WVU outstanding educators, advisers, staff, and researchers recognized by the Statler College

2025-2026 awardees from left to right: Dimas Abreu Archanjo Dutra, Kevin Orner, Anika Pirkey, Soumya Srivastava, Emily Garner, Kevin Bandura, Fei Dai, Fernando Lima, Yuhe Tian, Norman Mihelic, Megan Rinker, Omar Al-Shebeeb, Oishi Sanyal, Beatriz Dantas and Ahmed Shoyeb Raihan.

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 2025-2026 academic year on April 6, 2026. 

Story by Emily Handrahan, storyteller

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

This year, four recipients were selected for the College's Outstanding Educator award. Chosen for this honor were Dimas Abreu Archanjo Dutra teaching assistant professor of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, Kevin Orner of the Wadsworth Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Anika Pirkey teaching assistant professor of the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Soumya Srivastava associate professor also of the CBE department. 

Soumya Srivastava was awarded Educator of the Year and Emily Garner, associate professor of the Wadsworth Department has been awarded Outstanding Mentor of the Year. 

Kevin Bandura, associate professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, has been named the Outstanding Researcher at the senior level. Also recognized as Outstanding Researchers at the senior level were Fei Dai professor of the Wadsworth Department and Fernando Lima of the CBE Department.

Recognized for Outstanding Researcher at the junior level was Yuhe Tian, assistant professor of the CBE Department and Stuart and Karen Goodman Faculty Fellow, Yuhe Tian was also awarded Researcher of the Year. 

The recipients of the Outstanding Staff Awards were Norman Mihelic recruitment specialist from the Office of Academics and Student Performance and Megan Rinker graphic arts designer for the Office Marketing and Communications in the college.

This year, Statler College named three new Dean’s Fellows Award recipients. Omar Al-Shebeeb, teaching assistant professor of the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering received the Dean’s Fellow for Engagement and Oishi Sanyal, assistant professor of the CBE Department won the Dean's Fellow for Research.

In recognition of excellence in research at the graduate student level, chemical engineering PhD candidate Beatriz Dantas and industrial engineering PhD candidate Ahmed Shoyeb Raihan received the Excellence in Research at PhD level awards.

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