Skip to main content

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

A graduate wearing a blue graduation gown and cap holds a blue diploma holder while crossing in front of dignataries during Commencement ceremonies.
A student is shown on the right side through a glass window while focused on a black laptop. On the left side of the glass is a graphic with a Flying WV and the words WVU Guarantee.
A scientist wearing a white lab coat points to a white board with a blue triangle and other markings on it while another scientist in a white lab coat watches.

Rewinding the year in research at WVU

West Virginia University continued to demonstrate why it’s the Mountain State’s land-grant, flagship R1 institution over the course of 2024. Here are some of the top research stories from the year.

A graduate wearing a blue cap and gown squeezes their eyes as they hug a faculty member after receiving their diploma packet.
A campus shot at WVU featuring the iron Mountaineer statue in the foreground and red brick buildings in the background. The ground is covered with a light dusting of snow.

Giving back: WVU students volunteer with help from private scholarship support

A West Virginia University 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. Izaak Whetsell, an Elkins native, is among 24 students to benefit from a recent $100,000 gift made by WVU alumnus Andrew S. Good.

WVU students work with virtual reality headsets as they conduct research to improve safety for miners.
Photograph of new graduates arm in arm during Commencement ceremonies at WVU.
The five Mountaineers of Distinction stand with the Mountaineer mascot on Mountaineer Field.

5 students named WVU Mountaineers of Distinction

West Virginia University has named Haley Bockius, Laasya Chennuru, Mary G. Roush, Christopher J. Smith and Dakota Swiger the 2024 Mountaineers of Distinction, a Mountaineer Week tradition that recognizes exemplary academic achievement and extracurricular involvement.

Two males collect the pieces of a pumpkin that broke apart when it hit the ground despite its protective covering at the WVU Pumpkin Drop.

35th annual WVU Pumpkin Drop brings gourds and glory to campus

Over 1,000 K-12 students vied for victory at the 35th annual Pumpkin Drop hosted by the West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. This year’s competition — held Friday (Oct. 25) — included 242 teams from 58 schools across West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

WVU researcher Yuxin Wang works in the lab wearing a white lab coat, safety glasses and blue surgical gloves