WVU president selects leading mining engineering educator as his first Presidential Honorary Degree recipient

Highlighting the importance of exemplary academics and dedicated service, West Virginia University President Michael T. Benson has chosen Syd Peng to be the recipient of the first Presidential Honorary Degree he will bestow.

Peng has served as the Charles E. Lawall Chair of Mining Engineering Emeritus in the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Department of Mining Engineeringsince his 2013 retirement from the University after nearly 40 years of service.

"Syd's generosity with his expertise and time changed the field of mining engineering for the better across West Virginia and around the world," President Benson said. "Syd and his late wife, Felicia Peng - also a former professor of mining engineering - have been loyal contributors and long-time investors in the educational futures of generations of mining students."

First hired at the University in 1974, Peng became chair of the Department of Mining Engineering in 1978 - a position he held continuously until 2006.

"Dr. Syd Peng's career exemplifies excellence in education and research," said Pedro Mago, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

"As mining engineering has evolved over decades, Dr. Peng's visionary teaching and unwavering commitment to excellence have produced countless educated experts who have advanced the industry. Dr. Peng has seamlessly integrated emerging technologies with practical applications, shaping generations of professionals whose impact continues to influence society and the global economy. His generosity, scholarship and leadership highlight the transformative impact of education at its highest level."

In 1985, Peng established the Longwall Mining and Ground Control Research Center and became its director. In 1998, he was appointed director of the West Virginia Coal and Energy Research Bureau.

Over the years, his research emphasized both theory and practice, meaning theory was validated with mining practice and mining practice was based on sound theory.

Peng, who is a member of the West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame, has written several textbooksand published more than 380 conference proceedings and journal papers in the areas of longwall mining, ground control, surface subsidence, respirable dust, modeling and mine seals.

"Few individuals have influenced mining engineering as profoundly as Dr. Syd Peng," said Qingqing Huang, associate professor and current Robert E. Murray Chair of the Statler College Department of Mining Engineering.

"He has trained and inspired generations of students, many of whom now lead the industry and academia, while his research - spanning hundreds of projects and real-world mine applications - has fundamentally shaped modern ground control and longwall mining practices. His legacy is reflected not only in his technical contributions, but in the global network of professionals he mentored and the lasting impact he has had on the industry."

In 2007, Peng became the University's first National Academy member with his induction into the National Academy of Engineering, recognition for his leadership in the development of advanced longwall mining and ground-subsidence-control technologies.

"Syd serves as an example of the exceptional caliber of faculty members teaching in, researching at, and serving the University each day," President Benson said, noting the 2024 selections of Dr. Sally Hodder, associate vice president for clinical and translational science and director of the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute, for the National Academy of Medicine; and Maura McLaughlin, Eberly Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, for the National Academy of Sciences.

"Our students are taught each day by world-class instructors and researchers, and we must work as an institution to grow our reach in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to support our pursuit of Association of American Universities designation for leading research universities."

Peng, who now lives in Fremont, California, is scheduled to join President Benson and University graduates during the Statler College Commencement ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17, in the Hope Coliseum- one of nine Commencement ceremonies scheduled from May 15-17.

Additional honorary degree recipients, selected through College nomination processes, will be announced later this month.

Find more information about WVU Commencement.

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