Occupation: President; Research Scientist; Engineer
Born: Bluefield, West Virginia, October 23, 1936
Education:
PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Biomechanics, West Virginia University (1970)
Graduate, Postdoctoral, Summer Programs, Wayne State University (1965)
Graduate, Postdoctoral, Summer Programs, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1965)
MME, West Virginia University (1965)
Graduate, Postdoctoral, Summer Programs, Iowa State University (1962)
Graduate, Postdoctoral, Summer Programs, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1961-1963)
BS in Mechanical Engineering, West Virginia Institute of Technology (1958)
Certifications:
Registered Professional Engineer, West Virginia and Ohio; Certified, National Council on Engineering Examiners; U.S. Security Q Clearance
Career:
President, Owner, Proprietor, CEO, Technology Development Inc. (TDI)
Associate Director of Engineering Experiment Station, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (1976-1980)
Supervisory Mechanical Engineer, Energy Research and Development Administration, Morgantown Energy Research Center, U.S. Department of Energy (1970-1976)
National Science Foundation Science Faculty Fellow, Research Engineer, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (1968-1970)
Associate Professor, Chairman of Mechanical Engineering Department, West Virginia Institute of Technology (1960-1965)
Sales Engineer, West Virginia Armature Co. (1958-1959)
Career Related:
Adjunct Professor, College of Engineering, West Virginia University (1980-1985); Scientific Advisor, West Virginia Gov. Jay Rockefeller; Engineering Consultant, FMC Corp., South Charleston, WV, United Fuel Gas Co., Charleston, SC, Southern Public Service Co., Montgomery, WV, West Virginia Air Pollution Control Commission, Charleston, SC, Gravely Tractor Division, Studebaker Corp., Dunbar, WV, METC-Department of Energy, Mound Laboratories, Numerous Oil and Gas Companies; State of West Virginia Coal and Energy Advisory Committee; West Virginia Inventors Council
Civic:
President, WMAC Foundation (1998-Present); Founder, WMAC Foundation (1997-Present); Founder, Chairman, Appalachian Rivers Conference and Exhibit (1998-2000); Science and Technology Coordinator, West Virginia Legislature (1979-1980); West Virginia Region VI Planning and Development Council; Visiting Committee, West Virginia University; WVU Technical College of Engineering Advisory Committee
Creative Works:
Production, Four Technical Films, U.S. Department of Energy; Editorial Board, SITU Journal; Associate Editor, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Transcriber, Journal of Energy Resources Technology; Editor, Second Underground Coal Gasification Symposium Proceedings; Editor, Transactions Journals, Symposia Proceedings; Contributor, 62 Publications, Professional Journals; 25 Patents in Field
Achievements:
First to hypothesize the discrete jump nature of fracture growth in such materials as sandstones, limestone, and shales during hydraulic fracturing and experimentally proved it in the laboratory; First to analyze and predict the three-dimensional stress distribution in the earth’s crust during hydraulic fracturing and demonstrate the feasibility of re-orienting the earth’s stress field sufficiently to control the orientation of new induced fractures; Development of a process for controlling fracture orientations and also laser drilling in the earth’s crust; Discovered human microbiome roles in symptoms and diseases, including temporary memory loss, and other diseases in the neurological and gastrointestinal systems such as Chron’s, IBS, and inflammatory diseases; Discovered criteria for altering in situ stress fields to change propagating fracture orientation; Mapped third sand orientation of natural vertical fracture propagating for first time in Bradford, Pennsylvania
Awards:
Eponymous Honoree, L. Zane Shuck Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, West Virginia University (2016); Recipient, Ralph James National Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1980); Recipient, U.S. Department of Energy Award for “Most Patents Awarded in One Year Ever by a Federal Government Employee” (1975); Recipient, Materials Testing Award, American Society for Testing and Materials (1970); Four-Time Fellow, Ford Foundation; Two-Time Fellow, National Science Foundation; Fellow, Iowa State University; Fellow, Wayne State University; National Science Foundation Science Faculty Fellow, West Virginia University
Memberships:
WVU Technology Colleges of Engineering Advisory Committee (2002-Present); Chairperson, Monongalia Co. West Run Expressway Committee (2000); Dunkard Creek Watershed Association (1997-2005); Vision 2000 Infrastructure Committee, Morgantown Chamber of Commerce (1992-2001); Sigma Xi; Honorary Member, Tau Beta Pi; Energy Technology Committee, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; National Chairman,Petroleum Division, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Family:
Children: Kirsten Berman
Hobbies:
Researching human gut microbe strains and species that contribute to disease; Inventing better and more efficient oil and gas recovery processes
Biography Sources:
Who’s Who in America – 2004, 58th Edition (pub. 2003)
Who’s Who in America – 2003, 57th Edition (pub. 2002)
Who’s Who in Science and Engineering – 2005-2006, 8th Edition (pub. 2004)
Who’s Who in Science and Engineering – 1996-1997, 3rd Edition (pub. 1996)
