For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Alesa Martin, Director of Institutional Marketing
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Phone: 304.442.1005 • Fax: 304.442.3052
Email: alesa.martin@mail.wvu.edu 

Congressman Rahall to Make $2 Million Grant Announcement at

Community and Technical College at WVU Tech

Montgomery, WV – Congressman Nick J. Rahall will be making a special announcement on October 24, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. concerning a $2 million Economic Development Administration grant for the Mine Safety Technology Development Program and the establishment of the Mine Safety Technology Consortium (MSTC). The press conference will be held at the Upper Kanawha Valley Technology Center located at 326 Third Avenue, Montgomery, WV. 

The MSTC, which will be headquartered in Montgomery, will perform as a catalyst to help transform West Virginia coal mining knowledge, skills and capability to produce superior coal mine safety and health technology, products and services, economic development and training technologies. 

Project collaborators include the Community & Technical College at WVU Tech, Marshall University Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences; Wheeling Jesuit University National Technology Transfer Center, West Virginia High Technology Consortium; Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing; and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

 In addition to the $2 million EDA grant, the State of West Virginia, spearheaded by Governor Joe Manchin III has committed $1 million to the program. $600,000 was provided by local private investment, including $100,000 from Arch Minerals, $200,000 from State Electric and $400,000 of in-kind matches from all of the project collaborators.

 All interested individuals are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Congressman Nick J. Rahall’s office directly at 304-252-5000 (Beckley office) or 304-522-6425 (Huntington Office).

The Community & Technical College at WVU Institute of Technology (CTC @ WVU Tech) was established as a part of WVU Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) in 1966. In 2004, the CTC @ WVU Tech was accredited as an independent institution by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. The CTC @ WVU Tech offers a variety of two-year degree programs in high-demand technical fields such as engineering technology, printing technology, dental hygiene, computer technology, business and office technology, and allied health. New programs are now being implemented in computer security, diesel technology, and mining specialist options. The CTC @ WVU Tech is co-located on the campus of WVU Tech, a regional campus of West Virginia University. For more information about the CTC @ WVU Tech, call 304-442-3000 or log-on to ctc.wvutech.edu.