Dear friends and colleagues,

From space exploration to smart cars, and from biometric authentication and healthcare applications to infrastructure and energy solutions, engineers have shaped the way our world works. Engineers tackle some of the world’s biggest problems: improving quality of life, saving lives and using creativity and innovation to create technological advancements to provide solutions to our current and future problems.

Without extraordinary engineers, the world would not look like it does today. At the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, we have some of the brightest and most talented engineers within our halls. Our researchers are creating solutions from renewable energy to robotic bee pollinators, creating safer bridges and roads, solving limitations of space exploration, creating innovative applications at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare and putting safety and ethics at the forefront of new technology development.

Today, almost every aspect of our lives involves some sort of technology and internet usage. The shift to a digital world happened fast, with engineers paving the way. It is imperative that we remember that moral responsibility is one of the core concepts of engineering. With new technologies hitting the market at a rapid pace, unintended consequences are bound to occur.

In this issue of Engineering WV Magazine, we’ve highlighted several of our engineers who are pioneering the areas of cybersecurity and biometrics. Not only are they carrying out novel research projects with government and industry partners, but they are also working to create a safer and more secure online environment by educating the public on personal data security, uses of biometric data and how to navigate your digital life.

I invite you to further dive into the breadth of research, outreach, education and innovation occurring within the College throughout the pages of this magazine. We welcome you to be a part of the excitement, growth and evolution of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Pedro J. Mago, Glen H. Hiner Dean