Story Pitches

A community-wide philanthropic endeavor led by the women in the Panhellenic Association at West Virginia University has raised $37,000 for the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation to help build a school in Malawi, an effort to support entities around the world that remove educational barriers for girls and women who face poverty and oppression. The school is now open and students are attending classes.

Krista Bresock, a WVU instructor, is sharing her passion for math with her students using research she did in Sweden regarding calculus students’ thought processes when solving integrated and visual volume problems.

As the heart of winter descends upon West Virginia, bitterly cold temperatures forecasted for much of the area may prompt residents to use portable space heaters to add to primary heat sources, such as central air; however, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in a 2017 article, caution and due diligence should be the key to using these devices effectively since they’re a source of approximately 1,100 house fires and 50 deaths per year. The peak season for accidents is December to February as the weather is naturally colder. West Virginia University Extension Service has tips and resources to help ensure the safe use of space heaters.

The West Virginia University Division of Student Life offers many special services to help non-traditional students with their transition to campus, including an individualized online Bachelor’s programs, scholarships and special study areas in Elizabeth Moore Hall. For the second consecutive year WVU upholds its national ranking in the top 200 as one of the best schools in the country for non-traditional students.

President E. Gordon Gee’s bow tie collection will be displayed as an exhibit at the West Virginia University Evansdale Library until May 15. The exhibit, created by WVU Art in the Libraries program, will include notable ties that were worn in times of honor and photographs.

More than $100 in free dental services are available to children ages one-to-17, Friday, Feb. 1 in Morgantown at the West Virginia University Pediatric Dentistry Clinic. Services by dental and dental hygiene students from the WVU School of Dentistry include an exam, necessary X-rays and fluoride treatments. Clients can begin scheduling appointments for the limited spaces Friday (Jan. 18).

West Virginia University graduate students provide valuable research and teaching services to the West Virginia University campus and the greater Morgantown community. Ten graduate students have been selected to receive scholarships that will defray the costs of their education and promote the dissemination of their research to a broader audience.

Three West Virginia University fashion, dress and merchandising students were recently named 2019 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund recipients – an honor that includes a $5,000 scholarship as well as networking and internship opportunities. The merit scholarships are awarded based on the completion of a case study project, a personal essay, an interview with a scholarship fund ambassador and an applicant’s GPA.

The cultural stigma related to mental illness and those seeking mental health services is pervasive. Suicide tends to rate as the second or third highest cause of death for student-athletes, according to Robert Hilliard, a West Virginia University doctoral student. Hilliard is using an NCAA grant to examine the role that stigma plays in student-athletes’ attitudes toward seeking help for mental health services.

For some, strength training and conditioning might look intimidating. For others, it might be a way to relieve stress. For graduate assistants Jarrod Burton and Billy Cedar it’s their passion and future career plan. Both Burton and Cedar are working as strength and conditioning coaches with student-athletes from high school to collegiate levels, focusing on helping them train and reach their own goals.