They all exemplify the true qualities of a Mountaineer – scholarship, leadership, pride and perseverance.

But, only one male and one female student will take home the title of West Virginia University’s 2010 Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer.

The award recognizes students’ exemplary academic achievement and extracurricular involvement. All applicants must be eligible for graduation by May 2010 to be considered.

The awards will be presented as part of WVU’s annual Mountaineer Week, scheduled for Nov. 5- 14.

In the running for 2010 Mr. Mountaineer are: Ron K. Cheng, Morgantown; Adam Harris, Morgantown; Timothy Przybysz, Wheeling; Dave Slusarick, Uniontown, Pa.; and Justin M. West, Wheeling.

In the running for 2010 Ms. Mountaineer are: Brittany Fink, Charleston; Tristan Gartin, Chapmanville; Macy Miller, Romney; Cassie Werner, Clarksburg; and Molly Wilson, Morgantown.

A brief bio for each finalist follows:

Mr. Mountaineer:

Ron K. Cheng, a political science major from Morgantown, is sponsored by the Student Government Association.

Current vice president of the Student Government Association, Cheng is active on the WVU Dean’s Council of Students, Business and Professional Ethics Club, Representing Ethnic Diversity Club and National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

He has been a member of the Student Government Association since 2009. Cheng has also been president and founder of WVU Women Against Rape, and a member of the WVU President Search Committee, Swing Dance Club and Chinese Club.

He is the son of Joseph and Sharon Cheng.

Adam Harris, a civil engineering major from Morgantown, is sponsored by the Mountaineer Maniacs.

Harris has been active on the Mountaineer Maniacs as executive chair of Olympic sports, executive chair of community outreach and a member of the leadership board. He is also an ambassador in WVU’s Gold and Blue Student Ambassador Program.

He has also been active in WVU’s Representing Ethnic Diversity Club, Bob Huggins Student Advisory Board, Engineers Without Borders, American Society of Civil Engineers and WVU Swing Dance Club, among others.

He is the son of Sylvia and Trevor Harris.

Timothy Przybysz, an exercise physiology major from Wheeling, is sponsored by the Newman Club.

Przybysz is a recipient of the Promise Scholarship, American Association of University Women’s Beulah Boyd Scholarship and has been on the dean’s list.

Przybysz has been an active member in the Newman Club, where he serves as a parish council representative and parish unity chair.

He is the son of Frank and Kerry Przybysz.

Dave Slusarick, an educational leadership graduate student from Uniontown, Pa., is sponsored by Sigma Theta Epsilon National Christian Fraternity’s Beta Eta Chapter.

Slusarick currently works as a graduate assistant for the Leadership Studies program, a volunteer instructor for University 101, an appointee to President Jim Clements’ Task Force for Tobacco Policy and is a member of the student judicial board.

He is a former resident assistant and recipient of the Nathaniel “Tick” Huettner Award, given to the most influential RA on campus. He was the former site coordinator for the American Red Cross, recipient of the 2009 Mountaineer Week Spirit Award and was a WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior in 2009.

He is the son of Amy and the late David B. Slusarick.

Justin M. West, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Wheeling, is sponsored by the WVU Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

He is a Rhodes Scholar nominee and energy research fellow at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. West is currently designing a dynamic stability wind tunnel to be built at WVU and patented.

He is the co-designer of a smoke flow visualization technique to be patented this year and conducted tunnel safety research, the results of which will be implemented in the New York City and Washington, D.C. metro systems.

West is also active in Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, Tau Beta Pi and was the founder of Silver Wings. He was a WVU Bucklew Scholar and was formerly president of the Helvetia sophomore honorary, among other things.

He is the son of Robert and Mary West.

Ms. Mountaineer:

Brittany Fink, a political science and Spanish major from Charleston, is sponsored by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Fink is a member of the women’s varsity track team. She has served as off-campus housing director for the Student Government Association, a peer mentor and tutor for Stalnaker and Dadisman halls, student representative for the Student Conduct Board and a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, among other things.

She has been a Big East track qualifier and placed at several track meets during the 2009-10 season. She was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship for seven semesters, was on the dean’s list and the Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll.

She is the daughter of Ralph and Terri Fink.

Tristan Gartin, an industrial relations major from Chapmanville, is sponsored by the Industrial Relations Students Association.

Gartin has been recognized as a WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior and has been on the president’s list every semester of college. She is the current treasurer of the Industrial Relations Student Association and was recognized as a top accounting senior by the West Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Gartin has studied abroad in South Africa and Malawi. She has been published in the “American Journal of Business Education” and “International Business and Economics Research Journal.”

Gartin has also been a resident assistant at Dadisman and Honors halls and is a member of the WVU Dean’s Council of Students.

She is the daughter of Don and Doris Gartin.

Macy Miller, a nursing graduate student from Romney, is sponsored by WVU School of Nursing.

Miller has been a Gold and Blue Student Ambassador. She has been active in the Student Nurses’ Association, National Exemplary Scholars in Service, WVU’s Women’s Choir, Habitat for Humanity, Campus Crusade for Christ, Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, among others.

She has been on the president’s and dean’s list, recognized as a Valley Health Scholar and received a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

She is the daughter of James and Susan Miller.

Cassie Werner, a public administration graduate student from Clarksburg, is sponsored by the Mountaineer Maniacs.

Werner is in her second term as the executive director of the Mountaineer Maniacs. She has also served on the WVU Athletic Council, Mountain Honorary and is a sister of the Chi Omega sorority.

She has been recognized as a Puskar Leadership Scholar and was a student representative at the Education Without Borders conference in Dubai.

She currently interns with the City of Morgantown and was recently appointed to the Sister Cities Commission as a Morgantown city commissioner. She has volunteered, since 2005, as a big sister through the Royal Family Kids Camp program.

She is the daughter of Greg and Sarah Werner.

Molly Wilson, a philosophy, economics and women’s studies major from Morgantown, is sponsored by Mortar Board Senior Honorary.

Wilson is currently president of the honorary. She has been recognized as an Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Scholar, Harry S. Truman Scholarship Competition finalist and is a student in the Honors College.

She has also served as WVU’s 2009 United Way Campaign student coordinator, president of the Chimes Junior Honorary, co-chair of Mountaineer Week, Alpha Kappa Psi community service chair, member of the Student Government Association’s Board of Governors and is a student ambassador.

She is the daughter of Rick and Cindy Wilson.

For more information on Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer and Mountaineer Week, visit http://mountaineerweek.wvu.edu/ .

-WVU-

cd/10/27/10

CONTACT: University Relations – News
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