West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

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4 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES AND DESIGN 3 2 1

MOVING FORWARD With a new building set to officially open in the fall, faculty, staff and students prepare to embrace the next chapter in learning.

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The WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design is headed into an exciting new era.

In this edition of our magazine, you will read about our new building, revolutionary programs for students to explore innovation and entrepreneurship and outstanding students and faculty who are achieving excellence.

We’re very excited about the opening of our new building, with the first classes to be taught there beginning August 2016!

(Watch for an upcoming announcement about our grand opening celebration for the new building, in early fall.) This building will provide us with a new canvas to work from, state-of-the-art labs and lecture halls that will afford students the best education, and faculty will have new and exciting opportunities for research and collaboration. Next up — facilities work for our Forestry and Natural Resources programs, and our farms.

As we approach the 150th anniversary of WVU and the College, to be celebrated in 2017, this building will bridge the old and the new, ensuring our land-grant mission remains strong, vibrant and cutting-edge.

CHARLIE YUILL

LETTER from the Dean

SPRING 2016

CONTENTS Spring 2016

E. Gordon Gee President, West Virginia University Joyce McConnell Provost

We hope that you will share in our excitement and look for more news on opportunities to visit and explore the new facility.

But beyond the new building, I am proud of the accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff who make this College what it is — strong, resilient and pioneering. Our Davis-Michael Scholars program, featured in this edition, provides students with the opportunity to receive the best preveterinarian education in the nation, followed by financial assistance to attend veterinary school after graduating from WVU. Graduate students like Darren Wood are earning internships, fellowships and grants for everything from developing genetic databases to reduce white-tailed deer poaching in West Virginia to learning how to operate an organic farm.

This is a new era for the WVU Davis College, a time of change, exploration and innovation. It’s a time to further embrace our land-grant mission of teaching, research and service and to seize opportunities for collaboration and discovery.

We’re thrilled that you are with us on this journey. Let's go!

Sharon L. Martin Vice President for University Relations Daniel J. Robison Dean and Publisher Michael Esposito Executive Creative Director Angela Caudill Director, UR-Design

NATURAL RESOURCES

AGRICULTURE

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Tackling Poaching

Love and Landmarks

Fashion Forward

A Davis College graduate student is creating a genetic database to help reduce poaching of white-tailed deer in West Virginia.

As the Davis College looks forward to a new chapter, alumni and friends share their fondest memories and love stories.

Tricia Dunn Magazine Designer

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 02 Around the College 04 The Mentor 06 Davis-Michael Scholars 08 A Legacy of Kindness

Julie Cryser Kathy DeWeese Sarah Gould Mikenna Pierotti Linday Willey Contributing Writers Brian Persinger M.G. Ellis Raymond Thompson Lindsay Willey Photographers

Laura Spitznogle Assistant Editor ADDRESS WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Dan Robison, dean

BRIAN PERSINGER

Office of the Dean P.O. Box 6108 Morgantown, WV 26506-6108 www. davis.wvu.edu CHANGE OF ADDRESS WVU Foundation P.O. Box 1650 Morgantown, WV 26504-1650 Fax: 304-284-4001 Email: info@wvuf.org www.mountaineerconnection.com

From blueprints to reality, the new Agricultural Sciences Building will open in August 2016.

Megan Poole is passionate about fashion, photography and the sense of community she found at WVU.

Forrest Conroy Assistant Director, UR-Design

Kathy Deweese Director, University Content

My best,

DESIGN

Snapshot With the help of an unmanned, computer-guided aircraft, Charlie Yuill, associate professor and chair of the Landscape Architecture program, is providing the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, with information and expertise to aid in rebuilding a portion of its commercial district ravaged by fire in July 2015.

10 Growing Organically 30 Taking the Reins 32 Where Innovation Begins 35 Q&A with Jennifer Yang 36 A Citizen of the World

Around the College

Making the Grade

Roping in the Wins JENNINGS RODEO PHOTOGRAPHY

When it comes to competing in the sport of rodeo, John Harless loves traveling the country and meeting new people from around the world. And winning isn’t too bad.

The agribusiness management and rural development major has been competing in the sport since 2013. In 2014 and 2015, Harless placed second and first, respectively, in the West Virginia High School Rodeo Association state finals, earning him a spot in the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Last fall, eight Davis College students were named American Degree recipients at the 88th National FFA Convention and Expo. The degree is awarded to members who demonstrated the highest level of commitment to FFA and made significant accomplishments in their supervised agricultural experiences.

Building on Tradition SUBMITTED PHOTO

Our students are innovative and business-savvy, and they continue to prove it year after year in the West Virginia Statewide Business Plan Competition. This year, six of the 15 finalists are Davis College students. Winners will be selected in April 2016.

Create and Believe

When Nora MacDonald, professor of fashion, dress and merchandising, told students in her Fashion Design and Illustration course they were to create an art-to-wear design representing a company or product, Melissa Siggs knew immediately she wanted to focus on Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. “Having grown up around Magee and seeing all of the patients’ wonderful artwork, I felt it was really important to showcase the art therapy work done at Magee,” she said. Using brochures and calendars, Siggs created the Believe Dress, which is currently on display in the hospital’s lobby.

Digging the Dirt AMBER HINES

It’s all about what’s beneath our feet for the WVU Soil Judging Team. The nationally — and internationally — known program brings together students from across the College who like to get their hands dirty and are passionate about the Earth’s soils and landscapes.

The top 10 reasons students should join the team: 1. Earn college credit M.G. ELLIS

Sometime in late April, one of WVU’s leased mares — My Artful Lark — will welcome a quarter horse foal by Penn State University’s Dynamic Krymsun. “We hope she has a healthy, fancy filly or colt that will go on to be an outstanding hunter saddle or all-around horse,” said Crystal Smith, teaching assistant professor and coordinator of the Equine Studies program.

3. Frequent field trips, fewer lectures 4. W ork toward all-expense-paid trips to regional and national contests 5. Get to compete against Virginia Tech in something now that they are in a different athletic conference 6. Broaden your horizons … or at least know how to identify them

Serving and Representing They are student leaders and academic scholars who help recruit new students to the Davis College. Who are they? They are student ambassadors, a group of 10 students selected to represent the College and act as a liaisons between the College and prospective students. In the fall of 2015, the ambassadors:

7. Have an excuse to get dirty

• Completed over 200 hours of volunteer work

8. Make new friends and interact with other students with similar interests

• Assisted with

9. Add to the history of success here at WVU 10. L earn skills that will set you apart from others and help get you a job

2 WVU Recruitment open houses •A ttended 5 Face to Face events to promote WVU in West Virginia

• Stuffed and mailed 4,000 pieces of recruitment-

related mail

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Foal Fever

2. Learn about the soil resources of West Virginia (and other southeastern states) and how to evaluate them for land use applications

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In the top two pictures, Jeff Skousen takes a hands-on approach to teaching, just as his mentor, professor emeritus John Sencindiver (bottom photo) did for him in the 1980s.

The Mentor

ERIKA OSBORNE

Outstanding Faculty

WRITTEN BY MIKENNA PIEROTTI

Professor Jeff Skousen translates complex science into world-changing research and unforgettable learning opportunities.

LINDSAY WILLEY

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“ That’s a major purpose of a university.

To translate knowledge and information into usable products and techniques that will help citizens.”

years, most people cannot even tell that an area has been reclaimed or that it had been mined. We’ve come a long way,” he said.

Part of modern land reclamation’s success, particularly in West Virginia, Skousen said, has been new technology, but an even bigger part has been opening the lines of communication. “Mining and reclamation, in terms of when they happen, should be concurrent. If you don’t, you end up spending a lot more money at the end trying to correct things you should have done during the process,” he said.

“An important part of my job has been helping mining companies realize there’s money to be saved if you plan and prepare and do it right the first time.”

He has a similar way of setting his graduate students on the right path. “I tell them when they come in that these are my expectations.

I’m not here to hold your hand. This is your project. This is your thesis. I’m an advisor, a consultant. I’ll give you the project. It’s up to you to complete it,” he said.

Keene says Skousen’s mentorship allowed him to both find his passion and make interdisciplinary connections. “One of the biggest challenges of graduate school is how much a student needs to learn and master within a two-year period. For me, Dr. Skousen was a great resource to use to help focus my project into something that I was interested in studying,” Keene recalled. “He put a high value on problem-solving and encouraged me to seek out the people and resources who could add expertise to make the whole project come together.”

