All Stories

One of the most powerful tools in the West Virginia University LaunchLab array is the pitch competition, in which students prepare tightly-times presentations about their products or businesses that they then deliver to a panel of judges. WVU LaunchLab aims to support student entrepreneurs, innovators and start-ups by helping to develop business models, and introducing students to potential investors and customers. The Fall Kickoff Pitch Competition was held in September, and WVU LaunchLab is currently accepting entries in its Women’s Pitch Competition.

West Virginia’s rural communities often suffer from a shortage of behavioral health care providers, a deficiency being addressed by West Virginia University’s School of Social Work, which has implemented the Rural Integrated Behavioral Health Training program. The program trains Masters of Social Work students to work in these communities, and has received its third cycle of funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

An onslaught of news from the aftermath of mass shootings to that of hurricanes leaves some Americans in a despondent funk, while others absorb what has happened and move on, according to a West Virginia University expert, who goes on to say that human beings who have been exposed to such events over time, even when they are not a part of them, are on a “spectrum” from experiencing vicarious traumatization to desensitization.

Wheeling artist Lacie Wallace came to terms with her “cancer body” in one of the only ways she could—her art. Wallace’s bright and intimate portraits are coupled with narratives as she chronicles her experiences in and out of hospitals as a cancer patient. Her exhibit “Bodies of Truth: An Artist’s Creative Exploration through Cancer” is on display in the Health Sciences Pylons Area, where WVU Libraries will host a reception Oct. 10 at 5 p.m.

West Virginia University has created the Center for the Future of Land-Grant Education, the nation’s first devoted to the study of land-grants. 

WVU President Gordon Gee, Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert and WV Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher will release a West Virginia Forward Summary of Findings. This is a follow-up from the discussion that occurred at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in August. West Virginia Forward identifies possible short- and long-term solutions for the economic challenges the state faces.

A new West Virginia University Extension Service program is empowering women in agriculture by providing them with first-hand knowledge of ways to manage farm finances, production and technology. It is part of a growing movement in West Virginia of women breaking out of typical gender roles.

West Virginia University’s popular “Student Athletes Speak Out” program is getting new support because of a chance note from an alumnus that said, “Carolyn-endow scholarship.” The Dr. Carolyn Atkins Scholarship will provide funds to SASO, which is teaching student athletes the importance of public speaking and sharing personal stories of personal motivation to West Virginia middle schoolers and the Mountaineer community.

According to three West Virginia University experts who research different aspects of climate change, the need for mitigation in hurricane-prone areas is growing, as ocean temperatures rise and hurricanes increase in frequency and intensity. And one of those experts says we have “centuries” of climate change ahead, even if we start preventive measures immediately.

As the U.S. Senate takes up another bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, a West Virginia University health policy expert says states will lose more than $80 billion annually in 2026, a precursor to a combined loss of $300 billion the next year, as the Medicaid expansion is rolled back. Insurance market protections for people with pre-existing conditions and a strict per capita cap on Medicaid payments are also part of the package, according to WVU’s Simon Haeder.