EngineeringWV Fall 2014

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

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FEATURING 2013-2014

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Volume 10 Issue 2

ANNUAL REPORT 103 7 5 4 2 8 9 6

FALL 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 7

WVU PROFESSOR LEADS NATIONAL EFFORT TO REDUCE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION COST

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IN EVERY ISSUE

DEAN’S MESSAGE

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RESEARCH NEWS

OUTREACH PROGRAM CONNECTS STUDENTS TO ENGINEERING

COLLEGE NEWS FACULTY NEWS STUDENT NEWS ALUMNI NEWS

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SUPPORT

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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF MINING EXTENSION

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WVU TEAM WINS 24-HOUR INNOVATION COMPETITION

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2013-2014 ANNUAL REPORT

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IN MEMORIAM

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WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

The Statler College mission is to prepare students for success in their professional careers; to contribute to the advancement of society through learning, discovery, extension, and service; and to stimulate economic well-being in West Virginia and the world through technical innovation, knowledge creation, and

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Annual Report

educational excellence.

Dean and Publisher / Eugene V. Cilento gene.cilento@mail.wvu.edu / 304.293.4157

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Statistics Endowed Professorships Chemical Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Freshman Engineering Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Mining and Industrial Extension Mining Engineering Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering

Editor / Mary C. Dillon mary.dillon@mail.wvu.edu Contributing Writer / Bart Keeler Contributing Editor / Bernadette Dombrowski Design Coordinator / J. Paige Nesbit

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Photography / Greg Ellis / Bart Keeler / Halley Kurtz J. Paige Nesbit / Brian Persinger / Raymond Thompson Address West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources PO Box 6070 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6070 www.statler.wvu.edu Change of Address WVU Foundation / PO Box 1650 Morgantown, WV 26504-1650 Fax: 304.284.4001 / e-mail: info@wvuf.org www.mountaineerconnection.com Engineering West Virginia is published twice each year, in spring and fall, for the alumni, friends, and other supporters of the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Copyright Š2014 by the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. Brief excerpts of articles in this publication may be reprinted without a request for permission if EngineeringWV is acknowledged in print as the source. Contact the Editor for permission to reprint entire articles.

The WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing, and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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RESEARCH

M A E T H C R A RESE G N I P O L E V DE O T S P I R T S TEST , I B T E S O N DIAG S L A T E M Y HEAV . DILLON

BY MARY C

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or years, diabetics have been using a tiny drop of blood from a finger prick to accurately detect blood sugar glucose levels. Now a team of researchers at West Virginia University are working to develop a similar device to diagnose two very different types of problems: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and heavy metals in water supplies.

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Nianqiang Wu, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Yuxin Liu, an assistant professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, have teamed up to create the strips. Both have extensive experience in the development of nano-scale devices with applications in healthcare and environmental monitoring.

A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM In 2010 in the United States alone, the Centers for Disease Controls estimated that more than 2.5 million TBIs occurred either as an isolated injury or along with other injuries. Some signs or symptoms may appear immediately after the traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later. Mild traumatic brain injury may cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain that can result in long-term complications or death. In even the mildest of cases, prompt attention and accurate diagnosis are key to ensuring brain health.

NIANQIANG WU

Brain imaging using computerized tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging are commonly used to diagnose the most severe cases. TBI cases are also diagnosed using a blood sample, which is drawn in a laboratory environment by a healthcare professional and then sent for processing. Total time can take up to half a day. To date, no in vitro diagnostic tool is commercially available to rapidly identify and differentiate between mild and severe cases of TBI. “There is a critical need to develop a point-of-care device to rapidly determine if a brain injury has happened and its severity,” said Wu. With funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, the team from WVU is working to create such a device that can be easily deployed in a number of settings.

“We are working to create a type of test strip that will be able to test for TBI biomarkers or proteins in the blood,” Wu said. “Using just a drop of blood from a finger prick, the strip could be administered by virtually anyone at the time of injury and dramatically reduce the amount of time needed to begin treatment.”

“Children are not little adults,” Wu said. “They may lack the ability to verbalize their symptoms. The use of test strips could avoid such an unchecked risk.”

LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO HIGHLY TOXIC METALS Heavy metals have entered the water supply from industrial and consumer wastes, acid rain, power plants, and vehicle emissions. Long-term exposure can have cancer-causing effects, as well as create central and peripheral nervous system and circulatory damage. Damage to plants, animals, and the overall environmental is also a major concern.

“There is a strong incentive to develop convenient, cost-effective, and field-deployable sensors for monitoring heavy metals in the environment,” said Wu. In this case, the test strip will be used to detect three commonly found contaminants: mercury, lead, and silver. “While the premise of this strip is similar to the one we are developing for TBI, it will function on a different operating principle,” Wu said. “In this case, a water sample will be added to the strip. The strip will utilize three fluorescent sensors that will detect the level of the metal present.”

One interesting use for this type of strip, Wu said, would be in dental applications.

“Amalgam fillings, which are composed of mercury and silver, have been widely used for decades,” he said. “While there has been a steady decline in their use in developed countries, their use continues to rise worldwide. In this instance, a drop of saliva could be placed on a test strip to determine the amount of these metals that are leaking into a person’s mouth.”

The research is being funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Wu noted that the strip could have applications in areas ranging from athletics to the military, and could be especially useful in the treatment of young children.

YUXIN LIU

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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RESEARCH

RESEARCHERS STUDYING WAYS AIRCRAFT CAN SAFELY OPERATE, SAVE FUEL

team of researchers from West Virginia University are hoping aircraft can learn a thing or two from how birds fly.

Yu Gu and Marcello Napolitano from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering will be teaming with researchers from the University of Kansas to address ways in which traditional aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, can safely operate in the nation’s airspace.

“The research starts with a simple question: why do birds fly in formation? The answer is because they can save energy and stay close together as a group,” Gu said. “The same benefits can be extended to aircraft.

“We haven’t seen this type of formation flying in commercial aircraft, however, because it’s difficult to do,” Gu added.

“Trying to keep an aircraft in the ‘sweet spot’ of fuel savings behind another aircraft for an extended period of time is a labor-intensive and dangerous task for any pilot. It’s also not a pleasant experience for passengers because it would be a bumpy ride flying in the wake of another aircraft.”

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The team will also investigate ways in which fuel consumption can be minimized.

“Fuel savings of up to 18 percent for the trailing aircraft was demonstrated by NASA’s Autonomous Formation Flight program,” Gu said. “When you consider that in 2013, the global airline industry spent $210 billion on fuel and produced 705 million tons of carbon dioxide, even a few percentage points of improvements in efficiency could create a great impact.”

Funded by Leading Edge Aeronautics Research for NASA, the researchers are developing new technologies to make formation flight safer, more efficient, and less bumpy. More specifically, they are developing a cooperative method to estimate the 3-D wind profile at the follower aircraft location, taking advantage of sensor measurements from both the leader and the follower aircraft.

GU

“By doing this, the follower can dynamically follow the leader’s sweet spot and actively suppress the gust disturbances caused by the ambient wind and leader’s wake,” said Gu. The team recently completed the first phase of the project, where they achieved autonomous close formation flight with a pair of small UAVs and were successfully sensing the wake of the leader aircraft. During Phase II, they will develop real-time cooperative gust sensing and suppression algorithms to be tested in flight.

NAPOLITANO

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

BARTH

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arl Barth, Samples Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has spent most of his career working in the steel bridge industry. Now, he’s bringing that experience to bear in the Mountain State, working to improve bridge infrastructure and develop design innovations.

Barth serves as the technical director for the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance’s (SSSBA) Bridge Technology Center. The SSSBA is a group of bridge and buried soil steel structure industry leaders who provide educational information and design tools for the cost-effective design and construction of short span steel bridges in installations up to 140 feet in length.

The American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure graded the condition of bridges in the United States as a C+.

Approximately one-half of those bridges are short span bridges, and most are owned and maintained by local governments.

According to Barth, steel can be more cost effective, sustainable, lighter, and more aesthetically pleasing than concrete for short span bridge construction.

Steel can be less expensive because fewer girders may be required for the project; most city and county governments can use smaller cranes to install the lighter steel beams; and, in many cases, local work crews can be utilized.

In 2012, the SSSBA launched eSPAN140, a free online tool that provides standardized short span steel bridge designs and connects bridge owners with SSSBA member companies that can take the project from design to completion. By using

WVU PROFESSOR LEADS NATIONAL EFFORT TO REDUCE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION COSTS, DESIGN TIME

BY BART KEELER

standardized designs and making available specific contact information for companies that can complete the project, the service speeds up the time it takes to construct the bridge and cuts down design and construction costs. Barth and a team of 30 experts from the steel and bridge construction industries reviewed more than 3,000 designs over several years during the development phase of eSPAN140.

“What eSPAN140 does is allow county engineers to go online and input some very simple geometric property information and from the standard designs we’ve developed, receive a set of preliminary bridge plans,” explained Barth. “Now they have a way for getting a steel solution on the table in less than five minutes, where before it would have taken several days and additional personnel.

“When looking at short span bridges, most situations do not require complex designs,” said Barth. ”Therefore, the standardized plans provided by eSPAN140 can greatly reduce the amount of time required to design a short span bridge.”

The SSSBA has worked in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to bring this tool to local and state governments, including West Virginia. The focus is on prefabricated bridge elements and systems, or PBES. Fabricating pieces off-site in a controlled environment usually yields a better product than if they are pieced together in the field.

He estimates that more than 1,000 bridges in West Virginia could be a fit for this technology. Most of these bridges are found on county roads where cars must traverse a small ravine or creek.

Through the West Virginia Division of Highways and the FHWA, Barth is also working on projects to research other areas of bridge behavior and expand this technology.

He is leading some of these efforts though WVU, allowing graduate students to participate in groundbreaking research while providing them with practical field experience.

“Nobody has fully researched the behavior of these prefabricated bridge elements and systems, so from an academic perspective, there is a whole world of things to explore in structural behavior,” Barth explained. “We’ve had a number of graduate students associated with these projects—from analytical modeling to lab testing, to being out in the field and monitoring bridges. We’re exposing our students to a wide variety of applications in the bridge-building field that they can take with them into the workplace.”

“With PBES, you’re simply putting components together. This can take a matter of days, as opposed to weeks or months,” said Barth. “We’ve been working with the West Virginia Department of Transportation to develop a program to implement these standards for accelerated bridge construction, which will save taxpayers money and produce a quality infrastructure that is robust, economical, and serviceable.”

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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COLLEGE NEWS

ALUM NAMED CHAIR OF IMSE Kenneth Currie, who earned all three of his degrees from West Virginia University’s Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, became chair of the unit, effective July 31, 2014.

Currie returns to WVU from Tennessee Technological University, where he served as director of the Center for Manufacturing Research from 2001 and a member of the industrial and systems engineering faculty since 1989.

“I’ve reflected quite a bit about returning to the Department,” he said.

“Everyone brings new and different skills to a job, but invariably these skills are shaped by the accumulation of their experiences. And even though several of my life lessons have been shaped by faculty within the Department, I’ve also accumulated nearly 30 years of hard knocks and promotion outside of WVU. “WVU, and particularly the Statler College, have assumed a more prominent role in shaping the state’s, and to some extent the nation’s, economic engine when it comes to innovation and solving larger societal problems,” Currie added. “When I was working toward my bachelor’s degree, it was very much about churning out undergraduate degree holders who invariably were faced with employment opportunities outside of the state. Today, there is a tighter linkage between College research thrusts and contributing to regional economic development so students can create their own jobs. I’m optimistic that I can use my experiences to lead the Department into a very exciting future.”

During his tenure at Tennessee Tech, Currie had been either principal or co-principal investigator on more than $9 million in externally funded research with a client list that includes the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force,

CURRIE

Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, among others. He also served as the associate director of the DOE-funded Industrial Assessment Center, which offers energy assessments to small and medium-sized industrial clients at no cost to the industry.

Currie is well-prepared for the task, according to Gene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

“West Virginia University is excited to have someone with Dr. Currie’s credentials return to his alma mater to lead his home department,” Cilento said. “He is a proven leader who brings a broad perspective on manufacturing research that will benefit not only our students but our current faculty. Dr. Currie will help promote expanded efforts to increase advanced manufacturing research and educational programs important to the University and state.”

Currie replaces Wafik Iskander, who stepped down as chair and returned to the faculty, effective June 30.

STATLER COLLEGE AND COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS SIGN PATHWAY AGREEMENT Two colleges at West Virginia University signed a pathway agreement in April clearing the way for students to earn two degrees in five years.

The four-plus-one degree will allow students in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources to earn a bachelor’s degree in their selected engineering discipline and a master’s degree in business administration from the College of Business and Economics. Statler JOSE “ZITO” SARTARELLI AND GENE CILENTO College seniors who apply after successfully completing their course of study and have a GPA of 3.0 at the time of application and graduation, and a score of 600 or better on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) will be guaranteed admission into the program.

“Coupling an undergraduate degree in engineering with an MBA will make for a fantastic, supercharged degree at West Virginia University,” said Jose

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“Zito” Sartarelli, Milan Puskar Dean, College of Business and Economics.

“The combination of science and technology in an engineering degree plus managerial, financial, and leadership knowledge embedded in an MBA just makes sense. Coupling these two degrees in this cooperative program is a great enabler for both of our schools.

“To work together on this initiative should yield highly successful graduates,” Sartarelli added. “Independently, our two schools have highly regarded programs, so there will be incredible value in this great combination.”

Under the details of the agreement, Statler College students will be eligible to earn tuition waiver scholarships based on high GMAT scores and may receive a scholarship to cover the cost of the GMAT prep course (approximately $200).

“We are delighted to have this program formally adopted by both colleges,” said Gene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean, Statler College. “Many of our distinguished engineering graduates who have gone on to very successful business careers have benefited from working on this type of combined degree during their careers. This will also provide opportunities to our students who are entrepreneurial minded and/or interested in developing new businesses.”

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

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Look in the mirror not out of the window.”

ANDERSON TELLS GRADUATES,

“YOU’RE NOT FINISHED” ANDERSON

On Saturday, May 10, more than 500 students from the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources finished their college careers at a ceremony held in the West Virginia University Coliseum. But, according to Dianne Dubetz Anderson, a 1983 civil engineering graduate of WVU and this year’s commencement speaker, their learning is just beginning.

“For those of you that imagine the learning is over, allow me to assure you that only the easy type of learning is over,” Anderson said. “As you progress to this next phase of your life and career, be it a job or higher education, it is now up to you to develop the path to follow. You are the boardroom members, the CEOs of start-ups, or the academic faculty of the next 30 to 40 years.”

Anderson shared a bit of advice from her commencement 31 years ago. “My commencement speaker spoke of the fine line between success and failure,” she said. “I now realize, all these years later that when talking of success and failure, one is not good and the other bad. They go hand in hand.

“Don’t be afraid of failure,” Anderson said. “It is a gift … accept it with gratitude.”

During her 25-year tenure with BP, Anderson and her team asked students seeking to be part of their $1 billion business unit team in Houston, Tex., to write a one-page story about a time in life when they failed and how they overcame it.

“We wanted those who had failed, critiqued themselves, and corrected,” Anderson said. “We wanted those who had learned to overcome shortfalls.”

Reflecting on her own failures, Anderson, who now serves as executive director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University, has learned to listen better, stay connected with others in her organization, and to have good judgment. “I learned that something nagging me probably signaled a problem and to correct course immediately.”

Anderson offered three final tips to the class of 2014, the first of which is to accept responsibility for their actions.

“Look in the mirror not out of the window,” she said. “Most of what happens around and to you in life is a reflection of you.

Accept responsibility and learn from it.”

She also encouraged them to learn to fail with dignity and to learn from it. Finally, she urged graduates to become proficient at giving others a “bridge back” in times of failure.

“I am here today very simply because I took the same engineering degree you are about to receive and I used it,” Anderson said. “I used it to build my own fences, to stretch myself to continue learning, and to never allow a solo failure to hold me from embedding the lessons and moving on.

“You have the same opportunity,” she concluded. “You are the greatest asset this university has.”

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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COLLEGE NEWS

The Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University has been providing quality educational programs for its students for more than 125 years but through the efforts of Outreach Coordinator Cate Schlobohm, these educational opportunities are expanding to students of all ages.

In pursuance of goal five of WVU’s 2020 Strategic Plan, the Statler College is extending its educational programs to younger students to expose them to engineering before they enter college through various activities designed to be fun and engaging.

Schlobohm works with engineering student organizations to help them with annual outreach events such as Girl Scouts Day, Merit Badge University, 8th Grade Day, and the Pumpkin Drop.

She also works with elementary, middle, and high schools in the region to set up visits from WVU’s engineers to teach students about engineering.

The outreach team goes into schools and leads hands-on activities that teach students what engineering is and showcases opportunities available in these fields.

Most of these have been in Monongalia County, but visits to Mingo and Preston counties in West Virginia, and counties in southwestern Pennsylvania were also conducted. A Skype “visit” was even planned for a school in urban Arizona, with whom Statler College Ambassadors have been pen pals. These school visits relate the interests of the students to engineering fields by providing hands-on activities.

“Our goal is to meet the teachers’ needs,” said Schlobohm. “Every school is different. Some schools have something in the curriculum that they want us to relate to engineering. Others just want us to solidify what engineers do because to young students, this is an ambiguous occupation.”

The Statler Ambassadors aid Schlobohm in these efforts. They design and build “projects in a box”—simple, reusable, and transportable activities— and help the students work through them.

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Colin Frosch, a civil engineering major from Clarksburg, W.Va., put his transportation planning knowledge to use by designing and building a transportation game. He used plywood and dowels to create a course for the students to navigate through.

“I remember being on the other side of outreach programs as a kid, and remembering how much more fun I had when I was able to do hands-on activities,” Frosch said. “I always loved being able to do things, build things, and experiment. Outreach programs gave me those opportunities.”

These opportunities are not just a benefit to the students reached, but it also excites the WVU engineering students who lead them.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to share my passions and experiences with kids younger than me, and get them excited about engineering,” said Statler Ambassador Nick Underwood, a graduate student in aerospace engineering from Beckley, W.Va. “My participation has definitely made me more interested in STEM education.”

“We show them that math and science aren’t terrifying; they can be fun,” said Schlobohm.

The College also sends representatives to several annual events across the state.

Every August, more than 10,000 people are exposed to engineering at the West Virginia State Fair. The College has several exhibits, including energy and biometrics displays.

Over the summer, STEM Ambassadors from WVU led engineering-related activities for 20,000 at 4-H camps around the state.

The STEM Ambassadors are hired by WVU Extension and trained in the 4-H curriculum.

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

BY BART KEELER

There are also many other fairs the Statler College visits as a part of its outreach efforts, including the USA Science and Engineering Festival, which was held in late April in Washington, D.C. More than 10,000 people visited the University’s exhibition.

Additionally, the College hosts summer camps on campus, which allows elementary through high school students a chance to interact with engineering faculty and students at WVU. “We also get a lot of groups who come through us. External groups who host summer camps will ask us to bring in an engineering activity,” said Schlobohm.

“We’ve worked with the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science for their summer camps.”

Recently, the Statler College bridged a partnership with the Children’s Discovery Museum of West Virginia in Morgantown to provide fun, educational exhibits for preschool children.

“Working with the Statler College will give us the opportunity to improve our engineering exhibit area and expand our special event offerings,” said Julie Bryan, director of the museum.

The outreach team has visited local schools for a “science night,” showing off fun equipment such as the Van der Graaff Generator, which generates static electricity by rubbing a small metal comb on a large rubber band.

“It is always a wonderful addition to our special events to have WVU students interacting with our visitors,” said Bryan. “When children interact with current students it makes it more real that they, too, can go to college and become engineers.”

“Overall, we just want young students to learn that there are opportunities in engineering,” said Schlobohm. “In a lot of the places we go, college isn’t seen as a given. We want to show them how they can coordinate something they’re passionate about into their education.”

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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COLLEGE NEWS

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF MINING EXTENSION

WVRHC

Community members gather around the destroyed fan at Monongah’s Mine No. 8.

1900 1910: In response to a series of recent mine disasters, the U.S. Department of Interior creates the Bureau of Mines.

Library of Congress

President Woodrow Wilson signs the Smith-Hughes Act.

1917: Through the Smith-Hughes Act, which provides for vocational education in agriculture and industry, mining extension receives federal funds for teacher training.