For his work Skousen has a wall full of honors and recognitions — the William T. Plass Award from the American Society of Mining and Reclamation (the society’s most prestigious accolade); teaching, service and research awards from WVU; and recognition from the honor society of agriculture and from the Monongahela Conservation District. He’s published and edited more than 150 articles, consults for state and federal agencies and continues to visit China, Korea, New Zealand and Australia to share his 30 years of reclamation expertise.

Professor, award-winning scientist, researcher and mentor to dozens of students — Skousen has many titles. But he likes “teacher” most of all. “They really are great people to start with. I have been exceptionally lucky that way,” he said of his students. “As teachers, all we can help them do is expand their abilities, hopefully enhance their creativity and ability to expand their minds and then send them off into the world.”

BILL CASE

gained at the university level and you translate it into language, practices and procedures that can be done in the field,” Skousen said. “That’s why I love my job. Knowledge really is power. It really translates into innovation and into money. That’s a major purpose of a university. To translate knowledge and information into usable products and techniques that will help citizens.”

Skousen has imparted this wisdom to nearly every student he’s had. He does so through hands-on, fingers in the dirt, lessons on his 120-acre farm as well as trips to active reclamation sites, said Travis Keene, a 2010 graduate of the agronomy master’s program currently working as a commercial agronomist at Dow AgroSciences. “He was very invested in making sure students actually learned some practical skills and knowledge in his classes. He organized some outstanding field trips. His tests and projects were less geared toward recalling individual facts and more toward problem-solving.”

Bringing something as complex as soil science to life isn’t easy, but Skousen has a knack for tying even the most obscure ideas to real problems for his students to solve. “I’ll tell them about something that happened to me just yesterday when I was at a field site and I had a certain problem presented to me,” he said. “‘Here’s what I saw. Tell me what you think,’ I’ll say. And I allow them to make the same sorts of decisions I was asked to make.”

Jessica Joyce, a 2013 graduate of the master’s program in Plant and Soil Science and an environmental technician for Moody and Associates, Inc., said that attribute sets him apart as a teacher. “His classes were more like theatrical presentations than lectures. His slideshows were filled with pictures and color to keep us interested and to visually see the points he was making,” she said. “One thing I particularly learned from him is that you can be the smartest person in the room about a particular subject, but if you cannot convey it to the audience in a way that everyone understands, what good is it really?”

Today, Skousen is a big reason WVU leads the way in outreach and scholarship in the evolving field of land reclamation.

Specializing in technologies, chemicals and passive treatments for predicting or controlling acid mine drainage, water quality and watershed restoration, as well as many other areas of research, he helps put disturbed landscapes back to “a higher or better use: that requires the landscape being rebuilt, soil being replaced, the ground water and surface water restored and certainly not impaired. And a plant community put back on the site that meets the goals of the land owner.”

Over 30 years at WVU, Skousen has seen countless acres torn apart and rebuilt to nearly their original state. “In the last 20 or 30

SUBMITTED PHOTO

When he isn’t surrounded by wideeyed students elbow-deep in dirt or kicking around the alien landscape of a mine site with visiting researchers from China or New Zealand, you’ll find Jeff Skousen, professor of soil science and land reclamation specialist, in his office. A maze of corridors in the WVU Agricultural Sciences Building will lead you to his door.

It will probably be open.

Drop by to ask him a question, and he’ll drop everything to answer it — even if it takes the rest of his day.

Skousen says that policy is the foundation of his teaching style. It’s one reason he can rattle off the names of nearly every graduate student he’s ever had. He can tell you where they are now, where they’ve been and what they’re doing in the world. And his students still look to him for his expertise. “Two weeks ago I got a call from one of my former graduate students,” Skousen said. “He’s a manager at a state superfund site now, and he needed my help.”

The former student was Paul Emerson, remediation manager at Gentle, Turner, Sexton, Debrosse & Harbison, LLC, and a 2008 graduate of the WVU agronomy master's program. The location was Spelter, West Virginia, the site of a former zinc mine. And the problem was grass. “They were having problems growing sod in the yards they were remediating. They wanted to know if it was an issue with soil compaction.” Without hesitating, Skousen packed up his compaction tester and drove to Spelter to help his former student conduct a few tests.

Part of his job working with WVU Extension Service and the WVU Davis College is consulting on issues like this. But if you ask Skousen why he does it on a personal level, he’ll tell you, “it’s just really cool to see my students excelling in the world. If I had to choose one thing I really enjoy, just like with my own kids, it’s when I see them doing really well in whatever they chose to do. It actually feels pretty good that you’ve helped them build their skillset to the point where they are contributing citizens.”

For Skousen, that’s what his dual position as professor and extension specialist means. It’s one-part academic to three-parts communication. He prides himself on using his research to guide others — from future soil scientists to 4-H’ers to visiting reclamation researchers. “As an extension specialist, you take the knowledge

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THE DAVIS-MICHAEL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

WV RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR

AND

The Davis-Michael Scholars program provides financial and educational support for animal and nutritional sciences majors to help prepare them for veterinary school. Since West Virginia does not have a veterinary school, West Virginia residents are given special consideration at two out-of-state schools where 13 “contract seats,” or openings, are reserved so West Virginians can attend those schools and pay in-state tuition.

$18.4 MILLION TO WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

$16.2 MILLION

CONTRACT SEATS

THE PROGRAM PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

VETERINARIANS AS WELL AS

IN 2014, 11 WVU STUDENTS WERE AWARDED CONTRACT SEATS

ENHANCED FACILITIES BRINGS REPS FROM VETERINARY SCHOOLS AND THE WEST VIRGINIA VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION TO CAMPUS TO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES.

THE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED

4.4 MILLION

68.8%

HELPS STUDENTS BECOME

INTERNSHIPS AND SEMINARS

VETERINARY CAREER DAY

AVERAGE NUMBER OF THE 13 WV CONTRACT SEATS THAT ARE AWARDED TO WVU GRADS

ALLOWS IN-STATE TUITION

GIVEN TO THE DAVIS COLLEGE

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

18 $195,000 $192,500

PHYSICIANS

LAWYERS

SCIENTISTS

TOTAL WVU STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO VET SCHOOL

IN SCHOLARSHIPS

IN 2015-2016 THE PROGRAM AWARDED

$387,500

TO 55 STUDENTS PURSUING VETERINARY MEDICINE DEGREES

IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO 69 UNDERGRADUATES

WVU ACCEPTANCE RATE

NATIONAL AVERAGE

43%

2001

THE VIRGINIA-MARYLAND REGIONAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

73.3%

ESTABLISHED

WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENTS GET SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AT

VON B. SIMMS

Kidder Fund

Celena and John Keeney with their three sons – Sam, 9; Ben, 8; and Luke, 4.

A Legacy of Kindness WRITTEN BY SARAH GOULD

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Her passion is small animal medicine. His is working as a bovine veterinarian. John and Celena Keeney are living their dreams, thanks to the education and support they received from the Davis College and the H.E. Kidder Endowed Scholarship Trust.

In the field of veterinary medicine, where six-figure student loan debt is the norm, scholarships are critical in keeping veterinary careers accessible to deserving, hard-working students. When John and Celena graduated from West Virginia University in 2000, both received bachelor’s degrees in animal and veterinary science — and Kidder scholarships for graduate or professional school.

Dr. Harold Edward “Doc” Kidder taught animal sciences in the Davis College from 1954 until 1988 and was known for his genuine love and respect for his students. He touched countless lives, mentoring future educators, agricultural extension agents, veterinarians, doctors, pharmacists, dentists and farmers. In some cases, he even opened the doors of his home to students whose families could not otherwise afford college housing.

Celena focuses her career on the other side of the veterinary spectrum — what most people would consider the cuter, cuddlier side. She works part-time as a small animal practitioner at the Jarrell Animal Clinic in Bradley, West Virginia.

“I received a lot of support during my time at WVU, in the forms of academic advice, career counseling, mentoring from faculty and alumni, and financial support,” says Celena, who earned an H.E. Kidder Freshman Scholar award, in addition to the Kidder Scholarship for veterinary school. Like John, she graduated from the University of Georgia with a D.V.M. in 2004.

The Kidder Scholarship eased Celena’s financial burden, allowing her to take out less in student loans. “I am grateful that after graduation I have been able to pay back the remainder of my loans and focus on other areas.” Both credit the Davis College with getting them on the right path to achieve their goals.

“I really felt as though everyone there wanted me to succeed.

