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West Virginia University is leading efforts to protect water quality which affects more than 18 million people while advancing agriculture production in West Virginia and across the country. WVU will host the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee members, federal and state government officials and nationally recognized experts Jan. 23-24 to focus on soil health, which is a cornerstone for agricultural productivity and water quality.

Eight graduate students from around the world and the U.S. will be able to focus on their research first as West Virginia University Foundation Scholarships help relieve their financial stresses.

A chance encounter with a production designer and an invitation to assist in the film production of “Feast of the Seven Fishes” has fueled West Virginia University junior Anthony Basil’s desire to become a producer. Shortly after the industrial engineering major from Weirton accepted the invitation to work on the comedy, he was promoted to production design intern creating an unusual pairing of skills and passions.

With a focus on the U.S. military, Rethink Your Drink, a West Virginia University Extension Service program that aims to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, is offering alternatives to veterans who have relied heavily on caffeinated and sugary beverages. Through a series of advertisements, direct community education and even a 2K walk, Rethink Your Drink helped veterans make better drink choices.

This year’s campus read “Educated: A Memoir” has inspired an entire podcast at West Virginia University. Geoffrey Hilsabeck, a visiting assistant professor in the Department of English and a community outreach fellow in the WVU Humanities Center, wanted to create this podcast so that his guests could reflect on the author’s story from their own perspective, and explore the similarities between this true story in rural Idaho and their personal experiences growing up in West Virginia.

Last year, faculty from WVU Extension Service, WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, and WVU School of Public Health and West Virginia Prevention Research Center entered into a five-year contractual partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make a group of West Virginia University employees’ dream of a healthier West Virginia come true. The Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy project is a community-based project that aims to create local solutions for our state’s health-related challenges by supporting projects in Clay and McDowell counties that increase access to physical activity and healthy foods.

A love of marching bands and the desire to become an engineer led Martinsburg native Jessica Hammersla to West Virginia University. As drum major, the junior is responsible for making sure the Pride of West Virginia Mountaineer Marching Band is playing in unison, something she’ll be doing during Saturday’s Homecoming game at Milan Puskar Stadium.

A West Virginia University professor who has led innovation in forensic science, has been chosen to lead training at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in Springfield, Virginia, Sept. 24. Ednilson Bernardes, professor of Global Supply Chain Management, will conduct Lean Six Sigma training for the DEA and their forensic labs.

For the first time in more than a decade, women in West Virginia University’s Law Class of 2022 make up more than half of the class, which also boasts higher academic credentials than previous years. WVU also welcomes self-identified minorities who make up eight percent of these students, one-third of whom are first-generation college students. Greg Bowman, dean of the WVU College of Law, said diversity in law delivers fairness in the justice system.

The West Virginia University LGBTQ+ Center offers a variety of Safe Zone trainings, resources, classes and events to advocate for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Center is committed to helping provide a safe and inclusive campus for all students, while understanding that transgender students may arrive on campus already stressed and concerned about the potential for isolation.