WVU Alumni Magazine Fall 2009 by DMOLSEN

THE POWER AND RELEVANCE OF THE

LAND-GRANT MISSION NOW MORE THAN EVER, WVU IS A TRANSFORMATIVE MODEL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Fall 2009

Ready for the future? wired and Wonderful

It’s already here + What can you give back to your university? how can you direct its future? West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

WVU James P. Clements

President, West Virginia University Chris Martin Vice President of University Relations Dana Coester Executive Editor and Assistant Vice President for Creative Direction Angela Caudill Art Director Laura Spitznogle Managing Editor Kathy Deweese University Editor Dan Friend Photography Manager Michael Ellis Brian Persinger Photographers Adam Glenn Karyn Cummings Web Designer and Developer Tara Curtis Bill Nevin Becky Lofstead Christine Martin Amy Quigley Amy Neil Contributing Editors

special thanks to John Antonik Ann Berry Joyce Bower Kimberly Brown Kimberly Cameon Bill Case Susan Case Brian Caudill Sabrina Cave Greg Corio Julie Cryser Gerrill Griffith John Hagen Rebecca Herod Amy Johns Susan Lantz Charlene Lattea Monte Maxwell Florita Montgomery Amy Newton Tricia Petty Lynn Reinke Dan Shrensky Heidi Specht Tim Terman Trina Wafle Cassie Waugh Stuart Wells David Welsh

editorial offices

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letter from the president community The 21st century Alumni Association— connecting WVU graduates with the past and the future Can you find a Picasso in the WVU art collection? Look who’s 40! Highlighting West Virginia’s path—how our past is the road to our future How can small, rural communities find resources to help them? What do kids get from camp that’s different from other learning experiences? Does cleaning out your closet have to lead to the landfill? How can design students prepare to compete in a global design economy? Making the best investment: WVU’s effect on the business community How do you define disability?

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NUMBER ONE

change Futurist Mike Perry How can community journalism survive in an era of declining newspaper readership? The more things change . . . the more WVU helps West Virginians adapt What $6.8 billion industry has room to expand in West Virginia? How can consumers be encouraged to buy locally grown food? Peter Magrath Higher education: ten 21st-century challenges Education for the 21st century What did a state-of-the-art classroom at WVU look like at the dawn of the 20st century? What do you get when you cross a 150-yearold book with the Internet? wvuScholar shares knowledge across the world Giving the gift of Second Life Mountaineers: wired and wonderful Who owns the future?

solutions Who will provide health care for West Virginia’s small towns and rural counties? WVU touches people, from birth through every stage of life Share the journey Bringing healthcare home Reaching across West Virginia . . . Health breakthroughs Working together What is nanotechnology? Protecting our nation West Virginia: America’s energy state It’s not easy being green Finding a better way

WVU Creative Services PO Box 6690 Morgantown, WV 26506-6690 fax: (304) 293-4762 e-mail: wvumag@mail.wvu.edu

change of address

WVU Foundation PO Box 1650 Morgantown, WV 26507-1650 fax: (304) 284-4001 e-mail: info@wvuf.org

class notes

WVU Alumni Association PO Box 4269 Morgantown, WV 26504-4269 fax: (304) 293-4733 e-mail: alumni@mail.wvu.edu

visit our website

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small planet Going global Doctors for a growing nation Opening a world of discovery Big Sur in China Chinese art and WVU A dancing bridge to Brazil Project Ghana See the world, serve the world International Center for Performance Excellence Man, mind, and machine: cultural meltdown or creative nexus? West Virginia space grant consortium The final frontier 10 books for the 21st-century mind

76 Class Chatter

83 Most memorable alumni

sports events

from the President

I am honored to serve as the president of WVU. As you can see, great things are happening at this University. In the years ahead, we will build on our strengths to continue to grow and excel. We will intensify our research efforts and be a national leader, and indeed an international leader in many disciplines, and we will continue to build our prominence in the technology-driven fields of energy, biometrics, biomedical research, and nanotechnology. We will strengthen our student support services and our scholarship and financial aid resources to assure that students can take full advantage of our excellent academic programs. We will continue to offer world-class health care and increase our health sciences research and outreach under the leadership of a new chancellor. We will position ourselves on the leading edge of technology and find more efficient and effective ways to apply technology to everything we do on campus, from research to communications. We will continue to offer outreach throughout West Virginia and beyond, touching lives in incalculable ways through the Extension Service and the academic and service programs of our 13 colleges and schools. We will increase our learning community’s diversity and develop an even broader global focus to better prepare our students for new and emerging international opportunities. We will continue giving our State an approximate 20-to-1 return on its investment in the University. Indeed, WVU is more important to its home state than perhaps any other land-grant in the country. We are committed to making a difference for West Virginia every day, from providing $82 million annually in uncompensated health care through WVU entities to helping more than 336,000 youths and adults reach their full potential through Extension programs. Above all, we will continue to ask the big questions and consider the big picture when charting our University’s future. As an institution of higher learning, it is our duty to ask provocative questions, to challenge assumptions, and to conduct open, honest dialogue on issues that affect our world. Along with my family, I am excited to be in Morgantown and to be part of a larger family—the Mountaineer family. I look forward to sharing ideas and innovations with you that will chart the course of our University’s future. This is and will continue to be a great American university. That’s why I chose WVU, and why I am honored to have been chosen. It’s why my family is excited to be a part of this community. It’s why I’m confident that, together, WVU and the entire community of Mountaineers will assure that we not only fulfill the land-grant mission, but that we redefine it for the 21st century.

James P. Clements, President, West Virginia University

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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Universities are, at their core, communities. Communities of scholars push back the frontiers of knowledge. Communities of students support each other as they navigate discovery and understanding. The local community embraces the academic community, forming partnerships for economic and social growth. The global community enriches a university’s many communities. West Virginia University’s 4-H program, in Hancock County, started as Paul Miller’s home community—and became his window to the world. Through that club experience, and the guidance of a county agent who mentored him, he launched his dreams at WVU and began a career as an Extension agent. That career was followed by scholarship and administration . . . by teaching, research, and mentoring. A career launched at WVU became a career centered in WVU. And in 1962, Dr. Miller became WVU’s 15th president, dedicated to building community between home and college, between state and scholarship, between outreach and beyond. During his tenure, Dr. Miller helped grow communities within and beyond the campus. On the Evansdale campus, he shepherded the development of a Creative Arts Center, a student residential complex, and new homes for agriculture, natural resources, and other programs in Percival and Allen halls. But more important than the creation of the facilities was the evolution of WVU’s teaching, research, and service missions—particularly community partnerships such as the establishment of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Development to house all of the University’s outreach programs. Today, the WVU community continues to thrive and grow. The new Erickson Alumni Center, with its architecture reminiscent of Woodburn Hall, represents a community of over 175,000 living graduates. The Center serves as a new

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Community

home to Mountaineers, and as an emblem of the global network

will be forever touched by their immersion in art,

of research, service, mentoring, stewardship, support, and

language, design, and history while studying

unwavering dedication that are the hallmarks of the alumni

in Milan, Italy.

community and its linkage across the world.

The linkage of communities within West Virginia

The opening of a new Alumni Center prompted the transformation of the former Erickson Alumni Center into an art museum. The museum will serve as a creative community—one that will link West Virginians and the world to some of best regional and global work, from the classic work of American modernist Blanche Lazzell, to an extraordinary Shona (Zimbabwean) stone sculpture collection. Museum Director Joyce Ice believes art connects directly to the human spirit, sparking exhilaration and meaning on the most personal of levels. Similarly, the Creative Arts Center—home to the College of Creative Arts—expands the connection of human spirit and human achievement to every avenue of art and the performing arts—music, theatre, dance, graphic design, and photography. The CAC showcases both University and community

is also vital to WVU’s land-grant mission. Landscape architecture, public administration, marketing, engineering, and economic development come together to help revitalize small, rural towns in the Mountain State through WVU’s Community Design Program. WVU also connects students, faculty, and community in efforts to save the world’s natural resources and to grow the world’s business resources. Fashion design students collect wearable, donated clothing for the homeless and recycle what is unusable— donating thousands of dollars to charity. Business students volunteer at local nonprofits and write grants for community projects. Students participating in a statewide competition think like scholars and innovate like entrepreneurs, creating new businesses—

talent—from a WVU dance performance to a local

including an international boutique hand-

violinist, and brings the world’s best and brightest artists

bag company and a micro-business selling

and performers to campus. People like WVU employee Cathy Orndorff, who grew up in a small West Virginia community, recall the impact one performance had on her life. She saw the legendary Aaron Copeland perform when she was a WVU freshman in 1972, and refers to the experience as “life-changing” for the deep appreciation of music she acquired. Indeed, the land-grant’s role in linking communities of spirit, discourse, and scholarship sends hundreds of students abroad to dozens of countries each year, and brings even more to Morgantown. Nathan Sisler’s life was enriched by attending a leadership conference in Dubai. Dental students will never forget the smiles on the faces of the underprivileged

handmade guitars. Journalism students entered the world of the disabled community when they began chronicling the lives of artists with disabilities on a multimedia website in a partnership with the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Their stories help us understand how an online community can be a powerful tool for overcoming barriers. The WVU family—Mountaineers worldwide—defines the University’s mission, measures its goals, meets its challenges, and celebrates its successes. Welcome to our WVU community in these pages.

youngsters they cared for in Guatemala, and design students

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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Have something to add? Know of another incredible WVU project or faculty or student achievement? Tell us, and the world, about it—log on to wvualumnimag.wvu.edu to share.

The 21st-century alumni association connecting WVU graduates with the past and the future More than 500 seniors from the Class of 2009 gathered in the outdoor courtyard of the new Erickson Alumni Center recently for a “Zero Year Class Reunion” barbeque and concert. Just a week later, Emeritus Club members, who are graduates from 50 years ago or longer, held an induction ceremony in Ruby Grand Hall. “Both groups, 50 years apart, felt warm and welcome in their new home away from home,” said WVU Alumni Association President and CEO Steve Douglas. Designed to look like Woodburn Hall, one of the most historic buildings on West Virginia University’s campus, the new Erickson Alumni Center is linked to the spirit of WVU in more ways than just its architecture. It is connecting, virtually, generations of Mountaineers. It was designed to reach back into the traditions that make WVU so special, but this cuttingedge home brings together old and new and is an important venue for the important milestones that will guide the University’s future success. “I like how the exterior points to the ‘old’ campus buildings like Woodburn Hall, and the interior has a rich, classy feel that is still modern and sophisticated,” said Shannon (Pill) Gallo. She can tell you about the importance of the alumni center to her future. On a recent weekend in May, Gallo, a Morgantown native who graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s in journalism (’99) and a master’s in industrial relations (’01), held her wedding reception at the new center. 6

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As future generations of Mountaineers come to campus, we will continue to bridge history with new traditions and stories of our alma mater. — Steve Douglas WVU Alumni Association President and CEO ’74 BS, ’79 MS

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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community

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community

“I knew it would be brand new and

Monticola, Alumni Magazine, and Alumni News

able to incorporate state-of-the-art tech-

gorgeous. And, since WVU is, and always

are also on display for those interested in

nology that enhances the programs and

will be, so close to my heart, we knew it

doing research or reliving the glory days.

services we offer,” Douglas said.

would be perfect,” said Gallo, who married native New Yorker Paul Gallo.

“Throughout the building we have

The Alumni Association reaches out to

artifacts and memorabilia that depict the

175,000 alumni across the globe. The new

When graduates were asked what they

history of the University,” said Douglas.

center that was constructed through private

wanted their new alumni home to look like,

“As future generations of Mountaineers

contributions from alumni and friends, will

one theme resonated throughout the re-

come to campus, we will continue to

ensure they stay connected, either physi-

sponses: Woodburn Hall. Architects designed

bridge that history with the new traditions

cally or virtually. Inside the building, which

the building to reflect the classic architecture

and stories of our alma mater.”

opened its doors in October 2008, visitors

of the University’s downtown campus, and

A glass case on the third floor displays

can find video- and audio-conferencing

to bring that familiar feel to the Evansdale

the original mold for the Mountaineer

capabilities, private conference rooms, and

campus. The building was constructed with

Statue, as well as Parthenon Literary

wireless Internet.

more than 227,000 bricks laid to resemble

Society chairs that were in the University

“It’s all about keeping up with the

the same pattern as Woodburn Hall.

Chapel on the day WVU was founded.

technologies of the times,” Douglas added.

WVU traditions are kept alive

The Mountain Room, also located on the

“That is exactly what we wanted to do here—

throughout the new center. The Alma

third floor, is the meeting place of WVU’s

usher in new ways of communication and

Mater room pays tribute to Louis Corson

ranking honorary on campus. The room

interaction with our members. Our hope is to

who wrote one of WVU’s most memorable

houses various artifacts, including the mantle

make this a virtual Association of sorts, where

songs. The center also houses an alumni

from the original Mountaineer Field.

alumni can be engaged in and participate in

library where visitors can find books written by WVU graduates. Past editions of the

alumni.wvu.edu/give.html

“While the architecture of the building remains very traditional, we have been

activities, even though they may not be able to return to campus.”

There’s no place like West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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Art helps connect us to other human

Can you find a Picasso in the WVU art collection?

beings, to other cultures past and present.

—Joyce Ice

Dream Becomes Reality The dream of an art museum at WVU is about to become a reality. A building designed by noted

’73 BS, ’77 MA

architect Michael Graves (the former Erickson Alumni Center) and located behind the Creative Arts Center, is available at just the right time to become part of the Art Museum at WVU. A new three-story addition will provide gallery space for traveling exhibitions, as well as the WVU Art Collection. The Graves Building will house offices, a bookstore/gift shop, and a café, with its Great Hall available for programs and special events. The art museum will serve as an educational resource for the region, helping students of all ages appreciate artistic, cultural, and historical perspectives about our world.

Facts

Amount of money needed for museum:

2011

2,500+

Number of objects in WVU Art Collection:

Gallery space: approximately

5,300

million

Designer of new building addition:

Smith Group

Artists’ works in WVU Art Collection: Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, Francisco Goya, Albert Bierstadt, William Merritt Chase, Stanley William Hayter, Thomas Cole, Jean Metzinger, Rockwell Kent, William Kentridge, Kara Walker, Leslie Dill, Willie Cole, Ed Ruscha, William Robinson Leigh, Frances Chapin

Anticipated opening date:

of Detroit

Designer of existing building:

Michael Graves

Major collections: contemporary ceramics, largest public collection of art by American Modernist Blanche Lazzell, Asian and African art

Outdoor features:

Joginder Nath Sculpture

sq. feet

garden and courtyard

A Pattern of Relationships Art Museum Director Joyce Ice is a museum professional with more than 20 years of experience. She is also a graduate of WVU. “We want people to feel exhilarated and

inspired by the art, genius, creativity, and skill that they encounter at the museum,” she said. “Art is not something that is only for certain segments of the community or the population. The creative spirit that it speaks to is present in everyone.” Ice formerly served as director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She graduated from WVU with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education and then studied anthropology and folk art at the University of Texas at Austin. Joyce is one of a number of people returning home to West Virginia to pursue career opportunities with WVU, to give back, and to make a difference. Art Museum: ccarts.wvu.edu/art_museum 10

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Look who’s

Photo courtesy of WVU Libraries

It was a balmy spring day, April 25, 1969, when the Creative Arts Center officially became a part of WVU. The new structure brought the University’s art, music, and theatre programs together under one roof for the first time. At the dedication, then WVU President James G. Harlow said “Art, like education, isn’t for a privileged few, but for all people.” Since then the College of Creative Arts, located within the CAC, has brought the world of art to WVU and surrounding regions through exhibitions, presentations, and performances by internationally recognized artists and scholars, as well as its own body of outstanding faculty and students.

Architect: Ale xM n • o i a First event ill in Concert Theatre: Jacques Offenbach’s comic opera “Orpheus in the Underworld” • Designer of Concert Theatre: George C. Izenour of Yale University • First Dean of CAC: Dr. Richard Duncan, e d u c a t o r, o r c h e s t ra c o n d u c t o r, a n d violinist

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And Now: A Global Audience

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ng Ad ditio ldi n: 19 Speakers at 1969 dedication: Actress Peggy Wood, choreographer/dancer Agnes DeMille, NY Times music critic Harold Schonberg, Carnegie Mellon fine arts dean Norman Rice, Boston University fine arts dean Edwin Stein

Facts

Famous classical composer Aaron Copland shared his talent with our community during a residency at the Creative Arts Center in 1972. He is among the thousands of legendary artists who have performed here since it opened April 25, 1969. “I remember going to the concert was so exciting. I was just a girl from Elkins who saw and heard someone famous perform for the first time in my life. When we talk about how college is life-changing, we are not making it up. The historical impact of this story is how WVU fell head over heels for “Appalachian Spring,” and how the WVU band adopted a few of those beautiful scores.”

—Cathy Orndorff, Director, WVU Web Services ’75 BS, ’81 MA

During four decades of providing some 500 public programs annually, both on and off campus, the Creative Arts Center is not only a major arts center of the northern part of the state, but also a center of community involvement in the arts. As the building turns 40, the major performing spaces of the CAC have been renovated, the Community Arts Program of classes has been expanded, and plans for the future include a new art museum. From the beginning of the Puppet Mobile in 1969, to the educational performances and recordings for public broadcasting in the 1970s, to the summer repertory shows of the 1980s, to a partnership with the world-renowned Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China in the 1990s and a partnership with the Pittsburgh Symphony in the 2000s, the College of Creative Arts and its faculty and students have continued to strive for excellence in both education and performance. As the journey continues, the doors of the Creative Arts Center are increasingly open to an international audience. “The arts open doors of understanding throughout the world’s cultures,” says Dean Bernie Schultz. “Today, our students and faculty are equipped to engage the relevancy of their creativity and actions within the broader context of a global audience.” To hear more of a fascinating interview with Dean Schultz, in which he discusses the intersection of art and technology, go to www.wvu.edu/videos.

www.wvu.edu/alumni/cac/ West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Highlighting West Virginia’s path— how our past is the road to our future In less than two hours, visitors to the renovated West Virginia State Museum can follow a winding path throughout the

itors

vis

useum

reop e

from the past, is the key to

ini

which the museum evokes

That West Virginia spirit,

e We s t V i r g

June 2

, th

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Mountain State’s history, from 300 million years BC through Revolutionary and Civil war battles, the hardships of the Great Depression, and the changing fortunes of the coal industry. The museum’s unique show path, which changes beneath guests’ feet from a dirt path to a cobblestone street to an asphalt highway as exhibits show the passing of years—illuminates West Virginia’s past. But that isn’t the museum’s entire purpose, according to Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of culture and history. “I always say, the museum is not just about West Virginia’s past—it’s all about our future,” he said. To build for the future, Reid-Smith added, “West Virginians must build on their strengths, and that requires understanding who they are.” “West Virginians are unique,” he said. “They have a tremendous work ethic. The new museum will help us all better understand our state, our history, and why we are the people we are.” For example, West Virginia’s emergence as a state during the Civil War is unique, and many of the 6,000 artifacts on display at the museum date from that era. A replica of the Philippi Bridge reminds visitors that the first land battle of the Civil War took place there. A rare 15-star Confederate flag, dating from early in the conflict, hangs on a wall. One of the museum’s 26 discovery rooms is devoted to abolitionist John Brown; its displays include the noose used to hang him. A frontier log cabin, a Depression-era Main Street, and an underground coal mine plunge visitors in other West Virginia milieus. Debbie Cone, the senior project manager for the firm that fabricated the show path, Design and Production Inc., told the State Journal, “I’ve been in this business for 25 years. I’ve done a lot of museums, but this is one of the most unique. This one’s different because as you walk through . . . you’re being immersed in the exhibits.” -m illion r $17 en a o Reid-Smith said several items r va The te on display showcase West Virginia 23,000-square-foot University’s role as a land-grant museum is located within institution and flagship university the West Virginia Cultural for the state. For Mountaineer sports Center in Charleston, and fans, the most exciting artifacts may admission is free. be WVU’s 1942 NIT championship For more information, see banner and a tribute to Jerry West, http://www.wvculture.org/. whose rise from humble origins to basketball superstardom Reid-Smith called “quintessentially West Virginian.” That West Virginia spirit, which the museum evokes from the past, is the key to the state’s future, Reid-Smith said. “There is a lot of opportunity here,” he said. “It’s a great place to live. The spirit that we have as Mountaineers made it possible for our ancestors to prosper in rough, unwelcoming terrain, and it Commissioner of Culture and History will also help us build a great future for West Virginia.”

the state’s future.

—Randall Reid-Smith

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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community

How can small, rural communities find resources to help them?

We have an opportnity to advance society

Planning for the Future Service. As part of WVU’s mission, reaching out to communities

through teaching, through

is something Mountaineers take seriously. During the last 12 years, the Community Design Team, a program of the Davis

research, through service,

College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences and the WVU Extension Service, has helped small, rural cities and

and through outreach. —James P. Clements

towns throughout the Mountain State—and one just across the border in Pennsylvania—plan for their futures. From landscape architects to health-care experts, each team is unique to the

President, West Virginia University

needs expressed in the community’s application. No matter how small or large the revitalization efforts, the interdisciplinary team of professors, students, and businesspeople is able to

Facts

help shape the beginning of a community’s journey.

The Community Design Team brings volunteer professionals from a variety of disciplines to local communities to assist in laying a course for the future. Teams are made up of students and experts in landscape architecture, planning, geography, architecture, engineering, history, and economic development.

1997

Communities Served: 36

Average Population of the Communities:

Chris Plein Eberly Professor of Public Service and Chair of the Division of Public Administration

Year Established:

1,902 Team Faculty to Student Ratio: 2 :1

Length of On-Site Visits: 2 Days

Number of Counties Represented: 29 WV, 1PA

Number of WVU Departments Represented: 15

Nominal Fee:

$4,000

Number of Team Members:

15–20

Est. amount of Time and Expertise Provided:

$15,000

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What do kids get from camp that’s different from other learning experiences? Magic Moments About one in every four West Virginia young people are involved in various types of 4-H programming, ranging from Cloverbuds for young children to collegiate 4-H groups. The highlight of 4-H for many is participating in county and/or state camps. The WVU Extension Service is involved “big time” in the camping business, with every county offering one or more camps. In 2008, more than 11,000 young people participated in nearly 120 4-H residential and day camps in the Mountain State. Altogether, 24,000 youths are involved in 4-H summer activities. Along with the fun, much learning occurs at camp, underscoring the fact that learning doesn’t have to be dry and boring.

Connections Sometimes, friendships forged through 4-H turn into more serious commitments. Example: Becca Fint-Clark, ’04 BS, ’06 MSW, and Brent Clark met at a state 4-H camp at WVU Jackson’s Mill. They were married and both are WVU Extension agents working in 4-H; Becca in Monongalia County and Brent in Harrison. (He also advises the WVU Collegiate 4-H Club.)

Facts

• 4-H youths can be considered WVU’s youngest “students.”

• Many counties report that their camps are at capacity.

• West Virginia 4-H reaches more than 77,600 youths who are led by 9,016 adult volunteer leaders; 2,987 older youths serve as leaders, too.

• WVU Extension Service 4-H faculty, considered experts in camping , offer the Mountaineer Camping Institute.

• 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development program, involving nearly 7 million youths, 640,000 volunteer leaders, and 105 state land-grant universities.

• In cooperation with Verizon, a “Wired and Wonderful” Science and Technology camp has been offered for two years. • Extension offers other camping programs based on the 4-H camp model—such as the Junior Firefighters Camp at the State Fire Academy at Jackson’s Mill.

• Camping is important in WVU Extension history—the nation’s first state 4-H camp was at Jackson’s Mill. • Year after year and generation after generation, children and parents come to 4-H. Parents—especially those who are 4-H alumni —want their children to have the opportunity to experience 4-H programs.

www.wvu.edu/alumni/4hyouth/

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Does cleaning out your closet have to lead to the landfill? Turning Rags into Riches Students in West Virginia University’s Fashion Design and Merchandising Program helped the homeless, kept tons of waste out of landfills, and learned a valuable lesson about sustainability all at the same time. Tracy Vash’s apparel production course collected more than 28,000 pounds of textiles as part of the annual A-WEAR-ness Campaign for the Homeless. Students set up collection points across WVU’s downtown and Evansdale campuses. Wearable, useable items were donated to an area homeless shelter, and the rest were sold in bulk for textile recycling, with the proceeds going to the shelter.

Facts

(courtesy of the US Environmental Protection Agency)

An estimated 11.9 million tons of waste textiles were generated in 2007, or 4.7 percent of total municipal solid waste generation. The textile recycling industry annually prevents

2.5 billion pounds of postconsumer textile product waste from entering the solid waste stream, according to the Council for Textile Recycling. This 2.5 billion pounds of postconsumer textile waste represents 10 pounds for every person in the United States. Approximately 500 million pounds of textiles collected are used by the collecting agency, with the balance sold to textile recyclers, including used clothing dealers and exporters, wiping rag graders, and fiber recyclers. Most textile recycling firms are small, family-owned businesses with fewer than 500 employees. The majority employ between 3,500 and 50 workers, many of whom are semi-skilled or marginally employable workers.

