Story Pitches

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.

As part of West Virginia University’s 150th Birthday celebration and in honor of the University’s status as a land grant institution, artist Hunt Slonem, known for his portrait tributes to President Abraham Lincoln, will visit WVU Thursday through Saturday (Sept. 14-16). Slonem’s work is on display at both Blaney House, home of WVU President Gordon Gee, and at the Art Museum of WVU.

West Virginia University has developed a CARE Team whose central mission is to help students, staff and faculty better assist at-risk students.

West Virginia University is ready for The Great American Eclipse, the first to be seen across the continental U. S. in more than 20 years. The Department of Physics and Astronomy is hosting a pre-eclipse event Saturday (Aug. 19) from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will receive “passports” that take them on a self-guided tour of mini-lectures, hands-on activities, planetarium shows and rooftop observing. The event is the finale of a summer of preparation for the eclipse.

A community of first generation college students is the latest example of West Virginia University’s commitment to creating the best college experience for all students. The FirstGen Living, Learning, Community joins seven other campus communities that foster “neighborhoods” at WVU. The University will welcome 30 FirstGen students at a kick-off event at 5:30 p.m. August 16 at Dorsey’s Knob. Media members are welcome to attend.

Between them, faculty at West Virginia University have hundreds of degrees and areas of expertise. Some of them also have “hidden talents” they use to engage others through community service and create beauty in different ways.

With debate swirling around education – how it's delivered, who pays for it, its role and/or worth in society – would-be teachers need all the preparation for the part of teaching that isn't directly related to their subject matter. That's where education Teaching Performance Assessment, or edTPA, comes in, and this fall, most teacher candidates in WVU's College of Education and Human Services will be required to participate in the performance-based assessment that will help them be more prepared for the classroom.

West Virginia University’s soon-to-be-open China Portal will be an academic embassy and promote WVU to interested groups, while working on research, alumni relations, education abroad, recruitment and academic development.

To prevent summer learning melt, West Virginia University’s Outward Bound provided a three-week summer program, allowing local high school students a first-hand look at what college is really about. This Friday, students will present their case studies in Forensic Anthropology.

West Virginia students are studying the mix of STEM and humanities, good business practices and entrepreneurship at West Virginia University this summer in two three week programs, Governor’s Honors Academy and the Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship.