Capital Campaign "A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virgnia's University

Investing in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY On January 12, 2012, West Virginia University’s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources received an unprecedented gift of $34 million from mining engineering alumnus Ben Statler and his wife, Jo. This gift was matched with $11 million dollars from the state of West Virginia’s Research Trust Fund, bringing its total value to $45 million. In honor of this gift, the WVU Board of Governors voted to rename the College the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

This transformational gift from the Statlers helped catapult the College into the forefront of America’s engineering and energy-research institutions. But there is still work to be done. The people and industries of the state expect much from us: knowledge, research, boldness, bright ideas, and bright graduates. With your generosity and commitment, we can meet and exceed these expectations.

The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources: A State of Minds

N

early 125 years have passed since

in a challenge-filled and opportunity-rich future,

engineering was added to the curriculum

and changed the way we marshal our research

at WVU, and there is little that an engineer of

and intellectual capital—our State of Minds—to

1887 would recognize in our technology-driven,

serve the people and industries of West Virginia.

high-velocity, global environment. The basics still

We have added a wealth of new multidisciplinary

apply, of course: forces, physics, and energy. And

programs, added additional talented faculty

engineers are a forward-looking bunch—show them

as teachers and researchers, and added new

something that works better than what they know,

students—now more than 3,000 are learning

and even if they were hard-pressed to imagine it,

here—to become the leaders of tomorrow in

they will still adopt it, adapt it, understand it, and

engineering and mineral resources.

make it work even better than better.

All of this progress has brought us growing

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This College is all about opportunity,

national recognition overall as well as national

about giving bright kids the chance to

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and

prominence in areas ranging from biometric

become an engineer and to help build

Mineral Resources have a similar mindset. As the

engineering to advanced materials; from coal,

world has changed (and, of course, engineering

gas, and oil to alternative fuels; and from cyber

the future—no matter where they begin.

is very often how the world is changed), we

security to nanotechnology. Each of these things

have changed ahead of it. Changed the ways

will be very important for the citizens and

in which we educate our students, changed

businesses of West Virginia as we bring our State

the technologies and approaches we use to

of Minds to bear on the goals of growing and

continue to reflect what practitioners will find

diversifying our economy.

The students, faculty, and staff in the

The Trajectory of Success

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e have a healthy respect for our core

for the 21st century. And we are completely

education to meet that competition. Our students

values and traditions at the Statler

focused on outcomes, on opportunities, and

must learn more, learn sooner, and learn faster.

College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

on collaboration with other areas of this great

Undergraduate programs must become more

Two that stand out: an absolute commitment

university and other leading-edge thinkers in this

sophisticated, interdisciplinary, and problem-

to the quality of our programs—nothing is ever

great state and beyond. The Statler College has

based. Graduate programs must become more

added until we are confident that we can do it as

an exceptional group of alumni who are leaders

cutting-edge, more informed by research.

well or better than our peer institutions—and a

around the country and around the world, and

value-added approach for our students and their

we greatly value our connections to that well of

College—partnered with you—must continue

careers. We have a greater-than-average number

wisdom and experience.

to invest in new facilities, new programs, and

of first-generation university students in West

The past decade has seen tremendous success

For any of that to happen, the Statler

new collaborations. Our resources must match

Virginia, and we have always been dedicated

and growth at the Statler College, and this is

the talents and aspirations of our students and

to providing exceptional opportunities to every

our moment to leverage that strength with the

faculty. And our outcomes must directly benefit

student, helping them go farther and achieve

combined power of the Statlers’ vision for creating

the economic health of West Virginia. Only

more than even they imagined.

the nation’s premier school in engineering and

then—and only with you—will our State of

energy research and your vital generosity to create

Minds be complete. The Statlers’ gift has put

table. Everything that is better, smarter, more

a burgeoning engine of change and innovation.

the College in a powerful position to achieve

experiential, more connected to the community,

In all the disciplines of engineering and energy

ever more for our students, our state, and

and more likely to lead to innovation is in the

research, we face strong and accelerating

our world. Together, we will build upon our

mix. We have no interest in the accepted wisdom

international competition. We must do more at

tradition, our potential, and the demonstrated

unless it can be proven to be the best course

both the undergraduate and graduate levels of

commitment of our alumni.

That being said, everything else is on the

The people and industries of West Virginia expect much from us: knowledge, research, boldness, bright ideas, and bright graduates. We can and will exceed those expectations—but only with your generosity and commitment.

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Priorities for Tomorrow

he Benjamin M. Statler College of

T

Student Enrichment

Engineering and Mineral Resources has

During the next decade, the Statler College will

identified a list of essential funding priorities

grow enrollment to more than 4,000 students

through A State of Minds: The Campaign for

without sacrificing student quality or accessibility,

West Virginia’s University that, with your vital

while increasing diversity. The Statler College

support, will power our accomplishments in

has implemented a successful program to attract

education and research in the coming decades.