Did You Know? The Vash Recycling Model (VRM) proposes a platform for recycling education and community outreach and supports waste reduction, easing environmental strain. The intent is to merge separate elements into a collaborative format and advance the recycling concept. The VRM is an encompassing approach that involves educational and ecological transformation. The recycling model presents community, engagement, awareness, sustainability, and reinvestment as an amalgamated process. www.fashion.wvu.edu/ VRM: design.wvu.edu/r/download/13354

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community

How can design students prepare to compete in a global design economy? Da V i n ci S

le p t H Is th e re e re a bette to sp r pla end ce fo a su b irth r stu mmer plac de nt o r e of seme des ig Itali t h ster e n e rs a sum Ren a t h a i m s n s an c er p r the o t h e e? T og ram ppo r tun ity he D p ro vid and iseg n o to st cultu e s u s d t r y u e. C dent Itali histo reate s a ry, fa with n ar d fo t, de shion r stu g raph s d ig d n, esign, ents ic d fash es ign, in ar scap ion m t, ar interio e ar e t rcha r de chite produ ndisin sign, cture ct d j ourn g, , m a e alism sign , a rketin under , land nd th g, ph stand otogra eatre ing of persp , the p h y, a prog r ectiv rt an am e e wh d de i n It n han ile g i sign f alian ces ving r o m langu t hem a g lo age a a b a c l rash nd c u lture cour . se

maj o e pston

s i ng andi

s design and m as their caded: t c a ip F hion inclu rnsh

http://disegnoitalia.wvu.edu/

erch

Fas

e have n int te a ships le n p r e m t n co e. I t rienc sty lis expe vision le e tant t ass is ality e s inee R le • t tra n m sa e o o m r ge ow mana • Sh ales s r il ta ndise • Re rcha tant e m assis ual t is n e V m • nage l l ma r ialist signe • Ma spec t de s n n a io t lat sis c re • As tant publi n assis io sh m s a li F a • journ shion a F • For more on WVU’s global community see “WVU for a Small Planet,” page 59. Design is the responsibility of individuals to be informed in current social, political, and cultural issues. We look at projects cradle to cradle, responsibly aware of the life of our design once it leaves our hands. As visual designers, we are helping solve societal problems, not by just visually packaging messages, but by co-authoring solutions through the design process.

Eve Faulkes Professor of Graphic Design, ’77 BFA

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

Making the best investment: WVU’s effect on the business community Facts

Philanthropy is Part of Doing Business

• Number of students

Business students learning how to give away money?

participating since

Sure. Corporate philanthropy is an integral part of the

inception: approximately

100

Gates Foundation, which has spent nearly $20 billion since its beginning, to the local bank or hardware store. The

• Average number of grant applications each year:

business landscape, from the well-known Bill and Melinda

Corporate Citizenship Project, a business management course in its eighth year at the WVU College of Business and Economics, teaches students to wisely give away money to support nonprofits. Funding comes from Business

• Total amount give to local non-profits since

and Economics alumni who recognize the importance of businesses contributing to the community. be.wvu.edu/news_events/corporate_citizen/

program began:

$165,000

Fellowship = Public Policy Impact The W. Marston (Marty) and Katharine B. Becker Doctoral Fellows Endowment will provide a $20,000 annual stipend for a student to work on research relevant to West Virginia economic policy. Students will be selected for the fellowship based on their ability to communicate basic economic principles through research on state policy. Fellows will be expected to engage in the ongoing dialogue on state economic

With a common vision, policy through public speaking opportunities WVU and its collaborators have and news commentary and publications. long been the voice for West Virginia’s youth and families. WVU’s efforts are indicative of a growing consensus among policy makers, Service = Acess researchers, and practitioners that stronger The WVU College of Law has a proud connections between youth, family, school, tradition of providing service to West and the larger community, particularly among educators and health/human services providers, Virginia citizens, which is the heart of are essential to the long-term the land-grant university mission. Law vitality of our state.

Kathy and I hope the recipients of this fellowship will contribute to growing and strengthening West Virginia’s economy. A strong and vibrant economy is essential to improving the lives of all West Virginians. —Marty, ’74 BS, ’77 JD, and Katharine Becker, ’79 BS

WVU and Morgantown understand the goals of the community and the success that can be achieved students and faculty members both work by working collaboratively. Just by being Charlene Marshall a university city, Morgantown has many in clinics for those who otherwise can’t opportunities not found in other Delegate, West Virginia afford legal services. communities. Cultural experiences, the 44th District availability of world-class health care, and Civil Clinic — provides family law, social the diversity of people are some examples security, and consumer debt relief legal services. of what a major land-grant university adds to the community.

Immigration Clinic — provides legal advice and representation to foreign citizens facing immigration proceedings. Tax Clinic — helps West Virginia tax-payers with IRS issues.

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

community

Ron Justice former Mayor, Morgantown ’85 BS, ’90 MS

Donors are the backbone of a 21st century university. Successful graduates giving back to help fund future scholars is part of the hoped-for “circle of life” for any higher education institution, and is obviously a great investment in the future. Modern giving includes electronic means of communication, and younger donors want to have a “hands-on” involvement in the work of the institution.

Entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. How can WVU graduates bolster this important area for economic development in West Virginia?

R. Wayne King President, WVU Foundation

If West Virginia is to develop a sustainable economy, much of its strength will come from new ideas, businesses, and products for the global marketplace. That’s why the WVU College of Business and Economics’ annual statewide business plan competition has been so important. Since 2003 it has encouraged students to think like entrepreneurs and to create new businesses for the state. Each fall teams submit a short summary of a business idea in either the innovation or lifestyle category. The summaries are scored by panels of judges from across the region. By spring, the best ideas reach the finals, two teams each receive a $10,000 prize to help them get started.

Facts

• Number of student teams since competition began: • Amount of awards:

300

$142,000 (in cash to date)

• Amount of services or in-kind donations per year to student businesses:

$8,000

• Number of student businesses started or in process of starting since competition began: approximately

www.wvu.edu/alumni/business/

I am proud to provide stugood jobs in West Virginia and other states, and to contribute to the state’s economic growth. Whenever possible, I purchase products and services from other small West Virginia businesses.

Diane Lewis Owner of Action Facilities Management and WVU Board of Governors member

West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

Fall Fall 2 0 0 9

Think twice:

Changing attitudes in art and society

Mark Calvert’s interest in photography became more than a hobby after a 1989 car accident that left him with quadriplegia.Calvert now uses photography as motivational therapy and as a source of income. Photo by Shannon Dey

Confronting social and cultural stereotypes. Improvisation. Working outside your comfort zone. These aren’t typical learning outcomes for a college course, but the “TakingPART” multimedia project forces students to explore such unfamiliar terrain. A painter with cerebral palsy and a nature photographer who lost the use of his limbs in an automobile accident: these are two of the artists profiled in this innovative, student-centered project. Students go beyond traditional storytelling to capture the stories of disabled artists and engage them and the larger community in an interactive dialogue about the issues the artists face on a daily basis.

After my accident, my

Suprising Aspect Project director and School of Journalism

hobby of photography

Associate Professor Joel Beeson said the most surprising part of the project was how quickly the

turned into much more.

students forgot their own discomfort with interviewing the disabled artists. At first, students

It slowly progressed

would delay setting up the interviews and were very nervous, but once they met the artists and

into my life’s work. —Mark Calvert

got to know them, they were fine.

Community Connections The School of Journalism partnered with WVU’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities for this project. The project helps to create and foster an interactive, online community among the artists and others who are interested in the topic. The project touches upon larger social issues, such as disabled rights, the socioeconomic impact, how we define what “disabled” means, and how we define “art.” 20

Fall

2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

community

Evonne Nicholson uses a customized head pointer to express herself through her acrylic paintings. Photo by Michael Costello

School of Journalism honored for commitment to diversity curriculum http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/news/page/7865/

A painting by artist Greg Siegwart. Photo by Michael Kalany

Facts In fall 2006, the P.I. Reed School of Journalism partnered with WVU’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED) to produce a multimedia website. Students partnered with the CED’s Fine Arts Program to share their stories of disabled artists and bring issues to light.

Engaged the artists and the community in an interactive conversation about issues affecting the disabled community. Highlighted the emergent practices, adaptations, and new media/technology innovations for both journalists and disabled persons. West Virginia ranks

Photos, video, audio, and text pieces profiling the artists’ creative process and the challenges they face were produced.

#1 in the nation for adult disabilities #4 in elderly disabilities #3 in disabilities in children

In June 2009, the “West Virginia Uncovered” project received a $100,000 grant from The Ford Foundation to support web development, project staff, travel and research for their initiative to help small rural newspapers create more dynamic, multimedia content for their Web sites. The project also received an $85,000 grant from the Claude W. Benedum Foundation, an $85,000 grant from the McCormick Foundation and a $10,700 WVU Grant for Public Service.

http://www.cedwvu.org/ http://takingpart.wvu.edu/home journalism.wvu.edu The CED’s Fine Arts Program director Helen Panzironi, ’89 BA, ’93 MSW, meets with students and artists in the studio at the CED.

Musician, writer, and flutemaker Joe Gatski often finds inspiration for his work in the natural world. Photo by Jeff Bowers

Photo by Jesse Wright

Artist Greg Siegwart works on a painting in his home studio. Photo by Michael Kalany

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

The heart of the modern land-grant university is its ability to open minds, tap knowledge and create. Its lifeblood provides innovative, practical solutions for the pressing matters of our time. From health care to renewable energy, West Virginia University’s students and faculty are finding unique answers to the challenges that impact every county of the state, every state in the union and every country in the world. As part of the Research Trust Fund, which was created by the State of West Virginia to leverage public and private investments that will transform our state’s economy, WVU has formed three focus areas—the Advanced Energy Initiative, the Security and Intelligence Initiative, and the Biomedical and Health Research Initiative. WVU researchers from these areas, and across the University, are changing the world through the innovative solutions they are creating every day. WVU is at the center of the public health, sustainability and energy research that will provide answers to our 21st century challenges. Finding ways to provide health care to an aging, rural population of West Virginians has always been a challenge. But WVU is tackling the state’s health care needs by placing students in small towns across the state to work side-by-side with rural doctors, dentists and health care professionals. Our students There is no other university as well positioned for success in energy research as WVU. I am confident that we will see significant breakthroughs in clean, green, safe, and advanced energy solutions and policies, especially pertaining to coal. WVU’s intellectual capability and the quality of its people will attract even more of the best and brightest talent to bolster our efforts.

Terri Marts Interim Director, Advanced Energy Initiative

are treating and healing, listening and learning, connecting scholarship, practice and profession with patients across the state. They just don’t treat a disease, they educate and nurture residents. We’re also partnering with schools throughout the state to educate middle and high school students about health and science careers, helping to recruit the health care providers of tomorrow who understand rural West Virginia. Walkersville native Molly McCartney is the first member of her family to graduate from college, and she says rural health care is her calling. She plans to use her education to make a difference in the future of health care for her fellow rural West Virginians.

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Solutions

WVU is penetrating every county in the state with research and service. Our Pediatric Research Institute has centralized our programs that impact the tiniest and most vulnerable of our

Our goal is to create a cooperative climate so the most sophisticated diagnosis and care is available to West Virginians on their home turf. We have reached out to medical colleagues and institutions throughout the state. One outcome is West Virginia’s first clinical trials network, which will allow doctors hundreds of miles away to enroll their patients in clinical trials taking place throughout the network.

Dr. Scot Remick

state’s citizens. Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center Director Scot Remick has a vision for a world where cancer,

Director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at WVU

the fear of cancer and the death toll from cancer

We’re inventing brand-new methods and technologies to make

no longer exist. Doctors hundreds of miles from

everyday life more secure. A WVU-developed system

WVU are now enrolling their patients in clinical

for protecting tunnels was recently tested in

trials in an effort to save their lives and the lives of thousands

the Washington, D.C., subway, and we’ve teamed

more. Cancer patients recently were able to “Share the Journey”

with the FBI to create the Global Hostage-Taking

of fighting cancer during the celebration of the center’s $22

Research and Analysis Center.

million renovation. Patients shared their fears, their hopes and their dreams for a world where they are cancer free and doctors and researchers are able to save lives based on the treatments and trials they received.

WVU faculty and students are also finding new sources of energy and making current sources more sustainable. From investigating ways to breathe life into abandoned mine sites by planting biofuels, to building processors that convert used

Thanks to a generous gift from Jo and Ben Statler,

cooking oil into vehicle fuel, to developing methods to extract

WVU Hospital now has a mobile digital mam-

thermal energy from the oceans, we’re on the cutting edge of

mography unit that provides mammograms to

developing clean, efficient and renewable energy sources.

West Virginia women in counties with the highest breast cancer mortality rates. Bonnie’s Bus is creating networks with doctors and hospitals throughout West Virginia to deliver the care women need and to reduce deaths from breast cancer in our state. Dr. Bill Neal’s work in neonatal ICU and pediatric cardiology has saved many infant’s lives, and the Cardiac Project he initiated has worked to combat heart disease and diabetes in West Virginia. WVU researchers from different fields are working together on nano-level (that’s at the one-billionth of a meter scale) security, environment, energy, and biomedical applications.

These are only a few of the ways that West Virginia University is creating the next generation of educators and experts, who will continue to fulfill our land-grant mission of teaching, research, and service, and to keep producing innovative solutions. These solutions will create the changes that will guide the our state, nation and world throughout the next 21st century and beyond.

It is a natural role for WVU to help develop the social and environmentally responsible use of fossil energy while working on new sustainable energy technologies. Over 100 faculty members are tackling energy research topics—from conservation strategies and clean fossil fuel development to carbon management and coal-to-liquid fuel technologies.

Our students can join an international research team and

Curt Peterson

collaborate with physics professors and experts from around

WVU Vice President for Research and Economic Development and President, WVU Research Corporation

the world to find ways to detect cancerous cells or hazardous materials in the air.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

Have something to add? Know of another incredible WVU project or faculty or student achievement? Tell us, and the world, about it—log on to wvualumnimag.wvu.edu to share.

Who will provide

health care for West Virginia’s small towns and rural counties

Healthy Country

WVU addresses the health issues of rural West Virginia. Our health programs tackle that job from all sides—placing students in small communities for weeks of training side-by-side with rural doctors, dentists, and other heath professionals; building partnerships with schools to help rural middle and high school students prepare for careers in health and science; and leading research studies to find and destroy barriers to good health in rural areas. We look for students who not only have the intellectual ability to succeed, but who demonstrate a commitment to serve. The result? A healthier West Virginia.

Say Hi to Lassie

“My first rural experience was in Harman, West Virginia,” says Linda McPherson, ’01 MSN, nurse practitioner, Gilmer County Primary Care, Glenville. “I realized then my dedication would be to rural communities. People in rural areas depend on their provider to help them in many facets of their lives other than just healthcare. We are their source for moral support. We know their kids’ names as well as half their dogs’ names. I realize my calling was to be part of my patients’ lives. I believe every health-care curriculum should include a semester or two of rural health. Without it, I would have missed out on a fulfilling job that makes me smile.”

All in the Family

During her rural rotation with Dr. Mark Kilcollin, a dentist in Union, Kenna Lucento Fox was able to live with her grandmother in nearby Hinton. After graduating from WVU in 1996 she returned to Hinton and began practicing with her family’s dentist, Dr. James Miller. Her aunt Christy is the office manager. “Sometimes people need more than just a tooth fixed,” Dr. Fox says. “They need someone to listen to them, to talk to them, and most all to be kind to them.” who aculty” “Field F rural dents in train stu 841 irginia: West V dures l proce r Clinica ne yea ed in o rm o rf e ta p den l tal and 13,942 by den dents: tu s e n hygie d pensate f uncom o sts e ti lu n a e V yd vided b lion m care pro 2.8 il ents: $ d tu s and

Facts

Hazards in the Hills

Fall

2009

solutions

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Hilda R. Heady Associate Vice President for Rural Health, WVU Health Sciences, ’75 MSW

The idyllic vision of life in the country is a dream for many. But West Virginia University researcher Dr. Jeffrey H. Coben, notes that injuries requiring hospitalization occur at much higher rates in rural areas—35 percent higher in sparsely populated rural counties. Highway accidents are a major factor, along with high-risk occupations such as mining, farming, and logging. “Many of these increased risks are potentially preventable or modifiable,” Dr. Coben says.

wvrhepahec.org/ 24

I am motivated by the belief that all people deserve access to quality health care regardless of where they live and their circumstances. It is my passion and gives me a way to give back, to express my values, and demonstrate my gratitude for being brought up in a rural family and community. I believe that we have the responsibility to protect the grace and dignity of rural people. I believe that rural culture is a very special part of our society and it should be preserved.

West Virginia University’s healthcare, health professions education, and service make a difference to people in every part of the state. To realize the “big picture” of exactly what this entails, log on to http://health.wvu.edu/services-towv/index.aspx and click on the state map for details about WVU’s efforts in each West Virginia county.

Mollie McCartney WVU degrees: biology and history, ’08 From Walkersville, W.est Virginia. One of only 35 students in the nation who won a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship. She’s the first member of her family to graduate from college.

http://health.wvu.edu/services-to-wv/index.aspx

What has been your motivation in going to medical school and wanting to work in a rural community? As an individual from a blue-collar community, who had experienced firsthand the failings of the health care system in meeting the needs of rural communities, I realized that I had a unique perspective and experience that would enable me to affect and connect with rural communities. I speak the language of rural communities and understand their world view and goals, because I am a rural citizen. I believe that cultural kinship between provider and community creates stronger relationships. My calling to rural health care is a huge part of my identity, and one that encompasses much of my life story. In rural health care, not only will I get to live and work in a place that I deeply love, but I will be able to use my past, my present, and my hope for the future to make a difference in my fellow rural citizens. I can’t imagine a bigger blessing in life than this—to find the career that is the perfect meeting of my experiences, my passions, and my vision for a better, more just world.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

WVU touches people, from birth through every stage of life

Caring for the Littlest Mountaineers Pediatric research at WVU has grown tremendously and recently reached the level where it was determined there was a need for a centralized research facility where interaction among the varied research teams could be encouraged and supported. The WVU Pediatric Research Institute was established in October 2008.

West Virginia = Second-largest Population of Older Adults in the US Mountain State residents are facing the challenges that come with aging, including financial and health issues, as well as concerns about medical and social services. Kristina Hash, a WVU associate professor of social work, is part of a national movement educating professionals in social work to meet the needs of aging adults. As principal investigator of three geriatric education grants in the Division of Social Work in the School of Applied Social Sciences, she is providing educational experiences and preparing undergraduate and graduate students for careers in aging services.

9: the number of governments JAN has provided

Jan

Dollars invested in research on pediatric issues at WVU have doubled in the past two years.

consultation to

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an international,

(Great Britain,

toll-free consulting service about job accommodations and

60% of the faculty members in

South Korea, India,

the employability of people with disabilities, and is the only

the Department of Pediatrics are

Columbia, Mexico,

nationwide program of its kind.

actively engaged in research.

Rehabilitating Veterans: From World War I through Today

H. Walker, a former WVU

Canada, Australia, Japan, and Spain)

25: years in

WVU’s Rehabilitation Counselor Education Program is returning

operation

38,000: number of inquiries received

to its roots. The profession started in 1920 as a response to the number of returning veterans who were navigating a new world

(via telephone and

as a person with a disability. Today, the need is even greater.

e-mail) annually

“WVU is gearing up to meet that need in our on-campus and

$5 million:

e-campus programs of study. Faculty are working with represen-

annual website

tatives of the VA centers in West Virginia to enhance the curriculum,”

visits

said Margaret Glenn, associate professor and coordinator of rehabilitation counselor education.

Fall

2009

solutions

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Giving: The late Dr. James physician and professor at the Charleston campus, bequested over $6 million for pediatrics.

www.wvu.edu/alumni/pediatrics/ www.jan.wvu.edu/ www.wvu.edu/alumni/counseling

The important thing about recognizing where we come from and where we got our start is that we really have to help give back. We have been given a lot through the years and if we don’t provide those kinds of opportunities to people coming up, we’re going to have educated people who are only elite and that’s wrong. I think we need to be incredibly supportive of public higher education.

For most rural families, mine included, service to others is a strong and assumed value.

Dr. Nancy Nielsen

If you are bright and

past president of the American Medical Association ’64 AB

have the means to get an advanced education,

A healthier West Virginia WVU has a special responsibility to address the health issues of rural West Virginia. Our health programs tackle that job from all sides—placing students in small communities for weeks of training side-by-side with rural doctors, dentists, and other heath professionals; building partnerships with schools to help rural middle and high school students prepare for careers in health and science; and leading research to find and destroy barriers to good health in rural areas.

these are gifts. You are expected to share these gifts and talents with others who are less Hancock

Brook

Ohio

Rural Rotation Students in the WVU Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,

Marshall

and Pharmacy spend months learning and practicing their new

Wetzel

skills in rural communities all over West Virginia.

Academic programs participating include: Dentistry Dental Hygiene Medicine Medical Resident Medical Technology Nursing Nurse Practitioner Pharmacy Physical Therapy

Wood Wirt

• Sites in West Virginia where WVU students learn rural health skills: 241 • Students participating over one year: 619

Calhoun

Mason

Cabell

Kanawha

Fayette

Raleigh

McDowell

Summers Mercer

www.wvrhepahec.org/

Health Sciences and Technology Academy Started in 1994, the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) reaches out to underrepresented students in ninth through twelfth grade and follows them to college and toward professional school to help them prepare for health care careers. The goal is to educate underserved populations about science and health and to recruit more scientists and health care providers.

Grant

Jefferson

Hardy

Randolph

Pocahontas

Greenbrier

Logan

Tucker

Hampshire

Pendleton

Nicholas

Boone

Berkely Mineral

Webster

Clay

Wyoming

• Program alumni now practicing in rural West Virginia: 616

Upshur Braxton

Lincoln

Mingo

Lewis

Gilmer

Morgan

Preston

Taylor Barbour

Roane

Putnam

for Rural Health Monongalia

Harrison Doddridge

Ritchie

Jackson

WVU Associate Vice President

Marion

Tyler Pleasants

fortunate. — Hilda R. Heady

Monroe

- Counti

es in th

e pro gr am: 26 - College -goin g r ate for graduat HSTA es: 9 7% - HSTA studen t s are: 36% Af rican A merican 53% fin an cially disadvan taged 58% th e first in families their to go to college 6 0 % fr om rura l areas 6 9 % fe male -More t han 1, 10 0 HSTA are cur alumni rently a ttendin g have at or tended colle ge profess or ional sc hool www.wv -hsta.or g/ West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

Fall Fall 2 0 0 9

Share the Journey Our vision is for a world without cancer—a world where cancer fears and mortality are things of the past. Until that day arrives, we must work toward understanding how to prevent the disease and fine-tune our methods of fighting it. In West Virginia, that quest includes uniting all of our medical professionals, hospitals, and other institutions across the state to work for the betterment of care. — Dr. Scot Remick

“Share the Journey,” was the theme of the week dedicated to celebrating the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center’s renovation and expansion. Doctors, researchers, students, and cancer survivors were on campus to share their experiences and thank the people who made a difference in their lives.

Reaching out to West Virginians The creation of West Virginia’s first clinical trials network will allow doctors hundreds of miles away to enroll their patients in clinical trials taking place throughout the network—trials in which promising but experimental cancer therapies are offered to patients who qualify. “Our goal is not simply to expect every cancer patient throughout the state to uproot himself or herself to travel to Morgantown. Our goal is to help create a cooperative climate among medical professionals so the most sophisticated diagnosis and care is available to West Virginians on their home turf,” said Dr. Scot C. Remick, director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center.

The WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center The Center recently completed a $22-million renovation. The number of treatment chairs in the infusion center went from 16 to 30, and the amount of space devoted to the pharmacy tripled. Patients who spend hours receiving chemotherapy will now have large windows offering views of the campus grounds. “Patients who can see nature outside as they get their treatments tolerate it better,” Kathleen Murphy, RN, clinical manager said. The Cancer Center spearheaded creations of West Virginia’s first clinical trials network; doctors from around the state can enroll their patients in clinical trials taking place at network-affiliated hospitals. Five hospitals—Wheeling Hospital, United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, the Charleston Area Medical Center, City Hospital in Martinsburg, along with WVU Hospitals—are involved so far. “The greatest measure of our successes is simply how well we partner,” said Dr. Remick.

Director, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center

Cancer survivors shared their stories at the cancer center’s 24th annual Gala Celebration. See touching videos of patients and physicians online at: www.wvu.edu/alumni/magrath/ www.wvu.edu/alumni/cancerstories

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

0:00 / 1:30

Cancer survivors and their care-givers shared their experiences fighting the disease.

Survivors Cancer survivors gathered at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center to share their stories with family, friends, and the doctors and nurses who helped them during their trying time.

Gwen Pennington

MidgeThorn

Bruce Martin

“I came to Dr. (Jame) Abraham and Angie (Price) and I’m telling you from the minute I met them, I knew God had given them to be part of my life.”

“I owe my life to the Cancer Center. They are special people. They are my family.”

“I just looked him in the eyes and said Dr. (Christopher) Rassekh, I just hope you brought your ‘A’ game today . . . and if looks could kill I’d be a dead man. He looked back at me. Looked me straight in the eyes and said ‘Mr. Martin, I always have my ‘A’ game’. And that’s been my experience with the entire facility here at WVU. These people have their ‘A’ game on.”

Researchers Researchers are often asked what drives them to do what they do. During the Cancer Center week forum “Why I Do Cancer Research,” researchers, doctors, and students from the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at WVU came together to discuss why they do cancer research and to share their personal stories.

Jason Evans

Jame Abraham

Laura Kelly

WVU graduate student, cancer cell biology “What we do, at the end of the day, could potentially help save lives or at the very least give people more time on Earth to spend with their family.”

MD, medical director, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center “As an oncologist it’s almost second nature. I don’t think I can do anything other than research. I need to find a better treatment for who is going to walk in my room the next day so that I can tell the next patient that we have a better treatment.”

WVU graduate student, cancer cell biology. Her father passed away from cancer “The nice thing about doing research and the nice thing about science is if you do it right and can keep your emotions out of it, it will make sense. Unlike the disease itself. When it affects you personally, it can’t make sense. But when you get your data and you look at it and you put it all together you have an answer . . . for that one small moment. Even though you couldn’t help that person in your life, hopefully your small piece of data will help somebody else and their family.”

0:00 / 1:30

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/mbrcc/

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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solutions

Bringing healthcare home

What is it?

