From a new type of solar cell to a new way to ignite engines, these are just a couple examples of the research being done by nontraditional engineering students at West Virginia University.

FranzAndyPertl, a native of Germany, has been conducting research for the Center for Industrial Research Applications (CIRA) while pursuing his degree. CIRA is a nationally recognized research center within the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Pertl, who graduated with a doctorate in mechanical engineering this past weekend, has been a full-time program coordinator at CIRA for the past 10 years. His research involves developing a new way to ignite engines via plasma ignition. The doctorate is Pertls fourth degree from WVU , including bachelors degrees in computer and electrical engineering and a masters in electrical engineering, all earned in the 1990s.

The best thing about working at CIRA has been getting involved with projects and teams that cross so many disciplines of science and engineering,said Pertl, who plans to continue to work in academia and perhaps become a research professor.

Morgantown native Todd Hamrick earned bachelors degrees in mechanical engineering and foreign languages (German) from WVU and then worked in the plastics industry for 20 years before returning to school. At CIRA , he has been developing a new type of solar cell that uses organic compounds derived from plants to convert sunlight into electricity. He just received his masters in mechanical engineering and will enter WVU s doctoral program in that discipline. His long-term goal is to teach at WVU .

I feel like I have a lot to offer students because I have been out there working with some of the best engineers in the world,he said.I want to bring that experience to the classroom.

John Ruth, a native of Bruceton Mills, completed his bachelors in mechanical engineering. He returned to school after a stint in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a machinist mate on a nuclear submarine.

I went back to school in mechanical engineering because I love working with machinery, equipment and systems that are a big part of the world,he said.

Ruth has taken a position as a plant engineer with Allegheny Energy.

Andy, Todd and John are just three examples of the way the University is accommodating a more varied student body, and we are all better for it,said Jim Smith, CIRA director and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in WVU s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

Nontraditional students bring a broader perspective to the educational experience, he added.

The maturity, perspective and experience these students bring are valuable to students, faculty and staff alike,Smith said.I have found nontraditional students to be responsive, committed and very goal directed, a credit to who they are and what they will add to our culture. I am so very proud of their accomplishments.

Housed in WVU s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, CIRA develops high-tech engineering solutions for government, business and industry. Faculty and students collaborate on research on a wide array of products and processes, including the development of a new kind of helicopter blade and a heat-transfer system to cool military shelters in the deserts of the Middle East.