Tanya Furman, associate professor of geosciences, recently received the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for her contributions with mentoring minority students in her field.

"It is a real honor. I am excited," she said. "I know it happened because I am here at Penn State."

According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), which sponsors the award, there were 10 national individual winners -- including Furman -- and one organization that received the honor.

She received the award for her on-going efforts to implement mentoring programs for minority geosciences students in programs connected with Penn State, as well as other universities across the nation. Although Furman received the award, she said she feels as if the whole department and university supported her.

"The activities of one person don't happen in a vacuum," she said. "This is not a lone-ranger award."

Timothy Bralower, head of the geosciences department, said Furman's work is important for the university.

"Tanya Furman is cutting edge in terms of mentoring. She develops wonderful programs," he said. "She is very student centered -- a terrific person to have on our faculty."

He said he is hopeful of the impact the award will have on the geosciences department.

"[It is] great publicity for us and her. It puts us on the national stage, just the thing we want to see," Bralower said.

Throughout her professional career, Furman has made an effort to teach science to black college and precollege students. She educates and mentors middle and high school students through the Upward Bound Summer Experience in Earth and Mineral Sciences program every summer, which allows minority students to study at Penn State for six weeks.

Her efforts were recognized in 2003 when she received the Penn State Faculty Mentoring Award for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Currently, she is working with Jackson State University in Mississippi to develop a geosciences department, which would be the first for any historically black college.

Furman is also serving as the associate director of the Alliance for Earth Science, Engineering and Development in Africa.

Professor Michael Adewumi, who is an administrative fellow and director of the alliance, said she is extremely committed to the program.

"She is most deserving [to receive the award] because of her absolute devotion and significant contributions to the overall vision and mission of [the Alliance], which is to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to address some of the pervasive problems of the under-served populations both here in the United States and Africa," said Adewumi.

Along with the honor, Furman received a $10,000 grant to continue her mentoring program. She said she has decided to use the money in two ways.

First, a portion of the grant will be used to fund travel between Penn State and historically black schools, such as North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C. and Fort Valley State University in Georgia, she said.

Furman said she also plans to use the money to build network at Penn State for alumni of the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) and the Upward Bound summer experience, a precollege program through Earth and Mineral Sciences.

The SROP brings minority students to Big 10 schools for summer internships in their academic field.

Furman was nominated for the award by her colleague, Adewumi. Several sources, including other co-workers and former students, also wrote nomination letters.

She had to write a 15-page proposal about her involvement with mentoring at Penn State and explain how she would use the grant money if she won.

She found out in the fall that she had received the award, along with nine other individuals and one organization.

The award winners were honored in November in a ceremony at the Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.