From the simulated mines of Colorado to the robotics arenas of Brazil, students at West Virginia University’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources are proving that Mountaineer excellence knows no borders.
Story by Laney Eichelberger, Writer/Storyteller
Photos and graphics by Megan Rinker, Graphic Arts Designer and photographer
Across disciplines — from chemical engineering to computer science to mechanical engineering — these competition teams are taking Mountaineer spirit to the global stage. Success isn’t just measured in trophies, but in the experiences that will shape their futures as innovators — though the trophies are always nice.
Getting the Gold in Golden, Colorado
This February, eight Statler College students and faculty experts in mining, electrical, and mechanical engineering traveled to Golden, Colorado. They were greeted by the world’s champions in simulated mine emergency rescue: eight teams hailing from across the United States, Canada, and Germany. These competitors may have been skilled, but Mountaineers came out on top. It was the team’s third consecutive international victory, bolstered by four national wins.
Evan Rice, a senior studying mechanical engineering, has been part of the WVU Mine Rescue team since his sophomore year. For him, it’s not just about winning — it’s about people. His three years on the team has yielded valuable connections in the mining industry community, including competitors like the ones he met in Colorado. “It’s super cool to interact with everybody on the Canadian and German teams, and to get to see how they work through problems,” said Rice. “You could have one problem, but there are so many different solutions and tricks to learn from other people.”
These competitions are more than an opportunity to challenge the most resilient contenders in the world — they’re opportunities to reflect on shared purpose. In the WVU Mine Rescue Team’s training facility, a sign hangs on the wall. Above the flying WV, it declares: “So Others May Live.” It’s a reminder of why they, and all of the teams they challenge, compete — to hone their skills and prepare for a lifetime of helping others.
“The reason we, along with other schools and so many in the industry, dedicate so much time and energy to training is because we’re preparing to help others. It’s truly inspiring to see so many people come together, united by the goal of being there for others in times of need,” said Rice. “The trophies and wins? They’re just the cherry on top.”
The 2024 West Virginia Mine Rescue team from left to right: Cole Delisle, dual Mining/Civil Engineering; Ian Stengel, Electrical Engineering; Conner Keddie, Mining Engineering; Tristen Kucera, Mining/Civil Engineering; Ashton Crawford, Mining Engineering; Dylan Shilling, Mining Engineering; Logan Holbrook, Biomedical Engineering; Brendan Del Coro, Forest Resources Management; Justin Waybright, Mining Engineering and Evan Rice, Mechanical Engineering. Bottom, left to right: Joseph Statuto, Engineering Technology; Samantha Roark, Mining Engineering; Grace Hansen, Mechanical Engineering; Trent Cavanaugh, Mining Engineering; August Lasko, Mining Engineering and Braden Kiesel, Mining Engineering. (WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit and Josh Brady)
Something Sweeter Than Victory
Mountaineer excellence extends beyond national boundaries, and nowhere was that more evident than in Brazil this July. Statler College’s RoboCup@Work team competed among the world’s best in industrial robotics.
For the team’s first year competing, they certainly set a high bar. Mountaineers@Work was the only team from North America to qualify for the competition and although the team placed fourth overall, they ranked first among all undergraduate teams.
Wilson Nichols, a junior studying mechanical engineering, has been part of the team for a little more than a year. When he first joined, he expected hands-on experience that would diversify his academic experience. That’s certainly what he received, but the true scope of what he would learn from the experience was far greater than he could have ever imagined.
“We have a fantastic group, and I feel like I really connect with them — not just while preparing for competitions by spending hours upon hours working on our robot, but also while traveling internationally and sharing new experiences together as a group,” said Nichols. “In terms of academics, it’s nice because, while this team has given me so much firsthand experience working on robotics as part of a team, I’ve also been earning credit hours for it.”
Being a Mountaineer on the global competition field isn’t all work and no play — students learn valuable lessons and gain important skills all while making some of the greatest memories of their college careers. During the Mountaineers@Work team’s trip to Brazil, they made sure to sample plenty of traditional Brazilian foods, including a chocolate dessert called a brigadeiro.
“One of my teammates accidentally said ‘brigadeiro’ when trying to thank a server, instead of ‘obrigado,’ which means ‘thank you’ in Portuguese,” Nichols recalled. “It was a really funny moment, and we wouldn’t let him forget it for the rest of the trip.”
Robocup team left to right: From MMAE are Ava Ward, Dominic Marrero, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Beam, Wilson Nichols, Guilherme Pereira, and from the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Ethan Grose, Greyson Miller, and Ryan Duckworth. Right photo highlights Beam working on the robot.
Who Rove the World?
While the RoboCup team brought Mountaineer ingenuity to South America, another group was preparing for battle in the Utah desert — the University Rover Challenge.