The program extends its outreach by teaching miners to train other miners in the hands-on, practical aspects of their trade.

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1981: The U.S. Bureau of Mines contracts mining extension to develop a Mine Emergency Preparedness Program (MEPP).

Designed to prepare miners for handling emergency conditions, MEPP utilizes hands-on exercises and problem-solving activities. This comprehensive training curriculum serves as the basis for many emergency preparedness programs in use today.

1945: Under the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944) and Vocational Rehabilitation Program (1943), mining extension implements two-week courses for returning veterans with previous mining experience.

1969: After the Farmington explosion, the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act (Coal Act) is passed, which strengthens safety standards for all coal mines. The act also provides compensation for miners disabled by pneumoconiosis, or “black lung.”

Mining extension’s first director, Robert S. Gatherum, began working in mines as a trapper boy at age 14. Both a college professor and practical mining man, Gatherum educates not only miners but also community members on occupational health, safety, and sanitation.

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Minnesota Historical Society

Students receive hands-on instruction as part of the National Defense Program.

1914: A pressing need for mine training prompts WVU to formally establish a mining extension program. Classes for miners begin September 1 at the Kanawha, New River, and Pocahontas coalfields. WVU hires Robert S. Gatherum as its first dedicated mining faculty.

WVRHC

1907: On December 6, the deadliest mine explosion in U.S. history occurs at Fairmont Coal Co. mines in Monongah, W.Va. In the following weeks, three additional mines suffer major disasters, driving Congress to initiate reforms.

1940: With the onset of World War II, Congress requests that mining and industrial extension hold a 12-week course in machine shop, metalwork, and mechanical drawing as part of the government’s National Defense Program.

1913: WVU’s College of Engineering first holds mining extension classes in the form of a summer short course. Professor E.N. Zern, a nationally renowned pioneer in mining research and education, directs the six-week classes.

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1976: Two methane explosions at Kentucky’s Scotia mine kill 23 miners and three inspectors.

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1968: On November 20, an explosion rocks Consolidation Coal’s No. 9 Mine in Farmington, W.Va. Continuing fires and the threat of more explosions prevent rescue teams from searching the mine; it is sealed 10 days later. With an undetermined cause and 78 lives lost, the disaster serves as a catalyst for new mine safety laws.

1928: Mining extension sponsors mine training in high school curriculums.

Launched in Gary and Berwind High Schools in southern West Virginia, this successful program quickly expands to other schools.

High school students attend a vocational mine training class, Bluefield, W.Va.

1980 1977: The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, known as the Mine Act, amends the 1969 Coal Act, forms the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and expands and protects miners’ rights.

Baltimore Sun

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Advances in the past century have made today’s mining industry nearly unrecognizable as the same one a hundred years ago. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw this dangerous, unregulated industry take thousands of miners’ lives and injure many others throughout the United States.

As years passed, legal reform, improved safety, and effective training transformed the industry. Since 1914, WVU’s Mining Extension Service has been there each step of the way—responding, supporting, and leading—for the benefit of the industry, but most importantly, for the betterment of the individual miner.

1990: During a period of labor protest in the 1980s and early ’90s, mining extension instructors visit Appalachian areas where miners are striking. These instructors provide training courses to prevent mining professionals, particularly electricians, from losing their certifications during the strikes and to ensure that qualified miners are available once the strikes end.

2009: Mining extension constructs a state-of-the-art simulated underground coal mine at the Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies. The new facility integrates live fire training, a unique feature that sets it apart from other mine training centers.

Funded by the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training, the West Virginia Division of Energy, industry partners, and other donors, the simulated coal mine serves as the hub for many proactive programs and services offered by mining extension.

2006: On January 2, an explosion takes 12 miners’ lives at the Sago mine in Upshur County, W.Va. Seventeen days later, at the Aracoma Alma mine in Logan County, W.Va., a conveyor belt fire causes two more deaths. Congress passes the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, requiring mine-specific emergency plans, swift notification of accidents, and new regulations for rescue teams and abandoned mines.

The Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies opens at Dolls Run. In addition to classrooms, the facility features three types of training simulators: a rock truck, remote-control continuous miner, and SCSR (self-contained self-rescuer) expectations trailer.

2010: A coal dust explosion kills 29 of 31 miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine (UBB) in Raleigh County, W.Va. In 2011, Alpha Natural Resources purchases the UBB mine and forms the Alpha Foundation, which aims to improve mine health and safety by sponsoring research and development projects.

Jim Dean, director of mining and industrial extension, is appointed as interim director of the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety, and Training during the investigative period succeeding the Sago and Aracoma mine disasters.

2011: Arch Coal, Inc. donates $300,000 to WVU. Matched by the West Virginia Research Trust Fund, this gift funds the Arch Coal, Inc. Endowment for Mine Health and Safety Research to conduct mining applied research on health and safety issues.

Miners attend a class at mining extension’s facility at Doll’s Run.

2000 1995: Mining extension conceptualizes and oversees the customization of a mobile fire training truck that produces conditions similar to an actual fire.

Mobile training truck set up for annual retraining classes at Raleigh County Technical Center.

2012: Jim Dean is appointed to a National Research Council study to improve self-escape from underground coal mines.

Committee members examine how the combined influence of people, tasks, equipment, and technology impact miners’ escape attempts.

2010 2005: CONSOL Energy donates property at its former Dolls Run portal to WVU for use as a job placement center and training site for miners. That same year, mining extension receives a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to establish the Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies in partnership with the West Virginia Coal Association, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, and others.

Construction begins at the Dolls Run location.

2013: The Alpha Foundation funds a project to develop and evaluate proximity detection technology, cameras, and an experiential training program to reduce equipment-related accidents in underground mining operations.

2014

2014: Mining extension celebrates 100 years of service. As the technology in the mining industry changes and evolves, the department will continue to provide service and assistance through a number of mechanisms, e.g., extension courses, workshops, conferences, applied research, etc., to meet its goal of the betterment of the individual miner.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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FACULTY NEWS

KHUSHALANI-SOLANKI EARNS PRESTIGIOUS NSF CAREER AWARD

BY MARY C. DILLON

Sarika Khushalani-Solanki, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering, has earned a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation for her work in power distribution systems. The award comes with $400,000 in funding over a five-year period.

Khushalani-Solanki will develop a unified framework of stochastic and data-driven approaches to generate scenarios to assist power companies to capture volatility and variability of generation and demand, allowing for increased utilization of sustainable resources and lower costs.

The NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development or CAREER program supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. This is the fourth year in a row that a member of the Statler College faculty has been selected to receive this honor.

“The work will allow for better management of plug-in hybrid vehicles, reduced cost for consumers, better renewable sources integration and better realization of smart electric distribution systems,” she said.

“Recently recruited faculty members in the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources have helped develop new dimensions in many interdisciplinary areas of research,” said Pradeep Fulay, associate dean for research.

As society transitions to more forms of sustainable energy, power companies are often times faced with uncertain load demands and generation. Khushalani-Solanki’s project, formally titled “Stochastic and Data Driven Approaches for Addressing Variabilities in Power Consumption and Generation of Smart Distribution Systems,” will focus on the development of new computer-based methods that can improve both the short- and long-term performance of smart distribution systems.

“Plug-in hybrid vehicles connecting and disconnecting from charging stations and consumer household load behavior can have severe impacts on distribution systems,” said Khushalani-Solanki. “Wind and solar variability have also forced researchers to find alternative solutions that can redesign the traditional management and analysis of power systems to pay more attention to their characteristics and data in a random or stochastic sense.”

Working with WVU’s Engineers of Tomorrow program, KhushalaniSolanki will engage graduate and undergraduate students in her work in an effort to assist with the recruitment and retention of students from Appalachia, especially women and minorities. The dissemination will be through invited seminars, short courses delivered to local utility personnel, videos, and tutorials made available through professional societies.

Khushalani-Solanki received her doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Mississippi State University in 2006, where she received the Honda Fellowship as best graduate student. She earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from India’s Mumbai University and Nagpur University, respectively.

She is a senior member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, serving as treasurer Upper Monongalia subsection; chair of the career promotion and workforce development subcommittee; and vice chair of the distribution systems analysis subcommittee; and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers.

RETIREES The following people have officially retired from the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, effective June 30, 2014. We thank them for their years of service.

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Ray Y. Yang Chemical Engineering Janet Lucille Freed Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Robert C. Creese Industrial and Management Systems Engineering

Daniel E. Della-Giustina Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Donald W. Lyons Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Byron L. Rapp Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering John D. Martin Mining and Industrial Extension

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

NEW FACULTY Cosmin Dumitrescu Assistant Professor

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Education: Ph.D., University of Alabama, ’08 M.S., University of Alabama, ’08 B.S., University Politechnica, Bucharest, Romania ’94

DUMITRESCU

Teaching Interests: thermal sciences, internal combustion engines, combustion, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer; development of new courses in the areas of power cycles, fuel science, and technology, applications of alternative fuels Research Interests: utilization of shale gasderived fuels and their blends with conventional and alternative fuels, combustion for power generation and propulsion systems, laser diagnostics

Xinjian He

Assistant Professor Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Education: Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, ’13 M.S., West Virginia University, ’10 B.S., China University of Mining and Technology, ’04 Teaching Interests: aerosol measurement principles techniques and applications, occupational exposure assessment, disaster preparedness, fire safety engineering KHUSHALANI-SOLANKI

HE

Research Interests: respiratory protection, air purification and filtration, aerosol measurement and characterization of particles, occupational exposure assessment, industrial ventilation, noise measurement and control

Hanjing Tian

JOB SEARCH WEBSITES FOR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI

Assistant Professor Chemical Engineering

MountaineerTRAK is WVU’s job search portal for students and alumni. www.careerservices.wvu.edu/mountaineertraklogins

Education: Ph.D., Lehigh University, ’06 M.S., Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, China, ’00 B.S., Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China, ’93

If you are looking for opportunities, or would like to post opportunities for students and alumni, please send an e-mail to Lloyd.Ford@mail.wvu.edu.

Teaching Interests: catalysis, energy, the environment

Another resource is the WVU Statler Group at LinkedIn www.statler.wvu.edu/linkedinwvucemr.

If you have any questions, please contact Lloyd Ford at 304.293.4370.

Research Interests: catalysis, shale gas utilization TIAN

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

15

STUDENT NEWS

DAVIS

One West Virginia University student is taking steps to revive the state’s glassblowing culture.

Clayton Davis, a senior industrial engineering major, has taken up the art of small-scale glassworking. Using a technique called lampworking, Davis makes everything from glass pendants to miniature figurines.

A Morgantown, W.Va., native, Davis became infatuated with glasswork a year ago after watching a documentary on the art.

“I had no idea how to start doing this, but I was pretty sure I would like it,” said Davis. “I’ve learned everything from YouTube and online forums. The Internet has been my best friend.”

Lampworking has been around for centuries, dating back to the 5th century BC. The technique is less expensive, requiring only a lamp or torch to melt the glass. Once in the molten state,

BY BART KEELER

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| Fall 2014

the glass is rotated and molded to create the shape. By using gravity and heat to do the work, Davis is able to craft different designs into his pendants, pipes, and statues.

The process differs from furnace glassblowing because it is more detail-oriented and is used to create smaller pieces using different types of glass. Unlike furnace blowing, which uses soda lime glass, Davis uses borosilicate glass, which requires a much higher temperature to melt it and is only workable for a few seconds.

However, it is more sturdy and structurally sound, making it perfect for Davis’ pieces.

Davis uses solid glass rods and hollow glass tubes as well as smaller rods of colored glass for his designs. He first heats the larger rods and shapes them into the pieces he is creating.

Then, he heats the colored rods and makes designs in the object. When the colors are

heated, they not only expand on the outside, but they also diffuse into the glass, creating the designs.

He works with different types of metal tools to mold the glass and make designs. For example, a tungsten pick is used to move the colored glass because it will drag the molten glass.

Recently, Davis began selling his creations to friends and family members, but this summer, he decided to start a small business for his craft.

“So far, it has just been a hobby,” he said.

“It takes a lot of time, practice, and patience to get right.”

Davis will use Nemo Glass, his new company, as the focal point of his efforts in an industrial engineering course he is taking this fall.

Technology Entrepreneurship is designed to

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Statler College Selects

Ambassadors

Thirty one students representing each academic major in the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources have been selected as ambassadors for the 201415 academic year.

The following is a list of students who were selected as ambassadors. Their anticipated graduation dates and hometowns are included: Chemical engineering: Erika Allen, ’16, Wheeling, W.Va.; Brock Karolcik, ’15, Morgantown, W.Va.; Andy Maloney, ’16, Morgantown, W.Va.; and Andrew White, ’15, Fairmont, W.Va. Civil and environmental engineering: Colin Frosch, ’15, Fairmont, W.Va.; Elliott Hair, ’15, Parkersburg, W.Va.; Christine Snyder, ’15, Scott Depot, W.Va.; and Laura Wild, ’15, Cockeysville, Md. take engineering students step-by-step through the process of entrepreneurship and product development. The work done in this class will lead directly into the senior capstone project required of all WVU industrial engineering students.

“Starting a business is something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” said Davis. “Now, I’m balancing glass blowing with marketing and sales and class. It’s a lot of time management.”

Davis said his current plan is to start small and make connections in the greater Morgantown area to sell his products. But while his dream is ultimately to turn this into a primary source of income, he also wants to help revive the industry in his home state.

“It’s sad to see that the glass industry is dying in West Virginia,” he said. “I’d like to see it become a glass capitol again, and I’d love to be a part of that.”

Computer science and electrical engineering: Tyrone Croswell, ’16, Accokeek, Md.; Todd Dicken, December ’14, Morgantown, W.Va.; Dakota Kirby, ’14 (attending graduate school), Jane Lew, W.Va.; Ali Kowalski, ’16, Newark, Del.; Brianna Maze, ’14 (attending graduate school), Parkersburg, W.Va.; Melanie Wieland, ’16, Pittsburgh, Pa. Industrial and management systems engineering: Emily Phipps, ’15, Cornelius, N.C.; Maggie Schlegel, ’16, Wheeling, W.Va.; Grace Slusser, ’17, Fairmont, W.Va.; Stephen Thompson, ’17, Carmel, Ind.; Josh Watson, ’17, Morgantown, W.Va. Mechanical and aerospace engineering: Katie Demyan, ’15, Huttonsville, W.Va.; Thomas Martin, ’15, Gerrardstown, W.Va.; Matt McCabe, ’15, Martinsburg, W.Va.; Walker McCord, ’18, Daniels, W.Va.; Kevin Peake, ’16, Herndon, Va.; Sabrina Ridenour, ’17, Frostburg, Md.; Nick Underwood, ’14 (attending graduate school), Beaver, W.Va.; Richie Yoho, ’15, Mannington, W.Va. Mining engineering: David Kuegler, ’16, Finksburg, Md. Petroleum and natural gas engineering: Bruce Ensley, Jr., ’17, Midlothian, Va.; Sarah Harbert, ’16, Morgantown, W.Va.; Tyrone Swen, ’15, Laurel, Md.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

17

STUDENT NEWS

CHAMBERS

WVU Grad Uses Senior Design Project to Launch Portable Energy Company

BY BART KEELER

All students in the mechanical and aerospace engineering program at West Virginia University take a senior design course to fulfill graduation requirements. Some students use it as a chance to explore the boundaries of their creation while others see it as a way to develop an idea they’ve been playing with since they began studying.

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WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

As Justin Chambers, a 2012 mechanical engineering graduate and current doctoral student in the program, began to think of his senior design project, he thought to both expand boundaries and create a usable product to solve a problem.

The original plan was to develop a portable, efficient wind turbine that military personnel could carry that would provide energy to power their electronic devices in the field. While working through his project, however, Chambers saw a market for commercial use of his designs.

In 2013, his company, WindPax, was formed.

Chambers and his team have developed a line of collapsible, portable, and efficient wind turbines that he plans to sell to campers, hikers, and others who need power while off the grid.

“I saw a need and knew we could meet it,” explained Chambers, a native of Glen Dale, W.Va. “In our highly connected society, people need power in remote areas.”

There are other alternatives for portable energy, but Chambers explained that these are both heavy and unreliable.

For example, backup batteries take up space in a hiker’s backpack and add weight to the load. They can also lose their charge.

“This is a renewable energy source that can be charged at anytime, anywhere.”

WindPax use patent-pending technology to capture wind and provide power to devices. There are two designs: the Wisp produces 25 watts of power while the Breeze supplies 100 watts of power.

Chambers said that he has a “unique vision for what consumers want.

“We are always looking for feedback. We use them ourselves,” he explained.

Chambers’ vision for his company also includes thirdworld outreach. He sees WindPax as a way to provide affordable, efficient, and low-maintenance energy to people who would have no other option.

In March, Chambers won a $2,500 grant at the TransTech Energy Business Development Conference for WindPax. He also won first place at the 2013 and 2014 Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge at WVU. Chambers has surrounded himself with a well-rounded team, all of whom call WVU their alma mater.

James Smith, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Center of Industrial Research Applications (CIRA), is a technical advisor for the company. He was Chambers’ professor for his senior design course.

Andrew Lowery is an adjunct professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and connects the energy created from the turbines to the electrical components of the product.

Both earned all three of their degrees from WVU. James Smith, II, is head of accounting and finance for WindPax. He received his bachelor’s degrees in business administration and accounting from WVU. Chad Panther also received all three of his degrees from WVU in aerospace engineering. He is a research assistant for CIRA, focusing on renewable energy captures. Panther is mostly responsible for testing the products in wind tunnels.

This is a renewable energy source that “can be charged at anytime, anywhere. ” Large wind turbines, which are well-known sources of renewable energy, spin on a horizontal axis. The turbines designed by Chambers turn on a vertical axis, meaning they can capture wind from all directions.

The turbines are attached to a telescopic stand, which collapses into itself, making the entire package only 14 inches long and 2.5 inches in diameter when packaged.

Recently, WindPax passed its Kickstarter campaign goal. Kickstarter is a website built to help start-ups launch their business by allowing others to pre-order the products and stay in touch with the progress. The goal is to start manufacturing the products and launch them to the public in the spring of 2015.

Ephraim Pittore, a junior in mechanical engineering, is assisting Chambers with design and development.

Together, they have helped design a product that Chambers knows is unique and visionary.

“We want to grow a profitable company,” he said.

“We have a great vision for what we want to do with our products, and we have a passion for entrepreneurship.”

Chambers says the most fun he has on his job is “playing” with his products.

“I work all the time, but I’m playing,” he said. “I’ll go out to the lake for a day and have fun, but I’m also working because I’m testing and refining my products.”

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

19

STUDENT NEWS 20

| Fall 2014

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

This year, an international field of 120 teams designed small Formula One-style cars for the competition, which is sponsored

by SAE International.

WVU Team Returns to Formula SAE Competition Formula SAE race cars are complex machines in which the suspension, chassis, powertrain, body, and aerodynamic surfaces must function seamlessly to deliver the speed, acceleration, and exceptional handling required by the tight autocross-style course.

frame chassis. The team decided on these designs after intense analysis.

WVU had the 24th most cost-efficient car in the competition. It also placed 54th in autocross, 62nd in acceleration, and 68th in skid pad.

“We had to make some parts over,” said Patrick Dingman, team captain and aerospace engineering major from Chantilly, Va. “The design looked good in our computer models, but once the part was made it was obvious that it just wasn’t going to work the way we thought it would. So we had to go back and redesign it.”

The team of students was charged with building a car from scratch, and with that came the challenges of finding and designing parts.

For the engine, the team chose a four-cylinder, 600cc Yamaha R6R with a custom designed intake plenum and an aftermarket fuel injection system.

“This was essentially a first-year team working without the benefit of previous cars on which to base their design or the advice and expertise of previous team members,” said Scott Wayne, faculty advisor and associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

“I have done wiring before but I’ve never built a complete, custom engine wiring harness from scratch,” said Cameron Sutton, of Hedgesville, W.Va. “I expected to spend a week debugging the wiring, but the engine started up on the first try. It surprised everyone, including me.”

The design of a high-performance race car typically begins with the suspension, which Chris Goth, a mechanical engineering student from Wheeling, W.Va., helped design.

Overall, the team was proud to have built the car with their own hands and race it in competition.

“The suspension design was tough,” Goth said. “The motion of the tires and suspension as the car accelerates, brakes, and turns affects how well the car handles on the track.”

