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Gregory Brown
is from Bridgeport, WV and currently resides in Florida. He graduated from West Virginia University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. He was then hired into General Electric’s Manufacturing Management Training Program which allowed him to move to a new job, location, and product every six months for three years. During this program he worked 6 months at GE Large Steam Turbine / Generator in Schenectady NY, (US Army Basic Combat Training & Advanced Individual Training at Ft Leonard Wood Missouri), as a foreman at GE Electric Range in Columbia MD, as a purchasing agent at GE Mobile Radio in Lynchburg VA, as a manufacturing engineer at a New GE Mobile Radio factory in Florence SC, and as an advanced manufacturing engineer at GE Diesel Engine Locomotive in Erie PA. After this great experience, he worked at Xerox in Rochester, NY for 27 years and then spent 10 working on the Boeing 777 Final Assy Line as a senior industrial engineer. He has been retired now for eight years, and when asked what he was most proud of from his professional career he said, “that simultaneously, the NY Army National Guard put me thru Empire State Military Academy OCS near West Point, and I got to serve as an engineer officer for 23 years. I went thru the Engineer Officer Basic Course & Engineer Officer Advanced Course at Fort Belvoir VA, plus through Command and General Staff Officer Course in the US Army Reserve. I finished my USAR Duty as a Major, Commanding Officer of a Combat Engineer Bridge Company.” During his time at Statler College, the coursework Brown completed for his Industrial Engineering Classes as well as the part-time work he did for Don Gochenour at the USDA Forestry Sciences Lab help prepare him for professional future. Memorable moments that made in impact include Professor R.D. Fowler teaching “Economics of Labor Relations” and Considerations of Work Measurement Time Study, which led him to “specialize in Stopwatch Time Study in Xerox, then to reach Work Measurement Time Study to each Boeing new hire IE for 3 years.” His advice to current engineering students at Statler College is to “work in something interesting while you are at WVU, especially during summers. I helped establish and build business for Phantom Pizza!”
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Erik Hansen
is originally from Allentown, PA and currently lives in Shepherdstown, WV. He graduated from West Virginia University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering. Hansen now owns Bulldog Energy Providers LLC, a company that helps to build the hydrogen economy. The company recently finished a project for Airbus and will be tackling a large mobile liquid hydrogen pumping trailer next. All the company’s hard work is geared towards supporting a move to zero carbon. Of his professional accomplishments, Hansen is most proud of a deal he closed with Walmart in 2011 while VP of Sales and Hydrogen Power at Plug Power. This agreement shifted Walmart’s distribution center forklift fleet to hydrogen fueled fuel cells. While a student at Statler College, the staunch support he received from professors while on the hybrid vehicle team and his senior design project as a team leader on the Ford HEV Challenge helped prepare him for this career. When asked to share advice with current Statler College students, he stated, “I am a firm believer that regardless of school or degree, success is driven primarily by the student. Don't sit back and think success is going to find you, you need to be leading the charge in making your career successful.”
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Brian Johnson
is originally from Upper St. Clair, PA and currently resides in Rocky River, Ohio. He graduated from West Virginia University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. This degree led to a career in the steel industry, where he held positions in the Engineering Department, as well as in Purchasing, Sales and Maintenance. The expertise he gained in problem-solving and working with others while a student at Statler College helped prepare him for success in this environment. He is now retired, but during his professional career Johnson was most proud of his “ability to work in a team environment and facilitate a unified team.” His advice to current engineering students at Statler College is to “attend class and keep up with your daily homework.”
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Tommy Lyvers
is originally from Houston, TX and Scott Depot, WV and now lives in Dallas, TX. He graduated from West Virginia University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. This degree first led him to a job in industrial water treatment engineering and then to a job as a project manager in municipal water and wastewater treatment. He has been working as a project manager at Garver, a civil engineering consulting firm, for the past four years. His advice to current engineering students at Statler College is “Don't be intimidated by opportunities ahead of you that seem out of your league. If you have a drive for it and are willing to work to learn the ropes, you can succeed.”
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Gina McCann
is originally from Keyser, WV and though she currently lives in Hagerstown, MD, she will soon be moving to Belmont, NH. McCann graduated from Potomac State College in 1992 with an Associate of Arts in Engineering. Of her decision to attend Potomac State College she stated, “it was great because I could walk to school from home my first two years. The small class sizes were awesome and prepared me for my transition to Morgantown for my junior and senior years.” She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in 1994 and a Master of Business Administration from Duquesne University in 2004. After graduating from WVU, McCann began her career at West Penn Power Company, now part of FirstEnergy. In 2021, after 27 years, she made the decision to switch careers. She now works as the Business Development Director at GeoSpatial Innovations, Inc. One thing she would like to share is that “it’s never too late to make a career change or try something new. I was 4 months shy of my 50th birthday when I switched careers. It has been very rewarding to see how the knowledge I gained working at a large utility company can be applied to a new role at a software company. I also got back into skiing in my late forties and am looking forward to living in New Hampshire where there's a lot more snow!” Taking classes in other areas of engineering, such as electrical and industrial, during her time as a student was very beneficial for her later in her career. She was also the team lead for one of the Formula SAE projects during her senior year, which helped strengthen her leadership and teamwork skills. The professors at Statler College were also a great help. McCann shared, “I remember our Formula car team stopping in to see Dr. Clark all the time. Dr. Kuhlman was also willing to answer questions after class. We were never afraid to ask for help or advice and they taught us a lot.” Her advice to current engineering students at Statler college is “stick with it. Do not quit. If you are struggling, ask for help. Work with your classmates on homework and projects. Ask your professors for help. Your engineering degree will prepare you for many different career paths. You will never get bored being an engineer!”
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Danny Streets
is originally from Keyser, WV and currently lives in Deep Creek Lake, MD. He graduated from West Virginia University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. This degree provided him with the knowledge he needed to begin a career in industrial manufacturing, specifically electrical, instrumentation, automation and control technologies. He has been employed by Dell Technologies as a manufacturing industries field sales director for one year and four months. The background Streets gained as a student has given him helpful insight when it comes to selling Edge technologies to and helping manufacturing industries “transform to a digital/smart factory.” The resource that helped him the most during his time as a student was the Senior Design Project. So far in his professional career, he is most proud of the accomplishments he achieved “while implementing automation and control projects in the pulp & paper industry.” His advice to current engineering students at Statler College is that “failures are sometimes a necessity in order to reach success!”