Bonnie’s Bus, a new pink and white bus that is WVU Hospitals’ mobile digital mammography unit. The camper-like, 40-foot-long bus is equipped with a patienteducation area, a small kitchenette, restroom, and waiting area. It is named after Jo Statler’s late mother, Bonnie Wells Wilson, who passed away from breast cancer without the benefit of such screening technology.

Who’s responsible? The bus and mammograms are made possible through a $2.5 million gift of Jo and Ben Statler to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, as part of their $25 million donation to WVU.

A first-generation college student, Ben Statler is a third-generation miner who worked the midnight shift at a local mine while enrolled at WVU. He received a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering in 1973. At the same time, Jo began work at the WVU School of Dentistry.

During the 2007 Mountaineer Week, Ben and Jo Statler were honored as the Most Loyal West Virginians, and the WVU Foundation recognized them as recipients of the 2008 Outstanding Philanthropists Award.

Where is Bonnie’s Bus going?

The travel plan mirrors West Virginia counties that have the worst breast cancer mortality rates. McDowell County tops the list, and Mercer and Mingo counties could also be among the first areas visited.

When?

Began spring of 2009.

Why?

Ben Statler said, “As a WVU alum, I have experienced the impact of a great education. The degree that I received was more than a stepping stone. My degree was not just a line on my resume, but the foundation for much of what I was able to accomplish in my career. It is with great pride and appreciation that Jo and I contribute to WVU. We are thankful to share in the future of this community.”

The results of the Statlers’ generosity will affect countless lives, for years to come. www.hsc.wvu.edu/mbrcc/bonnie/overview.asp Ben and Jo Statler ’73 BS

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Reaching across West Virginia . . . West Virginia University has a special responsibility to address the health issues of rural West Virginia. The Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy train the doctors, nurses, dentists, physical therapists, and other health professionals who go back to their hometowns and very literally care for West Virginians.

School of Dentistry

School of Medicine

School of Nursing

School of Pharmacy

An oral health forum held

To help with the mission of

The online doctor of nursing

The West Virginia Poison

recently on campus high-

providing top-quality health

practice program is one of

Center provides emergency

lighted the fact that “Oral

professionals and health care

only four in the country and

information for the manage-

health is a social, economic,

in all areas of West Virginia,

the first to receive initial

ment of poisonings, in all

and moral problem in West

the School of Medicine has

accreditation. Additionally,

counties of West Virginia,

Virginia,” according to Dr.

two regional campuses: the

the online master’s program

24/7. The Center held a

Louise Veselicky, interim dean

Charleston Division and

was named one of the best

poster contest for children

of the School of Dentistry.

the Eastern Division (in

graduate programs in the

with the theme “Poisoned?

“An issue like this represents

Martinsburg).

country by U.S. News &

Not Sure?”—the winning

World Report.

poster was used on bill-

what a 21st century land-grant institution is all about,” added WVU Chief of Staff Jay Cole. “We are uniquely positioned to take the lead and raise the profile on this issue. ” http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/sod/

The American Academy of Family Physicians named

Nursing students helped to

the School of Medicine as

create an electronic map of

a top-ten medical school

occurrences in West Virginia

for producing graduates

of Polycystic Ovary Syn-

choosing careers in family

drome, a chronic disease in

medicine. The School offers

women, to increase its recog-

six-week summer extern-

nition and diagnosis.

ships that allow students to work with family medicine

boards across the state. A team of students from the School of Pharmacy helped with this project. http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/sop/

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/son/

doctors in their hometowns and a competitive Rural Scholars Program that provides a stipend during residency and

A huge reservoir includes a community of talent lies in the youth of research project. the underserved populations of West Virginia. The biggest challenge has been to http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/ convince federal funding agencies, state leaders, educators, parents, and even the young people themselves about the talent and their potential to positively impact health in our communities. It is vital that everyone who provides dollars to HSTA understands that with a small initial investment, we will reap great returns in terms of the quality of health care and economic benefits.

Ann Chester Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences for Social Justice, developed the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) Program

The role of a pharmacist is definitely changing in the eyes of the public. We are no longer seen as the person behind the counter filling a prescription, but as an important part of a patient’s health care team. We are helping our patients become healthier. Our researchers are making great strides in the discovery and development of medications. By working with faculty members and researchers from other schools at WVU, we know that our combined expertise will help improve the health and lives of West Virginians.

Dr. Patricia Chase Gates Wigner Dean of the School of Pharmacy ’78 MSW, ’02 EdD

www.wv-hsta.org/

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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solutions

Health breakthroughs Helping Hearts

Growth at the University has been driven by joint partnerships. Look at where we are in medicine today; this would not be possible without public and private funding, and the joint commitment to research. Little more than a decade ago, endowed chairs were dreams in Engineering. Today they are realities that have enhanced the basic credibility, scope, and professionalism of the faculty.

Glen Hiner, ’57 BS, ’90 PhD Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Owens-Corning, Founder, Glen H. Hiner Dean and Professorship

The CARDIAC Project combats the unacceptably high prevalence of heart disease and diabetes in West Virginia. Schoolchildren and school staff members are surveyed to see if they have risk factors for heart disease, and those at higher risk for developing heart disease earlier in life because of family history are identified. Parents of high-risk children are screened for free.

Teen Smoking? Not . . .

The most widely used and researched teen smoking-cessation program in the nation was developed at WVU. Teens learn and understand why they

smoke and gain the skills, confidence, and support they need to quit. In the 1990s, teen smoking rates rose, and West Virginia led the pack: 42% of teenagers said they smoked. Researchers at the WVU Prevention Research Center stepped in and helped to develop a smoking cessation program, Not-On-Tobacco (NOT). In West Virginia alone, the smoking rate for teenagers declined to 28% in 2003.

T2R2: Not Science Fiction, Real Science T2R2 stands for the Translational Tobacco Reduction Research Program, a multidisciplinary team of more than 40 WVU researchers, scientists, and physicians, who translate

research into real-world strategies that protect youth and adults from harm caused by tobacco. The team produced literally hundreds of publications in scholarly journals this past year—

an unprecedented feat in academia. They also garnered the attention of media around the world for research related to smoking and smokeless tobacco. Their groundbreaking research disclosed the high nicotine levels in smokeless, spitless tobacco products.

http://www.cardiacwv.org/ http://prc.hsc.wvu.edu/ http://www.notontobacco.com/ featured on CNN: www.wvu.edu/alumni/smoking/ http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/mbrcc/t2r2/ 32

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Nurses need to be recognized for keeping the “health system” functioning in West Virginia communities. As chronic shortages of nurses and continued pay inequity compared to surrounding states continues, West Virginia’s public health is at risk. Nurses want to stay and work here, but our graduates are being recruited away. West Virginia students are strongly committed to the people of our state—even those who leave continue to look for jobs that can bring them “home.”

Dr. Georgia Narsavage Dean of the WVU School of Nursing

Chemobrain

Does a simple antioxidant have the capacity to prevent “chemobrain” in women being treated with chemotherapy? Chemobrain is the mental fog following chemotherapy that women with breast cancer have complained about for years. Research at WVU may point the way toward relief. Animal studies show that injections of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, can prevent memory loss.

Is “Fish Oil SalesMan” Still an Insult?

Janet Tou, an assistant professor of human nutrition and foods, has received a $100,000 grant from the USDA to study the efficiency and safety of various fish oils. She participated in a research practicum on supplements sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

New Medicines = New Math

DNA, which carries our genetic information, and a large number of cells make up the human body like a repository of blueprints for tissues and organs. Adam Halasz, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, is mapping the random movement of molecules with computer modeling to better understand these cells’ function and communication processes. His computer modeling approach is unique and has multidisciplinary implications in biology, physics, and medicine. An expert in computational biology, Dr. Halasz is studying a

WVU Takes on a Statewide Epidemic

binding substance called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is related to the formation of new blood vessels and cancerous tumors. He is partnering with Dr. Bing-Hua Zhang, a researcher at the WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, to study the mathematical details of the process associated with VEGF binding to receptors. Insights gained could lead to new treatments.

“Prescription drug abuse in West Virginia is a silent epidemic wreaking havoc on communities throughout state,” Dr. Carl R. Sullivan, co-principal investigator for the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline and medical director of addiction services at WVU, said. In response, WVU founded Quitline (1-866-WVQUITT), a hotline providing referrals to treatment centers, information about Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and self-help materials.

Counting When it Counts

When surgeons open up a patient, nurses count the sponges they use before and after surgery to make sure that none are left inside the body. Occasional errors happen, and sponges left behind can lead to infections, more surgery, or worse. A company headed by WVU graduate David Palmer (’86, industrial engineering) developed a system to automate the counting and detection of surgical sponges. A tiny radiofrequency identification tag allows for easy counting.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

solutions

Working together In the tapestry of the 21st century university, the threads of education, research, and creativity interweave to create a stronger whole. The traditional divisions of left brain/right brain, or science versus art, don’t matter in a landscape where computer engineers work with political scientists to build layer upon layer of knowledge, and multidisciplinary teams “cross-pollinate” ideas and inventions. Tapestry, layer cake, or beehive, no matter the metaphor, collaboration is the key. The transformative power of working together—the very heart of how ideas become solutions—is being felt at WVU. WVU is the only university with a comprehensive, integrated research and education program in biometrics and forensic science. The FBI selected WVU as its lead academic partner in biometrics research. WVU has an extensive crime scene training complex, including the only vehicle processing lab for student training. The growth in white-collar crime and the increased need for homeland security led to the creation of our Forensic Accounting Program. WVU’s efforts resulted in the development of national curriculum guidelines for fraud and forensic accounting programs for the National Institute of Justice. d an S: sic n in U e r m o f gra st rge p pro a l i ur sh the -ho ern ve t a 0 n i h 42 year ics We ry etr ea k m eve a ior o t n s t bi s u j t n en er de n aft tud stu tio ip 0 •s h na s 6 s n t s u er ro bo int ac e a labs c a l r in • p me m su

WVU Professor Rachel Woldoff is measuring how incarceration affects parenting as part of her long-term study of the role of race and crime for urban populations. Part of the WVU Forensic Initiative is a forensic drug information website and database. The info will be analyzed to identify trends and create preventative programs.

James Nolan, associate professor of sociology, received a grant from the Department of Justice to study the effects of neighborhood dynamics to help police reduce crime. Math can help prevent crime—using advanced intelligence-gathering methods, WVU mathematics professors help identify emerging behavior of violent groups by analyzing data generated by Internet traffic, financial transactions, and surveillance devices. They work with . . .

Arun Ross, of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, researches biometric recognition systems based on facial recognition, the eye’s iris, We have developed a forensic drug information website and fingerprints. He and database. It allows us to compile an collaborates with . . . extensive amount of data related to all Associate Professor of of the drug-related deaths in West Virginia, most of which involve prescription drugs. Political Science Robert Duval This work can also be expanded to include remotely researches international politics, entered drug-related death data from other parts of the national security policy, and computer nation. The information will be analyzed to identify important characteristics and trends, so better preventive applications for political science. and educational methods can be developed.

Dr. Marie Abate 34

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Director, West Virginia Drug and Health Information Center at the School of Pharmacy

www.lcsee.cemr.wvu.edu/research/projects/

What is nanotechnology? Nanotechnology will fundamentally change our lives, much like the computer did in the last century. Many

20 Everyday Nano Items

products are already

1. Banana Boat Kids tear-free SPF 30 2. Burt’s Bees Inc. chemical-free sun-

on the market, and

screen SPF 15

more are coming. —Larry Hornak, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and Co-Director of the WVNano Initiative

{ } .

This dot is small, but is millions of times bigger than a nanometer. {1 nanometer = one-billionth of a meter} Using technology that harnesses the tiniest components of matter, WVU researchers from many different fields are working on nanolevel security, health, environment, and energy applications that have the power to transform our world. Much of the nanotech research at WVU focuses on developing sophisticated, portable biosensors that might be used in biomedical, environmental, or defense settings: detecting cancerous cells or tiny amounts of hazardous materials in the air or water.

An International Effort WVU students can join an international research team working on nano-scale materials and collaborate with physics professors and experts from around the world. Undergraduates and graduate students will work at the State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular

3. Elixir guitar strings 4. Umbrella fabric 5. Microsoft XBOX 360 6. Samsung Notebook Computers 7. Nikon Camera Lenses 8. Kodak Ultima photo paper for printers 9. JC Penny Company Sheets 10. Sharper Image Fresher Longer Miracle Food Storage Containers

11. Nonstick glass bakeware 12. Brooks Brothers stain-resistant tie 13. Eddie Bauer, Dockers, L.L., Bean and Lands’ End men’s clothing

14. Turtle Wax F21 car and tire products 15. Yokohama Tire Corp. S drive tires 16. GM and Mercedes-Benz automotive exterior paint finish

17. Behr Premium Plus Paint 18. Curling irons and hair straighteners 19. Remington CleanXchange foil shaver 20. Black & Decker DeWalt Cordless power-tool set

Structure and Materials at Jilin University in Changchun, China. A series of symposia will be held at WVU and Jilin.

wvnano.wvu.edu

West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

Fall Fall 2 0 0 9

solutions

Partners (but not in crime)

Protecting our nation

Partners: WVU, West Virginia State Police, National White Collar Crime Center In a three-year project, computer science and engineering students built a user-friendly, secure online crime-reporting system for the West Virginia State Police. The website—

Preventing a Pandemic

www.wvcrime.com—accepts

George O’Doherty, an associ-

anonymous tips and reports of

ate professor of chemistry,

non-emergency crimes.

and Bulan Wu, a third-year

www.wvu.edu/alumi/crime

graduate student, are part of a research team developing a new treatment for bubonic plague and other infectious

Protecting Tunnels A swarm of WVU researchers and transportation officials in hard hats and safety vests

diseases.

FBI’s Behavioral Science

cases of bubonic plague

Unit to study the motives

each year.

of captive-takers. The Global

• Known as the Black Death,

D.C., subway tunnel . . . Why?

bubonic plague killed millions

To test a new system for

in Europe in the 1300s.

breaches caused by explosions or fires. The idea is simple but innovative: a protective inflatable plug— similar in concept to a giant airbag—designed to prevent the spread of smoke, toxic fumes, gasses, or flooding.

• Luna Innovations approached Dr. O’Doherty to work on this new therapeutic treatment. • Other schools involved are the University of Virginia, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the Illinois Institute of

The test was covered by the

Technology Research.

National Geographic Channel,

• A $2.1 million grant from

which called it part of the nation’s “high-tech war on terror.” www.wvu.edu/alumni/tunnel

WVU has teamed up with the

• There are 1,000 to 3,000

fill an empty Washington,

protecting tunnels from

WVU Combats Global Hostage-Taking

the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding the research.

Hostage-Taking Research and Analysis Center will manage various research projects, oversee project data analysis, and disseminate knowledge through publications, training, and materials for use by the public and private sectors. Jeff Daniels, a faculty member in the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling and Counseling Psychology, is leading the efforts. “Global captive-taking is a major domestic and international security problem. The results of this research will be applied toward the development and enhancement of education and training of individuals and agencies involved in anti- and countercaptive-taking activities. By ‘getting inside the minds’ of captive-takers we hope to have a greater understanding of the dynamics of hostage-taking.”

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2009

solutions

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

West Virginia: America’s energy state At WVU, a foundation of energy research fosters the responsible use of fossil energy and the development of sustainable energy technologies.

coal-to-chemicals high-efficiency engines

Over 100 faculty are studying energy issues and

coal-to-liquid fuels

developing energy-related initiatives. They have

carbon fuel cells

secured over $98 million in grants and funding over the last four years.

nanocarbon additives

A partner in an academic consortium and supported

clean power generation

by the US Department of Energy’s National Energy

enhanced natural gas recovery

Technology Laboratory, WVU is the critical center of a network of energy partners.

sustainable energy parks

http://research.wvu.edu/

West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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It’s not easy being green West Virginia University is home to an innovative, nationally recognized study of organic farming strategies. It has addressed some of the most basic issues, from the very meaning of “organic agriculture” to identifying and solving common problems facing organic growers. Organic methods promote biodiversity and sustainability, and integrate different types of production practices. They rely on natural means of plant nutrition and pest management instead of chemicals. Organic agriculture has social benefits, too. Organic practices promote small family farms, improve conditions for farm laborers, and build closer relationships between farmers and consumers. The WVU Extension Service has developed a Sustainable Agriculture Program to inform producers and consumers about environmentally friendly production practices and locally grown alternatives. www.wvu.edu/alumni/agriculture/ Joe Moritz, an assistant professor of poultry production, is part of a multistate, $600,000 project to study food safety in natural and organic poultry. The WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences has developed an undergraduate major, agroecology, focused on sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural production. www.wvu.edu/alumni/agroecology

More $ for Better Beef? Are you willing to pay more for healthier beef? The answer is “yes,” according to WVU Research Assistant Professor Jason Evans, who studied consumer perceptions of Appalachian grass-fed beef and their willingness to pay for the product. His research was part of a federally funded cooperative project conducted by the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Virginia Tech, Clemson University, and WVU.

Are You Gonna Eat That? With stories of bacterial outbreaks and food recalls common in the news, WVU food scientists Jacek Jaczynski and Kristen Matak are working to help consumers keep their food safe. They are developing an innovation to the microwave that could bring electron beam, or e-beam, technology into the home kitchen. Jaczynski has studied the effectiveness of e-beam technology at the producer level and found it effective against food-borne pathogens like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The e-beam kills microbes without heating the food, which makes it better suited for fruits and vegetables intended to be served fresh.

Fall

2009

solutions

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Finding a better way Alternative fuels aren’t just dreams.

Substantial growth in worldwide energy demands and the realization that petroleum is a finite resource have pushed science and technology to improve fuel efficiency and to examine alternative and renewable energy resources. The inevitability of demand exceeding supply continues to drive research and innovation. The WVU Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions is supporting the national effort through research into hybrid electric bus and truck performance, and through efforts to improve engine combustion and electronic controls.

Researchers across the University are cooking up

Nigel Clark

novel approaches to the problem, from liquid fuels

Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, George Berry Chair of Engineering

made from coal to new kinds of fuel cells, and more.

West Virginia Energy Production: The Next Generation Can we clean up abandoned mine and industrial sites

• Headquartered at WVU, the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium is a global leader in training

and produce clean, renewable fuels at the same time?

for and awareness of alternative-fuel vehicles.

WVU researchers think so, and the US EPA agreed

www.naftc.wvu.edu/ wvubiodieselproject.blogspot.com/

when it awarded more than a half-million dollars to investigate the availability of old mine sites suitable for development into sustainable energy parks. WVU will help communities identify potential sites. The goal is to produce biofuels such as switchgrass to breathe new life into abandoned properties, rebuild tax bases, and provide employment. wvutoday.wvu.edu/newspage/7087

Fuel Cells Everyone says fuel cells will be the next big power generator for everything from power plants to cars. WVU researchers are making practical breakthroughs in improving fuel cell technology that can cleanly use coal in the short term, and, in the long-term, facilitate the “hydrogen economy” of the future. Fuel cells operate like batteries

Cooking with Gas, and More

and produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel

• WVU’s Biodiesel Club was

is supplied. Fuel cells typically run

launched by engineering students,

on hydrogen, regardless of the source

and is trying to design, fund, and build a processor capable of converting used cooking oil from cafeterias around campus

(water, methanol, natural gas), but the fuel can also be supplied by coal syngas—a fuel produced from coal gasification, biomass, wind, solar

into fuel for use in WVU vehicles.

power, or other renewable sources.

• The US Department of Energy awarded WVU

A manganese-cobalt coating developed by

$1.4 million dollars for our part in a project aimed

researchers at WVU and the Department of Energy’s

at extracting thermal energy from the oceans. The

National Energy Technology Laboratory will advance

system may be deployed on the high seas by 2012.

fuel cell technology to use coal syngas. wvutoday.wvu.edu/news/page/7535

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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Every innovation, every new idea, every research finding initiates a change in the way we think, the way we work, or the way we live. At West Virginia University, we’re finding more efficient and innovative ways to help private industry and public institutions adapt in a rapidly evolving world. Mike Perry, a 1961 WVU College of Law graduate, knows the importance of change. Perry is a futurist who understands that change can only be initiated by studying our past for clues about the opportunities and challenges of the future. At Perry’s Heritage Farm Museum and Village outside of Huntington, this West Virginia business leader takes visitors on a tour of our past, from early settlers to factory workers. He demonstrates, through tools and technology of the era, how average people lived and how inventions like electricity and steam engines changed their lives. We study the past, Perry says, to appreciate the present and dream about what lies just beyond the horizon. WVU’s journalism students are moving the newspaper industry in West Virginia into the future through the “West Virginia Uncovered: Multimedia Journalism from the Mountains” project. Newspapers are an industry in peril, striving to find relevance in a Twitter world. But Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism students are working with rural newspapers to prepare for the changing media landscape, producing audio, video and text stories for the papers’ websites. They are also training reporters and editors to write copy and produce video for the Web. The mandate for change is affecting more than print media. It’s affecting health care, mining, farming, education and nearly every aspect of our everyday work and home lives, and WVU is finding ways to make these changes happen. West Virginia University Hospitals and University Health Associates are rapidly changing how they interact with patients and keep records. The Merlin Project provides

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Chan e instant access to patient records to medical providers and by

digitizing 1,000 rare books and making electronic versions

the end of 2009 will give patients electronic access to their re-

available online. And WVU became only the second institution

cords. The $90-million system will pay for itself in cost savings

in the world to require students to submit their master’s

within seven years.

theses and doctoral dissertations online, getting a million

The need for change affects all industries, and WVU

hits a year.

is positioned to provide the training needed to

West Virginia University is embracing

help industries adapt. WVU Mining Extension

social media, allowing you to share your

trains 3,000 miners annually with a state-of-

stories, providing the latest news and

the-art mobile unit that simulates mine fires and

information via the WVU to Go Widget

explosions. WVU Extension Service’s Small Farm Center

and YouTube. Our students are blogging from home and

goes beyond teaching business basics and

abroad, and we created a virtual community

introduces new marketing techniques to

of fans through BowlSpace.

help rural farmers earn more money and a better position in the global food market. Education is also changing and adapting for a new tomorrow. The National Association of

The WVU College of Law is tackling the new age of communication and commerce through its recently established Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Law Program. Too many rules and regulations aren’t keeping pace with new

Teacher Educators named WVU’s Five-Year

breakthroughs in technology or new emerging

Teacher Education Program a Distinguished

small businesses, College of Law Associate

Program in Teacher Education. These types

Professor Michael V. Risch says.

of programs are essential, says Dee Hopkins, dean of the College of Human Resources and Education, for economic development and a better quality of life in West Virginia.

Even WVU’s Office of Student Employment is finding new, high-tech and high-touch solutions to helping students who need to find jobs. Through websites, listserves, podcasts, job fairs, workshops, and one-on-one

WVU Extension Service’s Energy Express Program is a summer

counseling, the office is helping students sort through

reading and nutrition program developed to deliver curriculum

their jobs options. So far it’s helped students earn more

that nurtures and develops children’s minds and nourishes their

than $2 million.

bodies. Research has shown it reduces the summer reading slide among children living in rural and low-income areas.

WVU has positioned itself to be a global thought and change leader, affecting the future from Morgantown.

Your university is developing innovative ways

As Michael Perry says, those who adapt to change,

to spread knowledge in the 21 century

facilitate change, or cause change will not only survive,

by combining cyberspace with the best of

they will win. And only the future can tell us where we

the traditional classroom experience. WVU

are headed next.

is now wired for the 21 century, offering a st

multimedia center in the Downtown Campus Library. Students can even text librarians for answers to questions. The WVU Libraries are also in the process of

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

Have something to add? Know of another incredible WVU project or faculty or student achievement? Tell us, and the world, about it—log on to wvualumnimag.wvu.edu to share.

A futurist, in my opinion, is the individual who tries to figure out where things are going. A futurist looks toward the future optimistically as an opportunity for progress and improvement and is not preoccupied with preserving the status quo. — Mike Perry

West Virginia’s own futurist, Mike Perry, shares his insights about change—how it has affected our past and how it could bring about an even brighter future. We need leaders in business, government, in essence everywhere, who are looking way down the road and trying to anticipate where the road is going and preparing their organizations for the turns ahead, to ensure long-term survival and sustained high performance. Too much emphasis is given to wars and presidents as opposed to the stories of average people and how their lives were changed by major inventions in transportation and communication. I believe history would come alive if it was taught to reveal how people’s lives were changed. We study the past to gain an appreciation of the present and dream of a better future. When the investors, management, and labor learned to work together things prospered. When any of them forget the importance of the others the system broke down and this is still true today. The difficulty of change—management is reluctant to change—labor is reluctant to change—government is reluctant to change. We must all be willing to adapt and change, yet strong enough to resist change just for the sake of change, wise enough to determine when change is positive, and embrace it and when bad—resist it. We need to continue to produce graduates who know 42

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2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

how to think, solve problems, and never stop learning. Graduates who are confident they can face the unknown and conquer it. Graduates who are not afraid to make mistakes by taking risks and learning from them. Graduates who realize they may have to change jobs and even careers perhaps several times. Graduates who realize that they may be employed in jobs that did not exist when they entered school using technology that hadn’t been developed. Graduates who look at a new job as an opportunity to learn new skills and advance their future employability. Those who adapt to change and more importantly those who facilitate and cause change will not only be the survivors, but the winners, the individuals who make a difference in society by making it better for their fellow men. In the Age of Knowledge/Technology people will not be required to work in specific areas, like the large cities of commerce and business of today, but can choose to work at home or in smaller communities surrounded by the beauty of nature, but still supported by an unequaled quality of life in a healthy and safe environment. People will discover that there is nowhere more wonderful to live, learn, work, and raise a family than West Virginia. http://www.drwvfoundation.org/aboutus/perry.php http://www.heritagefarmmuseum.com/ http://law.wvu.edu/

Mike Perry

College of Law, ’61 JD

Mike Perry and his wife, Henriella, are co-founders of the Heritage Farm Museum and Village. He has been a key leader in the West Virginia business, education, and health communities throughout his long career, and he is West Virginia’s own thoughtful futurist. Along the bucolic country roads just outside of Huntington is a museum that speaks of change. The hand tools, wringer washers, steam tractors, and Model T Fords therein tell stories of the hard work put forth to survive and raise families in rural West Virginia. Mike and Henriella Perry have lovingly created and cultivated the Heritage Farm Museum and Village throughout the last fifty-plus years. It began when Henriella suggested that instead of golfing every weekend, Mr. Perry should do something that could include the whole family (they had three children). Mike agreed and green fees were quickly spent at antique shops instead. As their collection of antiques grew, they decided to share their treasures. Today the exhibits at this farm fill over 20 buildings, including a church, log homes (that can be rented), a country store, a sawmill, and more. The stories told here are ones of average people—early settlers, factory workers, farmers, and craftsmen—and how major inventions like electricity and the steam engine changed their lives. “We wanted our museum to demonstrate progress and the inventiveness of man and how it changed everything, particularly in rural Appalachia,” said Mike. The tools showcased in the Heritage Farm Museum helped our ancestors long before semis hauled feed and supplies from the other coast and families kept in touch via Facebook. Even though Mike believes it’s important move forward, he says we must remember the past. “Too often we forget what it took for us to have the quality of life we take for granted today. If we study the past, we gain an appreciation of the present and can plan and dream about a wonderful future for not only ourselves but also for those who follow us. The museum Mike and Henriella Perry

is a window to our past and a door to our future,” he said. West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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change

Chan e How can community journalism survive in an era of declining newspaper readership? Survivor WV—Newspapers Beating the Odds

Student Jessica Rhodes shoots video for a multimedia story as part of the WV Uncovered project. Steve Butera interviews a Tucker County High School football player in the hall of the high school in Hambleton, W.Va.