WVU’s car featured a four-wheel independent, unequal length double wishbone suspension and a welded 4130 chromoly steel space

“It was a tremendous challenge to get a car to the competition for the first time in over a decade,” said Wayne. “We learned so much just by participating in the competition, and the students who will be returning to the team next year came away with enthusiasm and new ideas for next year’s race car.”

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

21

STUDENT NEWS

Tale of Two Turks: Stude n t Find Their Way at WV s U

BY BART KEELER

ERGUNGOR DEMIRGOK

Maybe it’s because Morgantown reminds them of their hometowns. Berk Demirgok, who graduated with his master’s in mechanical engineering in December 2013 and started his doctoral work in August, compares the city to his hometown of Zonguldak, which resides in Turkey’s coal country.

“The city, landscape, and weather are very similar to my hometown,” he said.

Or maybe it’s because the people who live here are so welcoming.

Sercan Ergungor, a senior industrial engineering student, says he has fallen in love with the “Morgantown hospitality.”

But for the two roommates, one thing is clear: they have thrived at WVU.

“My work is worth something.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree at Utah State, Demirgok, who came to the United States in 2009, began looking for a place to continue his education. A friend from Turkey who was attending WVU invited him to Morgantown.

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“I loved the environment here. It was obviously a great place to study,” he said.

Demirgok enrolled in the Statler College and began working on his research in combustion with V’yacheslav Akkerman, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. The two traveled to San Francisco, Calif., in August, where Demirgok presented a paper at the International Symposium on Combustion. His paper, “Effects of Thermal Expansion on Flame Propagation in Channels with Nonslip Walls,” was chosen out of submissions from an international pool of professors, students, and researchers.

“I was so excited to have been accepted to present, especially an oral presentation,” said Demirgok. “I didn’t think I was doing anything that important, but now I realize my work is worth something.”

the symposium will also help him to dive deeper into the combustion community and extend his networking, thereby facilitating his future academic career.”

Luckily, Demirgok has plenty of experience delivering oral presentations on his research.

He has given four presentations at various national combustion conferences and has also submitted manuscripts to journals based on his master’s research.

In his paper, Demirgok explained the fundamentals of flame theory when applied to conditions of wall friction in a tube. Specifically, he demonstrated the role of thermal expansion in the burning process on flame dynamics.

A true college experience

The symposium is considered the most prestigious biannual conference in the field, and this will be the first time it has been held in the United States since 2004.

For most people, getting locked out of their house is a bad thing. For Ergungor, it turned out to be the key to pursuing his education in the United States.

“Giving a talk at the symposium is an honor not only for students like Berk, but even for senior researchers,” said Akkerman. “Participating in

“My parents were in Cyprus when I was going to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language,

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia and Turk usually spark compariey don’t sons in most people’s minds.

Student News of Note

Prem Alluri, an electrical engineering master’s student, finished third in the Student Paper Contest held as a part of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Transmission and Distribution Conference in April.

Elizabeth Dang, a freshman engineering and Chinese studies major from Morgantown, W.Va., was one of six West Virginia University students who earned Gilman Scholarships for study abroad. Dang and her fellow Mountaineers were among the 1,100 students from 358 colleges and universities across the country to be selected for the prestigious scholarship.

and I didn’t have the money to pay for it,” he recounted. “On the morning of the test, I locked myself out of the house and had to wake up my grandmother so she could let me back in. I decided to ask her for the money.”

The rest is history for Ergungor, who came to North Carolina to live with a host family to attend high school.

“It was a complete culture shock. It really got me in the beginning,” Ergungor said. “Everyday phrases confused me, but I quickly picked them up.”

After a visit to New York City, he made the decision to move to the Big Apple without a secure job or financial backing from his family.

“New York City slapped me in the face so many times, but it taught me that I could live anywhere in the world,” he said.

While in New York, he worked on his associate’s degree and struggled to keep a positive attitude, longing for a true college experience. “It was like going to an office

every day,” he said. “The classrooms were in skyscrapers and I needed a swipe card to get in the buildings, where I was then greeted by a receptionist.”

Upon graduating with his associate’s degree, Ergungor applied to several universities.

WVU earned a spot on his list because he remembered watching the Mountaineer basketball team win the Big East Championship in Madison Square Garden in 2010.

Also instrumental in his decision were people like Jack Byrd, Jr., professor of industrial and management systems engineering.

“I asked him a lot of questions, and he answered them all,” he explained. “He never passed me to someone else and was always quick to respond.”

Ergungor moved to Morgantown in August 2012 and was instantly smitten with the friendly and knowledgeable people.

He graduated from WVU in August and headed back to New York City to work for a logistics company.

Hessam Keshtkar, a graduate student in electrical engineering, was awarded first prize at the 2014 IEEE Power and Energy Society Student Poster Contest held in July.

Adam Rexroad, a senior industrial engineering major from Bridgeport, W.Va., interned with the Clarksburg (W.Va.) Mission during the summer of 2014, evaluating and improving the operations of the nonprofit organization. His work focused on improving the efficiency of the Mission’s bailing operation, which packs donated clothes that are shipped to various thrift store chains or third world countries.

Doctoral candidates Alison Sears and Matthew Robinson participated in a student workshop on Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering, sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The program, which was held in Washington, D.C., offered attendees the chance to learn about Congress, the federal budget process, and effective science communication.

The WVU Section of the Society of Women Engineers was named the 2013-14 Student Organization of the Year by the Student Government Organization. The section will host the SWE Regional Conference in 2015.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

23

STUDENT NEWS

WVU Team Wins 24-Hour Innovation Competition

BY BART KEELER

When innovators are told it cannot be done, they ask, “Why not?” That inspiration fueled a team from West Virginia University, known as the Y-Nots, as they and more than 1,500 other students on five continents competed in an event known as 24 Hours of Innovation.

The competition, which was hosted by École de Technologie Superieure in Montreal, Canada, gives teams 24 hours to find creative solutions to challenges put forward by businesses. ÉTS sent student ambassadors to each team to help guide them through the process.

The Y-Nots consisted of WVU students Joshua Kurnot, Fares Alblouwy, and Kristin Krumenacker and ÉTS students Asmaa Rahali, Milad Naderi, and Sylvain Degue.

The competition started at 9 a.m., when teams were presented with 20 problems from which to choose. The Y-Nots debated and voted until they agreed upon a challenge, which was simply titled, “Reinvent the Stairs.” The submitting organization was looking for a way to entice college students to use staircases more often, thus forgoing the use of elevators and escalators. Not only did the Y-Nots have to develop the concept, they also had to create a two-minute video presenting the solution and post it to the competition’s website, all within 24 hours.

Their idea and video were judged by a local panel, and the best ideas were sent to the international judges located in Montreal. The next morning during a webcast, West Virginia University, in its first time competing, was announced as the winner.

The idea submitted by the WVU team was to create a rewards system. Students would scan their IDs when they entered and exited the staircase and earn points that they could then use at locations across campus. Additionally, the team advocated for the installation of small, electric generators under each step, which could generate 5 watts per step, per person, making the building sustainable.

Krumenacker said the two keys to their success were self-designating responsibilities and staying ahead of the timeline they developed prior to the competition.

“It was a realistic problem that could be easily implemented and aimed at a specific audience,” explained Alblouwy, a senior mechanical engineering student from Tabock, Saudi Arabia.

“Our idea was simple, and we made it green and sustainable.”

Kabul, Afghanistan, native Naderi, who is a civil engineering student at ÉTS, said the biggest challenge was to transfer the idea into a video, so they highlighted key words and phrases to make their point. The video can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fTwkYboUlZw. Adding to the simplicity of the idea, the team did not actually invent any new items.

“Innovation is taking ideas and doing them in a different way,” said Krumenacker, a senior computer engineering major from Nicktown, Pa. “You don’t have to come up with a new technology, just a new way to use existing technology.”

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| Fall 2014

At first, the Y-Nots were not convinced they had won.

“They announced it on the webcast, but it was in French, so I didn’t understand it,” recounted Krumenacker. “I had to wait until they posted the results online before I believed it.”

“We were ready to post the video by 2 a.m., but we had some problems with the Internet connection and it took a long time to upload,” said Naderi. “It was good we were ahead of schedule.”

Because the competition solves real-world problems faced by companies, the students gained hands-on experience of what it will be like to solve innovation problems in their careers and build their engineering skills.

“It definitely improved my brainstorming skills,” said Rahali, a software engineering graduate student from Oran, Algeria. “I learned how to trust an idea and make it real.”

The biggest thing the team members came away with was confidence. Be it affirmation for their career choice or new confidence in their abilities, they each took away something to take into their futures as engineers.

“I started my journey abroad to study medicine, but I switched to engineering because I loved it,” said Alblouwy. “WVU is a great engineering school, and our professors really care about the students. They’ve told me that it’s not all about learning in books; you have to learn in life as well. This is an example of that.”

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

BY BART KEELER

As a boy, West Virginia University mechanical engineering graduate Pat Wildfire was obsessed with making things go faster. He started racing his mountain bikes, moving to motorcycles in his teens. Bruce Schlicker, another WVU mechanical engineering graduate, was late into racing. Instead, he was a competitive football and baseball player.

Now, the two West Virginia natives find themselves engineering fast cars in their careers.

Schlicker, who earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2005 and his master’s in the discipline in 2008, found his passion for fast cars while working on his master’s thesis. In 2005, he began working for Norm Weaver, an Automobile Racing Club of America truck series driver.

Now, the Clarksburg, W.Va., native is the race engineer for Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) No. 62 car. The team behind driver Brendan Gaughan has worked its way to a top-10 ranking this season.

SCHLICKER

WILDFIRE

Calhoun County, W.Va., native Wildfire earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2007 and completed his master’s in 2009. He is currently a vehicle development engineer for SSC North America, where he was brought in to achieve a simple goal: help engineer a new car model that carries on the performance characteristics of the Ultimate Aero and will reclaim the title as the world’s fastest production car. The Ultimate Aero won the title in 2007, but has since been surpassed by Bugatti’s Veyron Super Sport.

“What you learn there is most important.”

At Shelby, Wildfire oversees the design of the cars from the top-down, focusing on developing and designing total performance vehicles. He makes sure all the new designs and concepts are tested thoroughly in the real world, not just in computer simulations.

“Nothing ever goes on a new car, no customer can look at anything, until it’s been road tested,” he explained.

This ensures not only a fast car, but a quality car.

“The Ultimate Aero wasn’t just a fast car, it was also a quality car: it was comfortable, quiet, and technologically advanced,” said Wildfire. “It’s not hard to make a high-performance and reliable car as long as you start from that perspective. The trick is to know what your goals are.”

His role includes overseeing all engineering processes in the car development.

Though Wildfire doesn’t design much anymore, he has been heavily involved in designing an “interesting new exhaust system” for the model.

“Pat’s learning is 50 percent gumption to learn and 50 percent problem-solving,” said Gary Winn, professor and coordinator of the occupational safety and health doctoral program in the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering. “He has a deep-seeded need for speed,” said Winn.

FORMULATING A WINNING COMBINATION Schlicker moved to North Carolina to find a job on a NASCAR team upon finishing his master’s degree. His first job was at Fitz Motorsports as a fabricator and later as an engineer with the team. He bounced around between teams before landing at RCR, where he has been for three years. This is his second year with the No. 62 team.

Wildfire says he enjoys working for an American car company because “we are falling behind as an engineering leader in the world.

His job is to work with the crew chief and mechanics to engineer the best car for each track and race. Each week, he and the crew leaders sit down to formulate a winning combination, which includes examining past performances and the history of each track, expected weather conditions, and the team’s strategy for the race.

“SSC set the world speed record and we want to get it back,” he said.

“I take the information from the meeting and relay that to our mechanics,” said Schlicker. “We then run simulations on the car to see what we need to alter.”

During their undergraduate years, the men spent time learning about car engineering.

Wildfire interned with Toyota Motor Corp. and did a co-op with Cummins, Inc., a service engine manufacturer, while Schlicker was part of the Statler College’s successful Mini Baja Car team.

After these simulations, the crew works on the car to increase the level of grip and aerodynamics to find the right balance between drag and downforce.

Each week presents new challenges, and Schlicker oversees the changes that must be met to perform best on each track. Schlicker said he has to be aware of how a change on one part of the vehicle might affect another part. For example, an adjustment may fix the corner entry but hurt the center to exit of the corner.

“Designing and building a car really taught me a lot about making all components work together,” said Schlicker. “I appreciate how hard making a vehicle is.”

“The competitive side wants to make things better for the next time. It drives me to want to improve and build a winning car.”

BUILDING A FAST, QUALITY CAR

Schlicker’s mentor at WVU was Ken Means, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and advisor to the Mini Baja Car team.

After completing his bachelor’s degree, Wildfire pursued an internship with Renault F1 Team in the United Kingdom. There, he worked in research and development for their Formula One racing team and gained an appreciation for the physical testing of new technology and designs.

“The biggest advice I can give to students is to intern and co-op,” said Wildfire.

ALUMNI NEWS

GRADS ENGINEER FAST CARS AND CAREERS

Means believes that Schlicker has “a great mix of practical skills and analytical skills.

“When he was on the Baja team, you could tell he had racing in his blood,” said Means.

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ALUMNI NEWS

ACADEMIES ACADEMY OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING John S. Tomblin completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University in 1990, 1991, and 1994, TOMBLIN respectively.

From 1994-2000, he was an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at Wichita State University. He was promoted to associate professor in 2000, and to professor in 2004.

He is currently the executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University, interim vice president for research and technology transfer, and a Bloomfield Distinguished Professor of aerospace engineering.

During his time at Wichita State, Tomblin directed numerous multi-disciplinary and multi-investigator projects with external funding exceeding $125 million. He has collected a panoply of awards and recognitions in the process. As NIAR executive director, Tomblin oversees 15 laboratories in four locations encompassing 350,000 square feet, 350 employees, and a yearly budget of more than $45 million. Under his leadership, NIAR has gained worldwide recognition in the area of composites and advanced materials. It has greatly expanded its capabilities and footprint and has more than doubled its yearly funding.

Tomblin also serves as director of NIAR’s composites and advanced materials lab, mechanical test labs, the Center of Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials, and the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance. He has worked primarily in the area of material qualification and insertion into aviation production. He has authored numerous publications in the areas of composite and advanced materials research, including technical reports for the Federal Aviation Administration that have directly influenced policy governing the use of composites within the aerospace industry.

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ACADEMY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS Born and raised in Tyler County, W.Va., Duane Nichols graduated from WVU with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering, with honors, in 1959.

NICHOLS He received the Whitehill Award and Phi Lambda Upsilon Award in chemistry as an undergraduate. Industrial experience included four summers at the PPG Natrium plant and one summer with the Silicones Division of Union Carbide.

Nichols’ graduate work at the University of Delaware was supported by a National Defense Education Act Fellowship and resulted in his master’s and doctorate in chemical engineering.

He then moved to Dover, Del., to join the faculty of Delaware State University, where he served as the first head of the Department of Physics, as well as director of the Nuclear Radiation Laboratory.

In 1968, Nichols came to WVU as an assistant professor of chemical engineering under the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Heat and Mass Transfer Enrichment Grant, teaching courses in unit operations, heat and mass transfer, catalysis, applied differential equations, and optimization theory. Later, as an associate professor of chemical engineering, he served as coordinator of the NSF program on “The Siting of Coal Conversion Complexes in Appalachia.”

Nichols became head of the fossil energy section at the Research Triangle Institute, in Durham, N.C., in 1977. The United States Environmental Protection Agency-supported research program was directed to the environmental assessment of coal gasification for synthetic natural gas production. In 1980, he moved to Library, Pa., first as senior process engineer with the Conoco Coal Development Corporation, which later became CONSOL Research and Development, where he was the group leader for special projects. He served the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in various positions including president of the Pittsburgh Section.

Nichols retired in 2000 and moved with his wife, Sue, to the Stewartstown area of Cheat Lake, W.Va. He has since served as president of his homeowners association and president of the Cheat Lake Environment and Recreation Association. Projects have included the establishment of a swimming beach and improvement of trails and boating on Cheat Lake as well as the conservation of native habitat areas in the Cheat River Canyon. He has also been active as the co-chairman of the Upper Monongahela Area Watersheds Compact and a board member of the Mon-Valley Clean Air Coalition.

ACADEMY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS Onas E. Aliff earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from WVU Tech in 1967. In 1968, he completed his master’s degree in the discipline at WVU, and was registered as a professional engineer in 1974.

Aliff worked out of state for a national engineering firm for several years prior to joining Triad Engineering in Morgantown, W.Va., in 1977. He served as president of the company for many years and was a member of the management team that developed the firm from an initial staff of five to more than 200 employees in West Virginia and adjacent states.

During his tenure, Triad Engineering earned recognition as a Top 500 Engineering Design Firm in the United States from the Engineering News Record. The award is believed to be the first for a West Virginia-based company.

Upon his retirement, Aliff was actively involved in the environmental remediation and redevelopment of the former Sterling Faucet plant site. Additionally, he started several construction companies and provided consulting service to numerous firms.

Aliff was inducted into the WVU Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 and was selected for the 2005 Distinguished Service Award by the WVU Tech Alumni Association.

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Dianne Anderson, who graduated from WVU in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, is the first executive director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University.

Since 2008, she has ANDERSON been inspiring faculty to aim their research toward the world’s most pressing energy problems, having herself spent 30 years working in energy. Case Western has quadrupled their level of energy-related research since the launch of the Institute.

Previously Anderson worked for BP for 25 years and was appointed president, U.S. West of Rockies Fuels in 2006. Having joined BP in 1983, she progressed through roles in upstream exploration and downstream transportation fuels, natural gas, and electricity. Anderson held several global leadership positions over her career, across the United States and internationally in London and Krakow, Poland.

In a variety of strategic and operating roles, she brought clean fuels to market with the enactment of the Clean Air Act and managed natural gas and electric-power regulatory affairs for Canada and the United States.

Anderson, who serves as the chair of the Statler College’s Engineering and Computer Science Enterprise Visiting Committee, completed seniorexecutive development programs at Harvard, Cambridge University, and Northwestern University, and was a visiting faculty member in Stanford University’s program on Customer Focused Innovation.

Steven C. Ball is chairman and managing principal at John A. Martin & Associates, a structural engineering consulting firm in Los Angeles, Calif.

Ball received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from WVU, with primary focus in structural engineering, in 1979 and 1981, respectively. He has distinguished himself in the structural engineering field with award-winning designs, many of which involved creative, first-time structural solutions. He was the lead structural designer for numerous iconic and landmark structures across the United States and in Europe for high-rise buildings, hospitals, museums, sports arenas, conventions centers, airport expansions, seismic retrofits, and structures using glass as the primary structural system. His numerous awards include the prestigious 2013 American Institute of

Steel Construction’s Special Achievement Award for the first-time use of non-orthogonal moment frames for the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, which was an unconventional solution with geometry never used before in the United States in high-seismic regions.

Ball is licensed in all 50 states and is active in several professional organizations. He contributes to the advancement of his profession through publications, presentations, and educational seminars.

Susan J. Masten is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU). She is a registered professional engineer in Michigan.

Masten received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Fairleigh Dickenson University, her master’s degree in environmental engineering from WVU in 1981, and her doctorate in environmental engineering from Harvard University in 1986. She went on to serve as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a research scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory in Ada, Okla., before moving to MSU to assume a faculty position.

An honor member of Chi Epsilon, the civil engineering honor society, Masten is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lyman A. Ripperton Award from the Air and Waste Management Association, the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Great Lakes District of Chi Epsilon, and the Withrow Teaching Award from Michigan State University. She is the advisor to the MSU Environmental Engineering Student Society and the MSU Chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

She is also co-author of the textbook, Principles of Environmental Engineering and Science, which is now in its third edition.

Masten’s research involves the use of chemical oxidants for the remediation of soils, water, and leachates contaminated with hazardous organic chemicals. She has worked extensively on the development of drinking water treatment technologies for the control of disinfection byproducts, nanoparticles, bromate, and pharmaceuticals.

