2011 Spring - WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources ...

Message from the DeanDear Friends:“By 2020, West Virginia University will grow in nationalresearch prominence, thereby enhancing educationalattainment, global engagement, diversity, and the vitalityand well-being of the people of West Virginia.”positions will work in partnership with colleagues in othercolleges across the University campus in an effort tofoster creative activity and innovation in several areas,including energy and bioengineering.Spring 2011 ENGINEERINGWV2The mission of the WVU College ofEngineering and Mineral Resourcesis to prepare students to practicetheir profession and to contributeto the well-being of societythrough academic study, research,extension, and service.This vision statement, taken from the 2020 StrategicPlan for the Future as outlined by WVU President JamesP. Clements, Ph.D., in January 2011, sets the stagefor an exciting time in the future of the University andthe College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. Thegoals of the strategic plan, especially as they relate toresearch activities in the STEM disciplines (science,technology, engineering, mathematics), innovation,mentorship, and partnership are hallmarks of the College.In this issue of EngineeringWV, you will see howresearchers in biometrics are working in partnershipwith institutions across the country to help secure ourborders. Innovative modeling techniques developed atWVU using artificial intelligence and data mining arehelping drilling companies optimize production from theMarcellus shale. And the research done as part of theCollege’s partnership with NASA through the Centerfor the Robotic Servicing of Orbital Space Assets willhelp support future Goddard Space Flight-related spaceexploration issues.While we are proud of our achievements, there is stillmuch to be done.As part of the 2020 Strategic Plan, WVU will fund30 new tenure track faculty positions next year instrategically placed research areas. We are awaiting wordon what we hope will be a number of these positionsbeing awarded to the College. Many of our proposedThis influx of new faculty brings vibrancy to the College.Two examples of this vibrancy, Drs. David Klinke andBrian Anderson, assistant professors of chemicalengineering, are featured in this issue. Klinke is therecipient of a CAREER award from the National ScienceFoundation (NSF), which is given to junior facultywho exemplify the role of teacher-scholars. Andersonwas selected to participate in a national symposiumfocused on ways to ensure students learn engineeringfundamentals. WVU received a $3.2 million grant fromthe NSF ADVANCE Program last fall to help increase thenumber of women in the STEM disciplines. CEMR is anactive participant in this initiative.Our number one goal remains unchanged: to engageundergraduate, graduate, and professional students ina challenging educational and research environment.Kerri Phillips, Zack Mayes, Eric Jobe, and Andrew Garrettare but a few examples of the quality of student beingeducated by our faculty. They will soon become CEMRalumni who are among the nation’s leaders in careerreadiness. Someday, we hope they will return to campuslike Bret Marks, William Poundstone, William McCartney,Jon Hammock, Jon McBride, and others to share theirexperiences with our students.Eugene V. Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean and Professor