The latest generation of Payne family lawyers — Beckley native Chris Payne — will walk across the West Virginia University College of Law Commencement stage at 9 a.m. May 15. Also the president of the WVU Law Class of 2026, Payne may be among the first, fourth-generation Black lawyers in the country.
A West Virginia University student with aspirations for a career in foreign service is a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship, providing an opportunity to study a foreign language abroad this summer. Benjamin “Ben” Caltrider is a native of Charles Town who is double majoring in international studies and history.
For Reilly Rollman, a senior civil engineering major with a minor in applied mathematics at West Virginia University, an early exposure to construction helped shape a long-term academic and professional path in engineering.
Inspired by his own family tragedy, West Virginia University School of Medicine graduating senior Jonathan “Tucker” Bennett is on a mission to save others through emergency medicine.
Twenty incoming West Virginia University students from across the Mountain State who are driven by shared passions for innovation and service have been named the 2026-27 cohort of Bucklew Scholars. From this distinguished group, five have been selected as Foundation Scholars, the highest academic scholarship the University awards.
In recognition of their dedicated service in the health, retail and legal fields, West Virginia University will award honorary degrees to Arthur Gabriel, co-founder of Gabriel Brothers, Tom Jones, former WVU Health System president and CEO, and former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker during May Commencement.
West Virginia University student and Fairmont native Rozaireo “Ro” Jones has been selected for the Truman Scholarship, one of the nation’s top graduate fellowships, for his commitment to public service, journalism and civic engagement.
For the first time, West Virginia University has four recipients of the Goldwater Scholarship — Caden Ginter from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Mason Powell from Canaan Valley, Cloe Ratliff from Morgantown and Camndon Reed from Watertown, Massachusetts — who were chosen for their strong commitment to continuing careers in research.
A senior executive who has spent the past 14 years in progressive roles at the West Virginia University Foundation has been named the organization’s new vice president and chief financial officer/treasurer. Melissa L. Simpson will begin her new position July 1.
West Virginia University senior and Glen Dale native Isabella Linton chose neuroscience because it’s a new and rapidly changing field. As a student, she’s gained vast experience in research and learned more about the role stress plays in women’s health. Linton plans to work in the field for a year after her May graduation before enrolling in a clinical psychology graduate program.