In small-town West Virginia, the local newspaper often is the community’s only vehicle for learning about important local issues. And community newspapers are facing the same challenges that major metropolitan newspapers have already encountered, as they continue to lose readers to the Web. The Web-based, studentcentered project “West Virginia Uncovered: Multimedia Journalism from the Mountains” started in fall 2008 to help rural newspapers prepare for the changing media landscape. Students and faculty are producing audio, video, and text stories for the papers’ websites and training newspaper staff to produce and deliver their own content for the Web. In the future, the project will also engage residents of the newspapers’ communities as journalists, bloggers, and content producers. http://wvuncovered.wvu.edu/

Facts

to Ac On a N cor ne lin ie din s w e a lse g m ites spa na n 6 or a pe lys lio 8.3 e tha ttrac r we is, vi n m n te bd th sit u il of ird ors niqu a 20 qu in e nu rec 08 ar th re mb ord , ter e 1 fle e in 5.8 ct r th ov cre % s a at s er as p am th e a erio e e ea yea d rli r er .

http://journalism.wvu.edu/

n atio und o F ck rmi 00 00 cCo 85,0 M 10,7 one $ h $ : t : t e n vic rom rojec hich ocal Ser p ed f in w sole l blic ceiv of the s u e e P r i e r nt nt rt th t 5 t fo cou Gra suppo firs f5 are ran inia pers 30 o d in UG in g e r V i t : a W ed sp ws sen st V volv We ily new e of ne pre ts in t: 11 s re ject: 4 n e da ourc i e t c n ro s tud proje Cou r of p per of s f spa allen: in ber year o yea w m e u N first S n n has f llion i al U in il o Tot culati 2m 0m cir rom 6 4 to 5 2007, o t f 199 ion in rding nd l acco tor a er In- l Edi ublish ationa k o P n ter earbo Y

Two Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism undergraduate students, Elaine McMillion and Tricia Fulks, suggested the idea for the project, wanting additional opportunities to practice multimedia reporting and nontraditional storytelling. “West Virginia Uncovered: Multimedia Journalism from the Mountains” is a community outreach project in which journalism and journalism education are helping one another survive in the changing media landscape.

Drumming is a part of the treatment for the teens of the Alldredge Wilderness Journey.

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Tricia Fulks checks video for a multimedia story as part of the WV Uncovered Project.

I follow a few blogs on a day-to-day basis because I am so involved in the media. I try to follow blogs that are geared to the political world and to the public policy world. I’m still a fairly traditional guy too, so I still want to have that hard-copy newspaper in front of me. I read about six or seven newspapers a day. I look at them online as well, but I still want to have that hard-copy newspaper in front of me on a day-to-day basis to feel like I’m getting some of the real blood out of it.

Steve Butera considers his next shot for WV Uncovered.

Student Elaine McMillion shoots video at a “Camo Wedding” in Summersville, W.Va.

Scott Widmeyer founder of Widmeyer Communications and visiting professor of WVU’s School of Journalism ’74 BS

Social media’s impact really changes in profound ways the definition and dynamics of breaking news and analysis. I read a quote once where someone said that when it comes to assessing the impact of technological changes in our lives, society often overestimates it in the short term and underestimates the long-term effect. I think that newspapers will end up playing more and more of an analysis role. I also think there will be a trend toward what’s local.

Loretta Ucelli Strategic Communications Advisor, Assistant to the President and Director of White House Communications under Bill Clinton ’76 BS West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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The more things change . . . the more WVU helps West Virginians adapt Saving Lives, Saving Trees In his very first news conference, President Barack Obama stressed the importance of switching to electronic medical records for better health care. Eliminating paper records not only saves money but also reduces the risk of medical errors by keeping everyone on the same page at all times. West Virginia University Hospitals and University Health Associates are ahead of the curve. The third wave of the Merlin Project took place in January, changing the way roughly 5,000 WVU health-care professionals interact with patients and keep track of data. The cost? Some $90 million for custom Epic Systems medical software, training, and implementation. The savings? Millions more for many years to come. On the horizon: patients will be able to access their records electronically via WVUMyChart, which will be unveiled by the end of 2009.

Facts

Approximately 5,000 licensed users will regularly access the electronic health records.

6,043 training classes have been completed. Software has been installed on 3,500 desktop computers and

400 computers on wheels. Estimates are that Merlin will pay for itself in cost savings within seven years. In West Virginia, Governor Joe Manchin has spearheaded conversion to a statewide electronic medical

records system, envisioning an electronic network for healthcare information encompassing all public and private health-care providers in the state.

http://www.health.wvu.edu/

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

How Can WVU Improve Mine Safety? Safety First With its darkness, heat, and smoky air, WVU Mining Extension’s mobile trailer, which simulates mine disasters, is not for the faint of heart. Since 1913, Mining Extension has trained more than 3,000 new and experienced miners annually and has been progressive in its approach. Its latest innovation is the trailer, the only one of its kind in the state, which is hauled to mines throughout the region. It’s outfitted with compartments constructed to simulate mine chambers, theatrical smoke to create a smoke-filled atmosphere, a heater, and a lifeline similar to the ones miners use. The trailer is just one component of Mining Extension’s commitment to miners and emergency preparedness training, which also includes facilities at Dolls Run, near Morgantown, and the Mine Simulation Laboratory in Beckley.

WVU received an Excellence in Mining Education Award http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/news/page/7415/ WVU Mining Extension Service and its director won international mine safety award http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/news/page/6849/ http://www.cemr.wvu.edu/eando/mining/

West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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What $6.8 billion industry has room to expand in West Virginia? A Growing Industry in a Shrinking Economy In many instances, the average processed food travels more than 1,500 miles; in many cases that’s more than the people who eat it have traveled. The WVU Extension Service is looking to change that by helping the state’s 22,000 farmers reach a wider consumer base through its Small Farm Center. The Small Farm Center goes beyond teaching business basics by introducing new marketing techniques for staple products like beef and potatoes. According to Tom McConnell, director, the key to a financially successful farm is keeping the food process, from start to finish, in the state. http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/ USDA: http://www.usda.gov

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Facts

How can consumers be encouraged to buy locally grown FOOd? Support Your Local Farmers Every Saturday morning from May to November, shoppers stand on Spruce Street in downtown Morgantown eagerly awaiting the sound of a ringing bell. That bell signals the opening of the Morgantown Farmers’ Market, and the dash to purchase produce and other goods from local farmers begins. Promoting farmers’ markets is just one of the many methods the WVU Extension Service is using to convey the value of buying local. The unit also hosts the West Virginia Small Farm Conference, which brings together academic, government, and small business experts to show farmers how

Facts Number of farmers’ markets in the US:

4,685 (2008) Number of markets in the state of West Virginia:

to better utilize resources and reach consumers.

Grocery Shopping 2.0 Did you know you can search for locally grown food via the Internet? Cheryl Brown, assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences, helped launch a website that links West Virginia farmers, growers, and artisans to consumers. Brown worked with Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia, a grassroots organization concerned with preserving small farms, the environment, and a more traditional way of life, to create the virtual marketplace. The site lists farmers’ markets, restaurants that serve locally grown food, and buyers clubs. It also includes a Farmer-to-Chef EMarket, discussion forums, and a Harvest Calendar. http://www.davis.wvu.edu/ www.WVfarm2u.org www.wvu.edu/alumni/harvest/ West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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As a land-grant university,

They must give students the tools they will need to thrive in a

West Virginia University

rapidly changing and ever-shrinking world. According to the non-

has always changed lives—

(information, digital, and visual) is one of the top-five teaching

the lives of its students and the lives of West Virginians. Land-grants emerged in the 19th century to educate young people from all walks of life—and to create knowledge that improves society.

profit organization EDUCAUSE, developing 21st century literacies and learning challenges of our time. Universities must also do more to internationalize their programs, to prepare graduates to thrive in a global marketplace. They must tailor research and discovery even more specifically to the rapidly changing needs of a society impacted by revolutions in technology. This means intensifying research efforts on issues vital to our nation’s future. For example, energy independence and sustainability are critical issues for the United States today, and universities are wise to invest in research on these issues. They must expand the boundaries of knowledge and exploit new technologies to create prosperity. Today, at a time of global

In the 21st century, landgrants and other public universities must confront a new set of challenges. — Peter Magrath Senior Presidential Adviser, College Board Former President, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges WVU Interim President, 2008-2009

financial instability, giving people access to intellectual capital, benefits from research, and opportunities to improve their economic fortunes is more important than ever. They must be entrepreneurial, forging strategic partnerships with business, government, communities, and other organizations. These partnerships help institutions attract resources necessary to fulfill their mission to improve society. They must be engaged institutions, fusing discovery and learning with engagement and outreach. During the year I spent serving as interim president, I saw firsthand that WVU is prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. While the University has room to grow in impact and stature, it is clearly a University engaged with the people it serves and committed to its enduring mission—educating students, discovering new things, applying knowledge in practical ways, and forging partnerships with West Virginia’s citizens to change lives.

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Higher education:

21st-century challenges

Globalization “We must accelerate the pace of our academic culture to move in sync with the needs of the world. And the ultimate driver is competition. The globalization of American universities is accelerating because of the rise of global competition. Globalization is the outcome of hundreds of years of connectivity through trade and the transfer of knowledge between cultures, and, as the nations of the world become more deeply entrenched in the process of globalization, universities have no alternative but to embrace it.” —Michael Crow, president, Arizona State University

Affordability “College tuition continues to outpace family income and the price of other necessities, such as medical care, food, and housing . . . the continuation of trends of the last quarter century would place higher education beyond the reach of most Americans and would greatly exacerbate the debt burdens of those who do enroll.” — Patrick M. Callan, president, The National Center, commenting on data from Measuring Up 2008: The National Report Card on Higher Education

Access “Today’s world demands that educational systems at all levels support high achievement and the development of lifelong learning skills for all students, regardless of background. If the United States is to remain competitive in a global economy, and to attain the goal of being a truly integrated society, we must ensure that all young people are able to achieve at the postsecondary level.” — A Shared Agenda: A Leadership Challenge to Improve College Access and Success, Pathways to College Network

Meeting Society’s Needs “There is little doubt that the need for and the pressure upon universities to serve the public interest more directly will intensify in years to come. The possibilities are endless: economic development and job creation; health care; environmental quality; the special needs of the elderly, youth, and the family; peace and international security; rural poverty and urban decay; and the cultural arts. There is also little doubt that, if higher education is to sustain both public confidence and support, it must demonstrate its capacity to be ever more useful and relevant to a society under stress.” —James J. Duderstadt and Farris W. Womack, The Future of the Public University in America

Attracting Resources “… public universities must break free from traditions and practices that depend heavily upon generous state support and instead manage their financial affairs much as private universities. They must become more entrepreneurial and proactive, seeking both the resources and the autonomy to allow them to thrive in spite of the vicissitudes of public funding.” —James J. Duderstadt and Farris W. Womack, The Future of the Public University in America

Promoting Lifelong Learning “The tremendous pace of technological change has made it imperative that individuals continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills. To stay competitive, one has to stay current. As a result, lifelong learning will be the dominant paradigm for higher education in the 21st century. Information technology is driving an increasing emphasis on establishing and maintaining effective learning relationships with students throughout their lives.” —Molly Broad, president, American Council on Education

Forming Alliances “Public universities should place greater emphasis on building alliances with other institutions which will allow them to focus on core competencies while relying on alliances to address the broader and diverse needs of society.” —James J. Duderstadt and Farris W. Womack, The Future of the Public University in America

Creating Programs that Cross Disciplinary Boundaries “As individual learning becomes more connected with personal and professional experiences, learning and instruction will need to become increasingly interdisciplinary to mirror and deal with real problems and real issues, which always involve integrating the perspectives of many disciplines and approaches.” —Donald E. Hanna, former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Extension

Technology “Since the business of the university is knowledge, the extraordinary advances in information technology will have profound implications for universities. Rapidly evolving technologies are dramatically changing the we collect, manipulate, and transmit information. This directly challenges the traditional paradigms of the university, where processes of knowledge creation , preservation, transmission, and application are still largely based on books, chalkboards, oral lectures, and static images.” —James J. Duderstadt, A University for the 21st Century

Embracing Change “. . . it is important to understand that the most critical challenge facing most institutions will be to develop the capacity for change … They should strive to challenge, excite, and embolden all members of their academic communities to embark on what should be a great adventure for higher education. Only a concerted effort to understand the important traditions of the past, the challenges of the present, and the possibilities for the future can enable institutions to thrive during a time of such change.” —James J. Duderstadt, The Future of Higher Education in the Knowledge-Driven, Global Economy of the 21st Century

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Education for the 21st century Priceless: Training the 21st-Century School Superintendent The WVU College of Human Resources and Education has created a 21st Century Superintendent Certification Program. School superintendents helped form a curriculum that emphasizes problem-based learning and includes an internship. Director Paul Chapman puts it best, saying “The experience is priceless.”

Earning an

A+

WVU’s Five-Year Teacher Education Program was named a Distinguished Program in Teacher Education by the National Association of Teacher Educators. According to Dee Hopkins, dean of the College of Human Resources and Education, “Our goal is establishing high-quality programs for new and practicing teachers in West Virginia. This is essential for economic development and an enhanced quality of life.” A graduate of WVU’s Five-Year Teacher Education Program earns both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and has racked up 1,000 hours of field experience. Faculty from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Human Resources and Education are involved in the TEACH-WV Scholarship Program, which offers up to 20 scholarships of $30,000 each. In return, students certified to teach science or math in grades 5-12 spend six years in the West Virginia schools that need them the most.

It Adds Up The Institute for Mathematics Learning’s long-term goal is to improve the quality of math instruction throughout the state. The Blue Ribbon Mathematics Partnership Committee is improving math education in Harrison, Hampshire, Marion, Mineral, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Upshur, and Wood counties.

Professors in Public Schools The Collaborative Faculty-in-Residence Program places WVU professors in local schools.

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Strengthens teac 52

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(Hint: It’s not on a playground.) Children living in rural areas and from low-income homes lose both academic skills and nutritional status during the summer. Energy Express is a summer reading and nutrition program developed by the WVU Extension Service. Teachers, community volunteers, and college students deliver a curriculum that nurtures and develops the children’s minds and nourishes their bodies. Participants eat well-balanced breakfasts and lunches and feast on steady doses of support and encouragement to read, write, and express themselves through words and art. • Serves 3,000 children each summer at 74 sites in 39 counties.

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What did a state-of-the-art classroom at WVU look like at the dawn of the 20th century? West Virginia History on Demand Miners striking in Matewan. Eleanor Roosevelt touring Arthurdale. Jerry West making baskets in the old Field House. A glimpse into West Virginia’s past is only a few clicks of the keyboard away. West Virginia History OnView is a digital database providing online access to nearly 35,000 historical photographs from the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. Extending beyond researchers and historians, sports enthusiasts browse through pictures of WVU’s basketball and football teams from years past. Many users enjoy reminiscing over images of the shops, restaurants, and attractions that once filled their hometowns. West Virginia History OnView incorporates detailed cataloging and descriptive information for each image to enable users to perform instantaneous searches on any word or combination of words.

Facts This resource is available for free to anyone with Internet access. Images are available for purchase.

A Wired Library The Downtown Campus Library added 36 carrels with Dell computers to the first floor, purchased 20 Dell laptops and 20 MacBooks, and created a multimedia center on the lower level. The new multimedia center offers a mix of work stations equipped with iMacs, media-enhanced iMacs, and multimedia-enabled Dell PCs. Associate Dean Myra Lowe envisions a place where a student can do everything from start to finish for a multimedia project. Students can check out cameras and other equipment for filming and return to compose their work on a computer. http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/downtown/index.htm

A Different Kind of Text Remember scribbling call numbers for books on scraps of paper? You can now add that task to the growing list of bygone activities such as turning the knob on the television. Researchers who find materials in the libraries’ online catalog can now simply text the listing to themselves or others. A new service sends the text message, containing a selected book’s title, location, and call number, to your cell phone. Students can also connect with a librarian via text message to ask a question and get a quick answer. Users can also ask questions in person, over the phone, by e-mail, or instant message.

Scholarship 2.0 Three WVU representatives were recognized by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations for their success in creating electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). The WVU Libraries launched the site in fall 2005 with 5,000 images and an ambitious goal of digitizing 25,000 photos from the WVRHC’s historical photograph archive. All 55 West Virginia counties are represented in the database.

Kelly C. Barkhurst, who earned a master’s degree from the College of Creative Arts, won an Innovative ETD Award for her dissertation titled “Design Taking Action: A Holistic Approach to Design Problem Solving Applied to Disease Education.” Shirley S. Burns, who earned a doctorate in history, received an Innovative Learning Through ETDs Award for her dissertation “Bringing Down the Mountains: The Impact of Mountaintop Removal on Southern West Virginia Communities.” John H. Hagen, manager program coordinator for the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Program, was recognized for exemplary leadership and commitment to ETD. http://www.wvu.edu/~thesis/ http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/ www.wvu.edu/alumni/wvhistory/

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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I hope books never go away, and I don’t think they will, but digitization makes a book available to anyone, anywhere in the world, who

What do you get when you cross a 150-year-old book with the Internet?

has an Internet connection. —Frances O’Brien Dean of the WVU Libraries

Facts WVU Libraries initially Facts The digitized 10 rare books. • The WVU Libraries initially digitized 10 rare books.

Batteries Required When it comes to reading a book, good battery life on your laptop may one day be just as important as good lighting. The West Virginia University Libraries are in the process of digitizing 1,000 of their rare books and making the electronic versions available online. Last year, the Libraries were among 14 institutions to participate in a book digitization pilot project led by Lyrasis, an organization of libraries, museums, and archives. By going to the Internet archive, www.archive.org, users can search by author or title to find

The Libraries are in the • The Libraries are in the process of digitizing 1,000 process of digitizing rare books. 1,0 00 rare books.

vabillereaiala kseaav ooar et: iglitbaolobks rnss ce te • The Thdeigdita ac In h et it wrn ete yonIn nith neaw yoto . an rg to a ble . hive.o rgrc w.a w.o s:hiwve wawcw ce.asrc

a book. After selecting a book, the reader views the book as a flipbook and can virtually flip through the pages with a few mouse clicks. Because the pages are scanned, users see vivid pictures of the actual pages, not simply typed text. This means readers see all sketches or pictures in the original manuscript. The same goes for any dog-eared pages, underlined sentences, or scribbled notes in the margin. The text of the virtual books is also keyword searchable. http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/ http://www.lyrasis.org/

View the Digital Books Go online and visit any of the following Web address to view one of the digital books. Select the “flipbook (beta)” version. www.archive.org/details/missionarytravel00livi www.archive.org/details/insideviewofform00will www.archive.org/details/southernmountain00boge www.archive.org/details/mineralspringsof00moor www.archive.org/details/aftermoonshiners00atki www.archive.org/details/winningorlosings00mort www.archive.org/details/ramblesinpathofs00bowe www.archive.org/details/spurrierwithwild00crut www.archive.org/details/mountaineersorbo00yels www.archive.org/details/mineralspringsof00burk 54

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wvuScholar shares knowledge across the world Ten years ago, WVU became the second institution in the world to require students to submit their master’s theses and doctoral dissertations online. Today, graduate research from around the world is accessed on the Internet millions of times each year by academia, industry, government, and the public. As of March 2009, WVU’s Electronic Institutional Document Repository system and collections migrated to a new repository system called “wvuScholar.” It includes not only electronic theses and dissertations, but also undergraduate Honors College theses, and an electronic scholarly research archive for faculty, which features pre and post-print journal articles, technical reports, administrative reports, and conference proceedings. Past generations of scholars could only have wished for their words to find such an immediate, varied, and truly worldwide audience. www.wvu.edu/alumni/libraries/ https://wvuScholar.wvu.edu The WVU Honors College is publishing the University’s first research journal exclusively for undergraduate authors. The online journal can be accessed at: www.wvu.edu/alumni/research

Giving the gift of Second Life

The College of Human Resources and Education received a gift so rare that no more of it exists—free land in Second Life. Two avatars, who are friends of the College, donated the virtual gift with the intention of providing the College with an initial presence in Second Life. The land, bounded by virtual ocean on one side and a modern art gallery created by a German group on the other, is set for development. Doctoral students Sophia Baisie and Ronglei Chen and one of the avatars are in the midst of creating a conceptual model of the Human Resources and Education building. The main features to be highlighted include a new student resources and social areas and

http://www.hre.wvu.edu/ http://secondlife.com/

proposed state-of-the-art classrooms and a design studio. There are plans to give tours (with a virtual PRT!) of the future they envision for the College.

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Mountaineers: wired and wonderful Wikis. Widgets. Blogs. Tweets. Digg. Delicious. Ping. Zinch.

Apps we wish we had Who the . . . ?: helps you remember the latest stranger who friended you on Facebook Translation program: from “Academese” into normal English GPS Mountaineer: points you in the direction of a fellow alum Mo-Town Go: an in-car navigation system that helps you navigate the back streets of Morgantown to avoid traffic Mountaineer DVR: automatically records all WVU games and news Take My Textbooks PLZ: an app that helps you find buyers (or recyclers) for those 1980s and 1990s textbooks collecting dust in your closet

It may sound like Dr. Seuss dialogue, but the terms are the lexicon for the most dramatic changes in communication technology since the advent of the Internet. They represent technologies with the power to create and strengthen communities—including the Mountaineer nation. The Mountaineer community has always been large and familial, but now West Virginia engages more people in more ways than ever to ensure success in its land-grant mission—connecting ideas and people, opportunities and resources, and creating access for all the voices of the WVU family. Over the past five years, WVU has moved quickly to respond to 21st century communications challenges and harness technology to build productive communities of scholars, innovators, and leaders. New tools allow WVU to effectively capture “the wisdom of crowds.” Collectively we author the Mountaineer narrative for the world, expanding the borders of our geography, our knowledge, and our influence. We are hard at work harnessing this collaborative power to strengthen the relationships with the people whose lives WVU touches. We invite all of you to share the success of our mission, and to join our communities of pride and quests to solve, serve, and share with the greater world.

{

Want to learn more about social media? opportunities to connect.

The Daily Stew: download this app to have a Coach Stew-ism texted to your phone every morning UWV Eliminator: delivers a punishing zap to those who utter the phrase “University of West Virginia”

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}

Check out our home page www.wvu.edu for more

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

> “What Will You Start?”

Start Combined traditional print and television

messaging with a website that asks users to share what WVU helped them to start. http://whatwillyoustart.wvu.edu/ > WVU to Go Widget This window on the world of WVU can be installed on desktops or social media platforms such as Facebook and MySpace to provide users with a feed of the latest University news, photos, videos, and other information. http://facebook.wvu.edu/wvu2go > YouTube The popularity of YouTube and the viral video phenomenon proves that video has an unmatched power to provoke people’s emotions. WVU on YouTube offers everything from WVU news coverage, to promotional pieces, to episodes of WVU-produced TV shows like Doctors on Call, to children’s cartoons about “Pete the PRT.” http://www.youtube.com/westvirginiau > Blogging from Abroad Began in January 2007 as a way to highlight the University’s global connections, raise awareness about study abroad, and demystify the experience. Traveling students share their adventures through posts, videos, and photographs. fromabroad.blogs.wvu.edu > BowlSpace Mountaineers around the world gather in one virtual place to cheer on the bowl-bound football team, catch up with one another, and learn the latest happenings at WVU. BowlSpace is an online, interactive community that features blogs, message boards, videos, access to a WVU Facebook group, and Mountaineer Sports Network programming. bowlgame.wvu.edu

Who

wns the future?

As we face an uncertain global economic future, we can take some hope as entrepreneurs are already hard at work devising new ways of doing business and providing new products and services. These emerging businesses often reach customers beyond the reach of state and national borders. Establishing an enterprise that can effectively compete and survive in a global marketplace requires expert guidance and support. These new ventures offer many challenges, especially in the aspects of intellectual property and other related legal issues. This begs the question, who owns the future, or more precisely, how do you secure that ownership? WVU’s College of Law has started an initiative to meet this 21st-century need. Professor Michael V. Risch has established a new program to develop the skills of students by providing this kind of legal assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses in West Virginia. The recently established Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Law Program, created with the assistance of The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, has launched the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic.

