Penn State Appoints Armen Kemanian to Plant Science Lead

By Blake Jackson

Armen R. Kemanian, professor of production systems and modeling, has been named interim head of the Department of Plant Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Kemanian succeeds Erin Connolly, professor of plant science, who has served in the leadership role since May 2016.

“I want to thank Dr. Connolly for her leadership of the department,” said Troy Ott, dean of the college. “Erin has been a tireless leader who has led the plant sciences department with strategic vision and compassionate energy. Under her leadership, the department has hired more than 30 faculty that are positioning the college to continue to be a leader in the plant sciences. We are so grateful for her leadership. As Erin steps back to her faculty role, I know she will continue to me a mentor to help advance the department.”

Kemanian joined the Department of Plant Science in 2010 through a co-funded appointment with the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Institute of Energy and the Environment. His research focuses on improving the understanding and management of agricultural and natural ecosystems. By combining stable isotope analysis, micrometeorology, mechanistic modeling and machine learning, his work explores carbon, nitrogen and water cycling across multiple scales.

Kemanian is the lead developer of the Cycles Agroecosystem Model and its landscape-scale version, Cycles-L. These tools are applied from individual fields to watershed systems, helping link fundamental scientific insights with practical solutions that support agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability and economic resilience.

With a 75% research and 25% teaching appointment, Kemanian teaches undergraduate courses in plant ecology and graduate-level courses in environmental biophysics and modeling in agricultural and natural systems.

Penn State’s Department of Plant Science offers undergraduate degrees in plant sciences, landscape contracting and turfgrass science, as well as a two-year golf course turfgrass management program.

Graduate options include agricultural and environmental plant science and turfgrass management, with faculty also contributing to intercollege graduate programs in ecology, plant biology and molecular biosciences.

With 50 faculty members dedicated to the land-grant mission, the department conducts research and extension work aimed at advancing sustainable land use, food production and community well-being locally and globally.

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