"In this Spring issue of Engineering WV Magazine, we are highlighting our outstanding students and the experiences that shape them as individuals and influence their future careers. Inside, you’ll learn about students utilizing our cybersecurity labs to protect and secure the digital frontier, students who have been coding since fourth grade, those who have developed grid-sustaining technologies, and students who are making history in their own right. I encourage you to explore our Statler College community—its successes, passions, and commitment to serving others, our state, and the world! Let’s go!"
How Statler senior Ama Agyare-Addo is powering the future of sustainable energy
When Ama Frimpomaa Agyare-Addo arrived in Morgantown from Accra, Ghana, she had never toured campus, met her classmates or experienced life in the United States. What she did have was a clear goal: to pursue an engineering education that would prepare her to solve real-world energy challenges.
Read More : From Ghana to grid innovationThe world often celebrates engineering breakthroughs — the towering bridges, life-saving technologies and infrastructure that transform communities. Behind many of these achievements are women whose innovation, resilience and leadership have shaped the field and paved the way for future generations.
Read More : Women in engineering writing their own historyHow Jacob Thrasher's interest in engineering evolved to real-world impact
What begins as curiosity can evolve into meaningful impact. For Jacob Thrasher, a third-year Ph.D. student in computer science, an initial interest in robotics competitions ultimately led to research focused on improving how Alzheimer’s disease is understood and an opportunity to present at The MICCAI Society Conference in Morocco.
Read More : Mars rovers, medical AI and MICCAI Society, oh my!Computer engineering student turns her passion for coding into something she can pass on to others.
Read More : Building confidence through codeFor Reilly Rollman, a senior civil engineering major with a minor in applied mathematics at West Virginia University, an early exposure to construction helped shape a long-term academic and professional path in engineering. Rollman had the opportunity to apply her academic skills and personal interests through a spring break trip to Belize with Engineers Without Borders.
Read More : Inspired by family roots, Statler senior Reilly Rollman applies engineering skills to community project in BelizeResearch finds its place in the real world via the WVU Office of Innovation and Commercialization For researchers at West Virginia University, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization is where dreams come true. John Hu can attest to that.
Read More : VOYAGE OF DISCOVERYWVU roboticist Yu Gu lets his curiosity lead him — all the way to outer space. Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, Gu calls himself a “life tourist,” and curiosity is his way of looking at robots and the world. “Robotics is such a new field. It’s wide open,” he said.
Read More : THE EXPERIMENTAL TOURISTThe WVU RoboRacer team builds race cars that have minds of their own In 2026, the RoboRacer competition happens at the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference on Robotics and Automation, in Vienna, Austria, and the team from the WVU is ready.
Read More : PEDAL TO THE MEDALThe Statler College continues to demonstrate its longstanding commitment to research, reporting $54.5 million in total research expenditures for the 2024 fiscal year. As a result, engineering programs remained ranked among the top 100 nationwide in the latest National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey.
West Virginia University research is shining a light on the mysterious world of dark energy.
WVU is recruiting undergraduate students from across the United States to join a summer research immersion experience that explores topics of road infrastructure through the use of “digital twin” technologies. The students will learn to use virtual models to mirror real-world streets and highways in their future careers as the civil engineers building America’s roads.
Starting this summer, undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the U.S. will converge on WVU for the chance to contribute directly to developing new “biosensing” technologies, which gather data from the body and use that information to improve wellness or detect and treat disease.
The CBS show, “The Visioneers with Zay Harding,” visited the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources to learn about the StickBug robot pollinator from Yu Gu, Madhav Rijal and Trevor Smith.
Mishra credits an opportunity to build his first competition robot as a freshman mechanical engineering major at Uttar Pradesh Technical University in India with turning that lifelong curiosity into a passion for robotics.
Robotics engineering is capturing the imagination of middle and high school students across the state, turning classrooms into innovation hubs and sparking a new wave of competition.
Balls and Lego bricks may be toys, but for Annie Harmon, program assistant for the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering at the West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, they are a way to introduce kids to a new world: robotics engineering.
In a collaborative effort, West Virginia University colleges, departments and units are coming together to form WVU Cyber — a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary initiative that unites different types of cyber-related research and study across the WVU System to tackle security, economic and workforce challenges.
Addressing the growing demand for cybersecurity experts to protect our industries, government and research sectors, the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University has created a solution — the new cybersecurity online graduate program.
The WVU mining engineering program continues to strengthen its long-standing connection with the mining industry through its Fall Info Sessions, giving students direct access to employers and career opportunities that lead to strong job placement.
Read More : WVU mining engineering strategy ensures nearly 100% job placement for graduates
Online engineering and information technology graduate programs at West Virginia University have been recognized in the U.S. News & World Report Best Online Program rankings on Jan. 27.
Read More : WVU info tech online graduate programs land in U.S. News top 30; engineering programs in top 60
Pumpkins were in peril on Halloween at WVU during the 36th annual Statler College Pumpkin Drop.