Thanks to the faculty and staff at WVU, we were very well prepared for the veterinary program at Georgia,” Celena recalls.

“Dr. Robert Dailey was our academic adviser and knew exactly what it took to get us on the right path. Dr. Paul Lewis was another mentor, who even today remains an important part of our lives.”

Dr. Sam Barringer, WVU Extension Service veterinarian at the time, influenced John’s choice of veterinary specialization. “He had food animal private practice experience, and he made the idea of being a food animal veterinarian very appealing to me.”

But perhaps the most life-changing experience came at freshman orientation. That’s where John Keeney and Celena Morgan met for the very first time — at Dr. Dailey’s animal and veterinary science table.

Today, they live with their three sons on John’s family’s farm in Rainelle, W.Va., where they hope to carry on the family tradition.

And in many ways, they are also carrying on the legacy of “Doc” Kidder. As John puts it: “I want to raise my boys in a way that they understand agriculture and its contributions to society, no matter what they decide to do with their lives.”

“I really felt as though everyone there wanted me to succeed. Thanks to the faculty and staff at WVU, we were very well prepared for the veterinary program at Georgia.”

- CELENA KEENEY

For more information, go to giving.davis.wvu.edu

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Decades after his passing, “Doc” Kidder is still helping students.

Kidder passed away in 1989, but his legacy of helping WVU students continues. His will created a trust fund that provides Davis College students with scholarships for postgraduate study, as well as supporting travel expenses for students participating in the livestock, dairy, poultry and meats judging teams.

The Keeneys are among the many students who have benefited from Kidder’s kindness. Their scholarships helped them not only to attend veterinary school, but gave them more freedom early in their careers.

“It was a great honor to share the Kidder Scholarship because I knew firsthand the quality of the other applicants,” says John, who earned a D.V.M. from the University of Georgia in 2004. “The financial support reduced the amount of student loans I had at graduation, and that in turn allowed me to take the jobs I have held in the livestock industry.”

Currently, he holds two: a private practice and a part-time position with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture as a veterinary supervisor in the Meat and Poultry Inspection Division.

He supervises six meat inspectors in six commercial slaughter facilities in southern West Virginia.

In his private practice as a mobile food animal veterinarian, he travels a 12-county region offering herd health services to beef cattle producers, as well as to the Jackson County Regional Livestock Market in Ripley and Cattlemen’s Livestock Exchange in Lewisburg.

“Being a bovine veterinarian was and is my career goal, and I love it,” he says. “I enjoy knowing beef cattle producers and being able to see their farms, their cattle and their different approaches to farming.”

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Growing Organically WRITTEN BY LINDSAY WILLEY

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Hands-on learning helped this Davis College student discover personal and professional passion.

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“ Dr. Butler’s gift has reinvigorated our long-standing organic farm internship program. For the last five to seven years, we have only been able to support one student intern; however, her gift has allowed us to give five students both crop production and research experience.”

- SVEN VERLINDEN

Life-changing. That’s how Jesse Poe would describe his experience as an intern on the West Virginia University Organic Research Farm. For the senior horticulture major, the last several years have been about self-discovery, as well as defining and refining career goals.

Fresh out of high school, Poe opted to spend a year in the workforce instead of enrolling in college.

“I ended up working for Home Depot,” he said. “They had me in the paint department at first, but then moved me to the garden section.”

He quickly realized he knew very little about plants, but with curiosity piqued he was determined to learn all he could.

“I got a lot of conflicting information from co-workers and customers and I wanted to find out what was right and what was wrong, so I started looking things up online,” he said. “Then I thought maybe I would go into something that’s outdoors.”

The Charleston, West Virginia, native then spent a year studying environmental biology at West Virginia State University where he volunteered in the greenhouse and was able to assist graduate students in the genetics department with a fruit study, the latter helping him refine his goals.

“I realized I would rather be growing plants and learning more about their growth and development than learning about their genetics,” Poe said.

After reaching out to Sven Verlinden, associate professor of horticulture in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, Poe transferred to WVU the following year.

“Sven really sold me on the program,” he said. After only a semester on campus, during the spring of 2014, Verlinden offered Poe a summer internship — the only one available — on the Organic Research Farm.

The farm is among the largest certified organic research farms in the nation dedicated to teaching, research and outreach. It’s a living laboratory linking scientific discovery with applications supporting an increasing number of organic growers and gardeners.

Poe’s primary responsibility was to oversee the farm, which included tilling, planting, harvesting and selling items.

His experience helped him realize that not only does he prefer working outdoors and in the field, but that he ultimately wants to own and operate his own organic farm one day.

“When I first moved up here, I didn’t pay close attention to what I bought,” Poe said. “Now that I’m a little bit older and more experienced with organic farming, I realize that you’re casting a vote with everything you buy.

I really want to steer away from unnatural processes and live a sustainable life. I understand organic farming is not 100 percent sustainable, but it’s on that path.”

This past summer, four other interns joined Poe at the farm as the first group of students to benefit from the Butler Organics Discretionary Fund, an endowed gift from Linda Butler, professor emeritus of entomology, to support WVU’s Organic Research Project.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN PERSINGER

Butler Gift

Jesse Poe works in a high tunnel greenhouse on WVU's Organic Research Farm.

During her tenure at WVU, Butler was part of the multidisciplinary group of researchers who launched the initiative in 1998 and began transitioning the traditional horticulture farm into a certified organic facility.

“Dr. Butler’s gift has reinvigorated our long-standing organic farm internship program,” said Sven Verlinden, associate professor of horticulture in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. “For the last five to seven years, we have only been able to support one student intern; however, her gift has allowed us to give five students both crop production and research experience.”

The Organic Research project encompasses many disciplines, including entomology, animal science, horticulture, soil science, crops agronomy and weed management.

The interns were all responsible for managing the farm and each was assigned to a faculty-led research project that was being conducted there.

Under the guidance of Yong-Lak Park, associate professor of entomology, Poe collected common insects and identified them as invasive or native, pest or non-pest.

In addition to his entomology research, Poe also found himself taking a leadership role around the farm.

“Lots of times, I found myself, since everyone else was new and I was the only person who had been there the previous year, taking more responsibility in organizing the daily tasks,” he said.

One of those responsibilities was overseeing the market garden, a three-acre area of the 150-acre farm that produces a variety of crops: peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, lettuce and legumes, and serves as a research and marketing prototype.

“Jesse treated the market garden area of the farm as if it were his own farm,” Verlinden said. “He identified what needed to be done, sought help from faculty and fellow students in implementing crop production and was a leader in organizing student help. He is a no-nonsense kind of guy who gets the job done.”

Poe said his work on the farm has really opened his mind to the possibilities in organic farming.

For more information, go to organic.wvu.edu.

Tackling Poaching WRITTEN BY LINDSAY WILLEY PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN PERSINGER

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Wild animal poaching, especially whitetailed deer, is a problem in West Virginia; however, with the help of a fellowship from the U.S. Department of Justice, one West Virginia University graduate student hopes to create a genetic database that will help law enforcement combat the issue.

Darren Wood, a doctoral student in wildlife and fisheries resources in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, received a $50,000 award from the National Institute of Justice’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to pursue his research.

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Darren Wood examines white-tailed deer antlers with a West Virginia DNR officer.

THE ECONOMIC FACTOR

“Poaching wild animals is a huge problem, not only in West Virginia but worldwide,” Wood said. “Although white-tailed deer are plentiful within the state, poaching is a big problem because of the huge economic impact that hunting, specifically deer hunting, has within West Virginia. Many small and local businesses depend on hunting activities, and those local businesses are an important economic piece to a very rural state like this one. It is important to understand that when an animal is illegally killed or injured, no one — including the poachers — wins.”

According to Wood, creating a genetic database for white-tailed deer will help prevent hunters from killing deer out of season, keeping everyone on an equal playing field.

THE DEER DATABASE

There are two primary components that will go into creating that database.

The foundation of the database will be tissue samples collected by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources in 2014 from

hunter-harvested white-tailed deer in 19 locations throughout the state.

“The DNA from these samples will then be extracted and specific regions of the DNA are targeted to produce a genotype,” Wood explained. “These genotypes are then run through a series of fine-scale genetic analyses to form genetic neighborhoods.”

Wood will then conduct a series of trials that involve subjecting different tissues — hair, flesh and blood — that contain DNA to a variety of environmental settings, including warm temperatures and UV-radiation, shown previously to degrade the quality and quantity of DNA. “From there, a variety of genetic markers will be used to determine which markers reliably amplify the specific locations to form a genotype that can be compared to those individuals in the database,” he said.

