The electrical grid faces a mounting barrage of threats that could trigger a butterfly effect – floods, superstorms, heat waves, cyberattacks, not to mention its own ballooning complexity and size – that the nation is unprepared to handle, according to one West Virginia University scientist.
West Virginia University’s efforts in education and training, innovative research and treatment options are creating a shift in the substance use recovery rate from possible to probable.
Reynolds Hall, the futuristic 186,000-square-foot complex set to transform learning and research in higher ed, is officially open for business. The new home of the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics, Reynolds Hall held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony Friday (Aug. 26) with its namesakes, Bob and Laura Reynolds, on hand.
West Virginia University students from underrepresented groups are gaining valuable experience in social justice work thanks to generous alumni support. Ellen Archibald, of Minneapolis, formerly an attorney in Charleston, graduated from the WVU College of Law in 1989 and has given over $200,000 to establish two social justice awards at WVU – one for students at the College of Law and one for students enrolled in School of Social Work programs at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
Dedication to bettering the Mountain State earned six West Virginia residents the Hazel Ruby McQuain Graduate Scholarship helping them to continue graduate study in their chosen fields. The scholarship program, administered by the West Virginia University Office of Graduate Education and Life, honors the legacy of its late namesake — Hazel Ruby McQuain.
West Virginia University scientists have developed a way for extraplanetary rovers to use nonvisual information to maneuver over treacherous terrain. This will help to prevent future losses of expensive equipment like that of the Martian exploration rover Spirit, which ceased communications after its wheels became trapped in invisibly shifting sands in 2010.
For the fiscal year from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, WVU Foundation data shows 20,206 donors – including 9,360 alumni – made 39,347 gifts totaling $213.8 million. This total is second only to $270.1 million donated in fiscal year 2021. The gifts will benefit education, health care and prosperity to make a positive impact across the Mountain State and beyond for years to come.
The return of FallFest highlights a packed Welcome Week at West Virginia University which begins Thursday, Aug. 11, and continues through the start of the fall semester Wednesday, Aug. 17. New events include a pool party for all students at the Student Rec Center Aug. 13 and a service project to benefit the West Virginia United Way Collaborative during Monday Night Lights for first-year students Aug. 15.
Clearcutting and wildfires destroyed the red spruce which were once the dominant tree species in West Virginia. Today, only 10% of the state’s red spruce coverage remains and it faces a new threat in climate change. West Virginia University researchers are working toward restoring some of the original tree habitat by studying the long-term effects of climate change on red spruce and the surrounding environment.
Driven by a shared passion for scientific discovery, four promising researchers pursuing doctoral degrees at West Virginia University are receiving funding from the Ruby Scholars Graduate Fellows Program to support their studies. This year’s Ruby Fellows are Cameron Wilson, Ashley Martsen, Courtney Glenn and Quinn Hopen.