Investing in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

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1 Investing in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

2 WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY On January 12, 2012, West Virginia University s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources received an unprecedented gift of $34 million from mining engineering alumnus Ben Statler and his wife, Jo. This gift was matched with $11 million dollars from the state of West Virginia s Research Trust Fund, bringing its total value to $45 million. In honor of this gift, the WVU Board of Governors voted to rename the College the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. This transformational gift from the Statlers helped catapult the College into the forefront of America s engineering and energy-research institutions. But there is still work to be done. The people and industries of the state expect much from us: knowledge, research, boldness, bright ideas, and bright graduates. With your generosity and commitment, we can meet and exceed these expectations.

3 The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources: A State of Minds Nearly 125 years have passed since engineering was added to the curriculum at WVU, and there is little that an engineer of 1887 would recognize in our technology-driven, high-velocity, global environment. The basics still apply, of course: forces, physics, and energy. And engineers are a forward-looking bunch show them something that works better than what they know, and even if they were hard-pressed to imagine it, they will still adopt it, adapt it, understand it, and make it work even better than better. The students, faculty, and staff in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources have a similar mindset. As the world has changed (and, of course, engineering is very often how the world is changed), we have changed ahead of it. Changed the ways in which we educate our students, changed the technologies and approaches we use to continue to reflect what practitioners will find in a challenge-filled and opportunity-rich future, and changed the way we marshal our research and intellectual capital our State of Minds to serve the people and industries of West Virginia. We have added a wealth of new multidisciplinary programs, added additional talented faculty as teachers and researchers, and added new students now more than 3,000 are learning here to become the leaders of tomorrow in engineering and mineral resources. All of this progress has brought us growing national recognition overall as well as national prominence in areas ranging from biometric engineering to advanced materials; from coal, gas, and oil to alternative fuels; and from cyber security to nanotechnology. Each of these things will be very important for the citizens and businesses of West Virginia as we bring our State of Minds to bear on the goals of growing and diversifying our economy. This College is all about opportunity, about giving bright kids the chance to become an engineer and to help build the future no matter where they begin. 1

4 The Trajectory of Success We have a healthy respect for our core values and traditions at the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. for the 21st century. And we are completely focused on outcomes, on opportunities, and on collaboration with other areas of this great education to meet that competition. Our students must learn more, learn sooner, and learn faster. Undergraduate programs must become more Two that stand out: an absolute commitment university and other leading-edge thinkers in this sophisticated, interdisciplinary, and problem- 2 to the quality of our programs nothing is ever great state and beyond. The Statler College has based. Graduate programs must become more added until we are confident that we can do it as an exceptional group of alumni who are leaders cutting-edge, more informed by research. well or better than our peer institutions and a around the country and around the world, and For any of that to happen, the Statler value-added approach for our students and their we greatly value our connections to that well of College partnered with you must continue careers. We have a greater-than-average number wisdom and experience. to invest in new facilities, new programs, and of first-generation university students in West The past decade has seen tremendous success new collaborations. Our resources must match Virginia, and we have always been dedicated and growth at the Statler College, and this is the talents and aspirations of our students and to providing exceptional opportunities to every our moment to leverage that strength with the faculty. And our outcomes must directly benefit student, helping them go farther and achieve combined power of the Statlers vision for creating the economic health of West Virginia. Only more than even they imagined. the nation s premier school in engineering and then and only with you will our State of That being said, everything else is on the energy research and your vital generosity to create Minds be complete. The Statlers gift has put table. Everything that is better, smarter, more a burgeoning engine of change and innovation. the College in a powerful position to achieve experiential, more connected to the community, In all the disciplines of engineering and energy ever more for our students, our state, and and more likely to lead to innovation is in the research, we face strong and accelerating our world. Together, we will build upon our mix. We have no interest in the accepted wisdom international competition. We must do more at tradition, our potential, and the demonstrated unless it can be proven to be the best course both the undergraduate and graduate levels of commitment of our alumni.

5 The people and industries of West Virginia expect much from us: knowledge, research, boldness, bright ideas, and bright graduates. We can and will exceed those expectations but only with your generosity and commitment.

