WVU Statler College to host Pumpkin Drop competition

The WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will welcome more than 1,000 students and teachers from across West Virginia and Pennsylvania for the 36th annual Pumpkin Drop on Halloween (Oct. 31). (WVU Photo/Jennifer Shephard) Download full-size WHAT: The West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will welcome more than 1,000 students and teachers from across West Virginia and Pennsylvania for the 36th annual Pumpkin Drop, a festive design competition that puts students' engineering skills and creativity to the test - all in gourd fun, of course. WHO: More than 300 teams of K-12 students will strategically design enclosures to protect pumpkins from damage during an 11-story drop from the Engineering Sciences Building roof. WHEN: Friday, Oct. 31, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: In front of the WVU Engineering Science Building Tower, Evansdale area of campus, Morgantown. ADDITIONAL INFO: The team that lands an intact pumpkin closest to the target will be awarded $100. Second-place prize is $50. The third-place team receives $25. The event is sponsored by the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering and the WVU student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This year's "Pumpkin Drop Target" is made possible through an intersection of the innovative minds of Statler College and the creative minds of the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media. Employees of the Lane Innovation Hub volunteered to manage the drop zone and Maker Space Manager Michael Loop created trophies for the winning teams, while Emily Jack, a theatre design and technology student, designed and constructed the target. All proceeds from registration will benefit Ronald McDonald House Morgantown. Representatives will be at the event hosting games and collecting donations. WVU ASME will sell shirts during the event to benefit the student organization. WVU engineering student organizations and competition teams will also be showcasing and demonstrating various projects in their STEM specialties. -WVU- le/10/27/25 MEDIA CONTACT: Paige Nesbit Director of Marketing and Communications WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources 412-725-3406; [email protected] Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday. Media Advisories Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources College of Creative Arts and Media