Wood went on to explain that, in most cases, when animals are poached, only a small amount of evidence is left behind and exposure to the elements can break down the minute amounts of DNA contained in the evidence.

Knowing which markers reliably amplify

to form a genotype while withstanding the elements — and being able to compare them to an established database — will help DNR officials provide faster results in poaching cases.

A NEW FELLOWSHIP

Amy Welsh, an assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries resources who specializes in conservation genetics and wildlife forensics, will oversee Wood’s research. She originally encouraged him to apply for the fellowship.

“I try to encourage my Ph.D. students to get a lot of practice writing proposals,” she said. “Because this fellowship was with the Department of Justice, Darren had to think outside of the box and think about some novel questions he could ask related to his dissertation project. This is one of the best kinds of experience for graduate students because it helps them develop some important skills necessary for eventually initiating their own research program. I’m very proud of Darren for accepting the challenge and taking his proposal writing to the next level.”

Additionally, Welsh believes Wood’s research is important and timely for the state.

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350,000+ $270,000,000 600,000

annual hunting license holders (about one per household) 14

annual estimates of hunting's economic contribution

estimated pre-hunting season population of white-tailed deer

“White-tailed deer are an important natural resource for the state. For this project, Darren will be developing a deer genetic database and genetic markers suitable for wildlife forensic cases,” she said.

According to Welsh, WVU is home to one of only a few wildlife forensics laboratories in the nation.

“Human forensics labs often don’t have the genetic data needed to do individual identification for non-human species,” she said. “There is a national fish and wildlife forensics lab in Oregon, but they often have such a large backlog that it’s hard for natural resource agencies to get their samples processed quickly.”

“Our lab has processed two deer poaching cases so far, and I anticipate more cases coming our way. Darren’s project will help provide necessary data for interpreting the results of deer poaching cases in the state.”

According to DNR officials, a rough statewide, pre-hunting season population estimate of white-tailed deer is 600,000.

Officials also noted they investigated

1,084 number of poaching cases and made 1,120 arrests.

“Just like there are crimes against humans, there are also crimes against wildlife. In order to properly protect and conserve our natural resources, it’s critical that we address crimes against wildlife to show that there are consequences

“Both pieces of the project will help to provide them with accurate results in a timely fashion, therefore expediting the process to resolve poaching cases,” Wood said.

As a mentor, Welsh believes it is her job to make sure graduate students have the skills they need to eventually start their own research program.

“Successfully obtaining funding is critical for launching a research program,” she said.

“Considering how hard it is to get funding, a good proposal no longer suffices. It has to be a great proposal.”

The Graduate Research Fellowship program is supported by the National Institute of Justice, the research, development and evaluation agency of the DOJ. Each fellowship provides up to three years of support over a five-year period, an allowance of $35,000 to cover salary or stipend and related costs, and up to $15,000 to cover the student’s tuition, fees, research expenses and related costs.

" It is important to understand that when an animal is illegally killed or injured, no one – including the poachers – wins."

1,084

poaching complaints in 2015

to poaching,” Welsh said. “Management agencies develop limits to ensure the sustainability of the harvest and that’s based on the harvest they know about.

Illegal harvest can threaten the sustainability of legal harvest.”

A RESOURCE FOR JUSTICE

Both Wood and Welsh believe developing the database and panel for reliable genetic markers will be invaluable to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Law Enforcement.

1,120

poaching-related arrests made by the West Virginia DNR

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poaching cases with evidence processed by WVU so far

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WRITTEN BY JULIE CRYSER AND LINDSAY WILLEY

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To its students, alumni, faculty and staff, the Davis College is much more than a building. As WVU’s oldest academic unit, the College has had a role in creating groundbreaking research, preparing students for fulfilling careers and inspiring lifelong friendships and long-lasting romance for hundreds of Mountaineers … And although our College has changed over the decades — and continues to grow as it moves into a brand-new facility — our alumni will always cherish the memories they made here.

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Andrea McCardle

Alumni Love Stories

John Jett

B.S., Agribusiness Management and Rural Development, ’03; Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, ’04

I fondly remember having classes with my roommate, who unbeknownst to both of us, long after our graduation from the Davis College would become my husband. We took several of the same classes together, and always sat by one another. We still have our materials from some of the classes too, and I have pages where he and I would scribble notes to one another during class. I also remember pretending to hold hands from the parking lot walking in to school. Little did we know …

B.S., Agriculture, ’71; M.S., Horticulture, ’76; Ph.D., Plant Pathology, ’86 The first day I met Edie was in Dr. Schubert’s Hort. 107 class, fall semester, 1969. Edie was typically inappropriately dressed in her (mini) mini skirt and 2-inch platform shoes for the spur-of-the-moment field trip to the Horticulture Farm, and Dr. Shubert paid no attention as he overloaded student vehicles and his own to make the trip. I rode shotgun in Doc’s VW hatchback, and Edie was not so neatly folded onto my lap. It would be nearly a year before we would find ourselves in such tight quarters. In the summer of 1970, I was a worker at the Horticulture Farm and Edie was the gardener for the Agriculture School. Our paths crossed rarely at work, but we serendipitously ended up living next door to each other in Sunnyside which was enough to help us pursue a relationship which has lasted decades. I am a West Virginia country boy from Marlinton. Edie caught my eye from the first day she sat on my lap. Edie, the city girl from Jersey, claims the male-female ratio at the Agriculture School favored females and she simply got the pick of the litter. If Edie had not changed her major from biology to horticulture when she transferred to WVU, this match would probably never have been made, so thanks WVU Davis College. Truly a match made in Almost Heaven!

1971 Apple Judging Team — (l-r) John Jett, Edie Roberts (Jett), Chuck Lothes, Dave Cedarleaf and Dr. W.H. Childs, coach.

Edie Jett

B.S., Agriculture, ’71; M.S., Horticulture, ’76; Ph.D., Plant Pathology, ’86

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

I remember taking John home to New Jersey in the spring of ’71, and Daddy observed that, yeah, he was a farmer. Mother, on the other hand, after always telling me that money would stop if I got married while I was still in college, encouraged me to go ahead and marry him in May, even though I was looking at a December graduation. Her quote: “I think he’s a good catch. You don’t know where he’ll be in six months!”

They both agreed it had been a great decision when, 30 years later, we moved them to West Virginia to live with us and Mother got to garden alongside John.

Edie Jett spreading lime on the college's garden in 1970.

Andrea and Kevin White with their son William.

My friends and I were living in the dorm during our freshman (for them) and sophomore (for me) years, and we decided to move into a dilapidated house in South Park along Brockway Avenue. Turns out that one of my friends was dating Kevin (my now husband), and he ended up spending a significant amount of time at our house that year. At the end of the year, one of the roommates moved out so we decided that Kevin, who was looking for a place, should move in. Kevin and I became very good friends the two years we spent together in the house and in our classes at the Davis College. We would ride to school together, sit by each other in class, hang out at the house, and study for tests together. We were both almost always dating other people, and never really saw one another as a love interest. During the spring of my first year of law school and Kevin’s last year of graduate school, it dawned on me that one of my very best friends was about to move away and I might never see him again because, let’s face it, he lived in Elkins and I lived in Moundsville. That was just too far of a distance for us to maintain a platonic friendship. It was then that I realized maybe I was a little more attached to him and liked him a little more than I had thought. So, after much consternation and debate, we decided to start dating. Fourteen years later, we are living our dream on a small farm with one son, and I am glad I had the realization I did when I did. We still look back fondly on our days together at the Davis College and periodically have “remember when” conversations about those days.

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Jaclyn Hall

PHOTOS BY BRIAN PERSIGNER

B.S., Agribusiness Management and Rural Development, ’11; M.S., Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, ’12 Other than my education, I found something else at the Davis College that I will value for a lifetime. My husband! In January 2009, he started working in the Office of Academic Affairs where I’ve been working since May 2008. At the time I had no idea I was meeting my future husband. He was a forestry major, an outdoorsman, a nice and down-to-earth person … a lot of traits that many of Davis College graduates have. However, after two years of working together, I realized that this guy had the best personality I have ever met. To me, it has been happily ever after from there. We started dating in November 2011, graduated in May 2012, got engaged December 2012, married in July 2013, and are now expecting our first child. We enjoy country living on our 17-acre farm in central Virginia, and we always look forward to returning to Morgantown to visit our Alma Mater.

