Expert Pitches

"Shocking” is how a law professor at West Virginia University describes the alleged leak of a draft majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, first reported by Politico, which appears to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing federal constitutional protections for abortion rights along with 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey case which maintained those rights.

Ahead of a West Virginia University scientist’s testimony to a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday (March 31), researchers can discuss the University’s advancements in developing a process to extract rare earths and critical materials from acid mine drainage and coal waste.

An economic forecaster at West Virginia University said a variety of factors could unfold from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine – ranging from the positive (a boost in U.S. energy production) to the negative (a potential recession down the road).

As West Virginia University prepares to host a national conference this week, several experts can offer insights into various aspects of Appalachian issues, culture and research.

West Virginia University has more than two dozen experts who can offer insights into different aspects of the Russia-Ukraine war, including faculty and students who have lived in Ukraine.

An avian influenza strain found in migratory wild bird populations has been confirmed in commercial and backyard poultry flocks in neighboring Kentucky and Virginia, as well as in Maine, New York, Delaware, Indiana and Michigan. While no cases have been confirmed among West Virginia’s commercial poultry industry and backyard birds at this time, West Virginia University poultry expert Joe Moritz reminds all flock owners of the importance of continual biosecurity practices and steps they can take to help protect our state’s poultry population from HPAI and other diseases.

West Virginia University is building a pipeline of nurses to fill the shortage in health care systems across the country. On multiple campuses, the School of Nursing is meeting students where they are, from Morgantown to Keyser, Beckley to Charleston and Keyser, including undergraduate programs, online graduate programs and continuing education.

Award-winning books by Black authors on a variety of topics will help shape perceptions of Appalachia, of West Virginia and of West Virginia University, according to Derek Krissoff, director of WVU Press. The University’s publishing company has a collection of books relating to Black history and Black experiences that provide readers with an opportunity to explore Black stories.

As Russia proliferates international tensions with troop movements to its borders, West Virginia University expert Erik Herron, who has studied politics in Ukraine for decades and has served as an international election observer there, said the military threat not only endangers people in Ukraine, but the “system that has supported European security since the end of World War II.” Herron is part of a panel that will discuss recent events in the region tonight at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

As crews clean up the bridge collapse in Pittsburgh today (Jan. 28), West Virginia University infrastructure expert Hota GangaRao says measures can be taken to prevent similar structural failures in other locations at a lower cost than total replacement. GangaRao also outlines possible causes for bridge failures.