Stu Matthis is a 1981 graduate of WVU. He received his master’s degree in structural engineering from Virginia Tech and has spent the ensuing 31 years all with the same consulting engineering firm—STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates in Charlotte, N.C. Matthis started as a bridge design engineer and climbed the ranks into several leadership positions, most recently serving as

vice president of strategic business development for megaprojects. Signature projects include the award-winning US 17/Neuse River Bridge and the $1 Billion CATS Blue Line Light Rail Transit System, both in North Carolina. He is active in numerous professional societies, serves as a tenured part-time lecturer at UNC-Charlotte in civil and environmental engineering, and is a registered professional engineer in eight states.

A native of Braxton County, W.Va., Larry C. Nottingham earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from WVU Tech in 1965, a master’s degree in the discipline from University of Pittsburgh in 1966, NOTTINGHAM and a doctorate from the University of Florida in 1975.

Nottingham began his geotechnical engineering career in 1967 with Ackenheil & Associates of Charleston, W.Va. He went on to work with Fugro, Inc., in California and Texas, performing offshore geotechnical investigations for the petroleum industry.

In 1979, Nottingham relocated back to West Virginia, accepting employment with Triad Engineering, serving as Kanawha Valley branch manager, and president and CEO of the firm during two different periods. He remained with Triad until his retirement in 2005.

From 1989 until 1994, Nottingham served as professor and chair of the civil engineering department at WVU Tech. He also served as interim dean of engineering at WVU Tech in 2007-08. He has been an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, serving as president of its West Virginia Section, and of the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Carol A. Tenney Stevens graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from WVU in 1984. While a student, Stevens was an active member of the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), participating in several regional conferences. After a four-year employment with AAI Corporation in Baltimore, Md., she took a position with NuTec Design Associates, an architectural engineering firm in York, Pa. While working at AAI and NuTec, she attended Penn State-Harrisburg, earning a master’s of engineering degree in 1989.

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ALUMNI NEWS

ACADEMIES In 1995, Stevens accepted a position with Alpha Associates in Morgantown, W.Va. Family commitments brought her to the Charleston area in 1996, where she worked for Chapman Technical Group and CMA Engineering prior to starting CAS Structural Engineering, Inc. in 2001.

Stevens has worked on many building design projects throughout the state, most notably the restoration of the dome on the state’s Capitol Complex, the restoration of the Upshur County Courthouse, repairs to Woodburn and Martin halls at WVU, and renovations to the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion.

Stevens is still very active with ASCE, currently serving as West Virginia Region governor. She also serves on the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s Visiting Committee at WVU and the advisory board for the civil engineering department at WVU Tech. She is a registered PE in six states, a Fellow of ASCE, a member of the Structural Engineering Institute, a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, and certified in the practice of structural engineering.

ACADEMY OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS John A. Galucci, BSIE ’96, is the cloud computing delivery project executive for IBM, Inc. He leads the project management efforts to handle this commercial Web-based account to effectively manage the delivery of services via cross-functional teams.

Galucci has nearly 18 years of experience as an information technology professional at IBM. He led the effort on the Fossil account to migrate to be fully operational with the IBM outsourcing contract in a steady state mode coming from another third-party outsourcer. He balanced $2.5 million cost center budget expenditures, resulting in an impressive 40 percent gross profit margin with the Ansell Healthcare, United Retail Group, and Vitro America accounts.

He rated a perfect 10 out of 10 customer satisfaction rating from a Harris Interactive survey on several accounts for several years.

He won several BRAVO and TEAM awards at IBM for distinguished work in support of several commercial accounts.

Galucci, who has served as member of the IMSE Visiting/Advisory Committee since 2001, lives with his family in Fuquay-Varina, N.C.

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| Fall 2014

Ryan S. Hunter, BSIE ’97, is the group leader of supply chain (SC) strategy at the H. J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh, Pa. Hunter, who is accountable for developing, aligning, and ensuring execution of the North American SC strategy, oversees the operations business management, providing new product feasibility assessment, project scoping, and identification of optimal source(s) of supply. He also oversees program management, with dedicated oversight for large projects involving supplier transitions or manufacturing sourcing changes. Hunter was awarded The Henry Award in 2011, which is the highest individual recognition of achievement at The H. J. Heinz Company.

Prior to joining Heinz, Hunter spent 11 years at the Hershey Company in Hershey, Pa., working in a variety of roles in global SC strategy, finance, manufacturing, and industrial engineering.

Hunter, who earned master’s degree in business administration from Penn State University in 2001, has served as a member of the IMSE visiting/advisory committee since 2009. He has been actively involved with the Department, making presentations, participating in lectures, and assisting financially. He and his family reside in Cranberry Township, Pa.

ACADEMY OF THE LANE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Yadin B. David is principal, Biomedical Engineering Consultants, LLC, in Houston, Tex., where he has served since 2008. Previous positions include directing DAVID and teaching biomedical engineering programs in hospitals in Texas, Mexico, China, and West Virginia. In West Virginia, he served as research assistant professor, anesthesiology, and director, biomedical engineering, at the University Hospital from 1976-1982. After that, he served as director, biomedical engineering, at the Texas Medical Center from 1982-2008.

His education at WVU included a BSEE in 1974, an MSEE in 1975, and a DEd in 1983. He holds an adjunct appointment at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He is a biomedical engineering advisor and consultant to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the World Health Organization, and start-up medical product companies. He received several recognitions including the FDA special commissioner’s award for protecting public safety.

David was one of the founders and served as the first president of the American College of Clinical Engineering, the Center for Telemedicine and eHealth Law, and the not-for-profit Healthcare Technology Foundation.

David has more than 300 presentations, journal publications, and books in the areas of electrical and biomedical safety, technology management, clinical engineering, and telehealth.

Joan Boyle Kuehl is chief information officer, eBusiness, for the Travelers Insurance in Hartford, Conn.

She earned a bachelor of science degree KUEHL in computer science from WVU in 1978. Previously, she held positions with Bank America, Sabre Holdings, and the NCR Corporation.

At Travelers, she led the development and now manages an enterprise-wide eBusiness technology organization that provides capabilities in Web, mobile, and social channels for all business lines. This section manages all enterprise Web, mobile, and social properties with eCommunication and eDelivery of documents to policy holders and agents, eBilling and payments, enterprise content management and digital asset management, and social listening and engagement. At Bank America, possibly the most-visited financial website in the world, she led the organization to create, deliver, and support Web and mobile channels for consumers and small business customers, managing a team of approximately 2,000 developers, analysts, and service delivery managers, performing more than two billion transactions per month. At Sabre, she created

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

and managed their reservations system environment and related products supporting more than 70 airlines worldwide She was the national chairperson for Sabre Holdings’ 2001 United Way campaign, leading the largest employee donation in company history.

She led the formation of the Charlotte Women in Technology and Operations organization for Bank of America. In Dallas, Girls, Inc. honored her for community service, mentoring, and serving as a role model for girls with the Girls Champion Award.

ACADEMY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS After earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas in 1976, Malek A. Kabariti earned a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from WVU in 1977. His KABARITI career has included

service as an instructor at the University of Jordan and numerous assignments as a project manager, consultant, board member, or advisor to both governmental and non-governmental organizations in north Africa, Europe, India, and the Middle East.

Kabariti’s primary technical interests lie in the area of energy and renewable energy, particularly solar energy. He has worked for many years on the improvement of solar water heating systems and in the development of manufacturing expertise and systems in his native country of Jordan. He has published widely on these topics and was instrumental in developing testing standards and a testing facility for solar collectors at the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan in the 1980s.

From the late 1970s to the present, Kabariti has served as project manager or project coordinator for numerous organizations and governments, including the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, the Egyptian Government, the Libyan Government, India GIZ, and to regional and international developers. From 1995-1999 he was the director of the Renewable Energy Research Center of the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan, and from 1998-2009, he served as president of the National Energy Research Center

Alumni: GET INVOLVED! CONNECT | MEMBERSHIP

CAREERS

COMMUNITY

Congratulations and welcome to your alumni family.

The WVU Alumni Association is here to help strengthen your networks, enhance your experiences, and allow you to stay connected and engaged in the life of your alma mater.

If you are interested in joining our network, visit

alumni.wvu.edu/new-grad STAY CONNECTED, GET INVOLVED AND NETWORK!

of Jordan. From 2010 to 2012 Kabariti served on the board of directors of the Central Electricity Generation Company of Jordan, and from 2012 to 2013 as the chairman of the National Electric Power Company. Since March 2013, Kabariti has served as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources for the country of Jordan.

ALUMNI NEWS OF NOTE

Mark Broder, BSCE ’80, retired from Naval Sea Systems command after more than 32 years of work with the United States Navy and government civilian service. He currently resides in Alexandria, Va.

IN MEMORIAM Barry Dangerfield, 64, passed away on April 10, at the University of Virginia Hospital. Dangerfield, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mining engineering from West Virginia University in 1973 and 1981, respectively, spent 30 years with CONSOL Energy and later with PinnOak Resources and Cliffs Natural Resources. He is survived by his wife.

Robert Dean Slonneger, 91, passed away on July 29, in Morgantown, W.Va. Slonneger served on the faculty of West Virginia University for 35 years, as professor of mechanical engineering, chair of mechanical engineering and mechanics, and assistant dean before retiring as professor emeritus in 1988. During his tenure at WVU, he served on the University Senate, the Athletic Council, and as head marshal for commencement ceremonies. A professional engineer in Texas and West Virginia, Slonneger was a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Sigma Xi scientific honorary, the Pi Tau Sigma mechanical engineering honorary, and the Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary.

He is survived by his daughters, Barbara and Elizabeth.

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9 4 7 8

5 7 4 9

CILENTO

2

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DEAR FRIENDS In late 2013, the College leadership team discussed the idea of producing our first-ever annual report issue of EngineeringWV. At that moment in time, we really had no idea what the year would look like. As you look through the pages that follow, I hope you will be as proud as we are of the multitude of accomplishments achieved by our students, our faculty, and our staff.

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Our students continue to be recognized on a national stage for their achievements in the classroom. Three of our students—Joseph Bright, Jacob Cordonier, and Rachel James—received graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation that will afford them the opportunity to continue their education. Another student, Andy Maloney, was one of three WVU students to be named a Goldwater Scholar, which recognizes the commitment and potential each winner has to make a significant contribution to science.

Our students’ hard work also paid huge dividends this spring in a number of national design competitions. In the span of six weeks, robotics teams from WVU scored top honors in three straight NASA-sponsored competitions. In May, the Mountaineers took first-place honors in NASA’s 2014 Robotic Mining Competition. Two weeks later, they ruled the “Rock Yard” at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, scoring a record-high 99 points in winning NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkages Competition. And two weeks later, the team from the Statler College became the only team this year to successfully complete level one of the Sample Return Robot Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges, earning them the right to return in 2015 for a chance at the $1.5 million level-two prize.

These students are taught by an outstanding group of faculty, who are pioneers in areas ranging from bridge rehabilitation to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), a team of civil engineers, led

by Hota GangaRao, oversaw a rehabilitation project of a Huntington, W.Va.-area bridge, which received a USACE 2014 Innovation of the Year award. Using composite materials, the project team was able to complete its initial work in three weeks at a cost about 75 percent less than conventional construction. Nianqiang Wu, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Yuxin Liu, an assistant professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical

Engineering, have teamed up to create an in vitro diagnostic tool—or test strip—to rapidly identify and differentiate between mild and severe cases of TBI. The research duo has extensive experience in the development of nano-scale devices with applications in healthcare and environmental monitoring.

From advising to outreach and recruitment to budget management, the backbone of the College are the members of our staff. Whether it’s helping to plan activities like the Pumpkin Drop, or our departmental annual academy inductions, or assisting with the purchase of research equipment, they work tirelessly to support our students and faculty. Our outreach teams, made up of staff, faculty, and Statler College Ambassadors, have a hand in everything from the West Virginia State Fair to school visits and our Engineering Challenge Camps, leading hands-on activities that teach engineering to what will hopefully be future generations of our students.

None of this work could be done without the support of our alumni and friends, who have consistently answered our call for financial support. As public support for higher education becomes more limited at the state and national levels, it is crucial for us to seek private funds to support and hopefully expand all the great work that goes on in the Statler College. We continue to work to find ways to keep our costs reasonable and to raise private funds to support scholarships and graduate fellowships. To all of those listed on the pages that follow who have answered our call this year, I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude for your continued support.

I hope this annual report will show that your funds have been well invested.

Eugene V. Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean and Professor

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UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE 3,508 698 1500 1250 1000 750 500 250 100

Outreach Events USA Science and Engineering Festival West Virginia State Fair Off-campus Outreach On-campus Outreach

Undergraduate College Fairs Graduate College Fairs Visits to Statler College School Visits Engineering Challenge Camps

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2013-2014

Events for Prospective Students

10,000+ 5,000 3,790 2,086 1,844 914 723 351 325 68

Non-degree Students

General Graduate

Freshman/Undeclared

Undergrad Graduate

Undergrad Graduate

Undergrad Graduate

Undergrad Graduate

Undergrad Graduate

Undergrad Graduate

Civ il CS EE IM SE MA E Min ing PN GE

Ch em ica l

Undergrad Graduate

0

Research by the Numbers

Enrollment Total 4,206

$25.9 million

in externally funded research Strategic Research Areas Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Aviation Safety Biometrics and Identification Technologies Biomedical and Healthcare Civil and Transportation Infrastructure Energy and Power: Generation, Conversion, Distribution Shale Gas Utilization Water and Sustainability

FRESHMAN CLASS AVERAGE ACT/SAT 28.8/1258* AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL GPA 3.8* *CALCULUS-READY

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

by Department in Millions Mechanical and Aerospace

$8.80

Computer Science and Electrical

$6.01

Civil and Environmental

$3.35

CAMPAIGN GOAL

$165,000,000

Chemical

$2.29

Industrial and Management Systems

$1.90

Administration

$1.78 $.99

Mining

Research Funding

by Source

$151,100,081

(JULY 1, 2007 - JUNE 30, 2014)

OF GOAL RAISED

Petroleum and Natural Gas

$.74

CAMPAIGN ACHIEVEMENT

% 92

(JULY 1, 2007 - DEC. 31, 2015)

Funds raised by years Attainment (outright gifts and cash payments on pledges)

$14,000,000

2%

5 ral ent: e d Fe ernm v Go

$12,000,000

$10,000,000

5%

a: 1 of te irgini a t S st V We

al ent m rn nd ove ions a 33% g : t n No aniza nors o g Or ate D v Pri

$8,000,000

$6,000,000

$4,000,000

Total

$8,169,173

statler.wvu.edu

FY 2012 - 2013

FY 2011 - 2012 with Siemens gift $71,214,513

FY 2010 - 2011

FY 2009 - 2010

$1,000,000 FY 2008 - 2009

Facilities $197,771 Departments $1,958,477 Faculty $380,250 Student Programs $484,794 Research $3,714,869 Scholarships & Fellowships $1,059,011 Undesignated $374,000

$2,000,000

FY 2007 - 2008

2014 Fundraising Efforts

FISCAL YEAR

Fundraising Snapshot

FY 2013 - 2014

Research Expenditures

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GEORGE B. BERRY CHAIR OF ENGINEERING Funded by George B. and Carolyn A. Berry Position Holder: Nigel Clark, mechanical and aerospace engineering Research Interests: alternative fuels; atmospheric emissions inventory; internal combustion engines; vehicle propulsion, powder, and particle technology; multiphase flows; thermal sciences; energy and efficiency research CLARK

Teaching Interests: internal combustion engines, thermal sciences, hybrid vehicle technology and diesel engine technology, strength of materials

DR. GEORGE B. BERRY AND CAROLYN A. BERRY CHAIR OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Funded by Carolyn A. Berry Position Holder: Rakesh K. Gupta

Endowed

Professorships

Research Interests: polymer processing, polymer rheology, polymer composites Teaching Interests: chemical engineering, polymer science GUPTA

ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS CHAIR Funded by Allegheny Power Service Corporation, Appalachian Power Company, Duquesne Light Company, and Virginia Power Position Holder: Ali Feliachi, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Research Interests: power systems and controls Teaching Interests: power systems and controls

FELIACHI

GE PLASTICS MATERIAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR

ASPHALT TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR Funded by Asphalt Pavement Association and Contractors Association of West Virginia Position Holder: John Zaniewski, civil and environmental engineering

Funded by GE Plastics Position Holder: Brian Anderson, chemical engineering Research Interests: natural gas hydrates, nanomaterials, molecular-level design

Research Interests: asphalt materials, pavement design, pavement management, highway construction

ZANIEWSKI

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Teaching Interests: asphalt materials, construction materials, construction engineering, pavement management

Teaching Interests: thermodynamics, sustainable energy and development, methods of molecular modeling ANDERSON

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

CHARLES T. HOLLAND PROFESSOR OF MINING ENGINEERING

ROBERT E. MURRAY CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE MINING ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Funded by Elmo Hurst Position Holder: Keith Heasley

Funded by Robert E. Murray Position Holder: Christopher J. Bise

Research Interests: numerical modeling, subsidence prediction, pillar design, multiple-seam design, coal bump prevention, instrumentation, longwall mining, mining seismicity

Research Interests: mine design, mine health and safety, mine maintenance, miner training Teaching Interests: coal mining, mine management, mineral property evaluation

Teaching Interests: numerical modeling, ground control, longwall mining BISE

HEASLEY

JACK H. SAMPLES DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIP OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

RAYMOND J. LANE CHAIR FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE Funded by Raymond and Stephanie Lane Position Holder: Brian Woerner, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Funded by William Samples Position Holder: Karl Barth, civil and environmental engineering

Research Interests: distributed computing and communication systems, multi-antenna communications techniques, low power implementation of signal processing for communications WOERNER

Teaching Interests: communications systems, information theory, signal processing, telecommunications policy

Research Interests: finite element modeling, structural stability, bridges, steel members and frames

BARTH

MAURICE A. AND JOANN WADSWORTH DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

CHARLES E. LAWALL ENDOWED CHAIR FOR ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT Funded by Consolidation Coal Company and Glenna R. Pack Position Holder: Syd Peng, mining engineering

Funded by Maurice and JoAnn Wadsworth Position Holder: Hota GangaRao

Research Interests: coal mine ground control, surface subsidence, longwall mining Teaching Interests: coal mine ground control, longwall mining PENG

GANGARAO

MASSEY FOUNDATION PROFESSOR OF MINING ENGINEERING Funded by Massey Foundation Position Holder: Vladislav Kecojevic Research Interests: surface mining, surface mine safety, information technology, environmental issues in surface mining

Teaching Interests: bridge engineering, structural stability, plastic design of steel structures, behavior of steel members, steel design, structural analysis

Research Interests: design, development, production, and implementation of fiber reinforced polymer composites including recycled polymers for constructed facilities with emphasis on high structures, utility poles, and underground structures

Teaching Interests: mathematical modeling of structural systems response including Fourier transforms and hyper-geometric series, dynamic response evaluations through algorithm developments for remaining servicelife of structural systems, design of bridge and reinforced concrete members

Teaching Interests: surface mining systems, aggregates production, integrated mining systems KECOJEVIC

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MALONEY

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MALONEY EARNS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP Andy Maloney’s path was paved by his past.

A chemical engineering major from Morgantown, W.Va., Maloney was one of three West Virginia University students selected to receive the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. He aspires to have a career in drug delivery systems with Alzheimer’s research because both of his grandmothers had the disease.

“I’m the youngest in my family, so I didn’t get to know them very well,” he said. “The hardest part was seeing my parents respond to it, because it’s obviously really hard when they don’t even recognize their own children. That kind of spurred me onto it. I’m going to try my best to contribute to stopping it.”

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When he was filling out college applications, Maloney really began to study what would fulfill him. Continuing to come back to his closeness to Alzheimer’s, Maloney tried to find a way to connect it with his love for science.

His mother is a middle school science teacher and his father works at the Department of Energy, so he grew up around the subject.

And, since eighth grade when he realized he had a knack for finding solutions and resolving problems, Maloney knew he would study engineering in school.

“I like the fact that you can see the applications,” he said. All of that decision-making led him to WVU –

and now a successful two-year career at the University that includes tons of research experience.

“The thing that sets me apart is that in coming to WVU I’ve had a lot of opportunities that most people don’t get to have. I started my undergraduate research in my first semester, and most don’t start until their junior or senior years,” he said. “I’ve had more opportunities than a sophomore at another university.”

For more on Andy Maloney, visit: http://bit.ly/1uJHoRp.

