolecular structural dynamics. Recent work prioritizes improving reactive force field accuracy and exploring peroxide-induced material degradation. Earlier studies focused on RNA-protein interactions and polymer crosslinking processes.

• Awards:
• Graduate Student Online Teaching Certificate (2019)
• NSF Traineeship (2017-2021)
• Dan H. Waugh Memorial Teaching Award (2015-2016)
• Dalalian & Braddock Fellowships (2014-2015)

Lab and Team Contributions: As Assistant Laboratory Director, she supports physical chemistry laboratory infrastructure and pedagogy. Her research team collaborates on interdisciplinary projects bridging computational chemistry with educational innovation.