College of Education and Human Services

An international student who has immersed himself in the “cultural heartbeat” of his new community, a first-generation student graduating with a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average who had no access to high school college-prep courses and a Black woman who aspires to bridge the gap between research and clinical care to improve health disparities are among the graduating seniors to receive West Virginia University’s highest student honor, the Order of Augusta. These eight students are among 50 named WVU Foundation Outstanding Seniors.

To meet West Virginia’s growing demand for mental health and addiction professionals, West Virginia University will launch a new undergraduate major in mental health and addiction studies for the 2021-2022 academic year. The program, housed in the College of Education and Human Services, is an expansion of the minor in addiction studies that began enrolling students in the fall of 2018.

West Virginia University graduates will return to in-person commencement ceremonies this May; and although some restrictions will be in place because of COVID-19, the celebrations will be no less memorable for the 4,499 who walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. Graduates from May, August and December 2020 are also eligible to participate in the exercises.

The campaign for West Virginia University Student Government Association leadership ended Wednesday evening (March 10) as the SGA Judicial Court announced Amaya Jernigan and Hunter Moore as president and vice president, respectively, for the 2021-22 academic year.

Eligible, degree-seeking students at any West Virginia University campus can receive emergency grants through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II, part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. WVU will continue distributing its allotted $10,087,116 in emergency grants to students who qualify.

Perceived low-grade forms of workplace mistreatment, such as avoiding eye contact or excluding a coworker from conversation, can amplify suicidal thoughts in employees with mood disorders, based on a study by Kayla Follmer, assistant professor of management, and Jake Follmer, assistant professor of educational psychology.

West Virginia University President Gordon Gee called for transformation during Friday’s (Dec. 18) Board of Governors meeting, warning that across the country there is a loss of public trust and the perceived value of higher education has diminished.

The West Virginia University School of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded their mask-observation study, with plans to continue the project in the spring.

Bringing together families, friends and fellow classmates from across the country and around the world to celebrate the August and December Classes of 2020, West Virginia University will host 14 online commencement ceremonies for the 2,680 graduates on Saturday, Dec.19.

The gap in training for teachers related to the opioid crisis’ effect on students is being filled by a West Virginia University partnership that will develop and distribute materials to help the state’s teachers support their students who have family members with substance use disorders.