In business and government, we see many examples of rules and regulations that are not keeping With globalization, legal problems and the practice of law no longer exist within boundaries. Answers to many local, state, and national problems are internationally significant.

Joyce McConnell Dean of the WVU College of Law

pace with effects of new breakthrough technology on society or the needs of emerging small businesses that are the engine of this new source of growth. — Michael V. Risch Associate Professor, College of Law http://www. law.wvu.edu/r/download/26646 http://www.benedum.org/ http://law.wvu.edu/public_service/elc http://law.wvu.edu/ West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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To thrive in the 21st century, the land-grant university must have a global mindset, pushing our boundaries beyond our local and regional community to include the world. In this section we explore how WVU’s relevance spans the globe, creating impact for our planet that reaches from our own backyards to virtual worlds and into space. Just ask Michael Wilhelm, director of the WVU Office of International Students and Scholars. He knows how small the world really is. No longer is it possible for our students to be disconnected from other countries and cultures. As we interact daily with a globalized economy, our students must understand the impact of a shrinking world. Through the College of Business and Economics, 30 companies are now participating in the Export Management Program, which gives West Virginia businesses the opportunity to take their products to a global market. WVU is working with companies like ChemBio Shelter Inc. to team business executives with students who help to develop targeted export marketing plans. Health care is not exempt from globalization. The Oman Medical College grew from a sandy patch of land into two modern campuses in less than a decade and now educates more than 1,700 doctors and pharmacists. It’s a partnership with WVU’s campus more than 7,000 miles from Morgantown, but the flying WV is a prominent symbol on this global stage. Ken Showalter, a WVU professor of chemistry, partnered with Rajarshi Roy, a physics professor at the University of Maryland, to bring the Hands-On School to India in early 2008. The idea was to allow those studying complex scientific theory in developing countries to actually conduct hands-on experiments. The first school was held in Gandhinagar, India, and attracted 250 students from 42 developing countries. Our faculty and students are traveling throughout the world to learn and share. Playwright and WVU Benedum Professor

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Small Planet of Theatre Frank Gagliano spent a sabbatical in

If space really is the final frontier, then WVU students are

China, sharing his knowledge with students at

leading the way for its exploration. The NASA West Virginia

Peking University. Art professor Naijun Zhang

Space Grant Consortium allows hundreds

has spent the past four years conducting the

of WVU students to earn internships and

Painting Studio Workshop Summer

research fellowships with NASA agencies

Program in China. And WVU professors

each year. The partnership is providing

are allowing students from Brazil to

practical experience and jobs for those who

come to Morgantown and Morgantown

want to explore the last true frontier.

students to go to Brazil through the Music Alive! Exchange Program. WVU’s World Music Center has encouraged students to spend their summers in Ghana, West Africa, learning drum building and dance, and sharing in the culture of the country. Our science-based programs are also pushing the boundaries. Engineers Without Borders, which connects engineering students with those in need throughout the world, has 70 members on campus and plans to build a pedestrian bridge to help children get to school in Nicaragua. Dana Brooks, dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, believes that globalization and internationalization of the curriculum is vital to the development of his students. The school’s International Center for

Becky McCauley, an alumna of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, is helping to find out if there is life beyond Earth and how to sustain life on other planets. Scientists are finding ways to alter a planet to be more like Earth, and McCauley is one of the researchers helping to examine effective ways to colonize other planets. It really is a small planet, and WVU is making it even smaller by breaking down boundaries, discovering new technologies, and leading research to ensure new developments that will bring us closer together. My study abroad experiences have enriched my education and shown that a culture on the opposite side of the world has the same concepts of happiness as we do. Studying abroad has influenced my life by introducing me to the world. What we see in our country is a fraction of global society. Studying abroad benefitted my study to the extent that I now consider living abroad.

Performance Excellence promotes sport, physical activity, and

Nathan Sisler

sport science on a global level through its visiting lecture series

International studies major who attended International Leadership Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, named Air National Guardsman Airman of the Year for the 167th Air Lift Wing Maintenance Group

and exchange partnerships. The Center for Literary Computing explores how technology and media structure our thoughts and experiences, and looks at the convergences of language and digital media—is there really a difference between a well-written novel and the computer code behind your favorite computer game?

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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Have something to add? Know of another incredible WVU project or faculty or student achievement? Tell us, and the world, about it—log on to wvualumnimag.wvu.edu to share.

Going global

Marjorie Fuller Director of the WVU Center for Black Culture and Research It is a substantial part of our mission here at the WVU Center for Black Culture and Research to make available to our campus community a forum for the study, research, and examination of African and African We hear a lot of talk today about “internationalization” American people and and “globalization.” No matter where a person lives in the societies. One method that we have used to United States, it is no longer possible to be completely accomplish this goal is disconnected from the notion of a shrinking world, where the development of our cultures are constantly bumping up against one another. I CBC&R Research Study believe that it is part of our charge to get WVU students Tours. These researchintensive trips are designed ready to meet these challenges as they transition to the to illuminate the impact workforce. of the African American It is really, really important to provide multicultural experience, not just here in the United States, but interactions for our students, and one of the most vital is around the world. In an to make sure that WVU has as diverse a student body as effort to continue to expand possible. The idea of the “American Dream” is returning to our reach, and provide prominence around the world, and WVU can be a big part unique and life-changing travel experiences for our of that dream for many students. I have been honored as students, the Center is planning a native West Virginian to represent WVU at recruitment its first international experience. As engineering fairs and school visits abroad, and hope to have the If you are interested in reading educators, our mission is opportunity to continue to do so even more. It is to challenge and educate our about our research tours, students to become the innovators important to remember how our domestic, and please visit our website at and leaders of tomorrow, to seek sound http://cbc.wvu.edu especially in-state students, benefit as they are technological solutions to global living, studying, and working with students from problems, and to push the frontiers of science and technology through faculty more than 100 different countries, and how this and student research.

will help them in their future careers. It truly is a small world after all. . . .

Michael Wilhelm Director, Office of International Students and Scholars 60

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Eugene V. Cilento Glen Hiner Dean of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Our students are getting jobs across the globe, and those who stay in the United States must also be able to interact with and communicate with counterparts in many nations.

College of Business and Economics Export Management Program ChemBio Shelter Inc. markets emergency shelters to avert chemical and air-

William Trumbull

borne threats. When the Sago Mine Disaster struck in 2006, the company began adapting the shelter to save the lives of trapped miners. Now, the company hopes that its safety shelter can save lives—not just in West Virginia, but in mines across

Interim Dean of the College of Business and Economics

the world. The ChemBio Shelter is just one product entrepreneurs hope to export overseas as a part the WVU College of Business and Economics’ Export Management Program. With support from the West Virginia Export Council, the US Department of Commerce, and the WVU Center for Chinese Business, the program is designed to promote exporting in West Virginia. Representatives from businesses team up with students to develop targeted export marketing plans. During 12 weekends, the teams explore cultural issues, traveling abroad, legal issues, foreign finances, shipping logistics, and more. The program culminates with a presentation of each export marketing plan and, in many cases, its integration into the business with

a trip to China to meet government officials and company representatives there.

The Export Management Program gives West Facts Virginia businesses the opportunity to go global Number of companies participating: 30 with their products when they otherwise might Percentage of participants who have begun or expanded exports: 70 not have known where to start. — William Riley www.be.wvu.edu/chinese_business/export_management.htm

co-teaches export management course

West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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OMAN MEDICAL Doctors for a growing nation The scene is striking—graduates resplendent in gold and blue, their parents smiling, the Flying WV logo on signs and diplomas, faculty members lining up to shake the hands of students—but we’re not in Morgantown. Thousands of miles from West Virginia, in the ancient port of Muscat, people are celebrating the completion of the first medical school class, and the second pharmacy class, of the Oman Medical College. It’s a college that grew from a sandy patch of land into two modern campuses in less than a decade, under the watchful eyes of a series of WVU faculty members. According to Dr. Tarannum Behlim, an Oman Medical College graduate, “The association between Oman Medical College and WVU helped us get the best of American education while being close to home. We are very lucky to have such a well-established and great medical school providing us with the best education and experience possible.”

Facts

>> Year first students admitted: 2001 >> WVU faculty who have taught here: 16 >> Students enrolled: 1,794 >> >> Length of combined pre-medical and MD program: 7 years >> Countries represented in student body: 25 >> >> Medical school tuition: $ 6,860 Omani rials ($ 17,841 ) >>

Miles from Morgantown to Muscat: 7,327 >>

www.omc.edu.om/

As we prepare individuals to become tomorrow’s educators, we must assure that they receive the knowledge and skills necessary to compete and interact within the global neighborhoods of the 21st century. We must instill within them the importance of approaching every endeavor ethically and responsibly as they teach tomorrow’s citizenry an awareness of the world and respect for its inhabitants.

Dee Hopkins Dean of the College of Human Resources and Education

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small planet

I have never seen students so enthralled

Opening a world of discovery

with a laboratory experience. That enthusiasm made the hands-on experimental

Discovery Many of us take for granted the easy access we have to hands-on science: cable television programming, well-equipped lab facilities of our primary and sec-

sessions especially rewarding for me. —Ken Showalter

Professor of Chemistry

ondary schools, and the ability to order a chemistry set from Amazon.com seem commonplace. As Americans,

we have many educational opportunities, and access to laboratory science is certainly one of them. That is not the case around the globe. There are science majors at international universities in the developing world who study complex scientific theory but have never seen or participated in an

{

experiment in a laboratory setting. In 2005, a conversation between Ken Showalter, professor of chemistry at WVU, and Rajarshi Roy, professor of physics at the University of Maryland, sowed the seeds for an idea that would take handson scientific experimentation to students of the developing world.

}

The Hands-On School is not like a typical scientific meeting; the school involves laboratory experiment and hands-on research. Tabletop experiments are ideal for initiating research in the developing world because they are inexpensive and involve relatively simple instrumentation. The first Hands-On School was held January 6-18, 2008, in Gandhinagar, India. Approximately 250 undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral associates, and junior professors from 42 developing countries applied to attend. Participants came from Brazil, Cameroon, China, Columbia, Egypt, India, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, The Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam, and the West Bank. http://www.chemistry.wvu.edu West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

Fall Fall 2 0 0 9

Big Sur in China

Performing at the ETA Hoffman was one of many highlights at WVU. It opened up the world of theatre to me on an international level. I hadn’t really thought about the possibilities of international collaboration. Now as a professional actor, I have performed in London’s West End; was one of two Americans chosen to be an international artist in residence at The Globe Theatre in London; and now I am an associate artist with a company called Blessed Unrest in NYC, whose mission includes international collaboration with Eastern Europe—Teatri Oda, a theatre company in Kosova.

Matt Sincell ’01 BFA, on performing in Germany as part of WVU’s exchange program with the ETA Hoffman Theatre

Playwright and WVU Benedum Professor of Theatre Frank Gagliano spent a sabbatical in China, sharing his knowledge with students at Peking University. Chinese students performed his play Big Sur, the first contemporary American play to be produced at Peking University. Written in the 1960s, Big Sur is about our inability to truly communicate with each other. Gagliano thought it would appeal to Chinese students, whose country is undergoing many of the radical changes that America experienced in the 1960s.

Facts

www.gaglianoriff.com/ theatre.wvu.edu 64

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Chinese art and WVU

For the past four years, art professor Naijun Zhang, coordinator of the WVU painting program, has conducted the Painting Studio Workshop Summer Program in China. In addition to learning about traditional Chinese painting techniques, materials, and concepts, students in the program travel to major historical and artistic sites throughout China. A noted painter, Naijun received a BFA in oil painting from the Nanjing Arts Institute, one of the oldest art schools in China. He returns with his WVU art students for the intensive workshop studio portion of the program, where Nanjing faculty lecture and demonstrate their skills and ideas.

Facts Nanjing Arts

Length of

Institute

WVU summer program: 5-1/2

established:

1912

Topics in summer

weeks

artanddesign.wvu.edu

course: traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, painting mounting, and more West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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A dancing bridge to Brazil WVU Professor of Music Education Janet Robbins is one of the founders of WVU’s Music Alive! exchange program with Brazil. She collaborated with fellow music faculty member Paul Scea and the WVU Office of International Programs to write a grant to support the four-year exchange program. The goal is to celebrate the musical and cultural traditions of both North and South America by giving students the opportunity to “swap” places with students from Brazil. The result is cultural immersion for musical study by students and faculty from both countries.

Facts

>> Traditional Brazilian music styles studied: Frevo, Maracatu (Afro-Brazilian music), and Caboclinho (indigenous music)

>> Brazilian groups who

visited WVU: Contra Cantos (choral ensemble) and Arabiando (guitar group)

>> Partner universities:

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

>> Special training for

WVU students: Intensive Portuguese language training at WVU and month-long study in Brazil

www.wvu.edu/~intlprog/exchanges/musicalive.html 66

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Project Ghana WVU’s summer course in Ghana, West Africa, focuses on music, dance, and cultural immersion, all under the direction of World Music Center Director Michael Vercelli, who led a similar program in Africa. Students study directly with recognized master musicians and dancers in various West African cultural groups, including Dagara, Ewe, Ga, and Dagbamba. They also witness performances by professional groups—a Ewe ensemble in Kopeyia, Dagbamba groups in Tamale, an Ashante ensemble from the University of Kumasi, the Saakumu Dance Troupe, and the Ghana National Dance Company.

Facts

Workshops offered: drum building, drumming, and dance with drum building

Other summer course activities: trip to UNESCO World Heritage enslaved people’s forts of Cape Coast and Elmina.

Date Ghana became independent from United Kingdom: 1957 Population of Ghana: 23 million

www.wvu.edu/alumni/ghana/ West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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See the world, serve the world

Last year’s trip to Nicaragua was eye-opening for the student members of Engineers Without Borders, an organization dedicated to putting students’ engineering skills to work helping those in need. Led by civil engineering assistant professor Lian-shin Lin, the group assessed the water supplies of the two small towns of Rancho Grande and Cerro Verde and helped build and install water filtration systems for the towns’ children’s feeding centers. Established in 2007, the service-minded group’s members have also traveled to Mexico, where they helped build eco-friendly greenhouses.

Working on a project to improve the quality of life in an impoverished country like Nicaragua is a rewarding experience for students. They witnessed severe poverty and gained an understanding of how engineering can improve people’s lives. I look forward to great accomplishments from these students, and hope that this trip will inspire others to get involved. — Rodney Holbert, 1989 MBA graduate of WVU, 1985 graduate of WVU Tech with BS in civil engineering

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Facts • Mission: To partner with developing communities to improve their quality of life • WVU chapter members: 70 • Next Goal: A pedestrian bridge to help children get to school safely in Nicaraguan towns • Alumni Sponsor: Rodney Holbert, WVU graduate from Mineral Wells www.wvu.edu/alumni/engineers/

It is absolutely vital that WVU students International Center for Performance Excellence aspiring to work in sport management, sport psychology, and

Sports Connect Across the Globe The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences’ Inter-

coaching-physical

national Center for Performance Excellence (ICPE) promotes sport, physical activity, and sport science on a global level.

education become

Steven Pope, the Center’s director, is spearheading many

familiar with the

international initiatives, including an annual visiting lecture series, a new book series (Sport and Global Cultures), exchange partner-

global context of

ships with several European universities, and a summer sport psychology academy with a university in Milan. ICPE is home to

Dana Brooks, dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sport

these enterprises. —Steven Pope

Sciences, agrees: “For a long time, the study of athletic coaching

Director, International Center for

the publishing company Fitness Information Technology, which Andrew Ostrow and William Alsop donated to WVU in 2004.

education, athletic training, physical education teacher education,

Performance Excellence

sport and exercise psychology, and sport management had a decidedly American focus, but in recent years the processes of globalization have challenged physical educators and sport studies scholars to broaden their horizons.” www.fitinfotech.com

Facts

Number of books in print: 80 Number of languages in which books have been translated: 10 Countries where books are distributed: Australia, Canada, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland,

At WVU I was interested in a variety of topics, including international relations, politics, economics, and foreign languages. With the International Studies Program, I had the opportunity to “sample” each of these subjects. The most important thing WVU can do to help students prepare for international careers is to provide them a solid, internationally focused curriculum, as well as ample guidance on and opportunities for international travel, work, and study.

Mary Sue Bracken

Portugal, Taiwan, and United Kingdom Globalization and internationalization of the curriculum will permit our students to explore new cultures, to value diversity of thought, and to add political and social capital to the global marketplace.

’92, BA in economics and BA in international relations, US Department of State’s Foreign Service

Dana Brooks

Dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, ’76 MSPE, ’79 EdD

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Man, mind, and machine: cultural meltdown or creative nexus?

Sandy Baldwin

It seems that we have suddenly awakened to a universe inhabited and controlled by machines. Instead of going outside to ride bikes, skateboard, play baseball, or throw a football, our kids are creating avatars of themselves and playing in virtual landscapes. We bank, shop, date, and interact socially and professionally in an online universe. We ingest medicines, apply lotions, and wear clothes that incorporate the use of nanotechnology. If we could see it in the air, like Keanu Reeves’s character, Neo, in the movie The Matrix, we would be engulfed by glowing streams of computer code. What are the effects of this recent radical cultural shift? Are these new technologies changing the essence of the human experience? Are they changing the very face of humanity?

Sandy Baldwin, associate professor of English and director of WVU’s Center for Literary Computing, in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, studies these phenomena—how technology and media structure our thoughts and experiences. His research explores the convergence of language and creativity with media technologies: the narratives of computer games, the similarities between poetry and computer coding, and how net art translates as a literary genre. Computer programming and poetry—most people would argue that the two disciplines are vastly different, and that authors of both “languages” have significantly different procedures, goals, and outcomes. Baldwin instead sees many commonalities between poetry and computer programming.

Facts >> The CLC offers multimedia consulting services to the public. >> In 2007, the Center received a $119,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to research the relationship between creative writing, computer programming, and software engineering.

>> Sandy Baldwin was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant in 2008. >> Baldwin’s Multimedia Writing English 303 class teaches students to design and write for the Web and how to use multimedia platforms.

>> You can download creative reading podcasts of WVU English professors and their guest speakers at http://clc.wvu.edu in the Podcast section of the website.

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Is the code behind a computer game any less creative than a well-written sonnet or a novel? Baldwin posits that both disciplines are fundamental writing practices, even though the poet uses characterization and metaphors and the programmer employs algorithms and syntax. Some writers are even using programming code to create poetry. Baldwin’s National Science Foundation research project, “Codework,” correlates poetry and computer programming. It is one of the ways that the Center is looking at the convergence of the language of literature and digital media. His creative writing experiments include text, sound, image, and collaborative performance.

Many of Baldwin’s projects involve several disciplines and departments working together. One such collaborative project includes writer and artist Alan Sondheim. Sondheim teamed with the Center and the Virtual Environments Lab. The team’s work involved attaching dancers from the Creative Arts Center to motion sensors, recording, and then digitizing their movements. The resulting videos, audio, and still images were featured in a local art installation and public discussions.

“Sondheim produced many . . . works through [a] creative mis-use and adaptation of the motion capture technologies at the Virtual Environments Lab. Using the technology against the grain, [he] disrupted and re-distributed built-in assumptions about the imaging and integrity of the human body and the capture of the ‘real.’ The results are beautiful and moving, both alien and very human, enigmatic, and intimate,” said Baldwin. Have we opened a Pandora’s Box with our reliance on and increasing use of technology? Will digital culture isolate us or will it better illuminate our understanding of the human experience? The Center for Literary Computing explores these monumental questions and propels us into realms unheard of just 20 short years ago. See the cutting-edge work at http://clc.wvu.edu

Alan Sondheim's project involved attaching students to motion sensors (above), recording, and then digitizing their movements. The resulting images were modified to create models used for still images and video (left).

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West Virginia space grant consortium

Photographs courtesy of Curtis Groves

Facts Mission: build research infrastructure, promote science, technology, engineering, and math education in West Virginia

Hundreds of WVU students get internships and research fellowships with NASA agencies each year, thanks to the efforts of the NASA West Virginia Space Grant

Dollar amount of scholarships, fellowships, and internships provided to students in

2007-08: $715,484

Number of WVU students who had internships with NASA or NASA-related agencies in

Consortium. Curtis Groves, one of those students, got involved with the Microgravity Research Team as a sophomore and later became a cooperative education student at the Kennedy Space Center. After graduating with a dual degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering, he was accepted into NASA’s Accelerated Training Program. After six months, he landed a full-time position with the Launch Services Program Flight Analysis Division at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He says, “I would not be where I am today if it hadn’t been for the encouragement and

2007-08: 16

Number of WVU students receiving NASA research fellowships in 2007-08: 197

www.wvu.edu/alumni/nasa/ www.wvu.edu/alumni/microgravity/ www.nasa.gov/home/index.html 72

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opportunities provided by the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium. The entire NASA experience — my internship, the cooperative education program, acceptance into NASA’s training program, and now becoming a full-time civil servant — all began when I filled out my very first application to become a NASA Scholar at WVU.”

The final frontier

Taking it to the Extreme

Cultivating the Cosmos Ever wondered if life

Not only is McCauley’s

exists beyond Earth

work out-of-this-world,

or if humans could

it’s extreme. Studying

expand civilization out

the origin and evolution of life has led her

into the cosmos?

to examine extremo-

Rebecca McCauley, ’07, an

philes—organisms that live

alumna of the Eberly College

in extreme environments—and

of Arts and Sciences, is at the

she’s currently studying microbial

forefront of modern science and technology, answering these fundamental questions, and making breakthroughs in astrobiology, space colonization, and terraforming. She is a new type of interdisciplinary scientist, studying everything

biofilm ropes found 1,600 feet below the Earth’s surface in a sulfidic lake deep inside the Frasassi cave system in Italy that could serve as an analog to life on early Earth.

from how life emerged on Earth to the possibility

Similar to the way humans need food to store

of sustaining terrestrial life on other planets.

energy, organisms use energy from the sun

In our solar system, no other planet is capable of supporting life, but researchers like McCauley have found that altering a planet to be more Earth-like through a process called

to metabolize. Before the evolution of this process called phototrophy, Earth would have been energy-limited and microbes would have relied on chemical energy to survive.

terraforming is an effective way to colonize

McCauley and her team of researchers have

other planets, making them inhabitable for

discovered that the biofilm is located in an

microorganisms, and perhaps human civilization.

energy-limiting environment that can support

Rather than maintaining small, enclosed colonies on the surface of celestial bodies, terraforming can alter climates, monitor feedback mechanisms that control climate (including atmospheric,

only very slow growth, and the ropes are estimated to be 1,000 to 2,000 years old. This research suggests the biofilm is completely isolated from products of photosynthesis.

evolution

geologic, and biological cycles), and aid in understanding Earth’s current climate change.

McCauley hopes to establish its energy source and discover which microbes it contains.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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books for the 21st-century mind

Keith Garbutt became the first dean of the WVU Honors College in 2006 after serving as director of the Honors Program since 2000. He is the Eberly Family Professor for Outstanding Teaching in the Department of Biology and directs the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. A faculty member since 1987 and former chair of the Department of Biology, Dr. Garbutt advises students who are preparing to attend professional school for health careers, such as medicine, dentistry, and optometry. Calling upon his years of experience dealing with the intellectual curiosity of young scholars, he agreed to share his insights about what books might help guide and enlighten readers at the start of the 21st century So what should you be reading at the beginning of the 21st century? The following list contains a few suggestions of books that may give insight into our current century and possibly the future. Any list of this sort is sure to elicit responses of “why on earth didn’t he include …?”, “how could you possibly not have included anything by …?” and “what on earth was he doing including …?”. It is the very nature of such lists that they will be idiosyncratic and a function of the individual who puts them together. To answer these questions in part, first, I only have ten choices and these were the ones that seem to me, at this point in time (3:30 on a Sunday afternoon), to be the most appropriate. Second, it may be that I simply haven’t read a particular book and I would not like to recommend a book I have not already read all the way through; undoubtedly some extremely worthy books have been left out because I have yet to read them. So with those caveats, here are ten books for the 21st-century mind.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow Recently we asked students in the Honors College to suggest books for the incoming class. Somewhat to my surprise a significant number of them suggested either 1984 by George Orwell or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Both books are now somewhat dated; their individual messages still resonate, but the technology and the social structures are definitely those of the early 20th century, not of the 21st century. Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother is definitely the 1984 of the 21st century, showing how it is possible to track very large numbers of individuals very closely and use computer algorithms to make, quite literally, life and death decisions about an individual’s fate and freedom.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

If Little Brother is 1984 for the 21st century, Margaret Atwood’s tale of a theocracy in America must be the Brave New World of the 21st century. The dangers of any sort of extreme religious fundamentalism should be clear to all of us in the world today. Atwood clearly saw the implications of such a movement for society and produced a truly chilling book on that topic.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan This collection of essays by the late Carl Sagan and

Ann Druyan contains some of their best work. If I had my way, two of the essays “The Dragon in My Garage,” and “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” would be required reading for all undergraduates. In a world in which we

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—Keith Garbutt

are bombarded by nonsense, pseudoscience, half-truths, and at times outright lies on television, the Internet, and newspapers, Sagan and Druyan’s strong stance in support of rationality and critical thinking are, as the subtitle says, a candle in the dark.

Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin This fascinating book, written by the discoverer of Tiktaalik, an intermediate fossil between fish and terrestrial quadrupeds, shows very clearly how important it is to understand our evolutionary history. Ranging from anatomy to paleontology to molecular biology, Shubin gives the reader an entertaining and understandable introduction into our own body and its history.

