Michael Reilley, a 1984 WVU engineering graduate, and Jason Gross, Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering chair and professor, value the importance of mentorships to student success. (Submitted photo/Dr. Jason Gross)
After 42 years as a shipbuilding engineer, West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources graduate Michael Reilley recognizes one thing above all else: Mentorship matters.
Reilley’s $50,000 gift to the Statler College Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering (MMAE) Mountaineer Mentor program emphasizes the importance of collaboration among students as they advance academically and aspire to be professional engineers.
“Hearing about that mentorship program resonated with me,” Reilley said. “I go back to my time there. I know in several of the classes, I needed help to get through it to understand it. Engineering is not easy.”
The Statler College MMAE Mountaineer peer mentorship program was first implemented in the department four years ago. High-performing junior and senior mentors check in with student groups, identify challenges in course content and provide feedback to faculty. They offer hands-on learning modules for fellow students.
That strong connectivity, support and teamwork is familiar to Reilley and his daughter, Kristina, a 2015 Statler College engineering graduate.
“There was never a sense of competition to see who could get the highest grade,” Reilley said. “We all worked together. Kristina told me it was very much the same thing for her. They all went to classes together, worked together and tried to support each other.”
Michael Reilley, a 1984 WVU mechanical engineering graduate, speaks to students during a visit to campus. His recent gift supports peer mentorship within the WVU Statler College Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering. (Submitted photo/Dr. Jason Gross)
Through tutorial videos, Mountaineer Mentors explain how courses build upon each other and act as resources for forward momentum. They also lead sessions on study skills, internships and job interviews. Mentors are compensated with a $500 stipend.
“Supporting peer mentorship has a multiplier effect,” Jason Gross, department chair and professor, said. “It simultaneously supports both underclassmen in need of additional academic support and upperclassmen by providing financial assistance to support their service as peer mentors.”
Gross said the program has relied completely on year-to-year donations for financial support. The Michael J. (84) and Kristina C. (15) Reilley Mentorship Fund is a welcome addition to MMAE Mountaineer Mentor resources.
“The department is so grateful for this fund,” Gross said. “It establishes permanent security for a program that has been instrumental in improving program retention and graduation rates.”
Reilley, of Hampton, Virginia, earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at WVU in 1984 and a master’s degree in engineering management at George Washington University. He then went to work for Newport News Shipbuilding, where he has spent his entire professional career.
As the company’s chief engineer, Reilley leads a senior deputy team — which includes two WVU engineering graduates — in building and testing aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as the overhaul and decommissioning of them. He is also responsible for engineering, technician and designer training for engineers onboarding with Newport News Shipbuilding.
“In my current position and in the positions I’ve had at Newport News Shipbuilding, I do a lot of mentoring,” Reilley said. “I go back to early in my career, and I was mentored by a lot of engineers that were here. Mentorship is honestly something that’s just important to me.”
The former vice president of the eastern Virginia section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers has provided leadership, shared his experiences and offered direction in higher education throughout his career. Reilley spent years on the mechanical engineering advisory boards at Virginia Tech University and Norfolk State University. He has been invited to serve on the visiting committee for the MMAE department.
“At the end of the day, there are not going to be any statues or plaques with my name,” Reilley said. “I’m not going down in any history books. But if I can touch other people and help individuals in some way, that’s how I can be remembered. The world is not getting simpler; it’s getting more complex, and it’s going to need all the engineers it can get.”
Reilley’s gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.