Faculty

Dr. Mark Fedkin is an assistant teaching professor and lead faculty of the energy and sustainability policy program at Penn State. He is also a lead faculty in the renewable energy and sustainability systems graduate online program. He has worked for more than ten years for the Earth and Mineral Sciences Energy Institute, where he led experimental research on electrochemical energy systems and processes, including fuel cells, hydrogen technologies, electrophoresis, and corrosion in extreme environments. During his career as an experimentalist, Dr. Fedkin developed a number of methods and technologies for monitoring and sensing the environmental parameters in both simulated and natural settings.

Bob Barkanic is an adjunct instructor in Penn State's energy and sustainability policy programs; he teaches EGEE 401: Energy in a Changing World. He is also an energy and environmental consultant and does energy efficiency assessments for small- and medium-sized manufacturing facilities and business development for energy efficiency and renewable projects. He is also on the board of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and the conservation committee for the Wildlands Conservancy.

Karen Jensen is an instructor of Oil: International Evolution. She is experienced in modern politics surrounding the energy industry, with continual research on the industry, while striving to provide insights into the background of the petroleum industry to open discussion about modern energy issues.

Dan Kasper is an adjunct instructor in the Energy and Sustainability Policy program. His teaching focus is on global energy issues, residential and commercial energy efficiency and conservation, political ecology, and general sustainability. The focus of his research and praxis is environmental and social justice, political ecology, energy efficiency and conservation, energy and sustainability policy, sustainable food production, and community gardening, with a particular focus on issues disproportionately impacting low income and otherwise marginalized communities.

Brandi Robinson is an instructor for the Energy and Sustainability Policy program as well as the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems master's program. She brings expertise in policy formation and analysis relative to carbon markets to her teaching, as well as local-scale greenhouse gas inventorying and mitigation strategy development.

Haley Sankey is an instructor and adviser for the Energy and Sustainability Policy Programs, instructing EGEE 495: Internship Experience; EGEE 299: Foreign Studies; and EM SC 302: Orientation to Energy and Sustainability Policy. She also serves on the Commission for Adult Learners and the Student Engagement Network advisory board.

Ron Santini is an instructor of  Geography 469: Energy Industry Applications of GIS. Prior to joining Penn State in 2009, he spent more than 30 years as an environmental scientist in the energy sector, including 20 years as senior environmental scientist/manager of environmental assessments and monitoring for Duke Energy Corporation.