Trip to Zambia

EWB President Nate Stansberry.
Click the image to view more pictures of his trip.

College of Information and Technology senior and Marshall Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student club president Nathaniel Stansberry recently returned from a two week trip to Simwatchala, Zambia. The Marshall EWB student club has been selected to work on a project that aims to plan, design, and build a small reservoir in a rural community in southern Zambia to help alleviate chronic water shortages during the annual dry season.

The dam that will be constructed will ensure that water is available for growing additional off-season crops and for providing water to villager’s livestock. During Mr. Stansberry’s visit to Simwatchala he attended a local community planning meeting, performed a preliminary survey and site assessment of the land set aside for construction of the reservoir, and developed contacts in the project area and at the University of Zambia in the capital Lusaka. A larger group of five Marshall students and two faculty members plan to return to Zambia in August for detailed surveying of the dam location, gathering local hydrologic data, and soils testing.

Spring 2009 Engineering Newsletter

The May 2009 edition of the Engineering Newsletter is available. The lead story is about the first Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees awarded in over thirty years.

STEM Outreach Job Opening

We need an individual who can help us recruit qualified students and to serve as a mentor to freshman CITE students in their transition into college life. Our jobs page has the full description of the position.

Engineering Academy is Back

Photo: Mark Webb/ The Herald-Dispatch

Sunday, June 14, was the kickoff for this week's ninth annual Exploring Engineering: Academy of Excellence (EEAE). Thirty-six students from seven states are participating in this program designed to introduce high school students to the engineering profession.

For more information about this year's event you can visit the EEAE website, read the Marshall press release, or read an Herald-Dispatch article about this year's academy, complete with a gallery of photographs.

Cammy Holley - Ten Years of Service

President Dr. Stephen J. Kopp with Cammy Holley.

Cammy Holley, Administrative Assistant Sr. in the Dean's office, was recognized at the recent Service Awards luncheon for her ten years of service to Marshall. She has been a vital part of the growth of the College and we thank her for her continued cheerfulness and expertise.

CITE Commencement Reception

CITE held a reception for our graduating students, their families, and their friends on May 9, 2009. Over 150 people attended the event held in the new Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories building. This is our largest graduating class so far with 20 undergraduate and numerous graduate degrees being awarded (the names of students receiving graduate degrees will be available next week).

Over forty more pictures taken at the reception are available here.

Click on a photo below to retrieve the full-size version (4000 pixels by 2500 pixels).

Engineering graduates. Front row: Scott Menniti, BSCE; Kevin Leatherman, BSCE. Back row: Jesse Mullins, BSE; Corey Weaver, BSE; Ryan Dudley, BSE; and Kevin Davis, BSCE. Not pictured: Erik Ball, BSE; Amanda Bishop, BSCE The BSCE degree is awarded by WVU-Tech; the BSE degree is awarded by Marshall University	BS in Computer Science graduates: Brandon West, Shawn Cotten, Joseph Scarberry, Gilbert Smith, Camden Clutter, Marcus Moresea, J.B. Croaff, and Ryan Blankenship. Not pictured: Justin Chapman.
BS in Safety Technology graduates and faculty. First row: Aaron Henson, William Blake. Second row Dr. D. Allan Stern, Seth Porter, and Professor James Macintosh.	More information about the Art Weisberg Family plaque is available here.

Distinguished Service to Marshall Award

John C. McHaffie (BSE'59) (Click to enlarge).

The Distinguished Service to Marshall Award was presented to an engineering alumnus during alumni weekend on April 24/25, 2009.

John Curtis McHaffie (Bachelor of Engineering Science ’59) of Oro Valley, Arizona, has worked diligently over the years to restore the four-year engineering program to Marshall University, resulting in its reinstatement. This award coincides with McHaffie’s 50-year anniversary of receiving his bachelor of engineering science degree from Marshall. After an illustrious career with the U.S. Air Force and in the private sector as an aerospace engineer, he retired as principal, consultant and president of Support Systems Inc. in 1994.

The award honors his life-long commitment to Marshall University's engineering program and his recent compilation of the "History of Engineering at Marshall".

