Award-winning researcher Earl Scime named interim dean of WVU’s Statler College

Earl Scime has been named interim dean of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, the Office of the Provost announced today. Scime will move into the role on July 1.

Currently the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Scime has been a member of the WVU faculty since 1995 and has held a series of named chair positions since 2007. He has also served in numerous leadership positions at the university, first as chair of Physics in 2002. He served as interim associate vice president for research, a university-level position in the Research Office, from 2013-2015. He left that role to return as Physics chair.

Provost Joyce McConnell, who announced the appointment, acknowledged Scime is “an unconventional choice, but also an exciting one,” noting that he has worked with engineering colleagues on interdisciplinary research for many years.

He is also a member of the College’s award-winning robotics team, a natural extension of his own service as the founder and leader of Mountaineer Area Robotics, an internationally recognized high school robotics team whose mission is to inspire youth throughout the state and the world.

“Earl is a visionary leader and a world-class scientist who truly understands both the value and the caliber of the work being done in Statler,” McConnell said. “He will guide the faculty, students and staff through the upcoming transition period with tremendous wisdom and expertise.”

A first-generation college graduate, Scime has received WVU’s highest awards for research ( the Benedum Award for Distinguished Scholarship), teaching ( WVU Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award) and service ( the Heebink Award for Distinguished Extended Service) as well as teaching and research awards from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. He has also been recognized nationally for his research and for his mentoring of students of all ages.

The Statler College is home to nearly 5,000 students and 140 tenure-track faculty. Offering 13 undergraduate majors in seven academic departments, the College educates the engineering professionals of tomorrow and supports students at all levels with such comprehensive resources as a Fundamentals of Engineering program for all freshmen, study-abroad opportunities, internships and discipline-specific career placement assistance. Scime steps in as interim leader of the College following the decision by current dean Gene Cilento to return to the faculty.

“This is an exciting and humbling opportunity,” Scime said. “I look forward to serving the exceptional students and faculty of the Statler College.”

The Eberly College anticipates naming an interim chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the next few weeks. The Office of the Provost will launch a national search for a permanent dean of the Statler College during the 2019-2020 academic year.

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