January 2026 Statler Circuit: Department Digest and Awards

Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Ava Hill, a sophomore majoring in computer science with an emphasis on cybersecurity, won Best Poster in Engineering and Physical Sciences at WVU's Fall 2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium. 

Matthew C. Valenti, professor of electrical engineering and IEEE Fellow, was recognized with the Harold Sobol Award for Exemplary Service to Meetings and Conferences for his sustained volunteer leadership across IEEE Communications Society conferences. He has contributed significantly to conference policy, technical program quality, and inclusive practices, helping to shape the global impact of IEEE Communications Society’s flagship events. The IEEE Communications Society is one of the largest and most influential technical communities within IEEE, with over 27,000 members worldwide. 

The Harold Sobol Award for Exemplary Service to Meetings and Conferences is a prestigious recognition presented annually by IEEE ComSoc to honor individuals who have demonstrated long-standing, high-impact volunteer leadership in organizing and shaping these major conferences. Recipients are nominated by peers and selected through a rigorous review process by a dedicated awards committee. Valenti’s recognition highlights his sustained technical stewardship, strategic contributions to conference policy, and ability to guide ComSoc’s largest events through both growth and global challenges.

Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering

Team Lunar Appalachians and Team Moontaineers were selected for this year's NASA student design challenge, Micro-g NExT (Microgravity Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams)! The two teams are traveling to Houston, TX, to compete in June.

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