Gabrielle Frazier
Gabrielle Frazier, a member of the Honors College from Martinsburg, graduated in December 2024 with degrees in geography and English and a minor in political science.
She maintained a 4.0 GPA while serving in several leadership roles on campus and performing research focused on the creation of sustainable and equitable communities in Appalachia.
She said her most enriching experience at WVU was serving as a sustainable development intern with the Center for Resilient Communities. Through this internship, she explored affordable housing solutions to foster economic development in marginalized areas of West Virginia. She also explored strategies for building sustainable local economies through a youth-driven cooperative approach as a part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and her Honors EXCEL project.
Frazier presented her research findings to community advocates and other stakeholders while facilitating partnerships among local organizations and community members to help facilitate positive change in the Mountain State. The opportunities to lead research and deliver her findings as a champion for change reaffirmed her passion to drive real-world impact through research.
In addition to her research, Frazier served as president of 100 Black Women, senator at-large in the Student Government Association, a writer for Mirage Magazine, marketing director for Women in Law and founding chair of the Library Taskforce.
A 2023 Eberly Scholar, she is the recipient of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Senior in Geography and Kenneth C. Martis Undergraduate Geology Scholarship.
Frazier is currently pursuing a master’s degree in geography at WVU, and after graduation, she plans to attend law school and ultimately work in Appalachia as a land use attorney.