The new chair of West Virginia Universitys Department of Mining Engineering, Christopher J. Bise, will spend part of his first full workdayFriday, Sept. 1at the West Virginia Coal Association meeting and dinner at the Waterfront Hotel in Morgantown.
On Saturday, along with many West Virginians, he will attend the Friends of Coal Bowl between WVU and Marshall University at Mountaineer Field.
Im excited about meeting the many coal industry officials who will be in town this weekend,said Bise.Its a great way to kick off my new job.
Bise comes to WVU from Penn State, where he served on the faculty for 30 years, most recently as chair of the mining engineering and industrial health and safety programs.
Needless to say, in spite of his long association with the Pennsylvania institution to the north, Bise will be wearing blue and gold on Saturday.
Im proud to be a Mountaineer,he said,and not just because of football. WVU provides a high degree of support for mining-engineering education and for the mining industry. There is a strong atmosphere of partnership that works to the benefit of students, of the University, of the industry, and of the state as a whole. Im very much looking forward to getting involved and contributing to that.
Bise said that, initially, his main focus will be on recruiting and retention of mining engineering students.
Coal mining is a highly important industry in West Virginia and throughout the world,he said,and there is a great need for well-trained engineers and managers, especially with the retirement of the baby boomers. Therefore, recruiting and retaining students is my most important and immediate goal.
A Philadelphia native, Bise earned his bachelors degree in mining engineering from Virginia Tech, and his masters and doctoral degrees in the same field at Penn State. In 1998, he added a masters degree in environmental health engineering from Johns Hopkins University to his list of degrees.
Bise is the author of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Explorations (SME) textbook, Mining Engineering Analysis, and edited the SME textbook, Coal Mining Technology: Theory and Practice.
He also is a registered professional engineer, certified mine safety professional and board-certified forensic engineer. He served as chair of Penn States Faculty Senate in 2003-04 and is editor-in-chief for technical papers of SME s Mining Engineering and Transactions of SME . He served as a resident engineer for two Consolidation Coal Company underground coal mines in eastern Ohio.
Bise replaces Syd Peng, who stepped down this summer from the WVU mining chair post after 28 years on the job. Peng will remain an active member of the department faculty, but plans to devote more of his time to research and writing.
Chris Bise has the broad knowledge and experience needed to uphold the high standards, commitment to excellence, and strong relationship with the states coal industry that Syd Peng established for this very important department at West Virginia University,said Gene Cilento, dean of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.We are very excited to have him as a member of our team.
WVU has worked closely with the states coal mining industry for well over a century. The mining engineering program has been in existence since 1868 and continuously accredited since 1936. Many WVU mining engineering graduates are leaders of the coal industry throughout the state, nation and world. The departments alumni are loyal Mountaineers, providing industry-sponsored scholarships, internships and employment opportunities to current students, as well as support for research and outreach. In todays booming coal market, mining engineers are in high demand; most students graduate with multiple job offers and command entry-level salaries of $60,000 or more.