Moving Forward

Matt and Jaclyn (Hoover) Hall outside Percival Hall in 2012.

Matthew Hall B.S., Forest Resources Management, ’12

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Editor’s Note: The Halls' daughter, Matalyn, was born on November 24, 2015, weighing 9 lbs., 14 oz.

Matt and Jaclyn Hall on their wedding day, July 20, 2013.

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for lunch we would frequent that store and fill up on free food. That’s where I feel that I piqued her interest, maybe? I asked Amber where a good place to take Jaclyn on a date (if she wanted to) and one place that she mentioned was Apple Annie’s in Point Marion, Pennsylvania. At that time we were helping Dr. Smith with some landscaping at his house, and when we arrived that evening to work, Dr. Smith sent us on to Apple Annie’s without us asking, which led to our first date. And the rest is history. We have been married for two years now, and we are expecting our first child any day now!

design. Faculty and staff will begin moving into the new building this spring with students to follow in the fall semester. Once the move is complete, the old building will be demolished to make room for a new quad area.

“The new Agricultural Sciences Building allows the College to reimagine what we do and recommit ourselves to the high mission of WVU and our pursuit of the sciences of agriculture, natural resources and design,” said Davis College Dean Daniel J. Robison.

Unlike Dudley, Plant and Soil Sciences Director Matthew Jenks is fairly new to the College, having been hired nearly two years ago to head the division and co-direct the School of Agriculture and Food.

“The new Agricultural Sciences Building is beautiful, and will be a place that faculty, staff, and students will be proud to work in every day,” he said.

Poor room-temperature control, excess dust and the cramped and poorly designed spaces in the current agriculture building are actually big problems that limit the effectiveness of laboratory science, Jenks said.

“In the new building, we’ll no longer be held back by these issues.

The new building is designed to incorporate more functional spaces and support facilities that will promote much improved collaboration and sharing among our researchers and teachers,” he said. “I could go on and on about the many advantages of the new building and how it will help us be much more effective and efficient in all our missions.”

25 x 165 = 415 Jenks is especially excited about the new lab space for Plant and Soil Sciences faculty and students. Most of the new lab space is designed around an open and shared lab concept, which promises to improve communication and promotes a kind of crossfertilization for creating new ideas, and more broad collaborations.

The open labs create more flexibility in the use and assignment of lab space, allowing for easier expansion and contraction as research projects change. Many of the shared support facilities and

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I was quickly running out of spending money in my second year at WVU, so I reached out to Amber Hines to see if I could get a job within the Davis College. She and Dr. Smith offered me a job in student recruitment. I worked in an office with three other women, one of whom is now my wife. I was well outnumbered so when working there I kept my distance and watched, but one girl in particular had really caught my attention. In the fall of 2010 I killed a 500-pound black bear in Virginia and, naturally, I was superstoked about that and when I was at the office the next week I showed Amber a picture of the bear. She then proceeded to tell me that Jaclyn killed a ten point buck this past weekend too.

Boy did that spark some talks between us. Part of my job was to write letters to newly accepted students to the Davis College, so every morning I’d go to Amber’s office, check in, and then slip down to Jaclyn’s office where she worked and write my letters, starting any sort of conversation that I could, and doing my best to make her laugh. In our office there were a whole bunch of free three piece chicken tenders coupons for the Patteson Drive Chick-Fil-A, so most days

Rita Dudley began working in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design in 1960. At that time, however, it was called the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics, and she worked in Oglebay Hall on the Downtown campus as the secretary for then-Dean Ernest Nesius.

After her first year of employment, the Agricultural Sciences Building opened on the Evansdale campus.

“Everything was new and we had more space,” said Dudley, who also remembers the full cafeteria that sold milkshakes made from ice cream produced in the WVU Dairy.

Dudley will be one of only a handful of people whose memory and career have spanned three locations and more than 50 years when a new Agricultural Sciences Building opens to students in the fall of 2016.

Though she took some time off to raise her children, Dudley has worked for the College for nearly 40 years. Moving into a new building will be another milestone for her personally, but she also understands the importance of the building to the success of the College.

“It will be a great place for students with new labs and classrooms, and it will provide a tremendous tool for recruitment of faculty and students,” Dudley said.

The new Agricultural Sciences Building will house the College’s administrative units, the School of Agriculture and Food and programs from the School of Design and Community Development and School of Natural Resources, along with specialists and staff in WVU Extension Service’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit.

Most every student in the College, however, will attend classes, labs or participate in programs in the new building.

The new building will be 201,000 square feet with an unfinished space of 8,000 square feet for future completion. The five-story structure will include substantial instructional space for lectures and laboratories, as well as cutting-edge research laboratories and design studios for students in landscape architecture and environmental

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instrumentation in the new building, such as rooms for conducting cell and tissue culture work, imaging nucleic acids and proteins, chemical analysis, and controlled temperature experiments, along with new state-of-theart growth rooms and chambers for rearing experimental plants and insects, will now be available, more functional, and strategically placed to make them easily accessible to all.

The new building also represents a new tool for recruiting top-notch students, faculty and staff.

“The new building will have a huge impact on recruiting,” Jenks said. “I have been at WVU as the Plant and Soil Sciences director for just over one-and-a-half years, and the new building was definitely a recruitment factor for me. It weighed heavily on my decision to come to the college.ˮ For a researcher who wants to be competitive, the newer facilities are essential.

“The improved function will give faculty an edge in producing and publishing the top science, recruiting and training the top students, and in obtaining the most competitive grant funding,” he said.

The new teaching laboratories will be second to none, and so likewise the College’s ability to provide more effective instruction will be improved.

“This greatly improved esthetics and functional capacity will help us take our programs to the next level, and make the College a prime destination for the best faculty, staff and students,” he said.

According to Todd Petty, associate dean for academic affairs, the new building will greatly improve the experiences each student has in the classroom and overall learning. But it also represents a new era for the college and the Evansdale campus.

“The new building will mark a new phase in what has been a longer term progression for the Davis College as it continues to reinvent itself for the future,” Petty said. “The reorganization of the Davis College into three schools is part of that progression. In addition, the Davis College continues to redirect its focus toward innovative technology, innovative design and an entrepreneurial mindset.”

The new building is also an important piece of the overall redevelopment of the Evansdale campus, now home to Evansdale Crossing, a multipurpose, studentcentered space near the Engineering PRT Station; the new WVU Greenhouse; and a new engineering research building, to name a few.

“We will highlight to prospective students and their families how the Davis College fits into this revitalized side of the WVU campus,” Petty said. “The Evansdale campus is where we tackle big societal questions, such as sustainable development, water use, and food systems. It is where we seek to build efficiencies in energy and food production.

And now we will have a building and a campus that will provide a comfortable and appealing environment for energetic students to pursue their best ideas.

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John Williams

B.S., Landscape Architecture, ’79 I loved working in the studio overlooking the entry gardens. There was life inside and outside of the studio just about every hour of the day and night. We were allowed to create our own work space with large drawing boards being at the center of everything. I loved the collaboration that would occur between students and even the informal competitions between all of us.

David Saville B.S., Resource Management, ’81

In the Resource Management Library on the second floor there was a sign on the wall that said “Templeton’s Law: Whenever A steals a book from this library, thereby impeding the work of B and C, A is a scoundrel.”

Richard L. Schauer Ph.D., Agronomy, ’65

I began my doctorate studies in September 1961 when the Evansdale Agriculture Building was brand-new. My major professor was Dr. Collins Veatch in the Agronomy Department. I was his research assistant and helped him putting out corn and soybean herbicide plots. We also planted and harvested the wheat variety trials located at the various University farms across the state. My office was located on the north side of the Agriculture building, and I was able to watch the construction of the twin dorms and the Forestry School building. My son, who was born in University Hospital, and I visited Morgantown in 2013. I was amazed at how much the Evansdale and Med Center campuses had changed.

Jaclyn Hall

B.S., Agribusiness Management and Rural Development, ’11; M.S., Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, ’12 Aside from classes, I enjoyed working in the Office of Academic Affairs. Working under Dr. Smith and Amber Hines for recruitment and retention was the best job I could have asked for as a college student! It opened the door to many different opportunities that helped me as a student and individual. Being a first-generation college student, I took advantage of as many of the exciting opportunities that I could and am very grateful for all of them. The encouragement and support that the WVU Davis College faculty and staff offer to its students is like a family, and you just cannot get any better than that!

