Since the start of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Conga in August last year, at least 1,223 people have died out of 1,847 confirmed cases. Of those who died, 30 percent were children, according to the World Health Organization. West Virginia University expert Tamba M’bayo believes political unrest is the cause of the disease’s deadly spread.
With a mission to educate the nation about alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles, a West Virginia University expert notes that electric cars are safe and have lower maintenance costs. Micheal Smyth, interim director of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, will “demystify electric vehicle systems” this weekend on PBS’ “Motorweek.” Next month, NAFTC will host EXP III, including a tour of the Center for Alternative Fuel Engines and Emissions and WVU’s Personal Rapid Transit System.
Five professors at West Virginia University’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are using HBO’s award-winning series “Game of Thrones” to illustrate how the program, which will end this weekend, intersects their fields of study. The experts in women’s studies, international relations, religious studies, linguistics, social work and communication studies say with tens of millions of viewers each week, the show’s characters and themes have become cultural touchstones.
West Virginia University researcher Safi U. Khan, an assistant professor in the School of Medicine, is part of a team that examined six prestigious medical journals and identified positive spin in how they portrayed cardiovascular trials. The researchers found that 57 percent of the abstracts—and 67 percent of the articles themselves—were phrased to make results seem more statistically significant than they were.
According to Elizabeth Cohen, associate professor of communication studies at West Virginia University, Facebook’s analysis of the hate speech expressed by Louis Farrakhan and Alex Jones as dangerous is correct because they have a large following and wield a lot of influence. Banning Farrakhan and Jones “makes a statement,” Cohen said.
Nearly 4,600 West Virginia University students are expected to graduate during Commencement ceremonies May 10-12 on the Morgantown Campus.
The Health Sciences & Technology Academy, West Virginia University’s unique tuition-free college program, should be replicated in other colleges and universities across the country, according to the program’s director, Ann Chester. The program’s success rate, proven in its high graduation percentages, has changed students’ lives, and Chester believes will change the state and could change the country.