Logan Gold, a senior studying mechanical engineering, has been part of Statler College’s University Rover Challenge team since just two weeks into his freshman year. In fact, he had plans to join the team even before his first day of classes — it’s one of the many reasons he decided to become a Mountaineer.
“I first saw the team when I was doing tours during Statler College Visitation Day, and from there, I was hooked. I spoke with one of the members, and they walked me through the rover. I’ve been here ever since,” said Gold. “I was teetering between here and another university, but the other university didn’t have anything like the University Rover Challenge team, so it was a good push to come to WVU.”
Although Gold was unable to attend the competition in Utah this year due to work conflicts, he still played a crucial role in preparing the rover before departure. As the team’s drivetrain coordinator of three years and this year’s CEO, he helped position the team to succeed from the comfort of the Evansdale campus.
Gold’s dedication and leadership didn’t just contribute to the team’s success — they opened doors to professional opportunities. Gold’s experience in URC taught him important skills in composite manufacturing, which was one of the greatest selling points during his interview with the John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab — and it’s what landed him the internship.
Now, as a Statler Ambassador, Gold often shares his experience with prospective students, emphasizing how early involvement in these hands-on teams helps students build community and confidence.
Three years ago, during my freshman year, we got the notification for the scores and we were first in the world. It was amazing — that’s the bottom line,” he said. “We were doing departmental tours for mechanical engineering and I was telling students about each of the robots. When I got to the point when I told them how the robots place in the world, I could just see their faces drop, like, ‘Holy cow!’ It’s a great feeling.
Accepting their 2nd place trophy in Utah from left to right: Samuel Blair and Connor Mann, MMAE, Jalen Beeman, Elijah Motter, and Connor Herfurth from LCSEE, Garrett Schuehler, MMAE, William Streck, LCSEE, Daniel McDonald, MMAE, and Samuel Moody, Izaak Whetsell, Mathew Knospe from LSCEE. [Large photo] Students move the robot to the judge's station.
A Chemical Connection
When Samuel Zaloudek first arrived on campus as a sophomore transfer student, he was determined to form connections — and what better way than to join a competition team? Now a junior, Zaloudek has made plenty of connections since joining the ChemE Cube Competition team.
“First, I got to meet a bunch of the seniors and juniors, which was pretty cool because I was new to campus and didn’t really know anybody. So it helped me make friends. And second, it was just a great opportunity to get some applied credit hours,” Zaloudek said. “You get credit for it, right? So that’s kind of my two incentives behind it — getting credit hours and also meeting people.”
Beyond the classroom, the competition introduced him to students, professors, and professionals from across the country. “From a social perspective, I get to meet a lot of people from different colleges and kind of see how they do it too,” he said. “I met a lot of graduate students and professors from other universities last year, which was really cool — kind of building my network of people.”
Zaloudek’s experience on the ChemE Cube Competition team didn’t just expand his professional network — it added to his professional repertoire. During his interview with AVN Corp, a leading chemical and advanced systems technology company, Zaloudek discussed his experience with pilot-scale conceptual manufacturing thanks to his time on the team. It aligned perfectly with the company’s objectives, and Zaloudek got the internship. It comes down to a multidisciplinary skillset and gaining knowledge beyond his degree program.
“We’re chemical engineers, so in the classroom, we don’t really talk about electronics or space management, or actually build things — we just talk about chemicals,” said Zaloudek. “Being able to organize, build mini plants, and figure out how to control those different things, not just design them, is pretty cool.”
The ChemE Cube team members left to right, chemical engineering students Samuel Zaloudek, Caden Cargile, and Andrew Gill with the team members on the right adjusting the Cube.
The World is Your Workshop...
For the students leading these teams, the true reward isn’t a trophy — it’s the lessons learned, connections formed, and memories made.
Alongside the WVU Mine Rescue Team, Mountaineers@Work, University Rover Challenge, and ChemE Cube, other global competitors within the Statler College — including teams from Baja SAE, ChemE Car, ChemE CubeSat, EcoCAR, PetroBowl, the Experimental Rocketry Club, F1Tenth, Formula SAE, the Material Advantage and Materials Research Society, the VEX Robotics Team, and Design, Build, Fly — continue to push boundaries. Whether they’re building a rover that can withstand Martian terrain or perfecting the chemistry behind a competition-ready fuel cell, Statler students are stepping into their roles as the new generation of engineers: creative problem-solvers with global perspectives.
Get Involved
More competition teams are being developed college-wide. To learn more about the Statler College competition teams and how to get involved — whether you are searching for a team that best suits your interests or ways to collaborate, contact Statler-Info@mail.wvu.edu.
For more information on how to support or sponsor Statler College competition teams, please contact Statler-DevOffice@mail.wvu.edu.