DECEMBER 2025

While most people struggled with the tedium of dial-up online connections in the 1980s, an electrical engineering alumnus of West Virginia University envisioned a radically different future.

Few capstone projects spark the creation of an entirely new lab space. But that’s what happened when computer and electrical engineering alum Michael Barchett turned his final capstone project into something much bigger at the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at WVU.

Three teaching faculty were honored during the Excellence in Education: Teaching Faculty Symposium. 

Mohamed Hefeida, a native of Alexandria, Egypt, serves as a teaching associate professor and program director for computer engineering undergraduate and graduate studies in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. His goal is to equip students with skills to address challenges and create sustainable solutions that will serve both current and future generations.

Meet Isabella Hart, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Hurricane, West Virginia, who is making her mark in the community, the Statler College and across WVU.

Meet Joe Thompson, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Morgantown, West Virginia. Gold and blue has run through his veins since childhood, and during his time at the Statler College, he truly embraced the values of a Mountaineer.

When Emily Certain left Long Island for college, she planned to design theater sets — not spacecraft. A single rocket launch changed everything. And, then, after submitting 1,000 internship applications, NASA IV&V at West Virginia University gave her a chance.

Dear friends and colleagues,  

In this issue of our magazine, we highlight our community's drive and ingenuity in developing tools that impact education at WVU, along with alumni inventions that are changing the world.

We are thrilled and proud to feature distinguished electrical engineering alumnus and "Father of the Cable Modem," Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, whose vision and execution of broadband have fundamentally transformed global connectivity. Another remarkable alumnus making a difference in education is Michael Barchett. Developing his senior capstone project into a scaled model of the PRT and Evansdale campus infrastructure continues to provide students with opportunities to apply cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, computer engineering, and electrical engineering concepts in a practical setting.

As we approach December commencement, we are excited to welcome a new cohort of engineering and computer science graduates into the distinguished community of college alumni. In this issue, we are featuring two exceptional students, Isabella Hart and Joe Thompson, from the Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering Department. Learn more about how they chose Statler as their home, the experiences that shaped them as individuals and what their future holds.

We extend our congratulations to every graduate of our college on December 20 and encourage you to visit our social media channels for highlights of this significant milestone.

On behalf of everyone at the Statler College, we wish you all the best in this holiday season and a very prosperous new year!

Let's Go!

MAILING ADDRESS:
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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