Law, Science, and Technology Faculty

Professor Lara Fowler is an attorney and mediator who focuses on environmental, energy, and natural resource law, with a specific focus on water related issues. She has a joint appointment between Penn State Law and the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment where she is working on questions related to water, the Chesapeake Bay, and energy. Prior to joining Penn State, she was an attorney at Gordon Thomas Honeywell LLP in Seattle, Washington, where she focused on mediation and dispute resolution of complex natural resource issues, as well as representing clients facing regulatory hurdles in the environmental and energy fields.

Vice Admiral (Ret.) James W. Houck is a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs. He joined Penn State in 2012 after a 32-year career in the United States Navy, beginning as a qualified destroyer officer of the deck and culminating in appointment as the 41st Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy. From 2013-2017, he served as the interim dean of the unified Dickinson School of Law and the School of International Affairs, as well as interim dean of Penn State Law in University Park for the school’s first two years.

Eileen Kane is a Professor of Law at Penn State Law, specializing in teaching and scholarship at the juncture of technology and the law. She holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Cornell University, where she received a research fellowship and the Vincent du Vigneaud Award for Excellence in Research. She has published scientific papers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the Journal of Virology and conducted research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Professor Kane’s interest in the intersection of science and the law led her to obtain a J.D. and work as a scientific advisor and patent attorney in a major New York City law firm prior to entering academia.

Rebecca Mattson is the Head of Faculty and Research Services and Professor of Legal Research at Penn State Law. As head of faculty and research services, Professor Mattson provides leadership within the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library in planning and implementing scholarly support and research services. She manages a robust pool of library research assistants and provides annual training for faculty research assistants. Professor Mattson manages the Penn State Law eLibrary, the law school’s faculty scholarship repository, as well as the Penn State Law Legal Research Paper Series, and provides enhanced support for faculty scholarship and research.

Professor Adam I. Muchmore focuses his research on food and drug regulation. He is also interested in the role of the uncertainty, delegation, and discretion in complex regulatory systems, the regulation of international business, and the civil litigation process. He has recently published a casebook on food and drug regulation.

Professor James Puckett teaches and writes primarily in the area of federal income taxation. Professor Puckett’s research interests include tax administration and distributive justice. His current research projects explore issues at the intersection of taxation and federal and state administrative law, as well as professional responsibility, especially relating to uncertain tax positions. His recent scholarship has examined equity issues relating to how the family and certain personal expenses affect tax liability. He has taught federal income tax, international tax, and tax policy.

As Associate Director of the Law Library, Theresa K. Tarves is responsible for the management of day-to-day operations of the Law Library. She assists the associate dean and director of the Law Library with long-range planning and budget administration, as well as project identification and implementation. Additionally, Tarves teaches a section of the 1L Legal Research course and provides general reference and research support to library patrons.