JANUARY 2025

The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to innovation, achieving a record high of $52.2 million in total research expenditures for the 2023 fiscal year. As a result, all engineering programs reached the top 100 rankings in the latest National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey. 

To keep miners safe, a WVU researcher is creating a training program that uses augmented reality headsets to prepare workers to operate around high-risk vehicles.

The Statler College announced the appointment of Crystal Cook to director of development effective January 7, 2025. 

A WVU student is continuing on the path of service he started while in high school — as a volunteer for community canned food drives, trail maintenance and garbage cleanup projects — thanks to private scholarship support.

This month's alumni spotlight features the journey of Mike Snodgrass, a WVU Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering alumnus. From his work with the United Nations and Microsoft to his current role as lead AI engineer at Google, Snodgrass credits his education and connections at WVU for having a profound impact on both his life and career.

Dear friends and colleagues,  

We are thrilled to welcome our students back on campus and begin a new semester. I'm glad to share the latest updates and accomplishments in the College this month.

In this issue of EngineeringWV Wired, we celebrate the Statler College's recognition among the top 100 in the NSF research expenditures ranking, achieving a record high of $52.2 million in total research expenditures for the 2023 fiscal year. Our faculty, staff, and students truly live up to the R1 classification, consistently breaking boundaries and exceeding expectations. A prime example is mining engineer Deniz Tuncay, who has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to incorporate virtual reality training technology to protect mining operators from fatal accidents. I am incredibly proud of each member of our research community and excited to see the positive growth and expansion of our research areas.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank our loyal alumni and friends. Their generous contributions create significant opportunities via scholarships, allowing our students to benefit from what the university offers. Each month, our alumni share their stories in the Alumni Who Inspire program. Their journeys from the classroom to careers — like alumnus Mike Snodgrass who worked for the United Nations and now is leading artificial intelligence engineers at Google — are inspiring examples that encourage our students to be ambitious and dream big.

We are off to a great start in 2025, and I look forward to celebrating more accomplishments from our students, faculty, and staff with all of you next month! I wish you a year filled with achievements, joy, and fulfillment. I am confident that we are poised for a great spring semester and a bright 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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