Colson Glover

Colson Glover, from Lewisburg, will graduate with a degree in neuroscience. He has served as an orientation leader and teaching assistant for the WVU Honors College, a tutor for student-athletes and the Department of Biology and a member of the Pre-Med Club.

Fulfilling his lifelong dream to serve his University and the people of his home state, he has made nearly 1,000 virtual and in-person appearances since May 2020 as the 67th Mountaineer Mascot.

During his two-year tenure as the mascot, he spearheaded various campaigns amid the pandemic to promote good hygiene and proper mask-wearing and made virtual appearances throughout the country to lift “Mountaineer spirits” during the coronavirus lockdown.

Glover, who was named after Colson Hall on the Downtown Campus, has also immersed himself in undergraduate research and volunteered his time to WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital and cleanup efforts at the Core Arboretum.

He has spent the last three years conducting undergraduate research at the WVU Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute on mindfulness intervention as an alternative therapy to help reduce the stress hormone cortisol in college students. Prior to shifting his research focus to mental health in 2019, he studied novel brain imaging technology for safer and motion-tolerant neuroimaging of cancer patients.

Glover cited his elective course as one of his most valuable experiences at WVU. This hormone-focused curriculum propelled his passion and shifted his research trajectory to the study of chemical imbalances as the underlying cause of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

He is a Foundation Scholar and a member of the Helvetia Honorary and Chimes Honorary Societies.

After graduation, Glover plans to continue his research on stress and the role of cortisol in overall health for early diagnosis and treatment of patients. Next year, he plans to attend medical school, and ultimately, work as a neurologist or neurosurgeon.