Charlie Russell B.S., Biochemistry, ’11

My fondest memories of the Agricultural Sciences Building are numerous and date back to a very early age. I cannot remember the first time I accompanied my father, Dr. Richard Russell, to his office in the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, but that is where my memories begin. From a young age, I would roam the halls, play in the lab, and even attend class! This is where I first learned my way around a laboratory and gained a thirst for knowledge. Perhaps the fondest memory of being a young lad in the Ag. School was when I was allowed to get a Popsicle out of the vending machine.

Years later I became a student in the Davis College and I began roaming the halls, conducting experiments, and attending class again (although Dr. Felton’s 8 a.m. Friday morning class was hit-or-miss). Not much had changed from my younger years to my college days. There were a few new faces and the old faces were a little older, but that’s about it. My funniest memory was the night I had to stay overnight to collect samples every three hours. I had fallen asleep in the lab using lab coats as blankets. The janitor was quite startled when he turned on the lights to empty the trash and found me laying there.

My fondest memories, though, were the late nights studying in the basement library with friends. It was the epitome of college, especially in the Davis College. It would often turn into a bull-session, but we still made it through, teaching each other and learning everything the Davis College had to offer.

John Jett

Looking Back

B.S., Agriculture, ’71; M.S., Horticulture, ’76; Ph.D., Plant Pathology, ’86 In the spring of 1971, we participated in the Apple Judging competition at Penn State. Just three universities were represented — WVU, Penn State and Rutgers. We remember that there was some discomfort with having a girl in the competition, as Edie was the only female competitor.

Therefore, it was particularly satisfying when the team, coached by Dr. Childs, the man who could identify apples while holding them behind his back, swept the competition!

Our three team members and alternate placed one through four and Edie placed first, just barely outscoring me. It was a great day for women — and the WVU Davis College!

John Anderson

B.S., Landscape Architecture, ’84 As a landscape architecture student in the early 80s, I spent a LOT of time in the Ag. Sciences Building. Moving into the Senior Studio (literally) for our senior year was a rite of passage. I have thought many times of the careers in landscape architecture that began in that studio. I can only hope the studios in the new building have as much light and character. Congrats on your new home, Davis College! Make us old alums proud!

Andrea McCardle

B.S., Agribusiness Management and Rural Development, ’03; Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, ’04 The general atmosphere of the “Ag School” is something I will always remember. I remember walking in the building; there were always groups of students congregating in the front lobby, or the lobby downstairs by the soda machines if you came in that entrance, or the hallway upstairs. And I always knew most of them. I remember sitting in the chairs of the upstairs hallway waiting on classes to start, talking with friends and watching people come and go from the downstairs lobby, shouting hellos to people we knew. The other thing will always remember is the sound of Denny Smith’s cowboy boots coming down the hall.

Denny is not usually in a hurry, and the sound of him coming down the hall is a distinctive sound in my memory.

Landscape Architecture Class of 1982.

WRITTEN BY LINDSAY WILLEY PHOTOGRAPHS BY RAYMOND THOMPSON JR.

Megan Poole believes fashion is a way to communicate without saying a word. The value she places on it is evident as she breezed into the interview for this story wearing an extra-long cardigan over a dress shirt, a pair of medium wash jeans, over-the-calf boots and a variety of accessories.

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“

Maybe you have to let go of who you were, to become who you will be.

– Carrie Bradshaw, “Sex In The City”

”

Megan Poole hones her photography skills in downtown Morgantown.

Love Language

The Holly Springs, North Carolina, native is serious about fashion, photography and her faith.

As a young girl, Poole always loved to shop.

“My dad used to take me shopping all of the time,” she said.

“Spending that quality time with him was how he showed me love — and in time it became my love language — and that was very instrumental to my personal relationship with him and fashion.”

However, at the age of 15, Poole realized she wanted to pursue a degree in fashion merchandising.

“I had a Young Life leader who studied fashion and textiles at NC State,” she said. “That was something I didn’t realize you could do. I remember thinking to myself, ‘You can study this?' I knew right away it was what I wanted to do and I wouldn't go to school for anything else.”

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How she ended up becoming a Mountaineer is a story in and of itself.

“I came to visit with a friend and did not anticipate going to school here, but I toured the campus and loved it,” she explained.

She visited WVU during her senior year of high school and applied for admission immediately.

Although she was accepted to the University, Poole elected to spend her first semester at a local community college focusing on general elective courses, earning a GPA that would enable her to apply for WVU scholarships and preparing to move.

The World of Fashion

As a WVU student, Poole has taken advantage of every opportunity to explore the world of fashion merchandising but also other areas of interest as well.

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Dreams Delayed

She’s found a passion for photography and enrolled in an independent study focusing on film photography with a fashion emphasis.

"My teacher agreed to take me on as an independent study," A New Independence Poole said. "Since I am not a photography major it was pivotal to Poole knows that many students who move away from home me to be able to gain more exposure in regards to photography for school struggle with the transition, but one of the things from a professor that I admire." she likes most about WVU is the closeness of faculty, staff and With broad career aspirations of being either a regional students as well as the Morgantown community. buyer, merchandiser or creative director for a clothing company, “I’m very comfortable being away from home, but I think Poole feels like having a love for and background in photography Morgantown as a whole, just the people who live in this town, the can give her an edge in the industry. people who go to school here, are very familial to say the least,” she “I would love to weave it into my fashion career,” she said. “If said. “I feel very safe here, even though it is eight hours away from I'm a creative director, I'd love to accompany the photographer on where I’m originally from.” photoshoots to give my opinions on styling Being so far away from home has, however, allowed her ample and possible angles.” opportunity to grow as an individual.

Ultimately, she’d like to “I always tell people, especially when talking about colleges, that live and work in the Pacific going out of state is one of the most valuable things you can do, Northwest area. especially in your college career,” she said. “I’ve learned to be very independent. If something goes wrong, my mom isn’t an hour away.

It has taught me to make family and connections when I go places.

And that was so easy to do here.”

"This was a great transition period for me to ease into what would soon become eight hours of distance between myself and my home state," she said.

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Anchors Away

I would love to weave photography into my fashion career.

She spent three summers in the Pacific Northwest, two with the non-denominational Christian ministry Young Life, and one driving boats on Lake Sammamish for the Sammamish Bible Camp Association.

“I now have family there and it very much feels like home as well,” she said.

The area is also home to Free People, a brand that caters to twenty-something women who appreciate a line of clothing that caters to their intelligence, creativity and individuality that is well-made and affordable.

Hands down, that’s Poole’s favorite clothing brand and a company she strives to work for.

“I like that they are very free spirited, creative and willing to accept new ideas,” she said.

“I’d like to be a buyer for them one day.”

There is no doubt in her mind that being part of the Fashion Merchandising program at WVU has given her the tools she needs to make a successful transition into the workforce.

“At WVU, they prepare you for real-life situations,” she said. “For example, in my product development course we had visited shops in the Morgantown area and learned about them as well as their target consumers. “That was great because it was hands-on experience, and it wasn’t some company out of town we couldn’t visit. So it was very much like real life.”

Poole is on track to graduate in May of 2017.

– Megan Poole

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For more information, go to projectme.wvu.edu

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Study Abroad Organized by Crystal Smith, teaching assistant professor of animal and nutritional sciences and coordinator of the Equine Studies minor in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, the 12-day trip allowed students to immerse themselves in Ireland’s culture and booming equine industry.

“Ireland has a thriving racing and sporthorse industry with a global impact,” Smith said. “It’s known for having elite bloodlines, great ground to feed and raise horses on and knowledgeable horsemen and women. Much of what we do in the States has been informed by the industry in Ireland.”

The groups’ jam-packed itinerary included tours of farms like Fernville Pony Stud, where they learned about the Connemara Pony breed, a native of Ireland, from one of the world’s leading stallion owners, a two-hour trail ride along the Connemara Coast and experiencing the historic Dublin Horse Show.

“There is something to be said for experiencing another culture, lifestyle and way of doing things. More often than not, when we

learn from others we recognize how similar we are rather than different,” Smith said. “The students were able to see how similar management strategies were utilized in another landscape, learn about innovative practices not yet embraced in the States and gain an appreciation for the global employment opportunities in the horse industry.”

Katie Shreve, an animal and nutritional sciences major from Madison, West Virginia, has always had a passion for horses and knew she wanted to pursue a career in the equine industry.

That’s why she jumped at the opportunity to travel to Ireland — and her experience was nothing short of amazing.

“It was everything I expected except with more rain,” she laughed.

