WVU researchers named Disruptors of the Year by Roadshow by CNET

Roadshow by CNET Shift Awards — WVU Photo by M.G. Ellis -- The WVU team that conducted real-word diesel emissions testing, Arvind Thiruvengadam, March Besch, Daniel Carder, Hemanth Kappanna and Gregory Thompson, hold their Shift Award with Tim Stevens, editor-in-chief of Roadshow by CNET (center)

Among the chrome and lights of one of the largest auto shows in the world, West Virginia University researchers picked up their own metal.

This week, a team from WVU's Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions was named the 2016 Roadshow by CNET Disruptors of the Year for their research on diesel emissions.

The first to test diesel emissions from vehicles while on the road, WVU's researchers' found elevated levels of oxides of nitrogen, or NOx, emissions from Volkswagen diesel vehicles . The discovery has led to sweeping changes in the way regulators test emissions from diesel vehicles.

"We are very proud to have our team be one of the inaugural CNETRoadshow Shift Award winners and be honored on the biggest stage in the automotive world," said Dan Carder, interim director of CAFEE.

"WVU has been the leader in emissions research for 25 years, and we look forward to continuing work that has an impact on automotive technologies of the future, the companies that develop them and the consumers that buy them."

CNET's Roadshow Shift Awards celebrate innovators who are disrupting the automotive world and blazing a trail for the future of the industry. This year's winners include Volvo, BMW, Ford and Audi.

CNET, one of the leading sources on consumer technology, sees tens of millions of visitors to its website each month. The media company launched Roadshow by CNET to be the destination for news and information about the future of the transportation industry, and is the official digital news and video partner for the auto show this year.

The awards were presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which saw more than 800,000 people in attendance last year. Every major automotive manufacturer from around the globe has a presence at the show.

The Roadshow by CNET award comes on the heels of another recognition from the automotive world. Automotive News, the industry's leading news source, recently named WVU an Automotive News All Star in its annual year-end list of people who have led the industry.

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