After starting with a $35 scholarship donation to the Mountaineer Athletic Club in 1979, Dr. Philip High — an oral surgeon serving the Wheeling area — has steadily increased his gifts to West Virginia University over the years, branching out to other areas that include the School of Dentistry and Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
Offering ways for West Virginia University students to find support by forging connections with others, the Collegiate Recovery Program serves the University’s mission of putting students first — no matter the challenges they’re facing.
Economically distressed McDowell County is one target of a West Virginia University program to connect high school and community college students and others new to the workforce with well-paid jobs in the water sector, which is in urgent need of workers.
Don Hoylman and his wife, Marcella, first began giving to the WVU Cancer Institute in the 1980s. Their giving escalated after Hoylman became a patient himself and culminated with a transformational leadership donation made through his trust in 2018. Following his passing three years later at the age of 91, the Hoylman family’s generosity continues to spur innovation at the WVU Cancer Institute.
Zabrya Robson, a behavior health counselor at Community Care of West Virginia, came to West Virginia University knowing she wanted to help others. She earned her undergraduate degree at WVU, and then when looking for a master’s program to pursue counseling, she once again chose the University largely because of the flexibility of the clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program.
West Virginia University Institute of Technology alumna Alexis Zilinski’s childhood was spent participating in 4-H programs that instilled in her a passion for learning, civic engagement and community service. A business management graduate, she continues to serve her community as a Raleigh County 4-H program assistant.
A West Virginia University researcher is studying slot machines to determine what makes them a potentially addictive form of gambling. To do so, she will spend the next two years reverse engineering certain structural characteristics of the machines to find out what makes them an immersive product. Her research is supported by the International Center for Responsible Gaming.
A West Virginia University alumna’s $2 million estate gift to the School of Medicine will enhance education for future physicians and strengthen renal care for Mountain State children.
As a student in the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics, Emma LaBombard, from Harper’s Ferry, said she felt supported by faculty from day one. From mentorships to job opportunities, those in the Department of Accounting work diligently to prepare students like LaBombard for their unique career paths.
West Virginia University is leading one of 50 projects as part of a nationwide effort to increase farmland availability to underserved populations, while also helping producers obtain working capital and means of food distribution.