Christ College Alumnus Named Alfred W. Sieving Chair of Engineering at VU

A Valparaiso University engineering professor who is one of the world's leading solar energy researchers has been named the University's Alfred W. Sieving Chair of Engineering.

Dr. Robert Palumbo '80 joined Valpo's faculty in 1987 and for many years has worked with students on research to convert solar energy into alternative fuels that can be stored and distributed throughout the world. This summer, he is leading a team of three Valpo students who are conducting experiments with a solar reactor used for high temperature solar electrolysis at one of the world's leading solar energy research facilities in Switzerland.

The Sieving chair recognizes the outstanding teaching and scholarly activity of a faculty member in the College of Engineering and promotes high standards of classroom instruction.
Dr. Palumbo has won research grants from the National Science Foundation and served as director of the High Temperature Solar Technology Laboratory at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, where he worked with an international team of scientists to develop the science and technology required to design more efficient solar thermal chemical reactors.

His research has been widely published in scholarly journals and he has been a keynote speaker at professional conferences on solar energy and greenhouse gas control technologies in Europe. In 2007, Dr. Palumbo was appointed associate editor of the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering.

Dr. Palumbo earned his bachelor's degree at Valpo and his master's degree and doctorate at the University of Minnesota. He has been a Senior Fulbright Research Scholar to France and serves as chair of Valpo's Department of Mechanical Engineering. He previously served as the Frederick F. Jenny Professor of Emerging Technology in the College of Engineering.

Work of the Sieving chair is supported by an endowment fund establishing in 1998 by Esther and Frances of St. Louis to honor their late brother, a 1973 Valpo engineering graduate.

Erica (Kaufman ’00) Palys, M.D. 

Majors in chemistry, biology, and humanities propelled Erica (Kaufman ’00) Palys from Valparaiso University to Georgetown University School of Medicine, where she earned her M.D. in 2004. She currently is chief resident at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and recently was awarded a fellowship to continue her research in infectious diseases at Cedars–Sinai for the next several years.

On her Valpo education: “I received solid biology and chemistry training at VU, which made the basic science of medical school a lot easier. However, in my every day practice, humanities make the biggest difference. Empathy is key to being an effective doctor. Christ College and my major in humanities have provided me a broad base of cultural understanding and an ability to articulate my empathy to my patients.”

On her family: Erica is married to Kevin Palys ’00 who majored in English, political science and humanities at Valparaiso before going on to study social sciences at the University of Chicago and film at the University of Southern California. In 2004-’05, Kevin wrote, produced and directed the feature film “Flourish,” which he discussed at a Christ College Symposium in this past September.