Statler College drives WVU’s NSF research expenditure growth and maintains top 100 engineering rankings

Students in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering conducting research on the smart grid. (WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)

The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University 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.

Story by Erik Rudolph, Marketing Strategist 
Photos by Brian Persinger

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

In the 2024 fiscal year, WVU secured $259.1 million in research expenditures, funds used to support the University’s broad range of research efforts.

The HERD Survey, a data report by the National Science Foundation on research and development expenditures across higher education institutions nationwide, outlines federal, state and local support for research activities. The Statler College is one of the largest contributors to WVU research, accounting for 21 percent of the University’s total research funds.

Funds distributed across the Statler College support faculty and students in addressing global challenges in areas such as infrastructure, energy, health, robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space exploration. While these research efforts support innovation in West Virginia and beyond, they also provide meaningful opportunities for faculty and students to engage in applied, high-impact research. These efforts continue to pay off, as Statler College engineering programs maintain top 100 national rankings.

Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and chemical engineering led the College’s 2024 HERD results with $10.3 million, $9.2 million and $8.9 million in research expenditures, ranking 64th, 89th and 52nd nationally.

"These results reflect our strategic focus on expanding research capacity and investing in areas critical to West Virginia and the nation," said Xingbo Liu, associate dean for research at the Statler College. "Our faculty and students are tackling pressing challenges — from energy security to resilient infrastructure — and these expenditures are a testament to their innovative work and the growing recognition of WVU’s engineering excellence."

As WVU continues to expand its research enterprise, so too does the Statler College. In the fiscal year 2024, the College reported $54.5 million in total research expenditures, reflecting a 4.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. This amount contributes to over 21 percent of WVU's overall research funding. This upward trend continues to reinforce Statler College’s role in maintaining WVU’s status as the state's flagship, land-grant R1 institution.

“The NSF ranking on research expenditures is one way to measure the impact and momentum of the outstanding research at the Statler College,” said Glen H. Hiner Dean Pedro Mago. “I am pleased with the impressive growth of research in our college and proud of the hard work and innovation of our faculty, staff and students. I am confident that both the breadth and quality of our research will continue to grow in the coming years.”

Statler College research expenditures of the 2024 fiscal year include:

Statler College total: $54.5 million

Electrical Engineering: $9.2 million, ranked 89 in the nation

Chemical Engineering: $8.9 million, ranked 52 in the nation

Materials Engineering: $2.3 million, ranked 74 in the nation

Mechanical Engineering: $10.3 million, ranked 64 in the nation

Civil Engineering: $5.9 million, ranked 92 in the nation

Other Engineering: $5.4 million, ranked 99 in the nation

Industrial Engineering: $3.9 million, ranked 36 in the nation

Aerospace Engineering: $7.3 million, ranked 39 in the nation

Computer Science program: $1.4 million, ranked 215 in the nation

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