Lots more pictures of the event are available...

CITE Awards Banquet

Our college held an awards banquet on Thursday, April 23, 2009 to recognize this years graduating seniors. The Herald-Dispatch has a terrific series of seven photographs of the event over on their web site.

Rahall Announces $245K for Marshall Advanced Engineering & Applied Technology Complex

BECKLEY, W.Va. (HNN) - U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall, II (D-W.Va.) on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 announced that $245,000 has been awarded to Marshall University by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"Marshall University stands out as a pillar for higher education in southern West Virginia," said Rahall. "These funds will help to educate a future generation of West Virginians as we strive to give our children a step up in our increasingly competitive global marketplace."

These funds will allow for the design, planning and construction of the Advanced Engineering and Applied Technology Complex at Marshall University.

“Once again Congressman Rahall has stepped to the forefront to help Marshall University expand its role in these vital areas,” Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp said. “He understands and appreciates the critical role that education, research and infrastructure development play in the continued economic growth of our state and region.”

"We appreciate Congressman Rahall's efforts on behalf of the University. This funding is critical for planning the next phase of the Advanced Engineering and Applied technology Complex, which will bring together engineering, biotechnology and technology transfer capabilities in the same place," said Dr. John Maher, Vice President for Research at Marshall University.

Congressman Rahall requested this grant in an earlier appropriations bill, to invest in future generations of scientists, engineers and leaders.

Undergraduate Research Day

Shawn Cotton and Cam Clutter (Click to enlarge).

Shawn Cotton and Cam Clutter participated in the sixth annual West Virginia Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol held on March 12, 2009. These two Computer Science students presented results on their project "Stereo Matching for Autonomous Marine Navigation". The purpose of this research was to develop a stereo vision system that will allow unmanned vessels to navigate safely in harbors. This research was performed in conjunction with the United States Navy and Spatial Integrated Systems of Kinston, North Carolina.

State Scholars Initiative

Brandi Jacobs-Jones, Betsy Dulin, Tom Pressman, and Carrie Cline. (Click to enlarge).

The State Scholars Initiative kick-off event was held at the Huntington High School on March 12, 2009. This initiative is a national program that seeks to use community business leaders to help motivate high school students to complete a rigorous course of study. In addition to CITE Dean Betsy Dulin, local business leaders at the event included Brandi Jacobs-Jones, Director of Finance and Administration for the City of Huntington, Tom Pressman, President of MIST Technologies and Strictly Business Computer Systems, and Carrie Cline, news anchor with WSAZ-TV Channel 3.

The Organization Engineers Without Borders

Engineers Without Borders. (Click to enlarge).

On February 19, Rodney Holbert spoke to a group of engineering students about the organization Engineers without Borders www.ewb-usa.org.

Rodney is currently the District Director of the Burgess and Niple office in Parkersburg, WV. His presentation focused on a recent trip to a small town in Nicaragua to help provide clean drinking water to the residents.

Marshall recently started a student chapter of Engineers without Borders. Complete information about the chapter is available at http://www.marshallewb.blogspot.com/.

Chesapeake Energy Scholarship

Chesapeake Energy Luncheon. (Click to enlarge).

Chesapeake Energy Scholarship recipient Kevin Leatherman (second from left). (Click to enlarge).

Senior engineering student and Chesapeake Energy scholarship recipient Kevin Leatherman and CITE Dean Betsy Dulin recently participated in a luncheon with representatives from Chesapeake Energy, the Marshall Foundation, and CITE faculty and staff. Chesapeake provides several scholarships to CITE undergraduate engineering students, as well as internship and related opportunities.

Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories

Arthur Weisberg

Some of our 2008-2009 engineering undergraduate students gathered in front of the new Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories. (Click to enlarge).

More than a hundred people gathered to honor Arthur and Joan Weisberg and the rest of the Weisberg family in a memorable dedication ceremony on Saturday, August 16th. Our brand new $4.2 million engineering building is now known as the Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories. The event was covered by several local TV stations and by the Herald-Dispatch. Marshall University has a press release and a video of the event and we've posted several photos of the ceremony.