WVU researchers Guilherme Pereira and Ihsan Berk Tulu were recently awarded nearly $500,000 to develop an aerial robot-enabled inspection and monitoring system for abandoned coal waste storage facilities that will detect and prevent potential failures like leakage of hazardous materials into the environment.

A member of the United States military is separated from their group, leaving them lost in an unsafe battlespace. To stay hidden from enemies, they use a smart handheld device that connects to a team of drones that locates missing personnel without using GPS signals – allowing them to be quickly and safely located. Through a 21-month, $300,000 project with funding from the Small Business Innovation Research of the U.S. Air Force Laboratory and in partnership with Kinnami Software Corporation, Guilherme Pereira is working to change the way search and rescue tasks are executed in hostile territories.

More than 50 years after scientists first coined the term "hydrogen economy," the movement to make hydrogen a predominant global fuel source could be gaining traction, thanks to research led by one WVU engineer, Xingbo Liu. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $2 million to support Liu’s development of high-entropy coatings capable of protecting the blades of gas turbines in power plants from the intense heat and corrosion of hydrogen combustion. Hydrogen combustion produces no greenhouse gases and technology like Liu’s may advance the emergence of a new energy economy in which green hydrogen is a predominant fuel source.

The department of mechanical and aerospace engineering recently launched the MAE Mountaineer Mentors program where outstanding juniors and seniors are chosen to mentor sophomores in introductory mechanics courses.

Among a group of 1,300 participants from 100 college and university teams globally, WVU Experimental Rocketry Club earned multiple awards in the 2022 Spaceport America Cup in June.

Twelve WVU students expanded their educational horizons this summer through study abroad programs provided by the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

Following four years devoted to redesigning the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer into an energy-efficient hybrid vehicle, the WVU EcoCAR team has placed sixth overall in Year Four of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge competition, bringing home $14,500 in awards.

Barrios Technology Vice President of Commercial Spaceflight Kerri Knotts, a 1994 graduate of WVU, spoke at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources 2022 Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony took place on Saturday, May 14, at 4 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum.

A cutting-edge flight simulator donated by a WVU alumnus is enhancing aerospace engineering education and research at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Emily Calandrelli, WVU and mechanical and aerospace engineering alumna, returned to her alma mater for an intimate evening discussion on the roles engineers and computer scientists play in society, as well as on opportunities for students to further their education and prepare for future careers.

Excellence in leadership development is a core value of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at WVU. In order to foster and sustain leadership excellence, the Statler College has announced the selection of three professors to the Dean’s Leadership Fellows Program.

After a two-year hiatus, WVU again welcomed students from across the region to campus for the 33rd annual Pumpkin Drop, a popular event from the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources putting pumpkins in peril.

WVU, and partner institutions, were recently announced as a grant-winning team in the 2021 U.S.-Brazil Innovation Fund Grant Competition, sponsored by the 100,000 Strong in Americas Innovation Fund.

Dear friends and colleagues,

I hope you had a great summer and fall and are looking forward to spending time with loved ones during the holiday season.

I am so honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as the chair of our department. I am very excited about the chance to continue interacting with our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends.

As you will read in this newsletter, we have amazing educational and research programs, and our students and faculty are routinely recognized for their outstanding work on national and international stages.

Please stay connected by following our department’s new LinkedIn.

Best Regards,

MAILING ADDRESS:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | West Virginia University
1306 Evansdale Drive | P.O. Box 6106 | Morgantown, WV 26506-6106
PHONE: 304.293.3111 | EMAIL: Statler-MAE-research@mail.wvu.edu

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