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT » The Department hosted Chemical Engineering Day, an event aimed to stimulate the creative professional activities of future chemical engineers. It featured a combination of plenary talks, STEM engagement activities for high school students, and a research poster contest for undergraduate and graduate students. » Faculty members Brian Anderson, Cerasela Dinu, and John Zondlo and students Danielle Hamner and Gabrielle Hamner participated in the Statler College’s Engineering Challenge Camps, which are held during the summer. » Andy Maloney, who serves as a Statler College Ambassador, participated in a number of College-run activities including Merit Badge University, a daylong event that awards merit badges in the areas of engineering, energy, robotics, space exploration, and programming to Boy Scouts. He also attended the West Virginia Science Bowl and served as a mentor to the South Middle School Higher Order Thinking Society.

CURRICULUM CHANGES The application process opened in spring 2014 for the first class of students to be admitted to the Department’s new degree program in biomedical engineering. The program will offer instruction in such areas as cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinstrumentation, thermodynamics of living systems, transport in living systems, biomechanics, tissue engineering, and biomaterials. Students will also benefit from the opportunity to work side-by-side with faculty who are conducting groundbreaking research in the areas of tissue engineering, cancer diagnosis, nanobiotechnology, drug and material toxicology, and biomaterials.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Anderson

Dinu

Gupta

» Brian Anderson, GE Plastics Material Engineering Professor of Chemical Engineering, was selected as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. » Cerasela Dinu, assistant professor, was recognized as an outstanding researcher in the Statler College. » Rakesh Gupta, George and Carolyn Berry Professor and Chairperson of the Department, was named an Honored Service Member of the Society of Plastics Engineers at its Annual Technical Conference. He was also reappointed by the College to his administrative post as chair for a five-year period.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Anna Cokeley, of Harrisville, W.Va., is a 2014 Foundation Scholar. The award, which provides full tuition and fees, room and board, and books for four years, is valued at approximately $80,000 when paired with the state’s PROMISE Scholarship.

Cokeley plans to major in chemical engineering. » Neha Gupta and Andy Maloney won awards in the research poster contest at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in San Francisco, Calif. Reem El Dawud won an award in the graduate poster presentation. » Nathan Mickinac was one of 34 students in the WVU Class of 2014 to be named an Outstanding Senior. The award recognizes students for their contributions and achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service.

» Julie Peng, of Culloden, W.Va., was named a Buick Achievers Scholar. The program offers up to $25,000 per year for 100 first-time freshmen or existing college students, renewable up to four years, and one additional year for those entering a qualified five-year engineering program.

» Matthew Tacker was selected for a STEM Mountains of Excellence fellowship by the WVU Office of Graduate Education and Life. Fellowships include a stipend, a University tuition waiver, a College tuition scholarship, and funds toward research-related travel expenses.

» Matthew Thompson, a doctoral student in chemical engineering, was chosen to present his research at the Council for Chemical Research’s Annual Meeting in May. His presentation, “Effects of Extensional Flow and Nanoparticle Stabilization on the Morphology of Immiscible Polymer Blends,” explained the process of drop breakup in stretching flow and the use of a simple extensional flow mixer developed to make practical polymer blends. Thompson was one of eight students chosen from across the nation to speak during two, 90-minute student-leader sessions.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

» Cerasela Dinu secured a grant from the National Science Foundation for her work on nanobiotechnology. Brian Anderson, Debangsu Bhattacharyya, Fernando Lima, and Richard Turton obtained multiple contracts from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for their work on a variety of energy-related projects. Rakesh Gupta and Al Stiller received industrial support for work on material synthesis.

Charter Stinespring was awarded a contract by the DOE for developing graphene-based sensors for energy applications.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

37

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES CENTER DEBUTS WORK DONE ON HUNTINGTON-AREA BRIDGE Each year, the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a report card for America’s infrastructure. In 2013, the report found that 13.4 percent of West Virginia’s bridges were “structurally deficient.” One of these bridges is the East Fork Bridge, which is located about 30 miles south of Huntington.

“Deterioration of the piles of this bridge has been documented in inspections dating back to 2007,” said Hota GangaRao, director of the Constructed Facilities Center (CFC) and Maurice A. and JoAnn Wadsworth Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at West Virginia University.

“In 2011, a report documented that 38

| Fall 2014

section loss for the bridge was up nearly 50 percent.” As a result, a six-ton weight limit was posted on the bridge, prompting lane closures that affected public users.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) contacted GangaRao and his team at the CFC to begin an investigation of possible uses of composite materials to rectify the situation. Using glass fiber reinforced polymer composites and selfconsolidating concrete, the CFC team was able to install jackets and wraps to steel-H piles, which was debuted for the first time in March. The project was supported by funds from the USACE,

the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

According to GangaRao, the use of composites to repair bridges provides a number of advantages.

“The main advantage to using composite materials is time,” he said.

“CFC engineers Ray Liang and Mark Skidmore were able to complete this phase of the project in three weeks.

Another advantage is cost, which averages about 75 percent less than conventional construction.” Other advantages include low maintenance and longer usage life for the product.

Read more about CFC’s work at http://bit.ly/UBl4yt.

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Faculty member Fei Dai; staff member David Turner; students Colin Frosch, Rachel James, Olivia Bodner; and representatives from Engineers Without Borders participated in the Statler College’s Engineering Challenge Camps, which are held during the summer. » The WVU Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) participated in Trunk or Treat, a Halloween event for the community. ASCE also participated in the Adopt a Road program in Morgantown, W.Va. » Professor David Martinelli, working with the EdVenture Group, created the PEER program, which placed students in four Preston County schools where they conducted engineering lectures on transportation. The PEER project is funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Science Foundation. » Statler College Ambassadors Colin Frosch, Rebecca Posa, Josh Murray, and Mark Schuchardt conducted hands-on activities with students from North Elementary’s Talented and Gifted program. They also conducted a tour for six families from Southern Fulton High School’s advanced placement physics class.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS » Murat Dinc, a graduate research assistant in the Department, won the award for the best poster presentation by a graduate student at the 89th Annual Meeting of the West Virginia Academy of Science at Shepherd University in April. Dinc’s poster, “Exploratory Simulations of Full-Cone Water Spray Cooling,” was based on his doctoral research. His research is sponsored by a grant from NASA EPSCoR. » Nicole Hegele, of Shady Spring, W.Va., is a 2014 Foundation Scholar. The award, which provides full tuition and fees, room and board, and books for four years, is valued at approximately $80,000 when paired with the state’s PROMISE Scholarship.

Hegele plans to major in civil engineering.

Barth

GangaRao

Halabe

Hopkinson

Lin

Martinelli

Siriwardane

Unnikrishnan

» Karl Barth, Leslie Hopkinson, David Martinelli, Hema Siriwardane, and Avinash Unnikrishnan all received Departmental excellence in teaching awards. » Hota GangaRao was named the Statler College’s researcher of the year.

Weidhaas

» Hota GangaRao and Udaya Halabe were named American Society of Civil Engineers Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Fellows. SEI is a community of more than 25,000 structural engineers created to serve the unique needs of the structural engineering community while influencing change on broader issues that shape the entire civil engineering community. There are currently only 153 members of SEI that have been selected to receive the fellow designation. » David Martinelli was selected as an outstanding advisor in the Statler College.

» Avinash Unnikrishnan was selected as an outstanding teacher in the Statler College.

» Jennifer Weidhaas and Lian-Shin Lin received a National Science Foundation RAPID grant to study the chemical leak and water problems that occurred in Charleston, W.Va., in January.

» Rachel James, of Crawford, W.Va., was awarded a graduate fellowship by the National Science Foundation. James, who was a 2013 Goldwater Scholar and a 2014 Order of Augusta honoree, used her time as an undergraduate researching transportation engineering, specifically stochastic network analysis and route choice models. Thanks to the fellowship, she will be able to research nonlinear travel costs and route choice at the graduate level. She was an undergraduate research assistant with Avinash Unnikrishnan, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. James has had two journal articles published, and her research has been put to use analyzing the costs, benefits, and safety of the roundabouts in Fairmont, W.Va. statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

39

MICHELLE POLAND AND MARLON BRANDO

FRESHMAN ENGINEERING PROGRAM WELCOMES THERAPY DOG In order to provide another level of support to freshman engineering students, West Virginia University’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources is seeking help from a furry friend.

Marlon Brando is a five-year-old Australian Labradoodle. Born in Australia, he moved to North Carolina as a puppy and is now a member of the “staff” in the College’s Engineering Learning Center (ELC). He was officially introduced to the College and University communities in March.

Michelle Poland, freshman engineering advisor, has been focused on caring for the overall well-being of students since she started her position in June 2013.

She spearheaded the effort to bring 40

| Fall 2014

Brando to the College and completed training to be his handler.

The idea for a therapy dog first popped into her head when a coworker brought her dogs in to the ELC last year. Poland observed a lot of students’ heads pop up, noticing the dogs.

“A bunch of people looked up and were smiling. And I thought, ‘Hmm, that’s interesting.’ So I started looking around to see how we could make this happen,” recounted Poland.

Research has shown that humananimal interaction can benefit one’s overall mental and physical health, reduce stress factors, and improve one’s overall mood. WVU is among other top universities that use therapy dogs,

like Emory University, the University of California-Berkeley, and Columbia University.

Brando is not the first therapy dog at WVU. WVU’s Carruth Center for Psychological and Psychiatric Services has a dog, Gretel, always on site. When Poland asked for feedback about Gretel, she was pleased at how positive it was.

Hearts of Gold, a nonprofit service dog training center in Morgantown, W.Va., donated Gretel to the Carruth Center.

Poland contacted the organization to find out what she needed to do to bring a therapy dog to the College and was elated to hear that the organization wanted to donate Brando.

For more on Poland and Brando, visit: http://bit.ly/1g0SLR6.

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Lizzie Santiago and Robin Hensel were awarded a National Science Foundation Research Initiation Grant: Attrition in Engineering Education (Understanding Why Undergraduate Students Lose Interest in Engineering). » Melissa Morris presented a paper entitled “Feasibility of an Energy Efficient Large-Scale Aquaponic Food Production and Distribution Facility,” at the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Conference in June.

CURRICULUM CHANGES » ENGR 140, History in Engineering, was approved as a general education curriculum 3 and 4 course and was added to the course offerings for Freshman Engineering. The course, developed and taught

by Melissa Morris, is aimed at both engineering students and non-engineering students who want to learn how engineering developments have shaped history as we know it.

Brewster

Hamrick

» Teaching Assistant Professor Ordel Brown was awarded the NACADA Region III outstanding faculty advisor award and was selected as an outstanding teacher in the Statler College. Brown also served as a special awards judge at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Hensel

» Todd Hamrick developed and taught an innovative, hands-on version of ENGR 102 using robotic projects.

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT » Irving McPhail, president and chief executive officer of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc., gave a distinguished lecture at the College in October. He also spoke with an invited group of students at a dinner the evening before hosted in Braxton Tower by Robin Hensel. A group of Upward Bound Students from Kanawha County came to campus specifically to hear his presentation.

Upward Bound is a TriO program that services lowincome and minority students. » Melissa Morris participated in special tours for K-12 students in cooperation with the WVU Visitors Center. » Faculty and staff support the College’s high school visitation days and other outreach activities by meeting with prospective students and families, and answering their questions in-person, by phone, and through e-mail. » Michelle Poland, academic success program coordinator, participated in the Statler College’s Engineering Challenge Camps, which are held during the summer.

» Faculty members collaborated with WVU Academic Innovation and select high school teachers and administrators to teach first-year engineering courses to advanced high school students in the state via the ACCESS program. They used the “collaborate” feature of eCampus, made site visits to high schools, and used their creativity, ingenuity, and innovation to overcome issues of snow days and distance to provide this valuable opportunity to West Virginia students. Adjunct Instructor Michael Brewster taught ENGR 100 in fall 2013 and Ordel Brown taught ENGR 101 in spring 2014 to students at George Washington High School in Kanawha County. Melissa Morris taught ENGR 101 to students at Magnolia High School in Wetzel County in spring 2014.

Morris

Poland

» Teaching Assistant Professor Todd Hamrick was recognized as an outstanding teacher in the Statler College.

» Assistant Dean for the Freshman Experience Robin Hensel collaborated with Greg Strimel, K-12 partnership coordinator with Academic Innovation, to create special topics courses for high school students enrolled in advanced Project Lead The Way (PLTW). The students took the courses for college credit through the WVU ACCESS program. The courses combine in-class PLTW content and projects with online teaching and mentoring, plus assignments in engineering concepts, engineering ethics, and technical report writing.

These courses were offered as a pilot project in Mingo and Mineral counties. » Teaching Assistant Professor Melissa Morris was named chief advisor for the College’s Tau Beta Pi chapter. Morris also served as a special awards judge at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. » Academic Support Program Coordinator Michelle Poland was awarded the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Region III outstanding new advisor award.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Elizabeth Dang, a freshman engineering and Chinese studies major from Morgantown, W.Va., received a Gilman Scholarship for study abroad. Six West Virginia University students earned the scholarship, which gives students of limited financial means up to $5,000 to use toward study abroad costs.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

41

HARLEE

INDUSTRIAL AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ENGINEERING HARLEE AWARDED ORDER OF AUGUSTA Industrial engineering major Jessica Harlee, from Bel Air, Md., was one of eight graduating seniors recognized with the Order of Augusta, WVU’s most prestigious student honor.

The award, which recognizes students’ superior scholarship, demonstrated leadership, and record of community and public service, is named for its historical significance in the state. Augusta was among the original names considered by the Legislature when the state seceded from Virginia in 1863.

For Harlee, who earned a 4.0 GPA in five of seven total semesters, it wasn’t enough to pick a major that would challenge her intellectually. The industrial engineering major coupled that challenge by being a forward on the WVU women’s basketball team, which was consistently ranked in the top 25 in 2013-2014. Her hard work in both aspects paid off, earning her Academic All-Big 12 first team honors for the second year in a row and she was named the Big 12 women’s basketball scholar-athlete of the year. Harlee was the women’s basketball representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honorary society.

“It just shows that I really do work hard in the classroom as well as on the floor,” said Harlee. “I was just happy I did it again and that I’ve kept doing well in school.”

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Among the numerous honors she received, Harlee has been named the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Industrial Engineering Student of the Year by the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering. In addition, Harlee earned national attention as the 2013 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

She has a slew of professional experience, including time as an administrative intern at Mon General Hospital and in manufacturing administration at Mylan Pharmaceuticals.

“My experience here at WVU is one unlike any other person’s, but I have had the time of my life,” she said. “My original impression of West Virginia as a state was that it was very country. Now I feel as if it’s my home.”

Upon graduation, Harlee joined Connors Group, LLC, a consulting group in Pittsburgh.

For more on Harlee’s efforts on and off the court, visit: http://bit.ly/1yG6m95.

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT

» Assistant professor Feng Yang and students Halle Virgin and Maggie Schlegel participated in the Statler College’s Engineering Challenge Camps, which are held during the summer.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Statler College Ambassadors Emily Phipps and Maggie Schlegel participated in a number of activities including visits by high school students in Upward Bound, TSA TEAMS Competition, 8th Grade Day, tours for the annual Pumpkin Drop, the First Generation Pen Pal initiative, and Merit Badge University.

Iskander

Nimbarte

Owen

» Wafik Iskander, Department chair and professor, was named president of Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honor society. » Ashish Nimbarte, assistant professor, was recognized as an outstanding teacher in the Statler College. » Marie Owen, accounting assistant, was recognized as an outstanding staff member in the Statler College.

» The Department’s chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers hosted the annual Trunk or Treat event in October.

The community Halloween event affords local families a safe environment to bring their children to trick or treat at various student organizations’ tables. This year’s event had the largest attendance to date.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Senior Ryan Campione served as WVU’s Student Body President.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS » Professors Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan and Wafik Iskander continue to conduct research on energy efficiency and manufacturing sustainability. » Assistant professor Ashish Nimbarte is doing research on the intersection-traffic driver interface evaluation for occupational driver safety. He is also part of a research team working to design and deploy an integrated safety system to help reduce equipment-related fatal and non-fatal injuries in surface mining operations. His work is being funded through a grant from the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health. » Gary Winn, professor and coordinator of the Department’s doctoral program in occupational safety and health, will partner with researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center on the establishment of the Mining Healthy Workplace program. The proposed program will work to introduce a workplace health participatory program that can be introduced successfully to West Virginia’s mining community, to produce health improvements in a cost-efficient manner. His work is funded through a grant from the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health. » Assistant Professor Feng Yang is doing research on transient analysis of manufacturing systems. She is developing a simulation-based transfer function modeling approach for responsive production planning. She is also doing research on efficient design of biological experiments for dose-response modeling in nanomaterial toxicology studies.

» The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) awarded scholarships to graduate students Alexis Claassen, from New Kensington, Pa., and Arthur Thurdekoos, from Denville, N.J. The pair were among the 40 students selected by AIHF and were recognized at the 2014 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition in San Antonio, Tex. » Doctoral student Dayakar Devaru won the National Industrial Assessment Center’s Student of the Year award.

» Senior Emily Koledin won the best technical paper contest at the Institute of Industrial Engineers’ (IIE) regional conference and was invited to present it at the National IIE Conference in Montreal, Canada.

» Senior Britta McCombie served as president of WVU’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. The chapter was selected as the University’s outstanding student organization on campus for 2013-2014.

» Junior Wes Tonkery was selected as the first recipient of the Curtis Jones, Jr. Award, which is presented to the member of the Mountaineer football team who demonstrates excellence in all facets of his collegiate career, including academics, athletics, and community service. » Graduate student Jie Zhou placed second in the Dieter W. Jahns Students Practitioner Award contest from the Foundation for Professional Ergonomists.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

43

LANE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ROCKIN’ THE ROCK YARD: ROBOTICS TEAM WINS NASA ROBO-OPS To say the robotics team from West Virginia University had an out-of-this-world summer would be an understatement.

After securing first-place honors in NASA’s 2014 Robotic Mining Competition at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in late May, the team headed to the Rock Yard at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tex., to compete in NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkages or RoboOps Competition. While the surface, operations, and robot were different, the results were the same: the Mountaineers dominated the event, scoring a record-high 99 points to win the competition. Second place went to MIT with 56 points, with Virginia Tech finishing third with three points.

WVU’s secret weapon: additive manufacturing or threedimensional printing.

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“The design of our robot this year was very unique,” said Powsiri Klinkhachorn, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, who serves as the team’s faculty advisor. “Usually, we would use a printer like this to develop a quick prototype of what the robot could look like. Our idea was to use the printer to make the actual components needed to build the robot.

“Based on previous competitions, I knew we could build it strong enough to withstand the terrain of the competition,” he said. “We could also build it faster and lighter in weight while giving it a sleek, professional look, unlike the boxy designs standard to these types of competitions.”

Read more about the robotics team online at http://bit.ly/1oO1fl3.

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» Bojan Cukic and Vinod Kulathumani are part of a research team working to design and deploy an integrated safety system to help reduce equipment-related fatal and non-fatal injuries in surface mining operations.

Their work is being funded through a grant from the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health. » Since 2008, the Department’s biometrics program has conducted data collections used for biometric technologies research. The current collection, headed by Jeremy Dawson, research assistant professor of electrical engineering, is multi-modal and aims to gather data from 1,500 people, with at least 750 repeat visits. The research will collect fingerprints, hand geometry, iris images, facial expressions, voice sound bites, and archival face images. The collection, which started in May 2013, emphasizes repeat visits so the researchers can test differences in facial expressions, voice tone, and facial features over time.

Byun

Cukic

Graham

Guo

Klinkhachorn

Lemley

Liu

Woerner

CURRICULUM CHANGES » The undergraduate curriculum in computer science was unified into a single track within the Statler College. Previously tracks had been available in both the Statler College and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. » WVU was re-designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Teaching and Research.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS » Richard Beal was selected as the 2014 recipient of a Provost Doctoral Fellowship. The fellowship provides an annual stipend of $16,000, waiver of University tuition, payment of College tuition, and graduate student health insurance. » Benjamin Carrero was recognized as an Outstanding Senior for 2013-2014. The award recognizes students for their contributions and achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service. » CyberWVU, a student organization that trains students in the area of cyber defense and computer security, qualified for the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition by being in the top eight of 30 teams from West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina in a prequalifier. » Stephen Itschner was selected for a STEM Mountains of Excellence fellowship by the WVU Office of Graduate Education and Life. The fellowships include a stipend, a University tuition waiver, a College tuition scholarship, and funds toward research-related travel expenses each year. » WVU’s entry in the Department of Energy’s 2013 Solar Decathlon placed first in the subcategories of energy efficiency and matching of aesthetics to environment. The WVU house was the first log-style home accepted into the Decathlon.

