WVU Parkersburg honored for technological education initiatives

Dec. 1, 2010

WVU Parkersburg honored for initiatives to advance emerging energy career path programs.

CONTACT: Dave Thompson, chair of the Science and Technology Division, 304-424-8251.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia University at Parkersburg is being recognized for its initiatives to advance emerging energy career path programs.

The college was honored at the recent 2010 American Association of Community Colleges Advanced Technological Education Principal Investigators' Conference held in Washington, D.C.

WVU Parkersburg garnered recognition for its success in advancing technological education through the National Science Foundation’s MentorLinks program, Dave Thompson, chair of the Science and Technology Division, noted.

The institution received a two-year $15,000 MentorLinks NSF grant in 2008 to develop a program to prepare students for employment in the emerging energy fields. Thompson said the college enjoyed exceptional success in its efforts in creating and delivering a Certificate and an Associate in Applied Science in two energy career paths: Energy Assessment and Management Technology for training energy auditors, weatherization technicians, energy systems control specialists and facilities energy management, and Solar Energy Technology focusing on site assessment, solar photovoltaic system design, installation and maintenance and solar thermal system specialization.

Additionally, the college has obtained $595,000 in grants for program development from the WV Division of Energy, West Virginia Community and Technical College System, NSF and WV Green-up.

Approximately 800 were in attendance at the AACC ATE conference which focused on the critical issues related to advanced technological education. Key people working on ATE projects across the country participated in the conference. Attendees represented community colleges, business and industry, secondary school systems, four-year colleges, and research and development centers covering projects in a wide variety of areas such as: information technology, engineering technology, micro- and nano-technologies, chemical technology, biotechnology and others.