“The scenery was beautiful, and the people were great. I learned the history of the country and its people while also gaining an understanding of how the horse industry works there.”

The highlights of the trip for her were attending the Dublin Horse Show and Galway Races. “It was so interesting to see how different but alike the events and spectators were in Ireland when compared to the United States,” she said.

The highlight of Christi Schweninger’s trip, however, was not found at a show or race.

It was in the self-confidence she gained, which ultimately helped her impress a potential employer. During the trip, Schweninger, a senior animal and nutritional sciences major from Southampton, New Jersey, found herself coming out of her shell.

“I gained a little bit of independence from this trip,” she said. “I was never the girl in classes to ask questions, but I was so interested in everything at each farm tour that I had to ask questions and learn more.”

When the group visited Ballylinch Stud, a well-respected thoroughbred breeding farm in County Kilkenny, Ireland, Schweninger was in awe.

“It was an amazing, beautiful facility, and their management practices are exceptional,” she said.

Schweninger expressed her interest in working for the company to the manager and was able to discuss potential opportunities for after graduation.

“I will be getting a first-hand look at the reproductive side of thoroughbreds through breeding, mare care, parturition, foal handling and prepping for sales,” she explained. “Ballylinch also does most of their veterinary care and race training on site, which will allow me to gain experience in all aspects of the thoroughbred industry at one location.”

Perhaps this wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime trip after all?

Schweninger recently submitted her resume and is waiting to hear back about job openings.

“From my contact with Adrian Sherry, the manager, I am confident that I will be heading back after graduation,” she said.

Both students agreed studying abroad should be an important part of the college experience.

“I think it’s important to study abroad because it opens your eyes to how others live and view the world,” said Shreve. “Plus, it may be one of the only times you have the ability to travel abroad. I also think to go abroad and experience new things helps you learn about yourself.”

Schweninger agrees.

“Traveling abroad definitely made me a more well-rounded student.” Smith plans to take another group of students to Europe in the summer of 2018.

CRYSTAL SMITH

Taking the

“ There is something to be said for experiencing another culture, lifestyle and way of doing things. More often than not, when we learn from others we recognize how similar we are rather than different.”

Reins

WRITTEN BY LINDSAY WILLEY

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The group enjoyed a ride through the Connemara countryside.

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Six West Virginia University students passionate about horses got the opportunity of a lifetime when they studied abroad in Ireland.

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Where Innovation Begins

This Davis program aims to grow leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation skills

WRITTEN BY JULIE CRYSER PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN PERSINGER

At a round table in Kansas City, Demi Sadock sat wide-eyed, hands moving wildly back and forth and scribbling notes on sticky pads that she attached to a wide piece of white paper.

Students from across the country had gathered there for the College Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) annual conference last fall, and Sadock captivated her peers. Ideas she has. Tons of them in fact.

More than she can handle at times. They come to her at night, riding in a car, in casual conversations and when she needs to solve a problem. She filled the wide piece of white paper.

Sadock, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a senior WVU Davis College fashion dress and merchandising major and one of the first 10 WVU Davis College Young Innovator Fellows. The pilot program began in fall 2015, supported by grants from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Farm Credit of the Virginias. This budding entrepreneur was selected based on her idea to create a unique knitwear company that will use 100 percent natural fibers and potentially operate as a nonprofit to give back to the community.

She and nine other WVU Davis College Young Entrepreneurs spent the fall 2015 semester learning leadership skills, refining their business concepts, figuring out what resources they need to be

successful and networking with peers and mentors at events like the CEO conference.

“Failure. I believe overall that is the biggest part of being an entrepreneur and definitely the prevailing message to take away from Kansas City,” she said. “If you’re going to be an entrepreneur prepare to fail, but don’t prepare to quit.”

The WVU Davis College Young Innovators Fellowship is helping to teach budding innovators and entrepreneurs that failure is just a part of the creative process that leads to new businesses, fresh ideas and creates business opportunities in farming, food and design.

The two-year program is providing students with the day-to-day skills to become successful innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs, and giving them a network and resources to achieve their goals.

The program also awards up to $3,000 a year for students to use in creating their own business or to further an innovation.

Students can use the funding to meet with mentors, attend conferences, buy supplies, pay for a business license or assist them with their college education. Students also interact with a Young Innovators Resource Team made up of faculty, practitioners, managers of working capital, business support and training organizations and networking groups.

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REGGIE NIEMAN

ASHLEY NICOLE RIFFE

Fashion, Dress and Merchandising

Environmental and Energy Resources Management

JADE OCH

Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Human Nutrition and Foods

Avery proposes to establish an affordable clothing store in downtown Morgantown that would target women from the ages of 17-23 who are either in college or the greater community.

Reggie is proposing to start GALII LLC, a firm specializing in the repurposing of land to address the issue of the shrinking green spaces and wetlands of the Appalachian region.

Ashley is proposing to develop LambList, a website to ensure a secure and efficient classified advertisements devoted to small-scale producers of livestock/ products and to support the marketing of 25% of the lambs and goats sold in the Northeast.

Jade is proposing to develop a “food bank” website that would provide alerts on food surplus, deals on foods, donations, jobs available and other items in our local food chain.

ALEXANDRA BREITSAMETER

AVERY IVES

Fashion, Dress and Merchandising

Alexandra is proposing to grow and improve her approach to Chic Greek by Ally B, a new, custom-apparel, mail order business providing fashionforward sorority and fraternity wear. She started the business in January of 2015.

MARY-KATE BARKER

DEMI SADOCK

Human Nutrition and Foods

Fashion, Dress and Merchandising

Mary-Kate is proposing to pursue a peer health mentoring network that uses technology to promote a “learn and serve” model.

Individuals participate in a 1/2 to 1 day health coaching seminar.

Demi is proposing to start a business named HomeFront, which will be a unique knitwear company based upon USA manufacturing, 100% natural fibers and giving back to the community.

margin of excellence that we know will attract the best and brightest students and make the WVU Davis College even more competitive in recruiting and in developing our students for entrepreneurship, innovation or becoming better employees and citizens.”

For Sadock, fashion and entrepreneurship are family traits.

“I’ve always known I wanted to be a fashion designer,” she said.

“My grandparents owned a garment factory. I felt very connected to the fashion industry from a young age when my grandfather made my first bathing suits.”

Sadock's paternal grandfather, great grandfather and several other relatives worked in the garment industry with roots in New York City, later relocating to Pennsylvania.

According to Saddock, both of her parents are entrepreneurs and very creative “My dad started his own IT company and my mom has her own pet sitting business," she said.

“It wasn’t until about last year that I wanted to start my own business. I always thought I would work under a big corporation,” she said. “But I want the say in what kinds of fashion we are putting out.”

The WVU Davis College Young Innovators Fellowship has lit an entrepreneurial fire within Sadock.

“This program has been an outlet for encouragement and trying new things,” she said. “This program has put things in motion and opened up new opportunities. It’s giving me knowledge and resources.”

ABIGAIL GOTTSHALL

MCCARTNEY JOHNSON

Human Nutrition and Foods

Human Nutrition and Foods

Human Nutrition and Foods

Kelsey is proposing to develop a Web-based platform to promote culinary skill-building utilizing staple goods — focusing on West Virginia heritage foods.

Abigail is proposing to hold food workshops for West Virginia University students and staff utilizing a Web-based platform in order to promote food, the workshops and cooking classes.

McCartney is proposing to introduce Kombucha, a probiotic drink that is created through a very simple process that has a refreshing “fizzy” taste much like soda to the state of West Virginia and the region.

KELSEY WILLIAMS

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

2015-16 COHORT

“ If you’re going to be an entrepreneur prepare to fail, but don’t prepare to quit.”

The Young Innovators Resource Team members have volunteered as mentors and have conducted business clinics. They will also be integral in the selection of the next cohort of students for the program.

“The real value of the program is that students aren’t limited to a semester or even an academic year,ˮ said Mindy Walls, WVU’s assistant vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation and an active Resource Team member.

Walls taught an etiquette course for students to help build their networking skills and to provide them with important tips as they interact with business leaders.

“Because the program is two years, we have the opportunity to focus on both developing the student and the venture. This allows time for experimenting and refining their innovations. Students are able to draw on the expertise of the diverse Resource Team to provide practical assistance and professional development."

The WVU Davis College Young Innovators Fellowship is just one of many “value-added” programs that the College has developed to bring out-of-classroom, hands-on experiences to students. WVU Davis College Dean Daniel J. Robison has made developing these types of programs a priority.