» Assistant Professor Gyungsu Byun was named New Researcher of the Year in the Statler College. » Professor Bojan Cukic was recognized as an outstanding advisor in the Statler College.

» Associate Professor David Graham was an inaugural winner of the WVU Innovation Award for Mid-Career Faculty Members.

» Assistant Professor Guodong Guo edited the textbook Support Vector Machines Applications, which focuses on recent advances and applications of the support vector machines in different areas. » Professor Powsiri Klinkhachorn received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Major Educational Innovation Award in November. He was also a finalist for the West Virginia Professor of the Year award. » Laura Ann Lemley, administrative secretary, was recognized as an outstanding staff member in the Statler College.

» Assistant Professors Yuxin Liu and Guodong Guo were recognized as outstanding researchers in the Statler College. » Brian Woerner, chair of the Department, was reappointed to his administrative post for a five-year period.

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 1 |

45

MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING ROBOTIC SUCCESS CONTINUES AT NASA’S SAMPLE RETURN ROBOT CHALLENGE

During June’s Sample Return Robot Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges, the team from West Virginia University found itself up against repeat competitors from across North America and Estonia. Could the firsttime competitors really expect success in an event known for its complexity and difficulty?

In true Mountaineer spirit, the team from WVU’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources persevered, becoming the only team to successfully complete level one of the challenge in 2014, earning them the

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right to return in 2015 for a chance at the $1.5 million level-two prize.

education and research at the University.

“It’s exciting to see such innovative approaches to solving tough technical questions,” said NASA Chief Technologist David Miller. “These challenges are intentionally difficult so that we can make leaps, not steps, in progressing the technology. We are proud that the Mountaineers have risen to the occasion.” Miller presented the team from WVU with a check for $5,000, which they plan to use as seed funds in the development of a scholarship that promotes robotics

“We only had six months to work on the project from the time we started, so we were at a severe disadvantage compared to the veteran teams who had been working for three years,” said Morgantown, W.Va., native Nick Ohi, who led the team’s software architecture development and mission computer programming and testing. “We knew that we had a very talented team, however, so we were confident that we could compete successfully.”

Read more about the team’s efforts at http://bit.ly/1mfhoge.

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

CURRICULUM CHANGES

Banta

Mukdadi

Gall

Nix

Goldie

Perhinschi

Liu

Sabolsky

ANNUAL REPORT

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

» A new curriculum is under development for both the mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduate programs.

Mechanical engineering students would have a choice of four different curriculums. In addition to the current curriculum, there would be curriculums focused on the following areas: energy, materials, and design and controls. Aerospace students would be able to focus on either aeronautics or astronautics. » The development of a College-wide master’s and doctoral programs in materials science and engineering is being led by the Department.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Shoukry

Wayne

Wu

» Professor Larry Banta was selected the Statler College’s outstanding advisor. » Aerospace engineer Pete Gall was selected as an outstanding teacher in the Statler College. » Patricia Goldie, office administrator, was recognized as an outstanding staff member in the Statler College. » Associate Professor Xinbo Liu was named 2013 Innovator of the Year

by TechConnectWV for his work in developing solid oxide fuel cell interconnects, integrated gasification fuel cell systems, and superalloys for steam turbine blades and advanced battery technologies. » Associate Professor Sam Mukdadi was awarded the Department’s George W. Weaver Award for outstanding teaching of courses in mechanics. » Assistant Professor Andrew Nix and Associate Professor Scott Wayne will lead a multidisciplinary team of students from WVU in the Department of Energy’s EcoCAR 3 competition. The teams will work to convert a Chevrolet Camaro to hybrid electric technology during the four-year competition. » Associate Professor Mario Perhinschi was recognized as the Statler College’s teacher of the year. » Assistant Professor Ed Sabolsky was recognized as an outstanding researcher in the Statler College. » Professor Samir Shoukry received the Academy of Distinguished Alumni Teaching Award. » Associate Professor Nianqiang Wu was one of three WVU professors awarded a Claude Worthington Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award for 2013-2014. The award honors excellent faculty in creative research at the University. Each recipient receives $5,000 in professional support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation Endowment at WVU.

» Joeseph Bright, a mechanical engineering doctoral student from West Milford, W.Va., and Jacob Cordonier, a mechanical engineering senior from Parkersburg, W.Va., were awarded graduate fellowships by the National Science Foundation. Bright earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at WVU in 2013 and was awarded the Statler College Ph.D. Fellowship that same year. He plans to use the NSF fellowship to continue his research on sustainable alternative fuel sources. Cordonier, a 2014 WVU Outstanding Senior, researched the development of solutionbased stretchable and biocompatible devices used in energy harvesting and sensing applications as an undergraduate.

He was part of two teams recognized at national conferences for research posters and presentations. » A multidisciplinary team of students from WVU has been selected to compete in the Department of Energy’s EcoCAR 3 competition. Delaware, Ohio, native Justin Brumley, who will be pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering, will serve as the team’s engineering manager.

The teams will be working to convert a Chevrolet Camaro to hybrid electric technology during the competition. » Four students from mechanical and aerospace engineering were the first to participate in the College’s exchange program with the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Ryan North, Eric Fabozzi, Stephen Gantzer, and Tyler Biser spent the spring 2014 semester studying in Italy. » Eight Mexican students attended WVU for the spring 2014 semester as part of the College’s industrial outreach program established by Professor Victor Mucino.

Eduardo Bravo, Odette Camacho, Gabriel Ramirez, Angel Gonzales, Carlos Lua Morales, Carlos Arturo Fajardo Tovar, Sara Miguel, and Santiago Aguillon took classes in the departments of mechanical and aerospace engineering, industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, and computer science and electrical engineering. statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

47

MINING AND INDUSTRIAL EXTENSION INDUSTRIAL EXTENSION WORKS TO ENSURE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING

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Representatives from West Virginia University’s industrial extension program participated in National Manufacturing Day, which is held annually in October.

The event gives manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is—and what it isn’t. It also allows manufacturers to begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

business registered in West Virginia that works with industry, professional organizations, educational institutions, policy establishments, and the government to establish connections in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to provide opportunities for professional growth. Working together, the group took more than 200 students into two high-tech manufacturing operations—FCX Systems in Morgantown, W.Va., and Azimuth in Fairmont, W.Va.—for tours and interaction with engineers and staff.

Working in concert with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is part of the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), industrial extension partnered with STEMPloy LLC to develop a program to take elementary and middle school students into manufacturing operations.

STEMPloy is a women-owned small

“The students interacted at all levels of each company and participated in many hands-on demonstrations and work stations,” said Jerry Biser, director, West Virginia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WVMEP) and extension agent. “We also conducted a presentation on the current state of manufacturing to approximately 150 eighth grade students that are involved with a career awareness class at a local school.”

| Fall 2014

This type of outreach activity is important. According to NIST, more than 70 percent of Americans view manufacturing as the most important industry for a strong economy and national defense, yet only 30 percent of parents encourage their children to enter manufacturing.

“In total we introduced more than 200 school children to engineering and manufacturing,” Biser said. “The events were very successful, and the feedback from the students, teachers, and the participating manufacturers was very positive.”

Activities such as this are just a part of the services offered by industrial extension. WVMEP provides services ranging from production process improvement and quality systems to environmental management systems and health and safety.

“We are able to customize our services to the specific needs of individual companies,” said Biser. “Our mission

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

is to improve the competitiveness of West Virginia manufacturers by helping them lower costs, increase sales, and strengthen profitability.”

One company that benefited greatly from WVMEP’s assistance is Figaretti Manufacturing and Distribution. A family-run business with roots tracing back to the 1940s, Figaretti distributes the family’s spaghetti sauce to produce, gourmet, and specialty shops in West Virginia and Ohio. The company recently secured a deal that will provide product across all Kroger grocery stores, putting it in more than 30 states, with more growth potential on the horizon.

As a result, the company moved into a larger facility, providing ample room for growth and expansion.

Industrial Extension 2013 Results New Jobs Created

New Sales Generated

Retained Sales

Retained Jobs

Operations Cost Savings

64

$11,784,000

$50,275,000

518

$2,011,500

Figaretti reached out to WVMEP to understand how both the existing operation would fit into the new space, as well as a planned expansion, to include new equipment, and increased capacity.

“First we created layout drawings for both the existing and new facility to understand how the process would be laid out,” said Dave Carrick, industrial extension engineer. “Process maps were then developed to understand the existing processes and how they would be affected by the addition of automation and increased business. The process maps were then analyzed to identify how the existing process would fit into the new space, and how that would be affected as increased business and new equipment was added.

“Once this was done, the proposed layouts were presented to Figaretti Manufacturing and Distribution for discussion,” Carrick said. “A meeting was held at the new facility to discuss the layouts and walk the floor of the new space to understand how the existing process would fit, and where adjustments would be made for the additional equipment and capacity.”

At the end of the project, a final set of drawings and process maps outlining the future for Figaretti Manufacturing and Distribution were delivered.

“Due to the invaluable support from WVMEP, my business has the ‘blueprints’ to expand its market share,” said Figaretti President Anthony Figaretti. “Dave Carrick has provided me with layouts of equipment, product movement, and services which this business could never have secured without the assistance of this program.

His dedication to his clients, thoroughness of details, and his personality are assets any business can find beneficial.”

Investments in New Processes, Equipment, Training, IT, Other

$1,367,073

MINING EXTENSION NUMBER OF STUDENTS TRAINED

Electrical

Mine Rescue

Emergency Response Training

Self-Contained Self-Rescuer

432

125

1,032

2,089

First Responder

Basic Fire Brigade

Advanced Fire Brigade

80-Hour Apprentice

40-Hour Surface

Mine Foreman

1,824 298

730

24

114

229

Total Students Trained 6,897 statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

49

KECOJEVIC

MINING ENGINEERING KECOJEVIC NAMED TO CDC STUDY SECTION ON SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Vladislav Kecojevic, Massey Foundation Professor of Mining Engineering at West Virginia University, has been selected to serve as a member of the Safety and Occupational Health Study Section of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a four-year period.

The appointment was made by thenU.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

The 20 members that make up the section provide advice and recommendations on scientific, research and training areas related to occupational safety and health.

Members are selected from authorities knowledgeable in the fields of occupational medicine and nursing, industrial hygiene, occupational safety and engineering, toxicology, chemistry, safety and health education, ergonomics, epidemiology, economic science, psychology, pulmonary 50

| Fall 2014

pathology/physiology, and social science. Kecojevic has served as an ad hoc member of the section since 2009.

Safety and Health and the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“I am honored to be appointed as a regular member of the section,” he said. “It is a great professional privilege to be selected and to get the opportunity to work with worldrenowned scientists in the field of safety and occupational health.”

In 2013, Kecojevic and a team of researchers from WVU were one of several groups selected by the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health to receive inaugural grants to conduct research related to the safety, training, and health management of miners. The team, which includes faculty from the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, is working to design and deploy an integrated safety system to help reduce equipment-related fatal and non-fatal injuries in surface mining operations.

Kecojevic has done extensive research in the areas surface mining, mine safety, information technology, and environmental issues in surface mining.

His research work has been funded by the mining industry, equipment manufacturers, and governmental agencies, and it has been published in leading mining- and safety-related peerreviewed journals. Kecojevic has served as a member of review boards for the U.S. National Institute for Occupational

ANNUAL REPORT

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT

» The WVU Student Chapter of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) participated in a number of outreach events, including the annual Morgantown Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. Representatives hosted a cupcake mining project during 8th Grade Day and an activity station at Girl Scout Day. They also participated in Trunk or Treat, a Halloween event for the community, and visited Trinity High School in Morgantown to discuss career opportunities in engineering. » Thomas Ragusa worked to bring a student chapter of the International Society of Explosive Engineers to WVU.

CURRICULUM CHANGES » As a result of student requests, Research Assistant Professor Mark Sindelar created a technical elective course in Mine Control Systems Engineering as a special topics course, which was offered in spring 2014. The course combined classical control theory, PLC programming, and mine-specific instrumentation topics.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Bise

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS » At the joint fall meeting of the Kentucky Coal Association and the Central Appalachian Section of SME, Michael Corley, Mitch McBrayer, and Zach Purdy won second place in the 2013 Carlson Senior Design Award for their prefeasibility analysis on “Kanawha Valley Energy’s Port Amherst No. 1 Mine in the No. 2 Gas Seam of Southern West Virginia.” » Jason Grimm, Mitch Hankinson, and Lance Kolbush took top honors for the Senior Mine Design Competition of PCMIA/SME. They were awarded $1,000 for their project. » The WVU Mine Rescue Team competed against 20 industry and state teams at the Mining Technology and Training Center held in Prosperity, Pa., in April. The WVU team was the only collegiate entrant in the competition.

Heasley

» Christopher Bise, Robert E. Murray Chairman of Mining Engineering, received Penn State’s 2014 Robert Stefanko Distinguished Achievement Award in Mineral Engineering, which recognizes achievements and leadership that enhance the mineral engineering profession. At the Department’s annual Recognition Banquet, Bise received the WVU student chapter of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc. officer’s award. He also was elected to the position of chair of the Engineering Ethics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.

» Charles T. Holland Professor Keith Heasley received the distinguished service award from the Coal and Energy Division of SME at the annual meeting in February in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Kecojevic

Sindelar

» Vladislav Kecojevic was promoted to professor of mining engineering. He completed his year as chair of SME’s Coal and Energy Division by receiving the chair’s award, and was appointed SME program chair for 2015. In addition, he received the 2013 Stephen McCann Award for Excellence in Education from the Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America (PCMIA).

» Research Assistant Professor Mark Sindelar received the student chapter of SME award.

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Volume 10 Issue 2 |

51

PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS ENGINEERING GIFTS HELP ESTABLISH STATE-OF-THE-ART LAB Thanks to the generosity of two donors, students in West Virginia University’s Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE) will have access to state-of-the-art equipment in its Natural Gas Measurement Laboratory.

Dominion Resources and the Dominion Foundation provided $50,000 in funds and another $150,000 in donated equipment to the lab, along with technical support to oversee installation of the equipment.

“The company’s involvement with the lab dates back to 1984 when it played a critical role in completing an initial upgrade project,” said Brian Sheppard, vice president of operations for Dominion Transmission. “We are confident the new upgrades will keep the facility at the highest level of industry standards as it has maintained over the years.

“Dominion Resources and the Dominion Foundation are proud to have an opportunity to provide grant funding to

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the WVU Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering,” Sheppard added. “Our support of the program has enabled WVU to continue educating and graduating natural gas engineers of the highest quality. Additionally, it has made it possible for Dominion to recruit many of these high-quality students to our ranks.”

The natural gas industry operates and maintains a complex network of production, distribution, and delivery systems, including more than 2 million miles of distribution pipelines and 300,000 miles of transmission lines, to meet the growing demand for natural gas. Gas flow measurement is the critical component of this system.

“Accurate gas flow measurement, which has enormous financial significance, is challenging because of the extremes of both high and low flow rates in this natural gas delivery system,” said Kashy Aminian, professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering at WVU.

“The Natural Gas Measurement Laboratory at WVU provides students with the opportunity to become familiar with the gas flow measurement and control technology through hands-on experiments. “ According to Sam Ameri, chair of the Department, this is just the latest in a long line of support the program has received from Dominion.

“Over the years, Dominion has provided many scholarships, endowments, and technical assistance to the Department,” Ameri said. “We appreciate Dominion’s support and generosity to make this lab, which is already one of the best in the country, even better.”

The second gift to the Department, an in-kind donation of computer equipment valued at nearly $38,000, was made

by Jim Butch, a loyal supporter of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. A 1975 engineering graduate of WVU Tech, Butch serves as president and chairman of Eagle

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WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Ameri

CURRICULUM CHANGES Aminian

» The Department is offering PNGE 493B: Horizontal Well Technology as a professional elective. The objective of this course is to cover topics in the area of horizontal drilling and completions in shale formations, specifically the Marcellus and Utica shale formations.

Fathi

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS » Eyad Fakhouri was recognized for his academic achievement, involvement in student organizations, and contributions to the Department by the Student Chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Research Corporation, a high-tech electronics company that provides measurement and control systems to the oil and gas industry.

“This in-kind gift to PNGE is intended to update its natural gas measurement lab with modern electronic flow computers like the ones found in industry today,” said Butch. “Access to this type of equipment will serve to better prepare graduates for the workplace.”

» Samuel Ameri, Department chair, received the 2013-14 West Virginia University Lambda Chapter of Society of Petroleum Engineers award for outstanding teaching.

» Kashy Aminian, professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering, recently authored a textbook on advancements in the production of coal bed methane. “Coal Bed Methane: From Prospect to Pipeline” captures the full life cycle of a well. It addresses crucial technical topics, including exploration and evaluation of coal bed reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing of CBM wells, coal seam degasification and production engineering and processing, among others. It also covers legal issues, permitting and economic analysis of CBM projects. This is Aminian’s first book. » Assistant Professor Ebrahim Fathi received the Society of Petroleum Engineering Journal’s 2013 outstanding technical editor award. » Beverly Matheny, administrative assistant, was recognized as an outstanding staff member in the Statler College.

Matheny

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT » Statler College Ambassadors Brandon Kania and Moses Ajemigbitse participated in a number of College events including Fall Family Weekend; Merit Badge University; TEAMS, an engineering problem solving-based test as part of a national competition; and 8th Grade Day.

“The donations by Dominion and Eagle Research, which include ultrasonic, vortex, and coriolis meters as well as various transducers, transmitters, and multi-function flow computer, will provide our students with the unique opportunity to be exposed to state-of-art technology for accurate gas flow measurements,” said Aminian.

“We are so delighted that Eagle Research will help us to build upon this excellent facility,” said Ameri, “and we are grateful to Jim Butch for this donation and his continued support of our College.”

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Volume 10 Issue 2 |

53

SUPPORT

Couple pledge $1 million in support of new faculty

BY MARY C. DILLON

KATHY AND WAYNE RICHARDS

54

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WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

New faculty members in West Virginia University’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will now have access to funds to support travel, research, and technology enhancements thanks to a $1 million endowed gift made by alumnus J. Wayne Richards and his wife, Kathy.

The Wayne and Kathy Richards Faculty Scholars Fund, a firstof-its-kind endowment at WVU, will provide flexible funds to allow the College to hire, retain, reward, and recognize faculty members who have not yet achieved tenure. It will be awarded for a period of three years and is renewable if the recipient shows progress toward being granted tenure.

“This gift is unique in the fact that it addresses a real need in helping to set the stage for faculty support and tenure in the Statler College,” said Richards, who serves as president and chief executive officer of GR Energy Services, a Houston, Texas-based oilfield products and services company. “It provides a wide range of support geared toward attracting and retaining top-quality educators that will allow WVU to compete on a national stage in STEM-associated areas for research dollars and grants.

“Our hope is this unique gift will give leaders in the Statler College the latitude to address shortcomings in compensation that can occur during a normal academic year.”

“As funding for research and travel becomes more limited at the state and national level, it is imperative for us to find other private sources to assist us in helping to establish the careers of young faculty members,” said Gene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College. “This generous gift from Wayne and Kathy Richards is the first of its kind at WVU. As dean, it will provide me with a consistent source of flexible funds that I can use to support non-tenured faculty members.”

WVU President Gordon Gee thanked the Richards for their generosity and called the gift “a unique and important tool to empower junior faculty to continue their STEM research and work in their respective fields.”

Natives of South Charleston, W.Va., the Richards have a history of support for the Statler College and for WVU athletics.

In 2012, the pair pledged $250,000 to the Statler College Building Fund to help fund construction of the new Advanced Engineering Research Building, which is scheduled to open in 2015. In 2013, they pledged $1.25 million to the Mountaineer Athletic Club for enhancements to the football complex.

A member of the Statler College’s Visiting Committee, Richards has spent his career in the oilfield services sector.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from WVU in 1981, he spent 25 years in a number of senior operational, and sales and marketing positions with Schlumberger. He then served as president and CEO of Global Oilfield Services in Sugar Land, Tex. Kathy earned her degree in dental hygiene at WVU Tech in Montgomery.