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh While many of us do not realize it, much of our lives are bound up in the science of cryptography. When we use secure websites or our bank transfers funds over the Internet, or even when we send secure e-mail, we are using the fruits of this fascinating and sometimes mind-boggling science. Singh’s book details the history of cryptography from the earliest codes right up to the present and the use of very large prime numbers in modern cryptography to protect data traveling around the world on the Internet. As an aside I would also recommend, though not as part of this list, that after having read The Code Book you should read Neal Stephenson’s remarkable science fiction book Cryptonomicon, which uses as its basis cryptography and the Internet.

The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker It was actually rather difficult to choose just one book by Pinker to include in this list. His writings on the human brain, modern cognitive science, and language are certainly vital reading for anybody at the beginning of the 21st century. The Stuff of Thought, which incorporates both language and cognitive science, is a relatively recent book that also brings together some of Pinker’s thoughts from his other books. Great, if sometimes disturbing in its implications.

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Textures of Reality by Brian Greene

Greene’s book was chosen as a representative of the work of physicists and astrophysicists at the beginning of the 21st century as they struggle with the “theory of everything” and continue to investigate the very furthest reaches in deepest time of the universe, while at the same time trying to unravel the most fundamental particles that make up that universe. It was extremely difficult to pick just one book as there are several excellent books in this area and probably any one of them would have been an appropriate choice for this list.

Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine by Thomas Paine

As I struggled with trying to find a book that would speak to the politics of the early 21st century I found myself coming to the writings of the great 18th-century theorist of the American Revolution, Tom Paine. Paine’s writing, though over 200 years old, brings a clear, commonsensical, and incisive mind to the notion of the rights of the individual, individual responsibilities, and the place of government in society. I’m well aware that many people will not agree with Paine’s ideas but we have to remember that his ideas inspired men like Thomas Jefferson to create what is now the United States of America. Tom Paine is certainly in our past and should probably be in our future.

What Is Your Dangerous Idea?: Today’s Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable by John Brockman

This collection of short essays by some of the greatest thinkers of the early 21st century is one of several books of such essays from the “Third Culture” website edge.org. Covering an enormous range of topics and viewpoints, the essays, sometimes contradictory with one another, provide an insight into some of the hottest topics in the science, politics, and society of the next decades. All the books edited by Brockman from edge.org are well worth a read, however, I particularly

like What Is your Dangerous Idea?, as it was a required book for the incoming Honors class of 2007 and led to some of the most interesting discussions I have had with students in the Honors College.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame What is an early-20th-century children’s book doing on this list? Any quick glance at the list would make it appear that this book is out of place. However, as I looked over the list it seemed to me that one of the things that was missing was a book that would help people think about how they live their lives. Clearly I could have suggested one of the great spiritual books of the world or maybe some sort of self-help book, but none of these seem to fit the bill. The Wind in the Willows provides numerous lessons about how we should think about living our lives and gives us some remarkable role models to aspire to. The beginning of The Wind in the Willows, with Mole working away in his little hole whitewashing the ceiling, can be a metaphor for many of our lives, and, like Mole we sometimes need to simply throw down the whitewash brush, run out of our hole shout “Onion Sauce” at the rabbits and go to the riverbank. It is probably the friendship between Ratty and Mole that provides the best lessons in life. There will be times in our lives when we all need a mentor like Badger and also, as we get older and hopefully wiser, there will be times when we should take on the role of Badger to those who may be lost in the woods like Mole or sometimes a little overenthusiastic like Ratty. And finally we should be aware that every so often we may behave like Toad. When we do we should feel thoroughly ashamed, realize what idiots we are, and apologize to the Mole, Ratty, and Badger in our lives.

So there you have it, “Ten Books for the 21st-Century Mind.” There are undoubtedly hundreds of books that are worthy of inclusion on the list; however, ultimately the important thing is that one reads widely, voraciously (even indiscriminately), and throughout one’s life. I firmly feel there is no such thing as something that shouldn’t be read, as all books offer us something.

Keith Garbutt Eberly Family Professor for Outstanding Teaching, Department of Biology Dean, the Honors College

P.S. Now, any list of this sort is sure to

elicit responses of “why on earth didn’t he include . . . ?” That’s where you come in — tell us what books are on your must-read wvualumnimagazine.com list.honors.wvu.edu/

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

small planet

CLASSCHATTER 1934

Ruth W. Holmes, BA, Phoenix, AZ, lives in The Beatitudes, an assisted living facility. She remains active at the age of 95.

1940

Jim Bland, BA, Beckley, WV, celebrated his 90th birthday in 2008. He would love to hear from his former Beta brothers. . .Lena Ferrara Cannon, BS, ’44 MS, Auburn, AL, is a retired professor from Auburn University where she taught human science. . .Louise C. Stephenson, AB, ’44 BA, ’50 MA, Charleston, WV, a former physical science teacher at WVU, taught junior high school math until her retirement.

1941

Russell E. Radabaugh, BS, Bradenton, FL, turned 90 years old in 2008. He volunteers as a tutor for the Literacy Council and enjoys working with the students.

1942

Merrill W. Dixon, BS, Troy, MI, retired from General Motors in 1985 after 42 years of service. He volunteers for the city of Troy. . .H. Laban White, JD, Clarksburg, WV, practiced law for 65 years. He also served in the US Army Reserve for 40 years and was Speaker of the House in the West Virginia Legislature.

1943

Alma K. Hook, BA, Bradenton, FL, continues to teach and enjoys volunteering at the local library.

1945

Dorothy Vande Linde, BS, Sedona, AZ, is site manager for the Sedona Public Library Village Service Center and is on the board of directors for the Big Park Waste Water Treatment Center.

1947

Richard W. Lee, BS, Fairmont, WV, is enjoying retirement.

1949

Harold W. Bloom, MA, Crofton, MD, turned 86 years old in 2008. . .William R. Lutman, BS, Charleston, WV, is 86 years old. . .Richard C. Moore, BS, and Laura F. Moore, BS, Asheville, NC, have been married 58 years. They have two sons and three grandchildren. They have fond memories of WVU.

1950

Joan Handley Burns, BS, Fairmont, WV, retired from Fairmont State University. She has eight children, 17 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. . .Bonnie H. Darks, BS, Sealy, TX, lives near three of her four children. She remains active in the community and her church. . .Charles R. Fulmer, BA, The Villages, FL, and his wife, Ginger, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2008. . .Sandra S. McPherson, AB, ’54 JD, Bethel Park, PA, retired from teaching English in the McKeesport School District after 40 years of service. She is a docent at the Frick Art & Historical Center in Pittsburgh. . .Jane Hodges Theiling, BA, Folly Beach, SC, is enjoying retirement and is glad to see Morgantown doing so well. . .Frank VandeLinde, BS, Brunswick, GA, and his wife Kathleen, ’49 BS, have four children and seven grandchildren. They are enjoying life and watching the Mountaineers.

1951

Harry A. Cortese, BA, Charlotte, NC, retired from sales and has lived in Charlotte since 1970. He still loves the Mountaineers. . .Benjamin J. DeCinque, BS, Salem, NJ, has been retired for 15 years. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, golfing, traveling, and watching the Mountaineers. . .Hugh Fordyce, BS, ’54 MA, Atlanta, GA, celebrated his 80th birthday in 2008. . .M. Kathryne “Kacy” Wiedebusch, BS, ’74 MA, Morgantown, WV, retired in 2006 as a professor of dance in the WVU College of Creative Arts and is now professor emeritus. In 2007, she was inducted into the Order of Vandalia. . .Glenn O. Workman Jr., BS, ’52 MS, ’67 PhD, Cumberland, MD, is a retired college professor. 76

Fall

2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

1953

Jean W. Burgess-Payne, AB, Belleville, MI, lost her husband of 50 years in 2005. She remarried a wonderful man, James, and her large family has become even larger. . .Leon M. Plevin, BA, Cleveland, OH, is an honorary trustee of the Cleveland Museum of Art . . .Godfrey Wright, BS, Columbus, OH, retired as a teacher and coach of basketball, football, and track and field at Jonathan Alder High School. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame for outstanding coaching and is currently employed at The Ohio State University.

1956

Paul Cline, AB, ’57 JD, ’61 MA, Venice, FL, and his wife, Diane, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two children and five grandchildren. . .W.H. Cottle, BS, Bebworth Warks, UK, moved to England in 1971 where he served as CFO for Dictaphone Corp. He has two sons, Mike and Jeff. . .Alfred J. Lemley, BA, ’59 JD, Fairmont, WV, is retired and enjoys spending time with this nine grandchildren and traveling the world. . .Robert H. Wilson, MA, Clarksburg, WV, is a pastor with the Abundant Life Church, Arlington Addition. He has been serving the church since 1961. He previously taught music at Terra Alta High School and Aurora High School.

1957

Robert J. Gluck, BS, Port St. Lucie, FL, and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by taking a two-week cruise/land tour of Alaska. . .James T. Hughes, BS, ’58 MD, and Polly Kessel Hughes, BS, Ripley, WV, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2008. They have two sons. . .H.R. Lambert, BA, Wayne, PA, brings awareness of the “indoctrination” that many teachers are promoting. . .L. Budd Thalman, BS, Fredericksburg, VA, is chairman of the Fredericksburg Salvation Army Community Advisory Board. He was recognized for his more than 40-year career in sports information, including stints at the US Naval Academy, Buffalo Bills, and Penn State University.

1958

John R. Mitchell, BA, ’60 JD, Charleston, WV, has been practicing law in Charleston since he left WVU. . . Claude S. White, BS, Parkersburg, WV, retired in 1996 from Shell Chemical Co. after 35 years of service.

1959

Jane Davisson Armstrong, BS, Buena Vista, VA, is retired. She stays busy volunteering for numerous organizations including the city council and is senior warden of her church. She has five grandchildren . . .William F. Brassine, AB, ’63 MD, retired from his OBGYN practice in 1998 and moved to Florida. He enjoys spending summers in Elizabethtown, KY, and visiting West Virginia. His grandson, Ben Foats, is a WVU student. . .Robert K. Fretwell, BS, St. Albans, WV, retired from the sports department of the Charleston Gazette after 32 years. He is active in the Charleston Distance Run Committee, serving since 1964. . .Paul E. Stewart, BS, Parkersburg, WV, retired as airport manager at Benedum Airport. . .Carolyn Graeser Walter, BS, Timonium, MD, is professor emeritus at Towson University. She spent 40 years teaching in the kinesiology department, and continues her love of the profession by teaching ballroom dance at senior centers.

1960

Joseph E. Comer, BS, Hughesville, MD, and his wife, Mary Jo, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2008 with a trip to Africa. . .James D. Davis, BA, ’63 JD, retired as VP of Deere & Co. . .Jack Johns, BA, ’74 MS, Morgantown, WV, retired after serving 17 years as the public address announcer for WVU’s women’s basketball team and the Mountaineer Field Press Box. . .Grover H. McLaughlin, BS, Camp Hill, PA, was a wrestling official

for 31 years and was honored with the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. . .Homer Smith, BS, Medina, OH, enjoys retirement. He retired more than 17 years ago from the Medina school system. . .John L. White, BS, ’63 MS, Newcastle, WA, retired from Boeing and is an on-site engineering representative for Spirit Aerosystems.

1961

David Borland, BA, Pittsburgh, PA, completed a novel, 2050, and is working on a new book. . .Darius N. Brant, BS, ’63 MS, Phoenixville, PA, is the chief scientist for Lockheed Martin, Valley Forge Re-Entry Systems, in Valley Forge, PA. . .David Joel, BS, ’65 JD, Martinsburg, WV, serves the Northern District of WV as a US Magistrate. He and his wife, Angela, ’79 MS, live in the Eastern Panhandle. . .David W. Kee, BA, ’66 JD, Bucksport, ME, retired as director of the Maine Assistance Program for Lawyers.

1962

Lucille Fauber Blum, BS, ’64 MS, New Martinsville, WV, retired from teaching at Magnolia High School in 2000. In addition to volunteering her time to several community organizations, she was elected the town’s first female mayor in 2008. . .Gabriel J. Basil, AB, Schenectady, NY, retired as president of Schenectady County Community College after 17 years of service . . .S. Bruce Clarke, BS, Wheeling, WV, retired from Clarke Paper Co. & Paper Shack in 2004. He spends his summers at Deep Creek Lake, MD. . .Charles Gehring, BA, ’64 MA, Altamont, NY, is director of New Netherland Project at the New York State Library. . .Luella Hillyard, BA, Winchester, VA, retired from teaching. She and her husband, Paul Hillyard, ’70 MS, have two children who graduated from WVU and a granddaughter currently enrolled there. . .Ken Miers, BS, Lathrop, CA, is a retired personnel manager. He works two days a week as a manager of a poker casino in Livermore, CA. . . Robert Perkins, BS, ’63 MS, ’67 PhD, Lillington, NC, celebrated his 70th birthday in 2008 and can now play from the senior tees in golf. He and his wife have been married for 47 years and love the Mountaineers.

1963

Russel D. Barker, BS, Wilmington, NC, attended his 50th high school class reunion in Gilmer County. . . Mary E. “Missie” Conway Craven, BM, Clermont, FL, is a retired VP and branch manager of First National Bank of Polk County in Haines City, FL. . .Michael J. Demchik, MA, ’73 EdD, Shepherdstown, WV, retired as an administrator at the high school and board levels where he also taught chemistry and physics. Two of his poetry books were published in 2004 and 2005. He and his wife, Virginia Carol Demchik, ’69 MA, ’85 PhD, have been married 40 years. . .Jacob W. Gatrell, BA, Berlin, MD, retired from the US Department of Energy and the US Army. . .Kenneth Herock, BS, Gainesville, FL, retired from the NFL after more than 38 years of service. He currently consults with NFL draft prospects to prepare them for the NFL Combine. . .Stephen Dexter McWhorter, BA, Sylacauga, AL, is a retired/redeployed Episcopal priest serving as the interim rector of St. Thomas Church in Birmingham, AL, and First United Methodist Church in Sylacauga. He leads mission trips to Ghana, Liberia, Honduras, and here in the US. . .Barbara Nell, BS, Cheswick, PA, retired from Allegheny Valley School District in 2005. She was elected to the township Board of Supervisors in 2005 and currently serves as the chair of the Board . . .Charles M. Vest, BS, Cambridge, MA, was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society . . .Tom Wolfe, BS, Callaway, VA, is an auctioneer and real estate broker.

1964

Elizabeth Ann Powell Permar, BA, Raleigh, NC, retired after 20 years of college counseling in local public high schools.

1966

Rae Ann Varner Geake, BS, South Charleston, WV, received an MBA in 1993 and retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1999. She is active in church and enjoys her grandchildren. . .F. Richard Myal, BS, The Woodlands, TX, is a senior staff engineer for Devon Gas Services and is a registered professional engineer in Nevada, Colorado, Texas, and Alberta, Canada. He and his wife have five children and nine grandchildren. . .Dennis F. Sigwart, BS, ’72 MS, Macomb, IL, is a retired professor from the Western Illinois University Health Sciences Department where he worked for 31 years. He is an emeritus faculty member at Western Illinois College and Carl Sandburg College.

1967

F. Bruce Baenig, BS, Topeka, KS, retired from AT&T in 2001 after 34 years of service. . .Linda Stuart Rudloff, BS, Louisville, KY, earned an MBA from the University of Louisville, but remains a loyal WVU fan. She has been working in the banking industry for nearly 20 years and is a banking center manager for Your Community Bank.

1968

N.A. “Nick” Ammar Jr., BA, Roanoke, VA, an attorney with Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC, was included in the 2008 list of The Best Lawyers in America for Virginia. . . Albert M. Blatnik, EdD, Wheeling, WV, was inducted into the WVU School of Physical Education Hall of Fame in 2007. . .Bettijane Christopher Burger, BA, Charleston, WV, petitioned the state and raised funds for a historical marker at Scotts Run commemorating the work of her mother, a home missionary who founded The Shack Neighborhood House. . .Terry M. Hoffman, BS, Waco, TX, is a consultant in aerospace structures in central Texas. He enjoys visiting with his grandchildren. . .Raymond O. Rushden, BS, Logan, WV, is chief of staff at Logan Regional Medical Center. He and his wife, Kathy Harvey, have a son Gabe. He also started a wellness business, Amerisciences, to help people with health issues. . .Danny Lee Smith, BS, Huffman, TX, is under contract with Universal City Studios and appeared in the Emmy-winning Fox series, “Christina’s Court”. . . Donald Tordolino, BS, ’71 MBA, Avon, OH, is retired and spends winters in Naples, FL, and summers in Avon. He enjoys golfing and fishing.

1969

Walter B. Agers, BS, ’71 MS, College Station, TX, is a visiting professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. . .Thomas W. Brado, BSCE, Camp Hill, PA, retired after 40 years in the transportation industry. . .Elizabeth “Betsy” Burmeister, BM, Athens, GA, retired in 2005 from directorship/teaching at Friendship Presbyterian Church. She is the music coordinator and pianist for Covenant Presbyterian. . .Virginia Carol Demchik, MA, ’85 PhD, Shepherdstown, WV, retired from teaching at both the high school and college levels. She is busy co-authoring a novel. . .Beverly Bryant Hellickson, BS, ’70 MA, Corvallis, OR, retired from teaching after 25 years of service. She is spending her retirement in Oregon and Virginia. . .Holly S. HughesReilly, BS, ’72 MA, Elkins, WV, retired from teaching special education after 38 years of service. She and her husband, Buck, have two sons. . .Hal Stickley, BS, Franklin, WV, retired from Virginia Power and the US Army. . .Thomas Watson, MS, Salt Lake City, UT, is a chief engineer for McQuay International. He is also VP of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

1970

Maria Koutsobaris Alex, BS, Bridgeport, WV, plans to retire from teaching in 2009 after 36 years of service. Her sons, Nicholas and Peter, are both WVU grads. . .John

O. Bennett III, BA, Little Silver, NJ, received the 2008 Urban Angel Award from the New York Theological Seminary. The award recognized his support and protection of human rights, family advocacy, and the creation of a Holocaust studies program in New Jersey, as well as the New Jersey Holocaust Center . . .Graham A. Campbell, BS, ’72 MA, Hanover, PA, retired from teaching in the Hanover Public School District after more than 38 years of service. . .Yolene B. Curry, BS, Suffolk, VA, has been married 40 years and has two children and four grandchildren. She and her husband retired from the youth ministry after 25 years of service . . .Anthony W. Cyrnak, PhD, Falls Church, VA, is a retired senior economist with the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, DC. . .Susan Jacob, BS, Eads, TN, is co-author of the fourth edition of Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Leadership and Management. . .Mary Margaret Baliker Meadows, BS, ’90 MS, Leesburg, VA, completed the skilled facilitator certificate program at Johns Hopkins University. . .M. Brigid Bell Waszczak, BA, Tucson, AZ, is a certified spiritual director. She recently added sand tray spiritual direction to her practice.

1971

Nat Bertrami, BS, Fruita, CO, is a sales representative with Humana, Inc., a company specializing in Medicare prescription Part D plans. He also is a sports official for high school and college baseball, football, and softball . . .Sharon McCoy Dailey, BS, Birmingham, AL, is an associate professor of medicine/cardiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. . .James K. Daly, BS, Basking Ridge, NJ, is a professor at Seton Hall University where he and his colleagues established the Center for Global Education. . .Barbara “Bobbi” Hannah, BS, ’75 MA, St. Albans, WV, teaches kindergarten at Cross Lanes Elementary.

1972

Steve Chancey, BS, Ripley, WV, was elected business manager of Ironworkers Local #787. In 2008, he began his 25th year as a member of the Jackson County Board of Education. . .John E. Difrancesco, BS, West Linn, OR, is CEO of Norm Thompson Catalog Group. He and his wife, Alexandra, BS, live in Oregon. . .Mary Beth Mentzer, BS, Richardson, TX, is a pharmacist in Plano. She has two children and a granddaughter. . .Eugenia “Jean” Sullivan, MA, Clarksburg, WV, retired from counseling at various high schools, including Notre Dame High School. She also was an admissions counselor at Salem-Teikyo University before retiring.

1973

Kathy M. Finsley, BS, ’75 MS, Wheeling, WV, is general counsel and human resource director for Ohio County Schools. She is completing her 34th year of service in public education. . .Joseph E. Glenn Jr., BS, Essex, MD, is a conductor for Amtrak. He enjoys ballroom dancing. . .David M. “Mike” Hughes, BS, Summersville, WV, is president of L.J. Hughes & Sons, Inc. . .William Huntington, BS, Cuyamoga Falls, OH, was inducted into the Ohio Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame. . .Jeffrey Meyers, BA, Irwin, PA, is a cartographer with the US Postal Service. . .Ben Polis, BS, Raleigh, NC, is partner in Everett Stephens, a career management and transition firm. His son, Dustin Polis, ’97 BA, has a son, Kevin Joseph. . .Chuck Spinner, MS, Lake Chautauqua, NY, retired after 33 years as a high school history teacher and published A Book of Prayers: To the Heavens from the Stars that is compiled of prayers from 118 celebrities . . .Nancy Fairall Starcher, BS, ’01 MS, is a nurse in the Mineral County school system. She has two children and three grandchildren. . .Curtis Tarr, MA, Wellsburg, WV, taught school and served as principal for almost 40 years. His wife, Linda Tarr, ’86 MA, taught math for 30 years in Brooke County. Both are retired.

1974

Randall Hotsinpiller, BS, Westerville, OH, is a production supervisor at Cellucom Group . . .Donald Klamut, BS, Dayton, OH, is a pharmacist at Dayton VA Medical Center. . .Arthur Mann, BS, San Diego, CA, retired as an engineer in international production from Exxon Mobile. . .Rod Pawich, BS, North Port, FL, still loves the Mountaineers and would love to organize a reunion of old classmates in Miami. . . Ron Shewcraft, BS, ’76 MS, Pittsfield, MA, retired as head men’s soccer coach at Mass College of Liberal Arts after 30 years of service. He still serves as Rod Pawich a faculty member in the physical education department. . .Jesse A. Vicini, BS, Columbia, SC, is a successful realtor for Coldwell Banker United. He also volunteers his time and fund-raising efforts to the arts and theater in Columbia.

1975

Mark C. Gaiser, BS, ’83 BS, Radcliff, OH, is a cabinetmaker in Southern Ohio’s Appalachian area. He raises Labradors and is involved in local rural action endeavors. He and his wife, Darla, are awaiting the arrival of their eighth grandchild.

Send Your News to Class Notes Have you changed jobs recently? Gotten married or earned a degree? Send your information to: Alumni Magazine Class Notes Editor, Erickson Alumni Center, PO Box 4269, Morgantown, WV 26504-4269. E-mail: alumni@mail.wvu.edu. Fax: (304) 293-4733. Web: http://alumni.wvu.edu. You may also submit class notes via our online community. To register, visit http://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/WVU/. Name__________________________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail___________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________________State_ _______Zip_____________ Class Year(s)_______________________________Degree(s)_______________________________________ News________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Due to space limitations, notes may not appear for several issues. We do our best to publish all items received.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

CLASSCHATTER 1976

Thomas A. Clark, BA, ’79 JD, Voorhes, NJ, is managing partner at Cureton Clark, PC, a law firm he co-founded in Mount Laurel, NJ. . .Brad Daugherty, BA, and Shelia Daugherty, ’77 BA, ’79 MA, Galloway, NJ, are proud that their children have carried on the Mountaineer family tradition as students at WVU. . . Donald C. Wandling, JD, Chapmanville, WV, was elected to the WV State Bar Board of Governors. He is a partner with the law firm Avis, Witten & Wandling in Logan. His wife, Anne Little Wandling, ’71 BA, ’76 JD, is an associate in the firm.

1977

Bill Gilber, BS, Ocracoke Island, NC, and his wife own a motel and marina on Ocracoke Island, a portion of the Outer Banks only accessible by ferry. They love seeing WVU alumni and visitors each year. . .Sue Day Lindsay Hampson, BS, ’81 MS, Ridgeley, WV, is a nursing home administrator for Heartland in Keyser. She is married and has two adult sons. . .Paul Pozonsky, BA, Washington, PA, was awarded a second ten-year term as a criminal trial judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County, PA. . .Timothy Whalen, BA, Bridgeport, WV, is proud to note that his son, Sean, graduated from WVU in 2004 and the WVU College of Law in 2008. . .Paul Wielgus, BS, ’79 MS, Acworth, GA, is managing director of power generation for GDS Associates in Atlanta.

1978

Teresa “Teri” Batchelor, BS, Chestertown, MD, is in her 29th year as a forester with the Maryland Forest Service. She and her husband have a son, Clay, who is a student at WVU. . .Jeffrey Branham, BS, Cross Lanes, WV, and his wife, Dianna, celebrated 30 years of marriage in 2009. They have two children, Tara, an ’05 graduate, and Todd, a senior at WVU. Jeffrey has been employed with O’Neal Steel, Inc. for 27 years. . . Virginia Hammersmith, MS, Witchita, KS, earned a master’s degree in education counseling from Wichita State University. . .Tom Lilly, DDS, Martinsburg, WV, served in Iraq as a dentist for the 447th EMEDS at Sather Air Base in Baghdad. When home, he is a dentist with the VA in Martinsburg and a member of the 167th Air National Guard. . .Wilbert D. Mick III, Clearwater, FL, is president & COO of Heartbeat International, a 501 (c) (3) providing pacemakers and medical care to impoverished patients around the world. . .Kenneth Oldfield, PhD, Springfield, IL, published, “Are the Nation’s Leading Political Science Programs Practicing the Egalitarian Values Espoused in American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality, And if Not, How Can They?” The article was published in the July 2008 issue of Political Science and Politics. . .James G. St. Ledger, MA, Crofton, MD, retired from Prince Georges County, MD, school district after 32 years of service. He is a fan of the Green Bay Packers and holds season tickets to the games. . .Jerry Ewing Squires, MD, Mount Pleasant, SC, is associate professor in the department of pathology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He also is the director of transfusion medicine. He and his wife have three grandchildren.

