Michael Karmis is the Director of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech. was created by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 30, 1977, as an interdisciplinary study, research, information and resource facility for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In July of that year, a directive approved by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors placed the VCCER under the University Provost because of its intercollegiate character, and, because the Center's mandate encompasses the three missions of the University: instruction, research and extension.