Honor Roll of Donors

We would like to thank our benefactors who have generously contributed to the programs and departments of our College. We are grateful for your support, as we could not accomplish what we do without your help. Listed below are individuals and organizations who contributed to a program or department in our College from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014.

INDIVIDUALS $100,000 & up Mr. Forrest D. L. Coontz Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Culp Mrs. Rebecca M. Kona Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin M. Statler

$1,000 to $4,999 Mr. & Mrs. Steven W. Alford Mr. & Mrs. Mark K. Angelelli PE Mr. & Mrs. Larry J. Argiro, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. C. Ben Arney Dr. & Mrs. Steven R. Auvil Mrs. Belle G. Barrett $25,000 to $99,999 Mr. & Mrs. Charles C. Bibbee Mr. & Mrs. Bart A. Aitken Dr. Christopher J. Bise Mr. Gary Christopher Mr. & Mrs. Raymond A. Bradbury Dr. & Mrs. Edward J. DiPaolo Mr. & Mrs. Francis S. Brezny Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Ellis Mr. & Mrs. William S. Britt Mr. Earl F. Morton, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ross D. Brown, Jr. Mr. Verl O. Purdy Mr. Paul D. Browning Mr. & Mrs. J. Wayne Richards Dr. & Mrs. Robert C. Burchett Mrs. Lora V. Richards Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Burlas Dr. & Mrs. Charles M. Vest Mr. John W. Campbell Mr. & Mrs. Maurice A. Wadsworth Dr. & Mrs. Raymond W. Chafin II Ms. Anesa T. Chaibi Lenore McComas Coberly $10,000 to $24,999 Dr. Wils L. & Mrs. Jane Yohe Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Alvarez Cooley Mr. & Mrs. George E. Booth, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Corsi, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Frank Cerminara Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Dado Dr. Eugene V. Cilento Mr. & Mrs. John C. Day Dr. & Mrs. William L. Fourney Mr. Victor W. Dean Dr. & Mrs. Samuel J. Kasley Mr. & Mrs. Donald D. DeCarlo Dr. & Mrs. John L. Loth Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. DiPaolo Dr. & Mrs. Ray E. Martin PhD Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Doeffinger, William & Debra McMann Jr. Mr. & Mrs. William R. Powell Mr. & Mrs. Herbert P. Dripps James & Virginia Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Dunn Mr. & Mrs. Royce J. Watts Mr. Kenneth M. Dunn Dr. & Mrs. W. Samuel Easterling $5,000 to $9,999 Mr. Barton R. Field Mr. & Mrs. Chester L. Allen Mr. Walter J. Fitzgerald Dr. David W. Baker Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Flowers Mr. & Mrs. H. Dotson Cather Mr. & Mrs. Stuart N. Goodman Mr. Jacob S. Freshwater Mr. & Mrs. James B. Haines Mr. Kenneth R. Gosnell PE Donal S. & Amy J. Hall Ms. Devon L. Gosnell Mr. & Mrs. James R. Haney Mr. & Mrs. James W. Harvey Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin A. Hardesty Paul & Lucy Hornor Dr. William M. Hart Mr. & Mrs. Elmo J. Hurst Mr. & Mrs. Dean W. Harvey Mr. & Mrs. Dennis R. Jones Mr. & Mrs. Richard D. Haynes Mr. Mark A. Kovalan Mr. & Mrs. Charles I. Homan Mr. & Mrs. James H. Laughlin, Jr. Mr. Michael E. Householder II Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Messmore Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Jameson Mr. Karl G. Morey Dr. & Mrs. Majid Jaridi Ms. Rhonda L. Radcliff & Mr. & Mrs. William E. Johnson Mr. Robert Mullenger Dr. & Mrs. Edwin C. Jones, Jr. Mr. John P. Smith Mr. Richard J. Kacik Mrs. Hilda R. Warner Dr. James A. Keenan

statler.wvu.edu

Mr. Bob Keith Dr. & Mrs. George E. Keller II Mr. & Mrs. Floyd E. Leaseburg II Mr. & Miss Kristopher C. Lilly Mr. & Mrs. Dale W. Linaweaver Mr. & Mrs. Porter A. Lyon Mr. Bret A. Marks Mr. Nick J. Maschas Mr. Edgar R. McHenry Mr. Gerard F. McQuade Mr. H. Leo Mehl Ms. Betty L. Miller Mr. & Mrs. James C. Miller Mr. & Mrs. Robert D. Miller Mr. Michael J. Myers Ms. Helen M. Pace Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Palmer Mr. & Mrs. Raman L. Patel Mrs. & Mr. Linda J. Poulson Dr. Jacky C. Prucz Mr. & Mrs. Alan S. Pyle Mr. R. Patrick Simms Mr. Kenneth K. Sitar Jay & Linda Snider Family Mr. & Mrs. Richard N. Smith Larry & Lydotta Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Douglas P. Terry Traci & Joseph Stark Mr. & Mrs. Steven E. Trail Mr. William C. Turley, Jr. Mr. Chandrashekar R. Urs Mr. & Mrs. Fred Van Kirk Mr. & Mrs. David R. Vaughn Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Walter R.J. & Maureen W Watts Ms. & Mr. Janie West Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Whiting Mr. & Mrs. Donald Wiebe Prof. & Mrs. Brian D. Woerner Mr. Suyoun Won

$500 to $999 Capt. & Mrs. Douglas E. Arnold USA (Ret.) Mr. & Mrs. James A. Beach PE Mr. James L. Bero Mr. Tim Bielawa Mr. Joseph A. Bush, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. John P. Dever Ms. Mary C. Dillon Mr. & Mrs. Dale W. Dodrill Mr. & Mrs. Michael G. Elkins

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SUPPORT

Mr. James Faller Dr. & Mrs. L. Tseng Fan Mr. & Mrs. John R. Farina Mr. Harold G. Fisher Dr. Hubert L. Fleming Mr. Richard E. Fletcher Rev. James E. Galford & Mrs. Sheila L. Galford Mr. & Mrs. David J. Gingerich Mr. & Mrs. James Griffin Ms. Emer O. Gunter Mr. Benjamin R. Hardman Mr. & Mrs. Daniel L. Harman Mr. & Mrs. Brian Heery Mr. & Mrs. John S. Hill Mrs. Jennifer L. Hornsby-Myers Susan & David Horvath Mr. Ryan S. Hunter Mr. Patrick A. Jackson & Ms. Dayna L. Doricich Mr. & Mrs. Steven A. Jarvis Mr. & Mrs. Jimmie L. Justice Mr. & Mrs. John E. Katlic Mr. Calvin Kidd Mr. & Mrs. Oren E. Kitts Mr. David M. Krovich Mr. & Mrs. Junior H. Landes II Mr. & Mrs. David W. Lanham Dr. & Mrs. James E. Mitchell Mack Timothy Moore Mr. & Mrs. Alan P. Moran Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Mullett Dr. & Mrs. Warren R. Myers Mr. Nathan J. Nicol Mr. John Olashuk Mr. Gregory D. Patterson Mr. & Mrs. Edward L. Perry Mr. James C. Peyton, Jr. Paul & Kathy Phillips Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Poling PE Mr. William N. Poundstone Dr. & Mrs. Michael E. Prudich PhD Dr. & Mrs. J. Mark Pullen Mr. James B. Reese Mr. Richard C. Rockenstein Mr. & Mrs. Roy H. Rogerson Mr. & Mrs. Frank W. Schneider Mr. & Mrs. Barrett L. Shrout Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Sirk, Jr. Ms. Jennifer L. Smith Mr. Paul J. Smith & Ms. Alexia Kniska Mr. Peter L. Spence Dr. James B. Stenger Mr. & Mrs. Vincent J. Stricker Mr. & Mrs. John A. Strohmeyer Mr. & Mrs. Andrew K. Teeter Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Thompson Dr. & Mrs. Curtis J. Tompkins Mr. & Mrs. Paul L. Turman II Dr. Richard E. Walters Dr. Yajie Wang Dr. Karen E. Warden Mr. George A. Waters

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Mrs. Ann L. Zirkle Dr. John W. Zondlo Mr. & Mrs. Eugene M. Zvolensky, Sr.

$250 to $499 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Alex Mr. James V. Alford II Mr. & Mrs. Tony A. Angelelli Dr. & Mrs. Jimmy P. Balsara PhD Ms. Nagamani Banda Mr. Theodore C. Barker Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Battleson Mr. & Mrs. W. Marston Becker Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey W. Bell Dr. & Mrs. Navinchandra B. Bhatt Mr. & Mrs. Dennis E. Bibbee Mr. Christopher H. Braden Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Bragg Mr. & Mrs. John L. Broschard III Mr. & Mrs. William M. Cavage Dr. Long-Huie Chen Mr. & Mrs. James R. Clark Mr. & Mrs. James W. Coffman Mr. Charlie L. Cornett Mr. Ted B. Cranmer Mrs. Laura R. Csanady Dr. Kenneth R. Currie Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth W. Cutright Mrs. Diane M. Dailey Mr. & Mrs. Ronald F. Davoli Mr. Todd Dawson Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Dever Mr. Gilbert W. DeVine Dr. Dianne Dorland PhD Ms. Beth A. Drylie Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Esbenshade III Dr. Karen M. Fanucci Col. (Ret.) & Mrs. Kirk A. Ferrell Mr. George B. Flegal, Jr. Mr. David R. Glass Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth W. Goff Mrs. Patricia A. Goldie Mr. Henry Z. Graham Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A. Gribschaw Mr. & Mrs. Lewis G. Grimm PE Mr. Scott A. Hair Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey A. Hall Mr. & Mrs. Roy A. Heidelbach Dr. Garry C. Hess Mr. James J. Hurley Mr. & Mrs. Brian D. Inman Col. & Mrs. Bartley J. Ives Mr. & Mrs. Munther T. Jabbur Mr. Jacob S. King Mr. & Mrs. Gregory A. Kozera Mr. James A. Kutsch Mr. & Mrs. James A. Kutsch, Jr. Mr. Andrew B. Leimer Mr. & Mrs. Stephen C. Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S. Luchini Mr. & Mrs. Arthur M. McClain Mr. & Mrs. William S. Mease Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Mitchell Mr. Stephen R. Montagna Dr. & Mrs. Ian R. Moore

Dr. Harapanhalli S. Muralidhara & Dr. Ponnamma K. Kurian Mr. & Mrs. Terrence L. Parsons Mr. John Persun, Jr. Mr. Timothy J. Poulin Mr. David A. Price Mr. Bradley R. Reed Dr. & Mrs. Leroy C. Reid, Jr. Mr. William A. Rice, Jr. Ms. Melisa L. Ridenour Col. & Mrs. R. Michael Ruppert Mr. & Mrs. James J. Rusenko Dr. & Mrs. Ziad A. Sabra Mr. & Mrs. W. Thomas Sanderlin Dr. Simsek Sarikelle Mr. Bryan N. Schwalm Dr. Rohit I. Seshadri Mr. David W. Shaffer Mr. W. David Shinn Mr. & Mrs. David J. Smith Dr. Jason R. Smith Dr. & Mrs. James E. Spearman Mr. & Mrs. John M. Spears Mr. & Mrs. Stephen A. Spencer Dr. Alan D. Stemple Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Tallman PE Mr. Robert O. Thoman Mr. & Mrs. John L. Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Robert K. Tinney Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Tupes Mr. Jay J. Turner PE Mr. Kelles L. Veneri Mr. Frank Vickers & Mrs. Robin Vickers Mr. & Mrs. Ken P. Vitaya-Udom Mr. & Mrs. William D. Walko Mr. & Mrs. Gary W. Wamsley Mr. & Mrs. Edward A. Ward Mr. Daniel A. Weber Mrs. Deborah A. & Mr. Kevin West Dr. & Mrs. James D. Wilson Ms. Kathryn A. Wray

Capt. James V. Bartlett & Dr. Olivia T. Bartlett Mr. William E. Beckers Mr. & Mrs. Cameron Bell Lt. Col. (Ret.) & Mrs. Paul G. Bellia Maj. Gen. Donald W. Bennett USAF (Ret.) Mr. & Mrs. Duane T. Bernard Mr. Bradley H. Berry Mr. Arun Bhat Mr. & Mrs. Stephen M. Billcheck, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David P. Billings Mr. & Mrs. Harold E. Bishop, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John L. Blair, Jr. Mrs. Kathryn R. Blevins Mr. Jerry D. Blue Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. Boggs Mrs. Irene F. Bohuslavsky Mr. J. Sloan Bonar Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. S. Bond Mr. Matthew L. Bonnell Mr. Bruce A. Boomer Mr. & Mrs. John W. Botts Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Bourne Gregory & Shelly Bowles Mr. & Mrs. William E. Bowling Ms. Stephanie Boylan Mr. John W. Boyle Mr. Jason S. Boyuk Mr. & Mrs. Glenn E. Bradley Ms. Kande L. Brandt Mr. Michael E. Brennan Mr. Kurt A. Brungard PE Mrs. Regina M. Buckhalter Mr. David R. Bungard Mr. Stephen P. Bupp Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Burton Mr. Randall L. Byrd Mrs. & Mr. Wendy A. Cain PE Mrs. Eva P. Caperton Mr. & Mrs. Overton H. Caperton Mr. Keith A. Castilow Mr. Ryan D. Cavallo $100 to $249 Dr. & Mrs. William R. Cawthorne Mrs. Stacy D. Adrian Ms. Katie F. Chaddock Mr. Ramaseshan S. Alampallam Mr. & Mrs. Dennis C. Chambers Mrs. Joyce B. M. Allen Mr. Burdell D. Chapman III Mr. Randy L. Allison Mr. Edward J. Chehovin Mr. & Mrs. Richard G. Almes Ms. Rutha Chestnut Mr. & Mrs. Anthony J. Alvarez, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Marc A. Chini Mrs. Dianne D. Anderson Dr. David A. Cicci LTC Olga M. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Henry E. Cicci Dr. & Mrs. Derek H. Andreini Mr. Steven B. Clagett Mr. Jeffrey L. Andrews James M. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Larry J. Andrews Mr. & Mrs. Richard E. Cline Ms. Hannah Argabright Mr. Robert A. Clise Mr. & Mrs. C. Edward Ashby, Jr. Mr. August D. Coby Mr. & Mrs. William E. Ashworth Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Cochenour Mr. Saif A. Azam Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey S. Coe Drs. Charles K. & Sara E. Babcock Mrs. Teresa A. Cole Mrs. Rita A. Bajura Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Collins Mr. Narayan Balachandran Mr. Mike G. Collins Mr. & Mrs. Steven C. Ball Mr. Patrick M. Collins Mr. John D. Ballantyne Capt. & Mrs. H. Ward Conaway Dr. Larry Banta Mr. James E. Connell Mr. Richard A. Barido Mr. & Mrs. Bernard C. Corker Mr. Charles R. Bartlett Mrs. Susan M. Cortes

Mr. & Mrs. Russell V. Costanza Mr. & Mrs. Mark W. Cottrill CPA Mr. & Mrs. Timothy N. Cox Dr. Kristine K. Craven PhD Mr. & Mrs. William Crise Mr. Gaylord Cumberledge Mr. Alva R. Cummings Mr. & Mrs. Arden J. Curry II Mrs. Lynn A. Cvechko Mr. & Mrs. Leon J. Daciek Mr. Joshuah W. Dalton Dr. & Mrs. Earl Z. Damewood Mr. & Mrs. Steven K. Darnell Dr. Paul C. Davis Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Davis Mr. Leonard J. DeCarlo Mr. & Mrs. Donald A. Dechman Mr. & Mrs. Dale T. Deem Mr. & Mrs. Joseph T. Deneault Mr. George Desko Mr. Earl Devall Walt & Joan Dollard Ms. Carrie A. Donall Mr. & Mrs. Randall K. Drazba Mr. & Mrs. William H. Drummond Mr. & Mrs. Darryl L. Duncan Mr. Jared Dunlap Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Dwight Mr. Steven E. Easley Mr. & Mrs. Ronald G. Eckard Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Edelblute, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Anthony L. Eden Mr. & Mrs. Harold A. English Mr. & Mrs. Clifford W. Essig Dr. John R. Etherton Mrs. Catherine E. Everitt Miss Susan M. Falck Mr. Richard L. Falkenstein Mr. & Mrs. John E. Farmer Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Favro Mr. & Mrs. William G. Fields Dr. Gerald L. Finfinger Mr. & Mrs. Charles J. Fleischer Mr. Timothy K. Fleming Mr. & Mrs. B. Kenneth Fouts Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Frame E. Richard & Ellen M. Freer Mr. Eric S. Fridley Mr. Jingang Fu Mr. & Mrs. Charles Garlow Mr. Michael J. Garska Mr. Donald J. Gay Mr. & Mrs. John P. Gay Mr. & Mrs. Thomas S. Geier Mr. Kevin N. George Mr. & Mrs. John F. Gerard Mr. & Mrs. Timothy W. Gerken Mr. & Mrs. John J. Ghaznavi Mr. & Mrs. Alexander H. Ghiz, Jr. Ms. Sheree L. Gibson Dr. & Mrs. William M. Glazier Dr. Tirzah Y. Glebes Mr. & Mrs. Matthew G. Goff Mr. & Mrs. Barry A. Goodwin Mr. & Mrs. F. Gail Gray Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey G. Gray Mr. & Mrs. William R. Gray, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John H. Graybill

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Mr. & Mrs. Garret W. Green Mr. Curtis M. Griffith, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Griffith Mr. Christopher S. Guinn Mr. & Mrs. Surender K. Gupta Mr. Ronald A. Hahn Mr. William F. Haley Dr. & Mrs. George A. Hall Mr. Robert L. Halstead Mr. John F. Halterman Mr. & Mrs. Robert T. Hamilton PE Mr. & Mrs. Daniel R. Hamric Mr. & Mrs. Paul R. Hanko Dr. & Mrs. Robert T. Hansen Mr. & Mrs. Gerald H. Hardesty Mr. & Mrs. James E. Hardy Mr. Gordon P. Harlow Mr. & Mrs. Samuel R. Harman Mr. & Mrs. William J. Harman, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Gregory S. Harness Mr. & Mrs. James E. Harris Mr. & Mrs. Jack E. Harrison Maj. Gerhard B. Hartig Mr. Richard F. Hashinger Mr. Joseph H. Hatcher Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Haynes Mr. & Mrs. William R. Heathcote Mr. & Mrs. Marc Heffner Mr. William D. Hegener Drs. Richard B. & Judy H. Helm Mr. Justin A. Heydon Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A. Hill Mr. James D. Hinkle III Mr. & Mrs. Peter D. Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. John A. Holmes Mr. Ronald W. Holshey Mr. & Mrs. William H. Hoover Mr. & Mrs. G. Michael Horner Mr. & Mrs. Keith D. Horton Mr. James J. Howard Mr. & Mrs. Victor W. Huang Mr. Mark A. Huebner PE Mr. Hugh B. Humbert, Jr. Mrs. Karen Hutwelker Mrs. Judith B. Iszauk PE Dr. & Mrs. Donald W. Jarrell Mr. William H. Jayne III Mr. Brage Johannessen Mr. David L. Johnson Mr. Charles E. Jones, Jr. Mr. Dale F. Jones Mr. & Mrs. Donald G. Jones Mr. H. Eckess Jones, Jr. Mrs. Joan S. Jones Mr. & Mrs. Denver A. Jordan Mr. Charles R. Judy Mrs. Carol A. Julian Dr. & Mrs. Stephen C. Kanick Dr. Omkar Karthikeyan Mr. Charles F. Kazienko Dr. & Mrs. Gary Keefer Mrs. Elizabeth A. Kellermeyer Mr. & Mrs. Earl W. Kennedy Ms. Alice L. Kerns Mr. & Mrs. Mark D. Kessinger Mr. Garry R. Kilmer Ms. Staci R. King

