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For the second time, Huang was selected as a distinguished speaker for SME’s Henry Krumb Lecture Series. The program is offered to SME sections to enhance their appreciation and understanding of important new methods and technologies by bringing outstanding speakers to local sections. Lecturers are selected from the professionals who present technical papers at the SME Annual Conference and Expo. Only 10 are selected for the honor annually out of more than 800 professionals.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va.— Improving shale energy productivity and reducing the environmental footprint of the natural gas industry are the goals of a West Virginia University partnership at a second Marcellus Shale Energy and Environmental Lab to be located in western Monongalia County. 

WVU researchers from multidisciplinary departments, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, will use the advanced models they develop for this project, continuing to address complex technical, environmental and social issues surrounding unconventional energy development. The researchers will use best practices in environmentally responsible shale development as they undertake subsurface scientific investigations.

POTENTIAL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THIS RESEARCH

“This region is particularly susceptible to large amounts of rain from intense storms, including remnants of hurricanes such as Florence,” said Mike Strager, professor of resource economics and management at West Virginia University. He and researchers Jacquelyn Strager and Nicolas Zegre have been studying ways to better understand and map the region to identify specific areas in West Virginia that are more susceptible than others to such storms.  

“West Virginia and the Appalachian region are predicted to have more frequent and intense storm events as a result of climate change,” Strager said. 

Serving primarily faculty and graduate students, the Evansdale Innovation Center will complement efforts at the Health Sciences Innovation Center to increase accessibility and support for WVU’s researchers who want to market and commercialize their ideas, inventions, products, projects or discoveries. By the end of the fall semester, the EIC will provide state-of-the-art office and lab space for business incubation, educational programs and services for start-up companies.

Randy Quinn, who is adjunct faculty for both the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and the WVU College of Business and Economics, has been named associate director and will run day-to-day operations.

The competition brought together more than 100 students from 30 countries to work in teams to explore green energy entrepreneurial practices that could positively impact energy production and climate change throughout the world.

Fabien Goulay, an associate professor in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, is investigating combustion reaction mechanisms, which take place in power generators like engines and turbines. 

“Combustion is the transformation of fuel to energy, and it’s important to minimize the emission of harmful chemicals in this process,” Goulay said. “Even in a small candle flame, there are thousands of chemical reactions taking place. To improve the efficiency of combustion, we are trying to understand the chemical reactions involved.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – This fall, the Honors College at West Virginia University will feature “The Importance of Energy Literacy” by Derek Johnson as part of its series to showcase faculty expertise on some of the hottest topics today – energy, banking, childcare and the dark side of new media.

Improving energy literacy is crucial in today’s science, technology, energy and math driven society. What research and development will drive the future of the energy sector? This talk will discuss the big “Es” of energy – economics, efficiency and emissions – and answer questions on common misconceptions related to energy use in power generation and transportation.