Outstanding educators, advisors, staff, researchers and faculty recognized at WVU’s Statler College

2024-2025 awardees from left to right: Omar Al-Shebeeb, Carter Hulcher, Atheer Almasri, Dale Dzielski, Jignesh Solanki, Hailin Li, Jeremy Dawson, Xueyan Song, Oishi Sanyal, Tom Devine, Kelly Stewart, Genette Chapman, Andrew Rhodes, Loren Rieth, Mohamed Hefeida, Clarus Goldsmith, Mohammed Mustafa Hussain and Md Hadisur Rahman.

Pedro Mago, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University, announced the winners of the College’s outstanding teaching, advising, faculty, graduate student researchers and staff awards for the 2024-2025 academic year on April 11, 2025.

Story by Laney Eichelberger, Storyteller
Photos supplied

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

This year, two recipients were selected for the College's Outstanding Educator of the Year award. Chosen for this honor were  Omar Al-Shebeeb, teaching assistant professor in  Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, and  Carter Hulcher, teaching assistant professor in the  Fundamentals of Engineering Program.

Also recognized as Outstanding Educators were  Atheer Almasri, teaching assistant professor from the Fundamentals of Engineering Program, and research associate  Dale Dzielski and teaching associate professor  Jignesh Solanki, both from the  Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Hailin Li, professor in the  Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, has been named the College’s Researcher of the Year and Outstanding Researcher at the senior level. Also recognized as Outstanding Researchers at the senior level were associate professor  Jeremy Dawson of the computer science and electrical engineering department and  Xueyan Song, George B. Berry Chair of Engineering and professor in the mechanical, materials and aerospace engineering department.

Recognized for research at the junior level was  Oishi Sanyal, assistant professor in the  Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Wayne and Kathy Richards Faculty Fellow.

Tom Devine, teaching assistant professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, was named Outstanding  Mentor of the Year.

The recipients of the Outstanding Staff Awards were  Kelly Stewart, Career Development Specialist in the  Statler College Career and Professional Development Center, and  Genette Chapman, administrative assistant in the  mining engineering department.

This year, the Statler College named three new Dean’s Fellows Award recipients. Teaching assistant professor  Andrew Rhodes and associate professor  Loren Rieth, both of the  mechanical, materials and aerospace engineering department, were named Dean’s Fellow for Academics and Dean’s Fellow for Research, respectively. Rhodes will work alongside  Ron Reaser, teaching instructor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering now in his second year as a Dean’s Fellow for Academics.  Mohamed Hefeida, teaching associate professor in the Lane Department, was named Dean’s Fellow for Engagement and Outreach

In recognition of excellence in research at the graduate student level, mechanical engineering PhD candidate  Clarus Goldsmith and computer science PhD candidate  Mohammed Mustafa Hussain received the Excellence in Research at PhD level awards. Industrial engineering graduate student  Md Hadisur Rahman was awarded the Excellence in Research at MS Level.

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