Mr. Joe D. Kirby Mr. John J. Klim III Drs. Michael J. & Lesley A. Klishis Mr. Andrew R. Knapp Joseph & Genevieve Koepfinger Mr. & Mrs. Sudhir V. R. Koka Dr. Ellen M. Kraft Mr. John A. Kulmoski, Jr. Dr. Ravi Kumar Mrs. Vicki R. Kurrle Mr. Nagi A. Lam Mr. Jens H. Lange Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Lapp Mr. & Mrs. James W. Latham III Michele R. & Gregory W. Laur Mr. Loren L. Lazear Mr. & Mrs. Adam M. Leach Mr. & Mrs. Alan M. Lee Dr. & Mrs. Derek P. Lessing Dr. & Mrs. William S. Lewellen Mr. Edward G. Lewis Mr. James E. Leyh Mr. Hailin Li Mr. & Mrs. David R. Linger Mr. Qiu L. Luo Dr. & Mrs. Mark G. Luxbacher Mrs. Dawne C. Lyons Mr. Peter Maa Mr. Matthew M. Madurski Ms. Sara S. Mahood Mr. & Mrs. Jeb M. Mandeville Dr. & Mrs. Jimmie L. Mangus Mr. & Mrs. I. Edward Markley Ms. Nancy H. Marsh Mr. & Mrs. Peter M. Martin Dr. David R. Martinelli Dr. Diana L. Martinelli Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Martinez Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Marushi Mr. James L. Mason Mrs. Christine S. Mayernik Mrs. Margaret McCartney Mr. Jeff McCloud Prof. & Mrs. John E. McCray, Jr. Mr. Glenn D. McCreedy Mr. & Mrs. S. Fenton McDonald Mr. Joseph K. McFadden Mr. Scott McGill Mr. & Mrs. William S. McIntyre, Jr. Mrs. Dianne McMullin Dr. Ronald B. McPherson PhD Dr. Kenneth H. Means & Dr. Carol D. Means Ms. Annamaria Medvid Dr. & Mrs. Paul G. Migliore CDR J. Larry Miles, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Miller II Mr. Eric S. Miller Ms. Karin A. Miller Paul & Jacqueline Mills Mr. & Mrs. Robert D. Mills Dr. Chinnarao Mokkapati Mr. William D. Monaghan Mr. & Mrs. Guy E. Mongold, Jr. Mr. Thomas S. Montagino Mr. Harry Moore & Mrs. Mary Ellen Moore

Mrs. Kim M. Morgan Mr. Michael G. Morris Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Morris Mrs. Sara L. Morris Mr. Cleveland G. Mosby, Jr. Jennifer E. Mosser Mr. Ray L. Muehlman, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Richard S. Napier Mrs. Patricia A. Napier Morrison Mr. Gordon S. Nelson Mr. Mark S. Nemes Mr. Leonard S. Nicholson Mr. & Mrs. Randy A. Nicholson Mr. Paul F. Nocida Mr. & Mrs. George J. Oberlick Mrs. Margarette E. Offutt Mr. & Mrs. Art Oliver, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Larry E. Oliver Mrs. Susan B. Orders Mr. & Mrs. Kevin F. Owsiany Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Pagendarm Mr. Thomas H. Parsons Mr. & Mrs. Vijendrakumar C. Patel Mr. George S. Paul Mr. Lee T. Paules Mr. Adam W. Pauley Mr. & Mrs. Harold R. Payne Mr. Kevin L. Peil Mr. John D. Pellegrin Dr. Bethany S. Pellegrino Mr. Richard B. Pellegrino Mr. Sandy K. Pennington Mr. Richard J. Perin Mr. & Mrs. Eric Phares Dr. Kerri B. Phillips Mr. & Mrs. Andrew D. Pickens, Jr. Mr. Frank L. Pinter Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Pizatella Mr. & Mrs. Michael Pochettino Mrs. Susan G. Poffenbarger Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Pokorski Mr. James Poorbaugh Mr. Trevor M. Poquette Mr. Martin Potts Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Prunty, Jr. Mrs. Nancy P. Raley Mr. Balaji Ramaswamy Mr. Walter J. Ramsey Mr. Christopher F. Randall Mr. Herbert S. Rawlings Drs. Yenemula V. & Sumitra M. Reddy Mr. & Mrs. Mark F. Reeder Mr. & Mrs. Joseph E. Reger Mr. & Mrs. John A. Reynolds Mr. Boyd W. Rhodes Mr. & Mrs. William S. Rice Mr. & Mrs. Jon M. Ridgway Mrs. Annetta S. Riekel Mr. Terry D. Rings Mrs. Alka J. Rinkus Mr. & Mrs. Carl T. Ripberger III Mrs. Connie R. Ritchie Mr. & Mrs. Michael Roberts Mr. & Mrs. Theodore D. Robinette Mr. & Mrs. James P. Robison Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Robison

Mr. James H. Rodman, Jr. Mr. Adam C. Rohrig III Mr. Anthony D. Rossetti Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Rossy Father Blaine B. Royce, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John W. Rustenburg Ms. Rosamond A. Rutledge-Burns Mr. & Mrs. William A. Savage Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Scharff, Jr. Mr. Louis M. Schlesinger Mr. Ross E. Schlobohm Mr. Arthur K. Schuler Mr. & Mrs. Gary J. Schweitzer R. Lennie & Diana Scott Mr. & Mrs. John E. Seknicka Mrs. Grace W. Sharpenberg Mr. Charles A. Shaver Mr. David E. Sheets Mr. & Mrs. Michael T. Shook Mr. & Mrs. Morris M. Shor Mr. Martin D. Siebken Mr. Martin D. Siebken & Mrs. Susan K. Siebken Mr. Tyler M. Sigley Mr. & Mrs. William F. Simmons Mr. & Mrs. Dwain M. Sims Mr. Mark F. Sindelar Mr. & Mrs. George D. Six Mr. Robert D. Skelton Dr. & Mrs. Ojars Skujins Mr. & Mrs. C. Michael Smith Mr. & Mrs. Isaac N. Smith, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey D. Smith Mr. & Mrs. John C. Smith Dr. & Mrs. John E. Sneckenberger Mr. Miracle D. Solley Dr. & Mrs. F. Thomas Sporck II Mr. Phillip L. Stalnaker Mr. Richard T. Staun Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Steele Mrs. Marcella P. Steerman Mr. Lowell Stern Dr. Larry E. Stewart Mr. John M. Stickler Mr. & Mrs. Lester W. Stone Dr. Nancy A. Stout Mr. Corey M. Strimer Mr. & Mrs. William H. Stroup Mrs. Loretta D. Suitlas Mr. & Mrs. Carlyle W. Sulzer Mr. John M. Svedman Mrs. June D. Swartwout Mr. & Mrs. David L. Swearingen Mr. Nathan G. Sypolt & Ms. Megan Shoemaker Mr. L. G. Tackett Mrs. Cynthia D. Tanner Mr. & Mrs. Caleb A. Tarleton Mr. Adam M. Tarovisky Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Taylor Mr. Samson Tesfaselassie Dr. Douglas L. Timmons Mr. & Mrs. Leonard J. Timms, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Stephen W. Tippett Dr. Ting-Man Tong Mr. Thomas S. Toutsi Mr. Dennis P. Townsend

statler.wvu.edu

Mr. & Mrs. William D. Trimbath Mr. & Mrs. Brian A. Truman Mr. & Mrs. Roy M. Turner Mr. & Mrs. Edward R. Underwood Mr. & Mrs. Lionel J. Updyke Mr. & Mrs. Todd J. Urness Mr. Thomas E. Urquhart Mrs. Patricia W. Vetter Mrs. Trina K. Wafle Mr. William M. Walasinski Mr. & Mrs. D. Stephen Walker Mr. Kermit H. Walker, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Wallace II Mrs. Ann S. Walters Mr. Leason W. Walters Mr. Thomas E. Watson & Mrs. Audrey A. Watson Mr. Thomas F. Weaver III Mrs. Amy H. Wen Mr. & Mrs. William H. West Mr. & Mrs. George T. Westbrook, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Harry L. Westerman Mr. Duane E. Westfall Mr. & Mrs. Paul R. Westfall PE Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Wheeler Mr. Robert W. Whipp & Mrs. Beverly K. Whipp Mr. & Mrs. Glenn L. White Mr. Norman W. White Mr. & Mrs. Thomas H. White Mr. Chester L. Whitehair Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Whiteman Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Wiercinski Dr. & Mrs. F. David Wilkin Mr. & Mrs. Cyril H. Williams, Jr. Mr. J. Eldon Williams Mr. & Mrs. Jason D. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Christopher J. Williamson Mr. & Mrs. Donald P. Wilson Ms. Mae E. Wilson & Mr. Julian W. Martin Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Wilson Mr. & Mrs. Steven F. Wilson Mr. Kurt Wimmer Mr. & Mrs. James D. Wise Mr. Kenneth J. Witt Mrs. Cynthia A. Wood Mr. & Mrs. Marvin C. Woodie, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey T. Woods Mrs. Jessica A. Woods-Vedeler Mr. & Mrs. William H. Wray, Jr. Mr. Yunqing Wu & Ms. Lei Huang Mr. & Mrs. William D. Wyant Dr. Siamak Yassini Mr. & Mrs. Otis R. Yeater Mr. & Mrs. David A. Young, Jr. Mr. Richard Yungwirth Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Zachar Mr. Hao Zhang Mr. Gary R. Zidzik Mr. & Mrs. George T. Zimmerman PE Mr. & Mrs. Joseph R. Zirkle

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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SUPPORT

Irvin Stewart Society: Making a Difference for Years to Come

Below you will find a list of thoughtful and generous alumni and friends who have become members of the Irvin Stewart Society by including our College in their estate plans. These individuals are helping students of the future through gift provisions in their wills, life insurance, or gifts of real estate with a retained life state. We are forever grateful to them.

Please consider joining the Irvin Stewart Society by including our College in your estate plans. For more information please contact Robert Bragg at 304.293.4036 or robert.bragg@mail.wvu.edu.

Robert D. Bewick Garnet B. Browning Stanley Browning Roy H. Bucklew John W. Campbell Mark Campbell Frank Cerminara Susan Cerminara Vudara Chuop Rena A. Cyphert Irene V. Desmond Robert M. Desmond Irma McGinnis Dotson James M. Dotson Kathleen J. DuBois Margaret B. Fitzgerald Walter J. Fitzgerald Alfred F. Galli Beatrice Galli Donald J. Gay Anita Haddad Walter R. Haddad Margaret M. Hall Walter J. Hansen Lawrence C. Hays Gregory L. Herrick Sheila G. Herrick Betty J. Hurst Elmo J. Hurst Robert S. Jacobson H. Emil Johnson Penelope C. Johnson

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Joan L. Kelvington Wilbur L. Kelvington Genevieve C. Koepfinger Joseph L. Koepfinger Anthony E. Licata M. Dale Martin Alice P. May Allan S. May Mildred L. McFarland James R. McQuay Betty L. Miller Toni R. Morris Betty Ann Morton Earl F. Morton Margarette E. Offutt Jean H. Orders Robert O. Orders Alice S. Poindexter William N. Poundstone Robert E. Pyle James B. Reese Lora V. Richards James A. Romano Jacqulyn Smith Sample Paul E. Sample John T. Samsell Melody L. Samsell Charles M. Schaeffer Shirley C. Schaeffer

Barrett L. Shrout Nancy S. Shrout Kathryn A. Simms R. Patrick Simms William A. Simms James M. Smith John E. Sneckenberger Mary S. Sneckenberger James R. Stockner Tommy L. Stuchell John M. Summerfield Charles E. Swing W. David Teter Charles M. Vest JoAnn Wadsworth Maurice A. Wadsworth Gary W. Wamsley Betty S. Watkins W. Richard Watkins Ronald A. Weaver Frank T. Wheby Erna F. Wilkin F. David Wilkin Donald W. Worlledge Mary S. Worlledge Eugene M. Zvolensky

CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND TRUSTS $100,000 & up Alpha Foundation Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc. Schlumberger Technology Corporation Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. $25,000 to $99,999 American Gas Association Chesapeake Energy Corporation Dominion Foundation Eagle Research Corporation ExxonMobil Foundation Matching Gift Program Halliburton Foundation, Inc. John L. Kirkland Trust Massey Foundation Nason P. Pritchard Trust Toyota InfoTechnology Center, USA WV Coal Mining Institute $10,000 to $24,999 American Electric Power Bessemer Trust Cellular Tracking Technologies Chevron Products Company Chris Lantz Memorial Fund CONSOL Energy, Inc. Dow Chemical Company Foundation E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company Lockheed Martin Mountain View Solar Peabody Investments Corp.

Pearson Education Research Trust Fund The Hershey Company Matching Gift Program The Williams Companies, Inc. $5,000 to $9,999 AIST Foundation Appalachian Underground Corrosion Short Course Axiall Corporation B&K Direct Floors, Inc. DirecTV Dow Chemical Company Energy Insurance Mutal Enphase Energy Joy M. Teske Revocable Trust

Joy Mining Machinery Lawson-Burke Structural Engineers, LLC Lyon, Conklin, & Co. (A Ferguson Enterprise) Martin Marietta Materials MathWorks North Carolina Coal Institute, Inc. Parkersburg Area Community Foundation Penn Virginia Operating Co., LLC Peter’s Creek Coal Association PVR Partners, LP Rockwell Collins Matching Gift Program Schaefer Parking Design & Consulting Shell Oil Company Foundation Tech Foundation, Inc. WVU Alumni Association Mineral Resources Chapter

$1,000 to $4,999 Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. American Association of Drilling Engineers American Electric Power-Matching Gift Program Boeing Company Matching Gift Program Boyles & Hildreth Consulting Engineers CAS Structural Engineering, Inc. Cedar Point Chevron Chevron Corporation Matching Grants Program CONSOL Energy Inc. CSE Corporation Deloitte Foundation E. I. DuPont De Memours & Company FirstEnergy Foundation IEEE Power & Energy Society Interco Charitable Trust Keylogic Systems, Inc. Monsanto Fund Morgantown Printing & Binding National Coal Transportation Association, Inc. Northern WV Section of SPE Oracle Political Action Committee Procter & Gamble Company Red Hat Matching Gifts Program

Siemens US - Matching Contributions Program for Employees Somfy Systems Inc. Southern Coals Conference SWIFT Thermal Energy System Specialists Tri-State Roofing & Sheet Metal Company UBS Foundation USA West Virginia Desk and Derrick Club WV Coal Association, Inc.

$100 to $999 Abbott Fund Act-3D B.V. AeroJet Ametek AmherstMadison ATK Baker Hughes Foundation BB&T West Virginia Foundation Bechtel Matching Gift Program Boxley Brewer & Company of West Virginia, Inc. Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund Cammerata Enterprises, Inc. Chapman Technical Group Chevron Humankind Employee Funds ConocoPhillips D. L. McQuaid & Associates, Inc. Dominion FoundationMatching Gift Program Eaton Corporation Matching Gift Program Employees Charity Organization EQT Corporation Matching Gifts EXCO Resources LLC FirstEnergy FM Global Foundation G & G Builders, Inc. Gannon International General Electric Company H. J. Heinz Company Foundation Harris Foundation Herbert L Ridder Revocable Trust Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HZC Enterprises IBM International Foundation Matching Gift Program ICL-IP America Inc.

J&M Industrial, Inc. J. M. Huber Corporation J.F. Allen Company Johnson Controls Foundation Joseph V Rice, D.D.S. Kanawha Roxalana Company Kenneth M. Dunn Company, Inc. Leslie Equipment Company Leslie Lumber Company Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation Lubrizol Foundation Matching Gift Program Lutheran Community Foundation LyondellBasell Matching Gift Program Metso Michael Baker Corporation Mountaineer Mine Safety & Training, Inc. Northrop Grumman Corporation Olashuk Environmental, Inc. Peyton Law Firm, PLLC Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program PPG Industries Foundation Prudential Foundation PVR Services, LLC Quality Distribution Raytheon SAIC Science Applications International Corp.

Santino T. Serpento Revocable Trust Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. Software Systems, Inc. Southern Company Services Stone Energy Corporation Texas Instruments Foundation The Lengyel Family Trust The Millicent N. Mason Rev. Trust The Thrasher Group United Bank United Steel Workers of America Vecellio & Grogan, Inc. Verizon Foundation Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program Wilbur Smith Associates, Inc. WV Environmental Council ZMM, Inc.

WVU STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Support News in Brief Both Robert Alvarez and his wife, Mary Ann, have remained keenly aware of the difficult economic and business conditions in the upper Ohio Valley over the past 50 years. That awareness led them to establish an endowment at West Virginia University that will provide scholarships to deserving students who are residents of Ohio, Marshall, or Wetzel counties.

A second gift, an in-kind donation of computer equipment valued at nearly $38,000, was made to the Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Butch serves as president and chairman of Eagle Research Corporation, a high-tech electronics company that provides measurement and control systems to the oil and gas industry.

“I was fortunate to have worked my way through WVU at a time when it was possible to do so, but with today’s costs, students need assistance,” said Alvarez, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources in 1963 and 1964, respectively. “My wife and I thought an endowed scholarship to aid aspiring students from that region of the state that possess good potential and exhibit financial need would establish a lasting legacy for our family.”

Butch’s final gift, totaling $42,000, will provide discretionary funds to support the mission and goals of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

With a gift of $25,000, the couple established the Joseph and Louise Alvarez Memorial Scholarship, which is named in honor of Robert’s parents.

Read more at http://bit.ly/VEiVCK American Electric Power Foundation donated $50,000 toward summer camps being held at West Virginia University and the WVU Institute of Technology that give students the opportunity to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Through the gift, Engineering Challenge Camps at WVU and Camp STEM at WVU Tech had the capability to expand and provide for more students, giving attendees the ability to discover a field they are passionate about and hope to pursue as a career.

“We’re happy to partner with WVU and WVU Tech on this STEM program. At Appalachian Power, we need employees with good math and science skills for many if not most of our jobs,” said Charles Patton, Appalachian Power president and chief operating officer. “From engineering to customer service, STEM skills are critical for success. WVU and WVU Tech are helping create a well-educated workforce that will build a better future for West Virginia.”

Read more at http://bit.ly/1mEFWRl John Forman donated $1 million to West Virginia University to establish scholarships for in-state, undergraduate students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, or math programs.

The John A. Forman Endowed Scholarship will be available for students studying in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

A Clarksburg native, Forman earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from WVU in 1956 and went on to a very successful engineering career that spanned more than 30 years.

Through his gift, Forman hopes West Virginia students will have to the ability to achieve their educational goals.

“My interest in life has always been engineering, and giving back to West Virginia University was the natural thing to do,” he said. “Education is all about combining ambition with ability. It is very important.”

Read more at http://bit.ly/1jbfbD6 Every student who has come through West Virginia University’s Department of Mining Engineering in the past 15 years knows the name William Poundstone.

The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Challenge Camps provided more than 150 students exploration of the STEM disciplines. Each week had a different theme, and all activities are hands-on and project-based.

In 2000 through a charitable gift, the retired CONSOL executive established the Poundstone Lecture Series and Distinguished Engineer of Mines Award, which brings individuals who had an exceptional career in mining and related industries to campus each fall to share their experiences with students and faculty.

Read more at http://bit.ly/U0ZYc7

His most recent gift will ensure his legacy continues.

Jim Butch, a loyal supporter of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University, recently made three gifts totaling $100,000 that will help support departmental activities and upgrade one of its labs with valuable equipment.

BUTCH

His first gift, a $20,000 donation to WVU’s Solar Decathlon team, came about as a result of a presentation students made at the College’s Visiting Committee meeting last year. Butch serves as a member of the committee, representing his alma mater, West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

POUNDSTONE

Through the creation of an annuity trust, Poundstone has created the William N. Poundstone Professorship in Mining Engineering at WVU. Funds from this endowment will provide a range of support to the recipient for research, teaching, and service.

“I chose to use the gift to create a professorship because I believe that having the best qualified teachers is the most important part of a strong university,” said Poundstone. “West Virginia University did a good job of preparing me to work in the coal industry, and I want to see it maintain and perhaps improve its ability to train engineers for the mining industry.”

Read more at http://bit.ly/1v5B8qe

statler.wvu.edu

Volume 10 Issue 2 |

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Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Morgantown, WV Permit No. 34

West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources PO Box 6070, Morgantown, WV 26506-6070 Address correction requested

Save the Dates Football Tent WVU vs. TCU

December Commencement

Chemical Engineering Academy

November 1, 2014

December 19, 2014

April 30-May 1, 2015

Mining Engineering and Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Visiting Committee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Academy

Civil and Environmental Engineering Academy

April 9-11, 2015

April 30-May 1, 2015

November 14, 2014

Lane Department Academy

Commencement

April 17-18, 2015

May 16, 2015

Chesapeake Energy Capitol Classic December 14, 2014

Faculty Hiring 2015–2016

The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources is recruiting for open faculty positions in the 2015-2016 academic year. For more information visit: www.statler.wvu.edu/news/jobs.php.