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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed higher education; however, West Virginia University students across all disciplines are working to change the pandemic, as well.

Nine graduate students from around the world and the U.S. will be able to focus on their research first as West Virginia University Foundation Scholarships help relieve their financial stresses as they work towards the completion of their thesis.

Struggling to keep up with those New Year’s resolutions? The WVU Extension Service Family Nutrition Program offers free online Eating Smart, Being Active classes to help West Virginians prepare healthy meals for their families, save money at the grocery store and incorporate more physical activity into their daily routines.

Dale Olson, Lt. Col. (Ret) of the United States Air Force and adjunct professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at West Virginia University, reflects on the occasions he met his hero, the late Gen. Charles “Chuck” Yeager, an Air Force legend. Yeager, the World War II fighter pilot ace became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in 1947, passed away on Monday (Dec. 7) at 97.

4-H club members will have a chance to look away from screens and put pen and paper to use through the West Virginia University Extension Service 4-H Youth Development pen pal program which aims to teach youths about communication while fostering friendships and connections.

Appalachian writers whose experiences are different than those most often portrayed in the media will be featured in three events that examine what it means to be a person of color in a region that is stereotypically portrayed as white. The first event, “A Reading by Emerging Appalachian Writers of Color,” is Wednesday (Dec. 2) at 7 p.m. and is presented by the West Virginia University Humanities Center.

Popular and familiar voices who have endured the prison system will provide a fresh perspective and give a voice to the voiceless for those still incarcerated as part of West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media Beyond Bars Summit. Piper Kerman, author of the memoir turned Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, and Dwayne Betts, author of Felon, with a series of 10 breakout sessions led by West Virginia experts on Thursday (Nov. 12).

West Virginia University College of Law students will staff a 2020 Election Protection Hotline to help citizens overcome roadblocks as they exercise their right to vote.

The West Virginia University Equine Studies Program will host Halloween with the Horses from 2-4 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 24) at the J.W. Ruby Research Farm in Reedsville. Families and children of all ages are invited to participate in the drive-thru, smartphone-guided scavenger hunt and pick up a packet of educational materials. The WVU teaching horses will be dressed in costume — and kids are encouraged to do the same.

Two projects have received funding from racial justice grants awarded by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences: one focused on poetry and creative writing workshops and the second on studying racial disparities in vaccination rates. The grants support research for social justice initiatives that will engage with the community. The faculty leading these projects hail from both the Eberly College and the School of Public Health.