Message from the Chair The 2009-2010 annual report of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at West Virginia University offers a glimpse of a highly productive and dynamic department that continues to excel in engineering education, sponsored research, and outreach activities. As the University moves into a new era of leadership, the Department is widely recognized as a cornerstone of its plans to advance in education and research by the year 2020. Our performance in research, education, and service is viewed by the administration as a blueprint for other academic units to follow. Our faculty are engaged in developing a departmental strategic plan that is well-aligned with the University’s recently announced 2020 strategic plan. Our plan will support WVU’s vision by laying the groundwork for further advancements in national research stature, in the outcomes of our educational programs, and in global engagement. Our main focus this academic year includes: • Aligning our academic programs with the changing needs of our students and contemporary employment markets, with an emphasis on globalization; • Dissemination of up-to-date information about our activities, initiatives, and student and faculty accomplishments;
Chair’sMessage
• Strengthen, expand, and sustain communications and other interactions between faculty and students of MAE and its alumni.
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The undergraduate programs in aerospace engineering (AE) and in mechanical engineering (ME) were recently reaccredited through September 30, 2016, following an intensive review of our selfassessment and continuous improvement practices. The educational experience these programs offer our undergraduate students, along with the impressive career accomplishments of many of our graduates (The Wall Street Journal recently ranked WVU as 23rd in the nation for the satisfaction level of companies that employ its engineering graduates), continue to attract a steadily growing number of students to our undergraduate programs:
MAE Annual Report
2009-2010
• Enrollment figures in the BSAE and BSME degree programs in 2009-2010 reached an all-time high of 44 and 218 students, respectively, in addition to the 175 students enrolled in the dual BSAE/BSME degree track. • Over the past 10 years, the undergraduate enrolment in the MAE department has grown by 126 percent, with 2.3 times more students enrolled in the AE program, 3.1 times more students enrolled in the dual AE/ME degree track, and 1.86 times more students enrolled in the ME program. The total level of sponsored research expenditures by MAE faculty reached more than $11.2 million in 2009-2010. This allows us not only to enhance our national reputation, but also to upgrade our facilities, strengthen our graduate programs, and offer challenging and rewarding opportunities to our undergraduate students to engage in hands-on sponsored research as early as in their sophomore year. About 30 undergraduate students are currently conducting research in materials science, energy systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other areas, while being financially compensated for their efforts; acquiring practical knowledge; and developing valuable technical, interpersonal, and time management skills. Our past experience has shown that many of these students are likely to pursue advanced graduate degrees and win prestigious national awards, such as the Graduate Fellowship of the National Science Foundation. The level of productivity of our 29 tenure track or tenured faculty members places the Department among the top in the nation in terms of the dollar amount of research expenditures per faculty member ($386,746), the number of journal publications per faculty member (2.24), and the number of undergraduate degrees awarded annually per faculty member (5.24). The innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of our faculty has led to a sharp increase in the level of externally sponsored research funding managed through the MAE Department, which reached $46.7 million, or $1.6 million per faculty member, considering the total budgets of all the research contracts or grants that were active as of August 2010.
JACKY C. PRUCZ
The past and current accomplishments of the MAE faculty, students, and staff point toward a positive outlook for years to come. The size of our faculty has grown to 30 with four national searches currently under way (three for tenure track faculty at the assistant or associate professor levels and one for department chair at the full professor level). The Department recently hired a new financial manager, Pamela Gelet, who will ensure our accounts are managed effectively and in compliance with all state and federal regulations. In the next five years, we plan to modernize our curricula and teaching methods in order to ensure our graduates are equipped with a proper set of skills and abilities to succeed in a rapidly changing employment environment. We will seek to forge interdisciplinary research partnerships with faculty members from other colleges or departments, as well as with researchers from industry and government agencies. We anticipate that the MAE Department will grow to no less than 35 tenure track or tenured faculty; will at least maintain its current levels of undergraduate and graduate enrollments; and will raise its annual level of research expenditures to near $20 million, thus advancing into the top 20 ME departments in national rankings. I invite you to read through our annual report to learn more about the MAE Department at WVU. Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.
Dr. Jacky Prucz Interim Chair Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering