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College News
WVU NAMED TO
Tier 1 by Milliken and Co.
COMPANY A MAJOR EMPLOYER OF ENGINEERING GRADS
West Virginia University has been named a “Tier 1” school
by Milliken & Company, a leading textile and chemical
manufacturer, as part of its Engineering Excellence program.
The designation is primarily the result of a relationship that has
been developing over the past several years between Milliken and the
College.
Based in South Carolina, Milliken manufactures more than 38,000
textile and chemical products, including high-performance fabrics
used in aerospace, automotive, residential, commercial, and
industrial applications. Earlier this year, FORTUNE named it one of
the top 100 companies to work for in the United States.
“WVU students and graduates have excelled in the Milliken
environment,” said Stephen Alford, a 1987 WVU chemical
engineering graduate and director of quality for Milliken’s Global
Airbag Division. “Our other Tier One schools are closer to our own
region, but we seek out WVU students and graduates based on the
quality of those who have come to work here over the years.”
Milliken will send a team to Morgantown several times each year to
recruit students for internships, cooperative education positions, and
permanent employment opportunities with the company.
“Milliken has become an excellent source of internships and
permanent employment for our students and graduates,” said Dean
Gene Cilento. “We hope that this partnership may lead to future
opportunities for research collaboration and other initiatives in our
common interest.”
Mining Simulator
Two new state-of-the-art mine training simulators obtained by the Department
of Mining Extension are enabling apprentice miners to gain hands-on
experience in operating mining equipment in ongoing training classes at the
department’s Dolls Run facility. The simulators were purchased with
Department of Labor funds in collaboration with the Academy for Mine Training
and Energy Technologies, a partnership between WVU, Southern West Virginia
Community and Technical College, and the West Virginia Coal Association.
Van Scoy
NAMED CEVET DIRECTOR
Frances Van Scoy, an associate
professor of computer science and
electrical engineering, has been
appointed the director of the WVU Center
for Vision Enhancement Technology
(CeVET), a multidisciplinary research
center focused on developing technological
solutions to a wide range of vision-related
problems.
Frances Van Scoy
“Everyone encounters vision challenges at times,” said Van Scoy,
“whether they are an older driver having difficulty with
nighttime driving, a coal miner trying to find his way out of the
mine after a fire or explosion, or a soldier attempting to
visualize his target in the dark. Our mission is to gather the
research expertise needed to develop innovative technologies to
address these challenges. This area of research is diverse and
growing, with a wide range of civilian, military, and medical
applications.”
Founded in 2003, CeVET is a project of WVU and the Georgia
Institute of Technology.
In addition to Van Scoy, WVU faculty leaders include J. Vernon
Odom, WVU professor of ophthalmology, and James E. Smith,
WVU professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Other WVU researchers in computer science, electrical
engineering, mathematics, landscape architecture, mechanical
engineering, molecular pharmacology, and ophthalmology are
active in the center’s interdisciplinary applied research efforts.
Research areas include “ubiquitous computing” – such as
wearable computers, wireless information systems, hands-free
systems for information access; image acquisition and
processing – such as head-mounted displays, cameras and
optical systems; and testing and evaluation of technologies and
devices.
CeVET received a prestigious planning grant from the National
Science Foundation and is working toward recognition as an
NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center.
16
Spring 2007