FEBRUARY 2024

A team of West Virginia University engineers has secured $3 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding for research into a new chemical reactor system that uses microwaves to reduce industrial heat and carbon emissions.

Yuhe Tian said she believes innovations to current chemical manufacturing processes, including transitions focused on energy sustainability, can be driven by “quantum AI,” or machine learning on a cutting-edge quantum computer that uses subatomic particles to store information and solve problems. With $240,000 from the National Science Foundation, Tian is launching a two-year project that will harness quantum intelligence to innovate the design of environmentally friendly chemical plants.

The discovery by Nicholas Szczecinski, assistant professor at the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, will help roboticists build working models of animals that precisely reproduce each species’ limb movements. Not only could robots then replace live animals in some experiments, but tiny animals like fleas or enormous ones like elephants could be replicated in robotic form at a more manageable scale for study.

Over 65 teams from around the country gathered this weekend for the second annual WVU Mountaineer VEX Robotics Competition, hosted by the Statler College and the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering at the WVU Rec Center. The competition has grown exponentially since its inception in 2011, with more than 500 teams competing across the state in a variety of robotics disciplines.

Students, faculty and staff of the Statler College will have the chance to race toward victory during this year's Engineers Week derby competitions, sponsored by WVU's Lane Innovation Hub and Scouts BSA.

Four West Virginia natives vying to be the 70th WVU Mountaineer mascot competed in a cheer-off during the men’s basketball game versus the University of Central Florida on Tuesday (Feb. 20) in the WVU Coliseum. The selection committee will announce the winner during the WVU men’s basketball game versus Texas Tech on March 2. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Coliseum.

In honor of Black History Month, the Statler College hosted its annual lecture series. Statler College alumna Azaleah Davis delivered this year’s lecture, “Inspiring Generations to Come.”

Dear friends and colleagues,

We’ve got much to look forward to as our spring semester gets into full swing! Last weekend, we were thrilled to host the VEX Robotics competition, which saw excellent participation from over 65 teams from the state of West Virginia and beyond all the way to Canada. This week, we celebrated Engineers Week through a series of events to honor and celebrate the contributions of WVU engineers. This annual event was an excellent opportunity to recognize the impact of our engineers and the important role they play in shaping our world.

In this issue of EngineeringWV Wired, we showcase some of the exceptional interdisciplinary research that is taking place at our college. I invite you to explore the work of John Hu, Statler Chair in Engineering for Natural Gas Utilization and a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. He and his team developed a new chemical reactor system that uses microwaves to reduce industrial heat and carbon emissions. You can also learn about Nicholas Szczecinski, assistant professor of mechanical, materials, and aerospace engineering, and his predictive models for animal movement. Additionally, we are proud to feature Yuhe Tian, assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, whose National Science Foundation funded research applies quantitative AI to solving pressing issues of environmentally sustainable energy production.

The college has experienced a significant increase in external research funding. This is a result of the passion, dedication, and commitment of our students, faculty, and staff. Their outstanding work is inspiring, and the college continues to move forward because of their efforts.

Lastly, WVU will host its seventh annual Day of Giving on March 20. I encourage each of you to get involved so that together we can create opportunities for our students and faculty.

Let’s go!

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Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources | West Virginia University
1374 Evansdale Drive | P.O. Box 6070 | Morgantown, WV 26506-6070
PHONE: 304.293.4821 | EMAIL: engineeringwv@mail.wvu.edu

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