Read More : Gourd times roll at 36th annual WVU Pumpkin Drop
The WVU Mine Rescue Team secured second place overall at this year’s international competition while earning a first-place finish in the Confined Space Challenge.
Read More : WVU mine rescue team earns second place at international competition, first in Confined Space Challenge
The chapter of the Material Advantage and Materials Research Society took home their first win in the 2025 iteration of the Materials Science and Technology Conference’s University Ceramic Mug Contest in Columbus, Ohio.
Read More : Statler College team “fired up” with first victory in annual University Ceramic Mug Contest
WVU has earned international recognition through the work of graduate student Noah C. Parsons, whose advanced aerospace engineering research has garnered international attention.
Read More : Aerospace engineering graduate student earns national recognition from Aviation Week
WVU has named Matthew Bolling, Brogan Dozier, Isabella Hart, Abby Ruth and Erin Skaff the 2025 Mountaineers of Distinction, a Mountaineer Week tradition that recognizes exemplary academic achievement and extracurricular involvement.
Read More : 5 WVU students named Mountaineers of Distinction
Driven by a love for his home state and gratitude for the opportunities WVU has provided him, Reese Allen will don the buckskins and coonskin cap as the next Mountaineer Mascot.
Read More : Harrison County native named 72nd WVU Mountaineer mascot
The WVU Army ROTC Mountaineer Battalion commissioned eight cadets as second lieutenants during the annual Fall Commissioning Ceremony in December 2025.
Read More : WVU Army ROTC to commission 8 second lieutenants
For the Fall 2026 semester, 14 exemplary students will represent the University as part of the Presidential Student Ambassadors Cohort 16.
Read More : Latest cohort of Presidential Student Ambassadors announcedHighlighting the importance of exemplary academics and dedicated service, West Virginia University President Michael T. Benson has chosen Syd Peng to be the recipient of the first Presidential Honorary Degree he will bestow.
A distinguished cohort of four West Virginia University graduates will be inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in recognition of their groundbreaking achievements in business, communications and education.
As Mountaineers return for West Virginia University Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 24-25, the WVU Alumni Association will honor recipients of the 2025 Homecoming and Alumni Service Awards.
A new era began inside the Hope Coliseum Saturday (Dec. 20) as West Virginia University President Michael T. Benson spoke from the gold and blue Commencement stage for the first time, and hundreds of August and December graduates took their first steps as Mountaineer alumni.
A testament of institutional values, ingenuity, integrity and pride, the newest graduates are shaped by dreams, determination and transformative educational opportunities, they leave equipped with the knowledge and skills to make an impact on the world.
The latest graduates are passionate, innovative, and ambitious — the college’s living legacy. Shaped by childhood dreams, a drive to innovate, and memorable educational experiences, they leave equipped with the knowledge and skills to make their mark on the world.
Two talented and accomplished undergraduate students and one recent graduate have been endorsed by the University for nationally competitive scholarships.
Read More : WVU endorses 3 for nationally competitive scholarships
Alumni from across the country came together with faculty, staff and students for the annual All Voices as One! student-led conference, hosted by the Statler College.
Read More : Alumni and students unite at 4th annual All Voices as One conference
After 42 years as a shipbuilding engineer, WVU Statler College graduate Michael Reilley recognizes one thing above all else: Mentorship matters.
Read More : $50K gift from shipbuilding engineer supports WVU Statler College mentorships and student successDesigning Formula One-style autonomous race cars from the ground up? That’s what our students are capable of! 🏎️
Our RoboRacer team builds and races autonomous smaller scale F1 cars, designed entirely by students, right in our the Statler College.
No driver. Just code.
The best part? You don’t have to be a robotics or AI expert to start - just have curiosity and the determination to keep learning.
Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer! 💙💛
It was an honor to welcome back Emily Calandrelli who returned to West Virginia University seeing firsthand the innovation and creativity of today’s students — building on the very path she helped forge at WVU.
Congratulations to Emily on her induction into the WVU Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni. Your impact continues to inspire the next generation of Mountaineers!
It was an honor to connect Emily with Michael T. Benson, underscoring how WVU alumni continue to grow from student innovators to industry leaders.
The 2026 WVU Day of Giving was a testament to the strength, generosity and spirit of our Statler College community. Together, through 175 gifts, we topped the Amount Raised Leaderboard with $3,695,050 to shape the future of our engineers and computer scientists.
To our alumni, students, faculty and friends of Statler—thank you! Your unwavering generosity ensures that our engineers and computer scientists will have more opportunities and resources to go above and beyond. Because of you, they will dream bigger, reach higher and continue to push the boundaries of innovation.
This is what it means to be a Mountaineer. From all of us at the Statler College—thank you for being part of something bigger. Let’s go! 💛💙
Over the past two days, the Appalachian Carbon Forum brought together researchers, industry leaders, national laboratories and government partners in Morgantown to explore responsible and resilient energy solutions for the Appalachian region. Facilitated by West Virginia University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the forum continues a multi-year effort to strengthen collaboration, advance research and support workforce development across Appalachia—connecting for the future of our state and beyond.