John Mauro ’01, PhD ’06 , was named interim dean of Pennsylvania State University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, effective July 1.
Mauro joined Penn State in 2017 and became head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2025. He also holds the Dorothy Pate Enright Professorship and served as chair of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State. As department head and graduate program leader, Mauro has focused on advancing interdisciplinary research and educational innovation while enabling faculty and student success.
John earned a B.S. in Glass Engineering Science (2001), B.A. in Computer Science (2001), and Ph.D. in Glass Science (2006), all from Alfred University. Before coming to Penn State, Mauro spent 18 years at Corning Incorporated, where he held a series of leadership roles in glass research and product development. His work there included co-inventing multiple generations of Corning Gorilla Glass, now used in billions of electronic devices worldwide.
At Penn State, Mauro co-invented LionGlass, a novel family of glass compositions developed at the University that significantly reduces the carbon footprint of glass manufacturing while improving mechanical performance. LionGlass has drawn international attention and multiple industry partnerships as a sustainable alternative to standard glass.
A native of Almond, NY, Mauro is a Fellow in the American Ceramic Society and Society of Glass Technology. He is an internationally recognized expert in glass science and materials engineering who has authored more than 430 peer-reviewed publications and holds 85 U.S. patents.
In 2022, Mauro was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, which is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. The editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society, he is also a member of the National Academy of Inventors, and the World Academy of Ceramics.