1979

Peggy Byram, BS, Glastonbury, CT, is a project manager for the Hartford Marathon Foundation. . . Nancy A. Green¸ BS, ’84 JD, Morgantown, WV, is a member of Spilman, Thomas & Battle law firm . . .Bob “Moe” Mohan, BS, Chester, VA, completed training as a Virginia Master Naturalist. . .Wardell C. Townsend, MS, Silver Spring, MD, was elected to his third term as chairman of the board of directors of the Faith & Politics Institute. . .Kevin Z. Smith, BS, Fairmont, WV, is an assistant professor of journalism at Fairmont State University and a columnist for the Times West Virginian. He also published Private Thoughts from a Public Nuisance, a collection of his columns.

Fall

2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

La w s t u d e n t M a t t Delligatti didn’t wait until graduation to start a career in politics. At age 20, he was elected to Fairmont City Council and two years later became the city’s youngest mayor. A Truman Scholar, Delligatti graduated from WVU in 2008 with a BA in political science. His public service caught the eye of White House officials, who invited Delligatti to a poetry slam hosted by the President and First Lady. Read about his visit to the White House here: www.wvu.edu/alumni/Delligatti

1980

David Baum, BS, Walingford, PA, is president of the Delaware Alumni Chapter. He previously chaired the scholarship fund campaign that has raised more than $27,000. . .Charles D. “Chuck” Farmer, BS, Beckley, WV, owns his own business—Rouster Wire Rope and Rigging Inc. He has two daughters, both of whom attend WVU. . .Nick Kappa, BS, Alexandria, VA, has been director of marketing with Thomas Silliman Associates for 23 years. The firm represents four- and five-star luxury golf resorts. . .Joe Meyer, BS, Port Republic, NJ, was promoted to major with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement. . .Rick Reese, MS, Grafton, WV, is district governor of Rotary for North Central West Virginia. He is a magistrate in Taylor County. . .Sharon K. Suarez, BS, Frederick, MD, received a master’s degree in public administration from the American University in 2008. She is pursuing a doctorate in leadership at George Washington University. She is a professional planner and conducts housing research and policy development for the Maryland-National Capital Planning Commission.

1981

John Banks, BS, Avon, CT, is senior deputy editor/ NFL for espn.com in Birston. He is responsible for all NFL coverage on the Web. . .Jeff Bell, BA, Silver Spring, MD, is an assistant manager at American Self Storage. He and his wife Maureen have been married for more than 11 years. . .Patrick Cunningham, BS, Cumberland, MD, is a financial consultant and branch manager with LPL Financial. His office is located in Frostburg. . .Rebecca Loftis Foster, BS, Fairmont, WV, has been employed with United Hospital Center in Clarksburg since 1984. She has two sons, Benjamin and Nicholas, both students at WVU. . .Karl Havens, MS, ’84 PhD, Gainsville, FL, is director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program at the University of Florida. He also serves as chair of the University’s fisheries and aquatic sciences department. . .Donald A. Kirk, BS, Washington, DC, is a horticulturalist for the National Park Service in Rock Creek. He also is coowner of Indulge—a candle and home décor boutique . . .Lynn Mancuso Manning, BS, Washington, PA, is coordinator of public relations for Consol Energy Inc. Her husband, Joe, is a captain with the Washington Fire Department. . .Wafa J. Nasser, MD, Florence, KY, celebrated the ten-year anniversary of Whole Child Pediatrics, a private pediatric practice. . .Elizabeth Sibray, BS, Shanghai, China, is regional director for compensation and benefits for the Asia Pacific Region of Rohm and Haas Company.

1982

Keith Funkhouser, BS, New Creek, WV, is VP and general manager of the ABL site in Rocket Center,

WV. He and his wife, Teresa, have two children, Stephen and Amanda. . .Martha Azon Hochendoner, BA, Pittsburgh, PA, is the patient safety officer and risk management specialist at UPMC Braddock and is the immediate past club chair of the Pittsburgh Area Mountaineer Parents Club. . .Terry Jarrett, BS, Seven Fields, PA, is VP of manufacturing programs at the Center for Technical Services in Montreal, Canada, for the Lafarge North America. His wife, Martha Kuhn Jarrett, ’82 BS, is a controller for a small business in Pittsburgh. They have four sons. . .Teri Sheldon Johnson, BS, Arlington, TX, has been married to her husband, Emerson, since 2006. . .Ron Matella, MS, Lake Worth, FL, was selected as the Palm Beach County Soccer Coach of the Year for 2007-08. He helped lead the Palm Beach Central High School to its best season in history (20–4). . .Jeffrey D. Rhodes, BS, Cumberland, MD, is director of administrative services for the City of Cumberland. . .Lloyd Sowers, BS, Tampa, FL, is a news anchor/reporter at Fox13 in Tampa Bay. He and his wife, Kim, have two sons, Jack and Gray. . .Linda C. Vona-Davis, MS, ’86 PhD, Morgantown, WV, is an associate professor of surgery at WVU and a member of the Mary Baab Randolph Cancer Center. She and her husband, Edward, live in Morgantown. . .Toni Grove Werner, BS, Sarasosta, FL, is a travel agent and has been fortunate to see many parts of the world. She and her husband have two children.

1983

JoAnne Reagan Hahey, BS, Bethel Park, PA, is CFO of Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pittsburgh. She previously served as the hospital’s director of budgets, reimbursement and inpatient financial services, manager of reimbursement. She is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. . .Joel “Jody” McKown, BS, Tucker, GA, is co-owner and founder of Action Sports International Photo, a sports photo and marketing company that covers various athletic events . . .J. Larry Miles Jr., MS, Savannah, GA, founded Arrowood Environmental Group, Inc., a full-service environmental, health and safety consulting company . . .Victor Topo, MS, Derry, NH, president and CEO for Life Management, presented at a national conference . . .Betty Jane Webber, MA, Martinsburg, WV, retired in 2007 after teaching kindergarten for 30 years at Opequon Elementary School.

1984

Hilarion V. Cann, BS, Clarksburg, WV, owns Hilarion V. Cann, CPA. He has five children. . .Jerry Lee Corley, MS, MPA, Morgantown, WV, is a mentor for the WVU Football Team. . .David W. Fleming, BA, ’86 MA, Caledonia, MI, is provost of Davenport University in Grand Rapids. . .Steve Hamer, BS, and Donna Hamer, ’85 BS, Huntington, WV, have been married for 23 years. They have three children, one of whom is a student at WVU. . .Paul D. Heironimus, BA, ’87 JD, Morgantown, WV, is happily married to his high school sweetheart, Leslie. They are enjoying life and their children. . .Jim Powell, BS, St. Marys, WV, owns a physical therapy clinic and is co-owner of an assisted living facility. He and his wife have three children. . .Lydia Sullivan, BS, Washington, DC, owns snoburbia.com, an online t-shirt company. She and her husband have four children. . .Carol Theros, BS, York, PA, is the regional lean and continuous improvement manager for Vertis Communications.

1985

Katherine A. Brittian, MA, Greensburg, PA, is a teacher for the visually impaired in an intermediate unit. She is a certified orientation mobility specialist, and received the Elinor Long Educator of the Year award from the AER Conference for Teachers of the Visually Impaired. . .Kendra Calhoun,

Kendra Calhoun

BS, ’86 BA, ’04 MS, Manassas, VA, is president and CEO of the Amputee Coalition of America, the leading national educational organization in support of more than 1.7 million individuals living with limb loss in the US. . .Douglas L. Flohr, BA, ’96 MA, a colonel in the Army, commands the ranger training brigade for the US Army Ranger School. He succeeded Col. Greg Hager, ’84 BS. . .Phillip Goff, BS, Concord, NC, joined TIAA-CREF as funds treasurer in 2006. . .Mark Hardman, BM, ’91 MM, South Charleston, WV, is band director for George Washington High School. He also serves as president of the Bandmasters Association and president of Phi Beta Mu Band Directors Honorary Society. . .David Scarton, BS, Pittsburgh, PA, and his wife, Aggie, have two children, Laura, a student at WVU, and a son, David who hopes to be a future WVU football player.

1986

Paul Amendola, BS, Erie, PA, is self-employed in land development, real estate and car wash businesses. . . Robert Coffman, MA, Melbourne Beach, FL, is a school teacher at Central Middle School. . .William N. Johnston, PhD, Dover, DE, is president of Wesley College in Dover. . .Jeff Long, BS, Ellicott City, MD, recently relocated from Idaho back to Maryland to accept a position with the US Department of Homeland Security. He and he and his wife, Tracie, welcomed twins in July 2007. . .George J. Schuller Jr., BS, Chesterfield, MO, is VP of new mine development for Peabody Energy. He previously served as VP of operations improvement. . .Barbara M. Ware, MA, is an assistant vice principal at Valley View Elementary.

1987

Jayne Armstrong, BS, ’91 MA, Newark, DE, received the Women of Power, Style and Brilliance award from the YWCA of Delaware. The award recognizes her commitment to the YWCA’s mission Jayne Armstrong to eliminate racism and empower women. She is district director of the US Small Business Administration’s Delaware Office. . . David Cornell, BS, Gainesville, FL, joined the law firm Cole Scott & Kissane, P.A. in Jacksonville. . . Cynthia L. Gissy, MA, received the Gertrude Roberts Scholarship during the Alpha Phi State Convention. . . Murat Gokcigdem, BA, ’89 MA, Washington, DC, is chief of staff and legislative director to US Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. He oversees the Congresswoman’s Dallas and Washington, DC, offices and is responsible for implementing all of her political, legislative and communications initiatives . . .Keith L. Kirkwood, BA, ’91 DDS, Mt. Pleasant, SC, is associate dean of research in the College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. . .Debra K. Vankovich Mullins, BS, ’90 MS, Wilkinson, WV, earned her doctorate from Marshall University, is a family nurse practitioner at Process Strategies in Charleston and at the Medical Weight Loss Centers of Beckley and Charleston. She is an associate professor of nursing at the University of Charleston. . .Michael Reid, BS, and Donna Reid, BS, Downingtown, PA, have been happily married for 20 years. They have two sons. . .Connie L. Warfield, BS, Washington, WV, relocated back to West Virginia after living in the Atlanta area for 21 years . . .Charles C. Wise III, JD, Morgantown, WV, is a partner with the law firm Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love LLP. His primary focus is litigation and small business development. He and his wife, Deborah, have three children. . .Patricia Jean Hedrick Young, MS, EdD, West Liberty, WV, is a nursing instructor at the Washington, PA, School of Nursing. She received certification in nursing education and re-certification in ANCC psychiatric/mental health nursing. She and her husband, David, have four grandchildren.

WVU alumnus Sarah Culberson, who grew up in Morgantown, always knew that she was adopted. When she decided to find her birth parents, she ultimately discovered that her father is African royalty and she is a princess. Culberson has co-written a memoir about her incredible journey of self-discovery and her travels to meet her father in Sierra Leone. In the book, A Princess Found, she tells of her need to find out about her past: “My birth certificate failed to tell me what I needed to know most . . . How did I get here? How did a man from Sierra Leone ever meet my mother, a continent away?” Read more about Culberson in the Spring 2007 WVU Alumni Magazine at WVUalumnimagazine.com or in the August issue of Glamour magazine.

1989

Theresa Domenico, BS, Apo, AE, recently received her MA in education from the University of Phoenix and is employed with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools as a Mild-Moderate Learning Impaired Teacher at Grafenwoehr Middle School in Germany. . .John Smith, MS, Newark, DE, is head athletic trainer at the University of Delaware. He is the fourth person to hold this title since 1940 and previously served as a full-time athletic trainer at Vanderbilt University (1989–1995) and Penn State University (1995–2001). He began his career serving as a graduate assistant trainer at WVU in 1988-89.

1990

Barbara Barbour, MA, Durham, NC, has been a pastor at the African Methodist Episcopal Church for the past 30 years. . .David M. Cavallo, BA, Houston, PA, works for USA Today. He and his wife, Sylvia, have four children, Jordan, Jacob, Joshua and Nathan . . .Stephanie S. Currie, BA, ’92 MS, Calypso, NC, has two children, Harrison and Thomas. . .Francis “Frank” DeMarco, BS, ’04 MBA, Morgantown, WV, is director of operations for Waterfront Hotel. He and his wife, Dawn, have three children. . .Linda Dunlap, MA, ’98 BS, Charlotte, NC, is director of teacher education at Central Piedmont Community College . . .Joanne Feldman, MS, Clarksburg, WV, volunteers for Hospice. She would Linda Dunlap love to hear from her classmates. . .Tim Miley, BS, ’97 MBA, ’00 PhD, Raleigh, NC, is associate director of business development for Novartis subsidiary, Sandoz. He also serves as VP of a family start-up therapy company. . .Harley W. Misson, BS, Collegeville, PA, is director of compliance for AGL Life Assurance Company. . .Daniel Oliveto, MS, Kennesaw, GA, has been teaching for 26 years. He also coaches boys junior varsity basketball at Harrison High School. He and his wife, Stacy, have two sons. . .Larry A. Reichard, EdD, Excelsior Springs, MO, is president of the Missouri Academy of Science . . .Teresa “Teri” Sabatelli, BS, ’92 MA, is director of admissions and financial aid for Penn State University-Berks Campus . . .Karen Sarkis, BA, ’92 MSW, Canonsburg, PA, is a marketing counselor at Providence Point, a stateof-the-art continuing care retirement community. . . Harley O. Wagner, BS, Martinsburg, WV, was appointed to life membership in the National College for DUI Defense by the board of directors. He is a partner with the largest DUI defense firm in the state of West Virginia. Karen Sarkis

1991

Roy Clemons, BS, ’95 MS, Delray Beach, FL, received a doctorate from Texas A&M University. He is a professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. . .Geno Iafrate, BS, Bossier City, LA, is senior VP and general manager for Harrah’s Louisiana Downs and Horseshoe Casino and Hotel. . .D. Patrick Jeffers, BS, Bridgeport, WV, is a specialty sales representative for Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals in the Morgantown area. He and his wife, Missy, have two daughters. . .Dave Schreiber, BA, Birdsboro, PA, is a shareholder in the firm Mayerson Schreiber McDevitt, P.C. He and his wife have two children, Garrett and Hope. . .Robert Wells, BA, Crofton, MD, joined the firm of Bailey & Glasser LLP to lead its Washington, DC, office. . .Mike Wolf, MA, New Martinsville, WV, teaches senior seminar English at Tyler Consolidated High School and is the head football coach for Tyler Consolidated Middle School.

1992

Tisha Tenney Byrd, BS, ’00 MBA, Morgantown, WV, is the proud mother of three girls. . .Steven Michael Casteel, BA, Morgantown, WV, is the customer service manager for Kmart in Uniontown, PA. He has been employed by Sears Holdings Corp. for 16 years. . .Roger Cottrell, BA, ’96 MA, Kernersville, NC, is a senior project manager for URS Corporation in Morrisville. . . Kristin Ebbert Lovingood, BS, ’95 MA, Jacksonville, NC, has been teaching for 12 years and is thinking of pursuing her passion in parks and recreation. . .William A. Mase, MA, New Carlisle, OH, is a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine . . .Troy Miller, BA, Round Rock, TX, is senior VP at Tegron, an international engineering firm. He and his wife, Sharon, have three children, Chloe, Jordan and Luke. . .Lisa Mortensen, BS, ’94 MBA, New York, NY, is managing director of the hedge fund for Dunbar Capital. She and her husband, James Woods, live in New York. . .Jessica M. Mycoff-Savasta, BS, ’95 MS, is co-owner of Integrated Health & Safety Solutions, Inc. . .Shawn Neice, BS, Neptune, NJ, was named the 2008 Clown Prince for his role in youth activities. He opened the Children’s ‘Please Touch’ Museum. . . David L. Wickham, BA, Alameda, CA, is a lead paralegal at the law firm of Peck & Ray in San Francisco. He serves on the Prudential Committee of First Congregational Church of Alameda.

1993

Brian Berkley, BA, ’95 MA, Albany, OR, is a lead Windows system administrator at Western Oregon University. . .Kristine Enright Condie, BA, Lovettsville, VA, owns Total Basket Cases, which works with companies and individuals to design gift-giving plans and promotional items. She and her husband, Joe Condie, ’02 BS, have two daughters, Julia and Cecilia. . .William G. Davis, BA, Rahway, NJ, owns Pettit-Davis Funeral Home. He and his wife, Amanda, have one son, Jack. . .Brendan Gaine, BS, St. Louis, MO, is regional manager for the Midwest Division for Liberty Mutual. He and his wife have two sons. . .Beth Tucker Koreski, BS, Parkersburg, WV, is a customer relationship marketing manager at Simonton Windows. She and her husband, Mike, have one son, Joey. . .Lora Rosenecker Ometz, BS, Manassas, VA, works as a part-time pharmacist from Kaiser Permanente in Woodbridge, VA. . .Clint Otten, BS, ’94 MA, Pembroke, FL, is senior VP of human resources and administration with TOUSA, Inc. . .Amy Tobias, BS, Indianapolis, IN, is a member of Parmalee Consulting Group and completed the United Way of Central Indiana’s Leadership United program. . .Marcia H. Wong, MA, Tucson, AZ, has been working in real estate for the past two years and enjoys the work.

1994

Ashley Garner, BS, Wilmington, NC, a real estate broker for the past 14 years, was named Top Performer

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Fall 2 0 0 9

CLASSCHATTER of 2007 at Intracoastal Realty Corporation, and is a member of the National Association of Realtors, North Carolina Association of Realtors, Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. . .William Harker, BS, Brooklyn, NY, leads the HR department for Sears Holdings Corp. where he also serves as senior VP, general counsel and secretary. . .Lauren Kisser, BS, Seattle, WA, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier where she raised more than $5,300 for breast cancer research . . .David Rodriguez, BA, North Bergen, NJ, is senior operations manager for International Fund Services in New York. . .Jeff Scheidhauer, BS, Abingdon, MD, and his wife have three future Mountaineers: Kevin, Katie and Maggie. . .Amy Tetro-Wenger, BS, Martinsburg, WV, works for Walgreens Pharmacy. She and her husband have two children, Chandler and Jacklyn. . . Christine Williams, BS, ‘96 MS, Beverly Hills, MI, is a manager/HR business partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit.

1995

Steve Bennett, BS, Boise, ID, is senior director, venue development and sports operations, for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. He previously worked on several Special Olympics World Games organizing committees and with the Special Olympics Maryland organization. . .Andrea Taylor Bucklew, BS, ’98 JD, Terra Alta, WV, was named 2007-08 Outstanding Professor at Potomac State College of WVU where she is an assistant professor of criminal justice. She and her husband, Chad, ’93 BA, have three daughters. . .Matt Conrad, BA, Middleburg, PA, is assistant middle school principal in the Selinsgrove Area School District. . .Michael Davenport, JD, Ashland, KY, closed his legal practice and is director of legal services at King’s Daughter’s Medical Center in Ashland. . .Margaret R. “Peggy” Dolan, MA, Wheeling, WV, is nationally board certified. She has been trained to be an assessor and a mentor for new candidates. . .Angie Dowling, MA, Grafton, WV, has been teaching eighth grade science at Suncrest Middle School since 1996. She is working on her doctorate in instructional design and technology at WVU. . .Charles A. Fritsch, EdD, Annapolis, MD, retired in 2007 from the Prince George’s County Public Schools. . .Kevin Harkness, BS, ’97 MS, Oneonta, NY, is general manager and director of health and fitness for A.O. Fox Hospital. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member in physical education at SUNY College at Oneonta. . .Darrell Jewell, BS, Greenville, PA, and his wife, Jennifer, have three children, Aiden, Owen and Madeline. . .Erin Jordan, BS, Statesboro, GA, is in her second year at Georgia Southern University where she is a clinical instructor in athletic training. . .Stephanie Spano Pauls, BS, West Chester, PA, is a wife and mother of two children and a ASHA certified and Pennsylvania licensed speech pathologist working in the school setting . . .R. Dean Porterfield, BA, ’98 MA, Dickson, TN, is a program administrator and clinical director for Three Springs Private Division. . .Christopher Prothro, BM, Mars, PA, earned an MA in education from California University (PA) and has been the band director at Mars Area Middle School for the past nine years. He serves on the state Professional Standards and Practices Commission and as the president of both the Mars Area Education Association and the Butler County Coordinating Council . . .Bernie Shepard, BS, Mt. Jackson, VA, is proud to note that his son, Andrew, is carrying on the Mountaineer tradition as a student at WVU majoring in engineering. . . Anthony Underwood, BS, ’01 MA, is dean of students at WVU-Parkersburg. He and his wife, Victoria, have a son Alexander. . .James Craig Walkup, MS, Westfield, OH, founded a nonprofit organization that raises private funds to construct athletic facilities for Cloverleaf schools. . .Jeremy Zelkowski, BA, ’99 MS, Tuscaloosa, AL, completed a doctorate in mathematics education at Ohio University in 2008. He is a professor of secondary

Fall

2009

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

New technologies have changed the way we communicate. Increasingly, electronic means are being used to keep in touch. Make sure you receive the latest correspondence by confirming or updating your current contact information. E-mail us at alumni@ mail.wvu.edu with the following: Name, Address, E-mail address, Primary phone number Other pertinent information including class year. Also let us know if you prefer to receive updates e-mail or regular mail. mathematics education at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

1996

Scott Bavaro, BA, Columbia, MD, is a sales representative for Nike Golf. He and his wife, Jen, have a daughter, Ava. . .Christopher C. Cox, ’96 BS, ’04 JD, and Alison H. Cox, ’98 JD, Columbus, OH, have a son, Chandler Callaway who was born in 2007. . .Traeci Fletcher Devereaux, MS, Miami, FL, is a contractor safety manager in Baghdad, Iraq. . .Joy D. Gaston, BS, Las Vegas, NV, is manager of project development for V&A, a civil infrastructure preservation engineering consulting firm. . .William B. Hicks, BS, ’00 JD, Charleston, WV, is an associate in the corporate department and a member of the health care practice group of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP. . .Joshua Margolis, BS, New York, NY, founded NYC First, a home personal training, yoga and pilates service catering to all of Manhattan. . .Michael C. Viglianco, BS, Belvidere, NJ, is a senior engineer in structures at Medina Consultants. . .Mary Ellen Zeppuhar, MS, EdD, Morgantown, WV, was appointed by former President George W. Bush to serve on the President’s Michael Committee for People with Disabilities. Viglianco

1997

Mary C. Kinnear Colombo, BS, Glen Easton, WV, has worked in long-term care for more than 10 years. . .Eric C. Dietz, BA, Andover, NJ, is a commercial manager for DSM Nutritional Products, Inc. He has a daughter, Erin. . .Jenny Ferruso Dulaney, BFA, Morgantown, WV, enjoys being back in Morgantown with her husband who also graduated from WVU.

1998

Adam C. Lucas, MA, Pennsboro, WV, completed US Navy basic training in September 2008.

1999

Melanie Altizer, BA, ’02 MD, Dublin, VA, is a practicing OB/GYN in the Blacksburg area. She also works at Montgomery Regional Hospital. . .Karin Hinderliter Nichols, BS, is a dispatcher for the Cape May Lewes Ferry Police Dept. She and her husband, Kenneth, have a son, Joshua. . .Amanda Riggleman, BS, Keyser, WV, received a master’s degree in business administration, with a specialization in human resources, from Mount St. Mary’s University. She and her husband, Brett, have been happily married for seven years.

2000

Timothy L. Bunyan, BS, Uniontown, PA, is a retail sales manager of food service at Charleston Medical Center. His wife, Sharon, is an art teacher in the Albert Gallatin Area School District. . .Roger Clem, BS, Baltimore, MD, is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University where he is conducting Alzheimer’s research . . .Portia M. Coram, BS, Ranson, WV, graduated from

Heritage Institute with an associates of occupational science degree in massage therapy. . .Angela D. Herdman, JD, Charleston, WV, was recently promoted as a senior attorney at Spilman, Thomas & Battle, PLLC. . .Angela B. Nash, BS, Bluefield, VA, and her husband, Craig, have two sons, Dylan and Lucas. . .Drusilla “Dee” Scritchfield, BRBA, Ravenswood, WV, is CEO of the Wirt County Health Services and treasurer for the WV Primary Care Association. . .James Schiffbauer, BA, Christiansburg, VA, received a master’s degree in marine biology from NOVA Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and is completing his doctorate in geobiology at Virginia Tech . . .Angie S. Senic, MA, Bowden, WV, is regional director of marketing and admissions for Eckerd Youth Alternatives. She has two children, Mike and Sarah. . .Bobbie Barnes Sperry, BS, Newport News, VA, is a family physician at a group practice in Hampton. She and her husband, Cory, have two daughters. . .Selena Wiles, BS, Erie, PA, is the co-anchor of JET-TV’s Action News 24 in Erie.

2001

Ryan E. Culhane, BS, Bridgeport, WV, is director of services for GE in the tri-state area. He is working on his EMBA and was promoted to sergeant first class in the Army Reserve. . .David B. Hanna, JD, Charleston, WV, is a senior attorney at Spilman, Thomas & Battle, PLLC. . .Michael Pehanich, BS, Ashburn, VA, is assistant director of communications for the Washington Redskins. . .LaTasha Phoenix, BS, Sewell, NJ, is a child care quality assurance inspector in the licensing department of the Department of Children and Families where she is responsible for the inspection and monitoring of various state licensed child care centers. . .Ellen Susannah Southern, BS, Chapel Hill, NC, works at UNC Healthcare in outpatient nutrition . . .Jeremy Young, MS, Hurricane, WV, and his wife, Stephanie, also a WVU graduate, have two children, Madelyn and Luke.