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7 Priorities for Tomorrow The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources has identified a list of essential funding priorities through A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia s University that, with your vital support, will power our accomplishments in education and research in the coming decades. As does everything at the Statler College, they begin with students and go on to address our many responsibilities to our community. These priorities center around creating future-focused facilities, attracting the best and the brightest (students and faculty), educating students well, preparing students for virtually anything, placing them in careers where they can do well, and also supporting faculty as they discover new ideas and create new possibilities: Student Enrichment During the next decade, the Statler College will grow enrollment to more than 4,000 students without sacrificing student quality or accessibility, while increasing diversity. The Statler College has implemented a successful program to attract National Merit Finalists and other exceptional students through targeted scholarship support. However, the program is limited by the size of our endowment. In keeping with national challenges, we must increase the number of domestic graduate students attending our institution. Graduate students perform the work that drives our research agenda. Furthermore, doctoral-granting institutions like WVU are judged most often by the number and quality of their Ph.D. graduates. Therefore, the Statler College will strive to double the number of doctoral students over the next decade. To continue our momentum in student recruitment, we will seek an endowment of $15 million in scholarship and fellowship support. Faculty Support To maintain an acceptable student-to-faculty ratio, we will increase our tenure-track faculty members 5

8 6 The new Advanced Engineering Research Building. to 150 in the next decade. New and replacement hires will be made on a strategic basis to promote interdisciplinary approaches toward research and teaching with an emphasis on areas consistent with the engineering challenges identified for West Virginia s future. The Statler College must also be a national leader in faculty research that supports the efficient and full use of the energy resources available in this state to keep America strong. To attract talented young faculty, the Statler College must increase its number of teaching fellowships and the start-up packages needed to launch their research programs. During the capital campaign, we will seek to raise $15 million in private support for facultybased endowments. Campus Development With past and future expansion in academic programs, research, and the number of students studying engineering at WVU, the Statler College is limited in space. A new research building is planned that will support laboratory work, classrooms, faculty space, and space for student projects. With projected costs of at least $41 million for a new building, the College will seek to raise $15 million in private support, to be matched by public funds, loans, and grants. An additional $5 million will be raised to upgrade existing facilities and furnish equipment for the new advanced engineering research building. Program Investments Our goal is to offer educational programs that are diverse, inclusive, and pioneering and to prepare students for the demands of a global economy. To achieve this we must promote and grow programs in emerging fields and the programs of tomorrow, while enhancing our efforts in the fields of energy and materials where we have existing strengths. Finding ways to improve the clean utilization of energy resources is vital to the economic growth of our state and critical for the U.S. through the latter part of this century. In order to keep our programs engaging and relevant for the next generation of students, we plan to raise $35 million in private support for our academic programs and to promote student opportunities in design, research experiences, and participation in national competitions.

9 In all the disciplines of engineering, we face strong and accelerating international competition. Our students must learn more, learn sooner, and learn faster. Undergraduate programs must become more sophisticated, interdisciplinary, and problem-based. Graduate programs must become more cutting-edge, more informed by research.

10 At the Tipping Point 8 s we pass our 125th year, the teaching of engineering at WVU has never been better, stronger, more global, or more engaged with our state. And we have never been more aware of the competition we face, the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and the responsibilities we owe to our community. With the extraordinary generosity of Ben and Jo Statler, we are fueled and primed for great things, ready and able at the tipping point that leads to a premier institution for engineering and energy education and research, a place sought out by scholars, students, and faculty from around the globe for its quality and vision. With your support and commitment building upon the Statlers vision, we will continue to create a college where more than 4,000 students from diverse backgrounds will engage in an exciting and cutting-edge learning environment with renowned scholars in their respective fields. To ensure the success of our students as practitioners, we will offer educational programs that are diverse, inclusive, pioneering, and oftentimes multi-disciplinary. Our vision includes a dedicated corps of distinguished endowed professors who will engage and challenge our students to achieve their ambitions, to improve the state of humankind through their research, to grow the economy of our state and nation, and to bring prestige to our institution. Simply put, it can t continue to happen and continue to grow without you. A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia s University is a collaborative effort. Our minds and our vision must be in sync, and we must call upon you to help complete the funds and bolster the energy that will take us to our goals. A century and a quarter has taken us from steam power to nanotechnology what could be more exciting and more rewarding than beginning the next 125 years together in our aspirations? My thanks for your belief and generosity it is my honor and privilege to lead the Statler College at this momentous time. In West Virginia and in this school, tomorrow is already here. Eugene V. Cilento, Ph.D. Glen H. Hiner Dean

11 WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY West Virginia s healthcare epicenter, its flagship of service, its brain trust. Home to some of the most innovative and forward-thinking minds in the country, WVU serves the world by first serving its state. We have emerged as a leader in solving today s most complex problems, and we are ready to share our State of Minds with the world. A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia s University is about investing in the values, ambition, intellect, and mindset that define one of the most exciting universities in the country. With support from alumni, friends, foundations, and partners, West Virginia University will be in a position to lead the national and global dialogue on energy, health, the environment, the economy and so much more. West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

12 Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Office of the Dean Evansdale Drive P.O. Box 6070 Morgantown, WV cemr.wvu.edu One Waterfront Place, 7th Floor P.O. Box 1650 Morgantown, WV or