Sosa selected for prestigious international exchange program

Eduardo Sosa and WVU students visit to YPF/Chevron Loma Campana production site. (WVU supplied photo)

When academic institutions across the globe work together, not only do a wide range of diverse projects take shape, but long-lasting relationships are forged and valuable experiences take place.

Story by Olivia Howard, GA Multimedia Specialist

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Eduardo M. Sosa, a research associate professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department at West Virginia University, has formally been accepted as part of the prestigious Fulbright Specialist international exchange program.

National University of Comahue in Neuquén, Argentinian Patagonia has selected him to serve as the Fulbright specialist on the engineering of advanced numerical simulations project that will begin in 2024.

The project aims to expand the theoretical and practical knowledge of faculty, graduate students and engineering professionals in developing and implementing advanced finite element simulations relevant to the design and maintenance of infrastructure for the shale oil and gas industries currently operating in the Neuquén Basin. 

"Benefits of the project will be seen both globally and close to home. As both areas sit in large shale oil and gas reservoirs, the Appalachian region and the Neuquen Basin share similarities in economic development,” said Sosa. “To minimize environmental impacts of accidents and failures, storage and transportation infrastructure needs to be designed, analyzed, constructed and operated, reliably and safely.”

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Specialist program offers a unique opportunity that allows academics and established professionals from the United States to engage in consultancies at host institutions and interact with colleagues and students from around the world.

“These interactions will allow me to share experiences accumulated over two decades of working on different engineering research projects and in the education of engineering students at different levels,” explained Sosa.

Candidates chosen to serve as Fulbright specialists must be highly experienced in their field. This diverse group, representing a wide variety of academic disciplines and professions, is dedicated to facilitating collaborative projects that foster a mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.

“I am honored to be selected to be part of this prestigious program and looking forward to collaborating with colleagues and researchers at the National University of Comahue in Neuquén, Argentina,” said Sosa.

Sosa will be working in close collaboration with faculty and researchers at the UNCo School of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department. This is not Sosa’s first collaboration with UNCo. He previously led the implementation of an international mobility program for undergraduate engineering students between WVU and UNCo. The program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Partners of the Americas, was successfully completed in 2019.

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