2002

Donna Barron Baldwin, PhD, Vanderbilt, PA, is a pharmacist at Walmart in Uniontown. She has a son, Colin William. . .Ryan Eddy, BS, Fort Mill, SC, is an operations consultant for Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. . .Mathew Elliot, BS, a first lieutenant, recently joined the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee as chief of LAN operations for the 56th Presidential Inauguration. He has served as an active duty member of the US Air Force for the past three years. . .J. Christopher Gardill, JD, Wheeling, WV, is a partner in the firm Phillips, Gardill, Kaiser & Altmeyer. . .Jason T. Jones, BS, Charles Town, WV, and his wife, Julie, also a WVU grad, have been married for five years. They have two children . . .Megan Ripley Mansell, MS, Canton, OH, is an advanced HR consultant with Marathon Petroleum Company LLC. . .Angela McCauley, BS, ’04 MS, Meriden, CT, works in the HR department of Pepsi Bottling Group. . .Brian J. Murphy, MS, Clinton, NY, is head basketball coach at Morrisville State College . . .Derek L. Wood, BS, Hollywood, CA, recently relocated from New York City to North Hollywood. . . Tambree L. Yoak, MA, Grantsville, WV, was named Calhoun County Teacher of the Year. Her youngest daughter, Michaela, is a student at WVU.

2003

Matthew Barnes, MS, Shinnston, WV, is employed at Mark Richards Racing Enterprise. . .Elizabeth Melody Marleen Hunt, MA, Morgantown, WV, is a senior accountant at the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. She is training to become a yoga teacher. . .Jennifer R. McGee, BS, ’05 MS, Knoxville, TN, is a water resources specialist for AMEC Earth & Environmental. . .Jason Nembhard, BA, Staten Island, NY, and his wife, Mardory Clarke, are the proud parents of Sofia Raquel. . .Matthew Pauley, BA, Princeton, WV,

is employed with ManTech in Hinton. He and his wife, Sarah, have a son, Issac David.

2004

Michael Wayne Ammermon, BS, Alderson, WV, received a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. . .William R. Garrett Jr., BA, Charles Town, WV, has Michael Ammermon been with the West Virginia State Police for four years. His wife, Michelle Probst Garrett, BS, is an audiologist in Leesburg, VA. . .Kameron Hughes¸ BS, Parkersburg, WV, is an account coordinator at Machine Communications. A diehard Mountaineer fan, she tries to make it to all home games. . .Aaron J. Peoples, BS, Somerville, MA, works as a drug discovery chemist in natural products at Novo Biotic Pharmaceuticals while earning his MBA at Boston University.

2005

Ian Bahring, BFA, Sterling, VA, is a graphic designer for the Loudoun Times Mirror in Leesburg. In 2007, he received the First Place Award for Page Design from the Virginia Publishers’ Association. . .Bradley Berry, BS, Asheboro, NC, is a quality engineer for Teleflex Medical in Asheboro. . .Barbara J. Bragg, MBA, White Sulphur Springs, WV, is controller at the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine. . .Anthony “AJ” Favero, BS, received his juris doctor from Notre Dame University. While a student, he was on the staff of The Journal of College and University Law. He is the son of James, ’78 BA, and Antoinette Favero. . .Lisa Joyce Hileman, MA, Romney, WV, received an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in disability studies from the WVU Center for Excellence and Disabilities in 2008. . .Steven R. Jakobi, PhD, Alfred Station, NY, is an associate professor of biology at SUNYAlfred State College. . .Casey King, BA, Pittsburgh, PA, is the manager and lead graphic designer for hotcards.com and a designer for the parent company, Mogul Mind. . . Lauren Mayse, BA, MA, Bloomsburg, PA is an 8th grade language arts teacher at Bloomsburg Middle School. She and her husband, Joshua, bought a new house and a new lab puppy. . .Ryan McAlister, BS, Wilmington, NC, works for a large engineering/landscape development firm in Cary, NC. He is currently working on his North Carolina landscape architecture registration. . .Jenny L. Seibert, BA, Uniontown, PA, opened the Yoga Attic, a yoga studio and eco-friendly boutique. . .Stephanie Toth, BS, ’06 BS, Ashburn, VA, is a latent print analyst with the US Postal Service National Forensic Laboratory.

2006

Molly Butler, BS, Glen Dale, WV, is a student at the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV. . .Lindsay D. Cather, BS, Fairfax, VA, works for the National Association of Home Builders. Molly Butler She is enjoying horseback riding, skiing and making plans for graduate school. . .Daniel Farmer, BS, ’07 MS, Lewisburg, WV, is a student at the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine. . .Joanna Bradley Fletcher, BS, Cross Lanes, WV, is completing her senior year in CRNA School at Mountain State University. She plans to enroll in the DNP program in fall 2009 . . .Daniel Hasey, BS, Morgantown, WV, is pursuing a master’s degree in secondary education at WVU. He is employed with United Biosource Corp. and is engaged to be married to Donna Howell, ’07 BS. . .Brandon Henry, MS, Hollywood, FL, is head athletic trainer for the Lwell Spinners (Class-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox). He was named New York-Penn League Athletic Trainer of the Year and was one of 17 league winners to be considered for the Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year. . .Sara Shafer, MS, Williamson, WV, received a master’s degree in humanities from the University of Louisville in 2008 . . .Matt Whitfield, BA, Chatham, NJ, joined AFLAC insurance company in sales.

2007

Erin Jones Adams, JD, Winston-Salem, NC, has joined the law firm of Wall Esleeck Babcock LLP in WinstonSalem as an associate. . .Jessica A. Bell, BS, Reedsville, WV, graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in bio-hazardous threat agents and emerging infectious disease. . .Rachel Boyd, BS, St. Petersburg, FL, is a public relations specialist for Comcast. She loves living at the beach, but misses Morgantown and the mountains . . .Dane Alexander Kellas Coyne, BA, Wheeling, WV, is completing his second year of medical school at WVU. . .Christopher Duckworth, BS, Bakersfield, CA, works as a field service engineer at Baker Hughes Inteq and loves California. . .Karissa Gutierrez, BA, ’08 MS, Mooresville, NC, is employed with Integrated Therapy Concepts Inc. . .Tirzah Mills, BS, Boulder, CO, is enrolled in the chemical engineering doctoral program at the University of Colorado. . .Amanda Adams Mullins, BA, Tornado, WV, is a psychometrician. Her husband, Andrew Michael Mullins, ’06 BS, is a financial analyst. . .Meredith Quinn, BS, Glen Rock, NJ, received her master’s degree in social work at NYU. . .Allison Kay Sheets, BA, ’07 MOT, Star City, WV, is working at Ruby Memorial Hospital. . . Christopher Sklar, BM, Galax, VA, is director of bands at Galax High School and is an assistant saxophone faculty member at Krakow International Jazz Academy. . .Britney Smith, BA, Columbus, OH, is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. . .Katelyn Sykes, BS, Clarksburg, WV, works at WDTV in Clarksburg as a news reporter and weekend reporter. . .Rosemary M. Thomas, EdD, Salisbury, MD, VP of Salisbury University Advancement and executive director of the Salisbury University Foundation, was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2008. . .Justin M. Whipkey, BS, Glen Dale, WV, completed US Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL. . .Austin White, BA, Fayetteville, WV, is enrolled in optometry school in Boston. He loves West Virginia and WVU. . .Kjirsten Yahr, BA, Oakdale, MN, works for Ramsey County Corrections.

Marriages

Lauren Drybala, ’02 BS, to Joseph Justice, ’03 BS, Coatesville, PA. . .Lynda Hiles, ’96 BS, to Gregory Early, Hoboken, NJ, March 15, 2008. . .Aliesha Petronis, ’02 BS, to Nick Hunter, ’02 BS, Cornelius, NC, June 14, 2008. . .Jessica Vilseck, ’04 BS, to Aaron Cisco, July 12, 2008, Birmingham, AL.

Births/Adoptions

Margaret Jane to Bernice Amabile, ’95 BS, Roseland, NJ. . .Maisie Kate-McCue to David Bishop, ’00 JD, and Michele Duncan Bishop, ’98 JD, Alum Creek, WV. . . Ella Rose to Ryan D. Blanc, ’90 BS, ’04 DDS, and Nicole Stadler Blanc, ’04 BS, Fairview, PA. . .Kaeleigh and Karissa to Kenneth Brown, ’94 BA, ’96 MS, Bridgeport, CT. . .Andrew to Mary Kathryn Welch Burbank , ’96 BM, ’02 MM, and Jon Burbank, ’03 MM, Edinburg, TX. . .Anthony Louis to L. Joseph Ciervo III, ’96 BA, and Lourdes Ciervo, Flemington, NJ. . .Amelia Louise to Andrea Scott Clements, ’00 BS, and Coury Clements, Charleston, SC. . .Jackson Duane to Brian Corley, ’92 BS, Alexandria, VA. . .Garrett Allen to Brooke Bennett Cress, ’99 BS, ’99 MPA, and Ron Cress, Round Hill, VA. . .Harrison Dale to Stephanie Smith Currie, ’90 BS, ’92 MS, and Chris Currie, Calypso, NC. . .Ryan Edward to Aemy Morris Dean, ’93 BA, and Matthew Dean, Tewksbury, MA. . .Brenna Elizabeth to Jodie Robinson Gardill, ’98 BA, ’02 JD, and J. Christopher Gardill, ’02 JD, Wheeling, WV. . .Anna Grace Phu to Doug Hileman, ’86 BS, and Tracy Campbell-Hileman, ’85 BS, Richmond, VA. . .Cheridyn Monroe to Aimee Monroe Green, ’94 BS, and Clint Green, Buckhannon, WV. . .Molly Jane to Sam Griga, ’02 BA, and Kimberly Griga, Bristol, PA . . .Kellen Louis to Steve Hart, ’85 BS, and Gina Dove Hart, ’88 BS, Richmond, VA. . .Olivia Claire to Kelby

Hay, 04 BS, and Jessica Hay, Meyersdale, PA. . .Samantha Jane to Mary Rizzotti Horoszowski, ’93 BS, and Peter Horoszowski, Dobbs Ferry, NY. . .Aiden James to Darrell Jewell, ’95 BS, and Jennifer Jewell, Greenville, PA. . . Harrison Jeter to Colleen Klein, ’96 BA, Somerset, NJ . . .Elliott to Joseph Lambert, ’99 BS, and Ann Lambert, ’01 PhD, Parkersburg, WV. . .Twins to Jeff Long, ’86 BS, Ellicott City, MD. . .Elizabeth Rachel to Andria Neal Meadows, ’92 BS, ’94 MA, Friendswood, TX. . .Mason Isaac to Amy Goodwin Mercer, ’03 BRBA, and Kevin Mercer, St. Marys, WV . . .Lukas David to Krysta FerekMurray, ’02 BS, and Kenneth Murray, Youngwood, PA . . .Daniel Joseph to Lora Rosenecker Ometz, ’93 BS, Manassas, VA. . .Reece and Asher to Jon J. Parrinello, BS, Schaumburg, IL. . .Issac David to Matthew Pauley, ‘03 BA, and Sarah Pauley, Princeton, WV. . .Michaela Elizabeth to Eric Ressegger, ’95 BS, Rockville Centre, NY. . .Isabella to Robert W. Reuss, ’93 BS, Sterling, VA. . .Gianna Rose to Lisa Sabatelli-Varley, BS, ’91 MS, and Bill Varley, Bridgeville, PA. . .Bennett Grace to Rich Sanders, ’99 BS, and Janna Sanders, Roanoke, VA. . .Rajan Alexander to Amrit Singh, ’86 BA, ’90 MD, and Dr. John Michon, South Barrington, IL. . .Charlie to Sean Smith, ’01 BA, and Kara Smith, ’01 BA, Seattle, WA. . .Olivia Rose to Mark Staun, BS, ’91 JD, and Christie Staun, Charleston, WV. . .Dominick Colton to Justin Southern, ’96 BA, and Elizabeth Bills Southern, ’98 BS, Charleston, WV . . .Elsa Marie to Andrew Turner, ’92 JD, and Lynda Tranchitella, ’92 BS, Davidson, MD. . .Ethan Urijah to Harold B. Wolfe III, ’91 JD, Bluefield, WV.

Deaths

Dorothy Douglas Ammar, ’49 BS, Yucca Valley, CA. John C. Anthony, ’41 BS, Culpepper, VA, June 27, 2008. Jeffrey W. Baldwin, ’00 MS, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, March 20, 2008. Charles “Spike” Bane,’74 MS, Fairmont, WV, January 25, 2008. A.E. Griffith Bates Jr., ’54 BS, Wheeling, WV, January 1, 2008. Jay A. Bell, ’79 BS, Silver Spring, MD, May 22, 2007. Willie Sue Woods Brickey, ’61 BS, Hiwassee, VA, June 4, 2008. Christiane B. Buck, ’67 BA, ’69 MA, Morgantown, WV, March 16, 2008. Eugene Lee Burner, ’41 AB, ’48 MS, Cass, WV, August 6, 2008. Patricia L. Cabbank, ’47 BS, ’51 MS, Oldsmar, FL, December 27, 2007. Norma Mansberger Carmack, ’52 AB, January 1, 2008. John Y. Chidester Jr., ’37 BS, Uniontown, PA, April 15, 2008. Gail Fairman Chlon, ’76 BS, Norcross, GA, February 18, 2008. Phyllis Clark Mertz Cleaveland, ’69 BS, Silver Spring, MD, June 15, 2008. Amy Sue Hill Collins, ’01 BS, Morgantown, WV, July 15, 2008. Delanor Coomer, ’66 MS, Vincennes, IN, June 17, 2008. Robert Cropp, ’69 BA, Bridgeport, WV, March 16, 2008. James Francis Cyphert,’59 BS,’61 BS, Morgantown, WV, February 12, 2008. Daniel D’Ambrosio, ’03 BS, Hellertown, PA, July 31, 2008. Christi LaVaughn Duffer, ’03 BS, Mays Landing, NJ, November 8, 2006. Frank Donald Farley, ’56 MS, Beckley, WV, August 28, 2007. Charlton Forbes, ’98 BA, Covington, GA, March 9, 2008. Susan Shaw Gustke, ’64 MD, Oriental, NC. Charles D. Guy, ’75 BA, ’80 MD, Naperville, IL, May 17, 2008. William Thomas Herndon, ’73 BS, Fairfax, VA, July 10, 2008. Dorothy Hiehle, ’50 BA, ’52 MA, Virginia Beach, VA, May 14, 2007. Betty Baumgartner Hollen, ’48 AB, Fairmont, WV, September 22, 2007. Doris Ford Holpp, ’40 BS, Wilkesboro, NC, August 18, 2008.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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CLASSCHATTER Joseph McKee Hutchison III, ’57 MS, Morgantown, WV, July 26, 2008. Phyllis Jane Allen Johnson, ’86 BS, Morgantown, WV, August 28, 2008. David Kelley, ’58 MD, Anderson, SC, April 8, 2008. David C. Kohler, ’63 BS, Orange City, FL, November 11, 2006 Leslie Koontz Jr., ’50 BS, Kimberly, WV, April 5, 2008. Peggy “Margaret” Elizabeth Kovac, ’80 BS, ’84 MS, Morgantown, WV, June 26, 2008. Joseph L. Kuykendall, ’66 BA, Omaha, NE, April 5, 2008. George C. Kyle, ’49 BS, ’51 MA, ’52 MS, Tampa, FL, July 5, 2008. Garrett T. Lawton, ’99 BS, Charleston, WV, August 4, 2008. Robert E. Magnuson,’49 BA,’52 JD, Snowshoe, WV, February 13, 2008. Tony E. Maluski¸ ’57 BS, Houston, TX, March 12, 2008. Stefan Martin, ’75 AB, Dublin, CA, August 6, 2008. Margaret McHenry, ’38 MA, Morgantown, WV, August 20, 2008. J. Richard McProuty, ‘47 AB, Carmichael, CA, December 15, 2007. Ruth May Mearns, ’36 BS, Morgantown, WV, August 24, 2008. Arthur Micozzi, ’58 BA, Baltimore, MD, June 19, 2008. Marion “Terry” Price Monzella, ’55 BS, Westfield, NJ, November 30, 2007. Martha Virginia Hundley Moore,’39 AB, Fairfield Glade, TN, February 12, 2008. Raymond W. “Hank” Morehead, ’51 BS, Boca Raton, FL, August 31, 2008. Patricia Anne Stansbury Moritz, ’45 MA, ’74 MA, Nashville, TN, August 14, 2008. Betty Rose Morrison, ’43 BM, Grafton, WV, August 22, 2008. Willis Elwood Muldrew, ’47 BS, Knoxville, TN, October 14, 2007. Fannie Blair Nadle, ’51 BA, Pittsburgh, PA, June 1, 2008. Robert M. Naegele Jr., ’58 BS, Margate, FL, June 24, 2008. Barbara Susan Nelson,’70 BS, Morgantown, WV, January 30, 2008. Virginia Ellen Nugent, ’83 MA, Morgantown, WV, August 24, 2008. Steve Puy Jr., ’55 BS, Exton, PA. Thelma Reppert, ’58 BS, Bluffton, SC, February 7, 2008. JoAnn Richardson, ’51 BS, Morgantown, WV, August 23, 2008. Aaron Curtis Sekora, ’02 BS, Greensburg, PA, July 12, 2008. Dr. Linda L. Shaffer, ’64 BA, ’67 MD, Clarksburg, WV, March 5, 2008. James Blair Smith, ’60 BS, Georgetown, TX, August 28, 2008. Arville E. Sommer Jr., ’59 BS, ’63 MA, Southside, WV, July 14, 2008. Helen Hancock Spotte, ’55 BS, Kingwood, WV, February 14, 2008. Ann H. Stealey, MA, Woodbridge, VA, February 6, 2008. Melba Jo Hawkins Rice Trenary, ’59 BS, Front Royal, VA, May 10, 2008. Aldene Morris Lothes Troutman, BA, ’41 MS, Charleston, WV, April 4, 2008. Scott Tucker, ’86 BS, Tokyo, Japan, March 1, 2008. James H. Vennari, ’62 MA, Pomeroy, OH, February 23, 2008. William E. Wallace, ’63 BS, ’67 MS, ’69 PhD, July 20, 2008, Cape May, NJ. Roy Elton Warman Jr., ’49 BS, Ames, IA, February 28, 2008. Helen Waters, ’32 BS, Morgantown, WV, April 12, 2008. Richard James Watkins, ’49 BA, Wooster, OH, March 30, 2008. Ralph Willard Welch Sr., ’43 BS, Nova, OH, August 25, 2008. Emily Broadwater Wright, ’48 BS, Sistersville, WV, June 20, 2008. Fred Earle Wright Jr., ’48 BS, ’50 MA, Morgantown, WV, August 17, 2008. Gene Wright, ’53 BS, Tucson, AZ, January 11, 2008. James Paul Yeater, ’50 MA, Sykesville, MD, January 15, 2008. Alan V. Yoho, ’51 AB, ’52 MD, Kent, OH, January 3, 2008. Joseph M. Znoy, ’57 BS, MD, Surprise, AZ, July 3, 2008. 82

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most memorable alumni events ?

? ? ? ? ? ? ?? Do you remember? The completion of the New Erickson Alumni Center— the best alumni facility in the nation! The celebration in 1998 recognizing the Alumni Association’s 125th anniversary. The President’s State of the University addresses on Capitol Hill. 30 years of the National Capital Area Crab Feast (maybe the largest continual alumni event in the nation). Annual Capital Classic events in Charleston. The establishment of a WVU Scholarship Endowment Program in 1937 for West Virginia residents attending WVU. The Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund is now more than 70 years old and has assisted more than 3,500 WVU students. It is the oldest scholarship program at WVU. The construction of the first Erickson Alumni Center (and the first “home” for alumni that was billed as a premiere alumni facility in the country in 1986. The initial offering of a sports travel program in 1988 when thousands of WVU alumni and friends traveled more than 2,500 miles across the country to Arizona for the first Fiesta Bowl.

moments in

Construction of WVU Coliseum/New Mountaineer Field WVU becomes full member of Big East Conference in all sports Football wins the 2006 Sugar Bowl The men’s basketball team makes a run to the Elite Eight in 2005 1988 football team going undefeated in and playing for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl Men’s basketball playing in the national championship in 1959 The addition of varsity sports for women in 1973

Like many West Virginians, my connection with WVU has extended over the breadth of my life: a sports fan in the1960s; a legacy student in the 1970s; an alum, advocate, and volunteer in the 1980s and 1990s; and the proud parent of undergraduate children! Serving on the Presidential Search Committee confirmed to me how highly WVU is esteemed throughout the country. It will be exciting to remain connected to WVU as President Clements works to further enhance our standing as a research university.

Chip Shaffer

The creation of the Mountaineer Sports Network

’77 BS, ’81 JD, donor, and parent

14 national championships in rifle Men’s basketball winning the 1942 National Invitation Tournament WVU Intercollegiate Athletics’ contributions to WVU Children’s Hospital

West West Virginia Virginia University University Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine

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Number of students the Office of Student Employment has helped find off-campus jobs

Total estimated earned income of the students the office has helped employ

The Future of the Past

A collaborative effort between the WVU Department of History and the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association could play a role in preserving the site of the 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown. Students of Peter Carmichael, Eberly Distinguished Professor of Civil War History, are creating a podcast tour that will guide visitors through the battlefield. “The podcast encourages people to physically walk the grounds of the battlefield, allowing people to live the battle through their own eyes and become their own historians in the process,” said graduate student Ashley Whitehead. Podcast tour: www.wvu.edu/alumni/Shepherdstown

Number of on-campus jobs posted by the Office of Student Employment since it opened in 2008 84

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The spring/summer edition of Eberly, the magazine, examines all manner of environments from the smallest particles of matter to the vastness of the cosmos. See it online at eberly.wvu.edu/alumni/publications

Thinking of making a gift to benefit WVU, Potomac State College of WVU, the Mountaineer Athletic Club, or West Virginia 4-H in your will, living trust, IRA, or other manner? If so, the proper wording is very important in getting your gift to work out the way you intended. Please be sure to include the legal name, “West Virginia University Foundation, Inc.” and add the Foundation’s tax identification number: 55-6017181. To direct your gift to a specific college, school, or unit, the wording must be “to the West Virginia University Foundation, Inc. for the benefit of . . .” For sample bequest language, contact the Foundation by telephone (800-847-3856) or e-mail (info@wvuf.org), or visit our website at www.wvuf.org.

Members of the Irvin Stewart Society have included gift provisions in their wills or revocable trusts, created incomeproducing gifts, designated retirement account funds, donated life insurance, or created real estate remainder gifts to benefit West Virginia University, Potomac State College of WVU, the Mountaineer Athletic Club, or West Virginia 4-H in the future. We’re proud to add these newest members who have joined since June 1, 2008, through March 31, 2009: John C. Alberico ’52 Bakersfield, CA

Giles C. Davidson ’85 Washington, DC

David E. Anderson, JD Ruth A. Davis, EdD, ’58, ’54, ’58 ’63 Winter Haven, FL Williamsport, MD Paige C. Anderson Winter Haven, FL Cheryl Cornwell, JD ’74, ’91, ’92 Clarksburg, WV

John L. Egle Jr., PhD ’63, ’64 Richmond, VA

Edward A. Heflin II ’67 Morgantown, WV Gerald D. Jamison ’53 Columbus, OH Lois A. Jamison ’50 Columbus, OH Damon B. Lilze ’99 Piney Flats, TN

Patsy M. Egle Richmond, VA

Stephen McWhorter ’63 Sylacauga, AL

Creel Cornwell, PhD ’69 Clarksburg, WV

Margaret M. Hall ’74, ’76, ’81 Raleigh, NC

Christine F. Meredith ’71 Morgantown WV

Paul D. A. Daugherty Morgantown, WV

James H. Harless Gilbert, WV Cheryl Horton Heflin ’67 Morgantown, WV

Lois A. Morgan Morgantown, WV William S. Morgan ’95 Morgantown, WV

Annie Tissue Mrozinski ’65, ’66 Ft. Myers, FL

John A. Stockhausen ’77 Venetia, PA

Kenneth F. Mrozinski ’65 Ft. Myers, FL

Mary Ann Stockhausen ’77 Venetia, PA

Nancy Stuckey Olson ’69 Park Ridge, IL

John R. Williams Scott Depot, WV

Stanley N. Olson Park Ridge, IL E. Burl Randolph, MD ’44 Bridgeport, WV Mary Kirk Randolph Bridgeport, WV

Linda C. Williams Scott Depot, WV + 3 Anonymous Members

In Memoriam

Margaret B. Fitzgerald ’53 Benjamin L. Glasscock, JD ’37, ’49 Walter J. Hansen ’70 Teresa D. Harrison, EdD William W. Kautz ’55 Wanda B. Mitchell ’32 James V. Morris ’47 Robert E. Pyle, PhD ’50, ’51, ’53 Isadore Scott ’34, ’38

Planning for the Future Murv ’56 and Emily ’79, ’90 McDowell understand well the value of providing now for the future of Mountaineer Athletics programs. Through the donation of a life insurance policy, they’ve done just that. “We enjoy the games and know that the Athletic programs can be a good reflection on the University as a whole,” says Murv, a retired Fairmont businessman. Emily, a former nursing professor, readily agrees. “We’ve made so many friends through WVU sports and appreciate what Athletics adds to all that happens at WVU.”

800-847-3856 • www.wvuf.org

WVU

Foundation West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

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The West Virginia University Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1954 to generate, administer, invest, and disburse contributed funds and properties in support of West Virginia University and its nonprofit affiliates. The Foundation is governed by the Board of Directors, elected by its members. All serve without compensation. The Foundation’s operating budget is financed entirely with private resources; no University or state funds are used. The Foundation provides the central development and endowment management functions for the University at no cost to the University. If you would like information on making a contribution, please contact the Foundation by telephone (800-847-3856) or e-mail (info@wvuf.org), or visit our website at www.wvuf.org. Have something to add? Know of another incredible WVU project or faculty or student achievement? Tell us, and the world, about it—log on to http://wvualumnimag.wvu.edu to share. 86

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