“These experiences provide students with real-world knowledge and skills and introduce them to a network of professionals who most students would never have a chance to interact with during their college experience,” Robison said. “These programs create the

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FAST FACTS The Young Innovators Program provides students with the resources they need to turn their dream – that big idea – into reality. Funding, access to business professionals and small cohorts combine to create a unique hands-on learning experience.

2 years

of funding for each student

10 students

per cohort

30 members

of the Resource Team

WRITTEN BY LINDSAY WILLEY

Growing up, Jennifer Yang, a native of Seoul, South Korea, had the opportunity to move from country to country. Each country had its own fashion culture, which piqued Yang’s interest in the industry. While earning her undergraduate degree at Sogang University in Seoul, Yang was a member of the student drama club and in charge of planning costumes for each play. Planning the costumes required analyzing each character, a task that helped Yang’s interest in the broad field of fashion evolve into fashion marketing. Jennifer Yang, assistant professor of merchandising consumer products in the School of Design and Community Developement, has a particular interest in apparel mass-customization, a business model that is gaining in popularity around the world.

Q A

an you explain apparel C mass-customization?

Mass-customization (MC) is a hybrid of traditional customization and mass production. When you think about traditional customization, you can think of a customized tailored suit. They measure your body parts, you select the fabric and the tailor builds a tailored suit just for you, to your liking in terms of design and fit. Mass production represents volume. It is like made-to-order burgers from a restaurant. Adoption of MC can be an effective strategy to practice consumer-centric business in the highly competitive apparel industry where consumer demands are diverse and unpredictable.

Mass-customization is a strong focal point for your research. Can you tell me why it interests you?

offering a certain level of mass customization. Brooks Brothers is offering customized dress shirts. There are many companies that offer mass-customization.

Finally, tell me about your research.

I published an article that developed the theoretical types and the scope of mass-customization in the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. It explored the possibility that customization and modularization can be combined to identify a profitable position in the mass-customization market. I am continuing to conduct research on consumers' perceptions on mass-customization, specifically examining the relationships among consumer characteristics, their attitude toward using mass-customization and their purchase intentions.

The research topic of mass customization interests me because I strongly believe that apparel products need to deliver added value to customers, and mass-customization can deliver the values that are tailored to the individual customer. With the help of technology such as digital printing, 3-D printing and body scanning, it is possible that the strategy can be better implemented in the future. As a result, consumers may be able to buy clothing and the fit and designs are exactly as desired.

Currently, how do customers benefit?

$3,000 a year to support developing the innovation and the student

$257,000 in grant funding

For more information, go to younginnovators.wvu.edu

The Last Word with Jennifer Yang

to support the program

Firms involved in mass customization will manufacture products that cater to individual customers but will use mass production systems. The technique creates a certain level of variety and customization through flexibility and quick responsiveness. It is a feasible way to fulfill individual wants and needs. For example, there are many consumers who are not satisfied with the current offerings of ready-to-wear garments, in terms of fit.

Are there companies that are successfully running this type of business? Are they doing anything specific to be successful?

NikeID and MiAdidas are similar programs run by big athletic apparel companies. You may choose the colors and designs of the athletic shoes. Other companies such as Timberland are

LINDSAY WILLEY

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 6

The aim of the program is to show that with external funding, mentoring and networking from a robust resource team, the WVU Davis College can accelerate moving students from concept to creation, ensuring their success as well as speeding up the time it takes for them to build a business or advance a technology or pursue any form of innovation once they graduate, or even before.

The program relies on building leadership and knowledge first.

It isn’t a cake walk either. The program was designed to be competitive and students are expected to attend out-of-class events, special clinics and go above the everyday class work to achieve their goals.

“At times it seems really stressful, but it’s pushing me in the right direction,” Sadock said.

By the end of the 2015 semester, students created a Young Innovator Success Portfolio that outlined where they would take their ventures or ideas, had participated in a low ropes leadership day and in a variety of business clinics that ranged from etiquette training to how to legally register a business. The hope is that students will want to create, and create in West Virginia.

“Enhancing and sustaining the rural economy of West Virginia is vitally important to the state, and there’s a clear need for innovation and entrepreneurship to support that,” said Robison. “Through the Young Innovators Fellowship program, we’ll be able to build an even more fertile innovation and entrepreneurship environment among students, faculty, farmers, rural businesses, technology developers and others who have a stake in these critical issues.”

At the CEO conference, Sadock networked with peers and mentors, came up with new product ideas, learned about grants and loans that she could apply for and added nearly 30 people to her LinkedIn account.

“I hope that by the end of the program, I will be at a point that I can do it on my own. Right now it’s understanding the processes,” Sadock said. “I need to become sustainable on my own.”

The biggest hurdle for Sadock — getting all of her “ducks in line.”

“It’s hard to really be structured,” Sadock said. “You can’t be scared to try.”

As she learned during the fall semester, being confident enough to experiment is the most important part of innovating.

“I hear so many times from students my age, ‘I don’t think my idea is good enough,’ but in this program you are given the opportunity to try,” she said. “If at the end of the day you do fail, that stinks, but you can chalk it up to experience.”

Sadock said few people have the opportunity to explore their innovative side in college.

“I feel extremely blessed to know that ideas for my products are valid, and to have a group of supportive people standing behind me and supporting me along the way is incredible,” she said. “Now it’s up to me.”

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Student Spotlight

A Citizen

of the World

36

When Clara Beth Novotny came to West Virginia University in 2012, the Rhodes Scholarship wasn’t on her radar. And it wouldn’t be until the spring of her junior year.

That’s when Dr. Ken Blemings, her biochemistry advisor and dean of the Honors College, mentioned the Rhodes Scholarship and encouraged her to apply.

An Honors College student and WVU Foundation Scholar, Novotny is a dual major in biochemistry in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, and in Spanish literature, language and linguistics in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

“I did not spend my four years of college working specifically with the Rhodes in mind,” she admits. During the application process, however, she realized she had assembled many experiences that fulfilled the Rhodes criteria.

“WVU offers so many programs to enrich an education much further than simply the completion of a bachelor’s degree. These opportunities make WVU students just as competitive for national scholarships as students at the most expensive private schools.”

Novotny, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, was one of 208 finalists selected from 869 nominated by United States colleges and universities. She interviewed in Chicago with the District XI Committee of Selection in late November.

While she was not among the 32 elected for the Class of 2016, Novotny intends to chart a future that mirrors the original goal for Rhodes Scholars: to make an important and positive impact throughout the world.

“Many women around the world lack a fundamental ability to care for and control their personal health or support the health of their children. I hope to work as a physician, scientist and advocate in the field of reproductive health to restore this autonomy and empower women.”

At WVU, she says she’s learned the importance of being a global citizen. She studied abroad in northern and southern Spain. Took diverse classes on topics ranging from the molecular mechanism of cancer cell growth to Spanish-English interpretation in medical and legal settings. And she has traveled to Honduras to do humanitarian and medical work.

“On those trips (to Honduras), I met mothers ages 13 to 50 who lacked any access to reproductive healthcare before or during their pregnancy because of financial limitations, proximity to a medical center or societal stigma. This endangers the health and opportunities for the mother, the baby and the families involved.”

Her goal is to help alleviate those issues and expand healthcare access for women across the globe.

Along the way, you can count on her inspiring others, particularly young girls, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. She’s already spent a summer as a WVU Extension Service 4-H STEM Ambassador teaching courses and hosting hands-on demonstrations for children in rural areas.

It’s one way she pays tribute to her sixth grade science teacher’s transformative impact on her life. That teacher, Michelle Adams, noticed Novotny’s interest in physics lectures and suggested she apply to the West Virginia Governor’s School for Math and Science.

At age 12, Novotny attended the two-week camp and found herself “totally captivated by the field of science” — a feeling that compelled her to attend summer science academies, enter science fairs and take as many science classes as possible.

“STEM subjects have a stigma of being too difficult for many young students, but I strongly disagree,” she says.

“In my time at WVU, I have learned that as a young woman in science, I ought to be confident in my field and try to encourage young students to pursue science confidently as well.”

And someday those confident students will also find recognition for their accomplishments — such as becoming a Rhodes Scholarship finalist — on their radar.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

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WRITTEN BY SARAH GOULD PHOTOGRAPHS BY M.G. ELLIS

“WVU offers so many programs to enrich an education much further than simply the completion of a bachelor’s degree. These opportunities make WVU students just as competitive for national scholarships as students at the most expensive private schools.”

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