National Merit Finalists and other exceptional

As does everything at the Statler College, they

students through targeted scholarship support.

begin with students and go on to address our

However, the program is limited by the size of our

many responsibilities to our community. These

endowment. In keeping with national challenges,

priorities center around creating future-focused

we must increase the number of domestic graduate

the number of doctoral students over the next

facilities, attracting the best and the brightest

students attending our institution. Graduate

decade. To continue our momentum in student

(students and faculty), educating students

students perform the work that drives our

recruitment, we will seek an endowment of

well, preparing students for virtually anything,

research agenda. Furthermore, doctoral-granting

$15 million in scholarship and fellowship support.

placing them in careers where they can do well,

institutions like WVU are judged most often by

and also supporting faculty as they discover new

the number and quality of their Ph.D. graduates.

Faculty Support

ideas and create new possibilities:

Therefore, the Statler College will strive to double

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To maintain an acceptable student-to-faculty ratio, we will increase our tenure-track faculty members

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Statler College must increase its number of

Program Investments

teaching fellowships and the “start-up packages�

Our goal is to offer educational programs that

needed to launch their research programs.

are diverse, inclusive, and pioneering and to

During the capital campaign, we will seek to

prepare students for the demands of a global

raise $15 million in private support for faculty-

economy. To achieve this we must promote

based endowments.

and grow programs in emerging fields and the

Campus Development

programs of tomorrow, while enhancing our

With past and future expansion in academic The new Advanced Engineering Research Building.

programs, research, and the number of students studying engineering at WVU, the Statler College

to 150 in the next decade. New and replacement

is limited in space. A new research building

hires will be made on a strategic basis to promote

is planned that will support laboratory work,

interdisciplinary approaches toward research and

classrooms, faculty space, and space for student

teaching with an emphasis on areas consistent

projects. With projected costs of at least

with the engineering challenges identified for

$41 million for a new building, the College will

West Virginia’s future. The Statler College must

seek to raise $15 million in private support, to be

also be a national leader in faculty research that

matched by public funds, loans, and grants. An

supports the efficient and full use of the energy

additional $5 million will be raised to upgrade

resources available in this state to keep America

existing facilities and furnish equipment for the

strong. To attract talented young faculty, the

new advanced engineering research building.

efforts in the fields of energy and materials where we have existing strengths. Finding ways to improve the clean utilization of energy resources is vital to the economic growth of our state and critical for the U.S. through the latter part of this century. In order to keep our programs engaging and relevant for the next generation of students, we plan to raise $35 million in private support for our academic programs and to promote student opportunities in design, research experiences, and participation in national competitions.

In all the disciplines of engineering, we face strong and accelerating international competition. Our students must learn more, learn sooner, and learn faster. Undergraduate programs must become more sophisticated, interdisciplinary, and problem-based. Graduate programs must become more cutting-edge, more informed by research.

At the Tipping Point

things, ready and able at the tipping point that

grow the economy of our state and nation, and to

leads to a premier institution for engineering

bring prestige to our institution.

and energy education and research, a place

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Simply put, it can’t continue to happen and

sought out by scholars, students, and faculty

continue to grow without you. A State of Minds:

from around the globe for its quality and vision.

The Campaign for West Virginia’s University is a

With your support and commitment building

collaborative effort. Our minds and our vision

upon the Statlers’ vision, we will continue to

must be in sync, and we must call upon you to

create a college where more than 4,000 students

help complete the funds and bolster the energy

from diverse backgrounds will engage in an

that will take us to our goals. A century and

exciting and cutting-edge learning environment

a quarter has taken us from steam power to

with renowned scholars in their respective

nanotechnology—what could be more exciting

fields. To ensure the success of our students as

and more rewarding than beginning the next 125

better, stronger, more global, or more engaged

practitioners, we will offer educational programs

years together in our aspirations?

with our state. And we have never been

that are diverse, inclusive, pioneering, and

more aware of the competition we face, the

oftentimes multi-disciplinary. Our vision includes

my honor and privilege to lead the Statler College

challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and

a dedicated corps of distinguished endowed

at this momentous time. In West Virginia and in

the responsibilities we owe to our community.

professors who will engage and challenge our

this school, tomorrow is already here.

With the extraordinary generosity of Ben and

students to achieve their ambitions, to improve

Jo Statler, we are fueled and primed for great

the state of humankind through their research, to

s we pass our 125th year, the teaching of engineering at WVU has never been

My thanks for your belief and generosity—it is

Eugene V. Cilento, Ph.D. Glen H. Hiner Dean

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY West Virginia’s healthcare epicenter, its flagship of service, its brain trust.

Home to some of the most innovative and forward-thinking minds in the country, WVU serves the world by first serving its state. We have emerged as a leader in solving today’s most complex problems, and we are ready to share our State of Minds with the world.

A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University is about investing in the values, ambition, intellect, and mindset that define one of the most exciting universities in the country. With support from alumni, friends, foundations, and partners, West Virginia University will be in a position to lead the national and global dialogue on energy, health, the environment, the economy…and so much more.

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

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Office of the Dean

Evansdale Drive | P.O. Box 6070 | Morgantown, WV 26506-6070 | 304-293-4157 | cemr.wvu.edu

One Waterfront Place, 7th Floor | P.O. Box 1650 | Morgantown, WV 26507-1650 | 304-284-4000 or 800-847-3856 | www.astateofminds.com