A West Virginia University Press staff member has been recognized by the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission for her work in supporting literature.

Abby Freeland was honored in the 2016 Living the Dream awards in the scholarship category. She is the sales and marketing director at WVU Press and the acquisitions editor and manager of Vandalia Press, its creative imprint.

In the nomination for the award, she was noted for supporting and championing scholarship, in particular for publicizing Appalachian literature.

In 2009, Freeland joined WVU Press, which publishes peer-reviewed books and journals in a set of core areas aligned with the strengths of WVU and the needs of the people of West Virginia and is the only university press in the state.

Freeland holds a BA from West Virginia Wesleyan College, as well as an MA and MBA from West Virginia University and an MA from the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies. She began her career in publishing in the U.K., where she worked at Berg Publishers (now Bloomsbury Publishing). She is a regular contributor to the Charleston Gazette-Mail’s “WV Book Team” column.

The West Virginia Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission develops, promotes, coordinates, approves, reviews and recommends activities to commemorate the birthday and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. It also encourages state, local and county governmental agencies, educational institutions, civic organizations and the general public to plan activities for observance of the holiday and to provide them with assistance and information.

-WVU-

dm/1/26/16

CONTACT: Abby Freeland, Sales and Marketing Manager,�WVU�Press
304-293-8400,�abby.freeland@mail.wvu.edu�

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