Research

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.

WVU’s latest NSF CAREER Award winner, Assistant Professor of Geography Aaron Maxwell, will use big data to map what the surface of West Virginia looked like over the last 60 years.

West Virginia University’s fall 2021 semester begins on Wednesday, Aug. 18. While many public health guidelines will remain in effect, there is much hope that we can return to a vibrant campus environment. Our priority for the fall semester is simple: We want to ensure in-person instruction for our students so they can enjoy the full college experience.

Patients with substance use disorder will be able to better connect with emergency department-initiated treatment programs at participating hospitals throughout the state, thanks to a partnership between West Virginia University Office of Health Affairs, Marshall University and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

With a boost from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the amount of $1 million, the Brownfields Assistance Center at West Virginia University will continue its mission to empower communities to transform brownfields — property hindered from redevelopment or reuse due to the presence or perceived presence of a hazardous substance or contaminant.

Jessica Wilkerson, associate professor of history, has been named a 2021 Carnegie Fellow and is only the second WVU researcher to earn the prestigious designation.

For more than 30 years, the world’s largest collection of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi – the “good” kind essential for sustaining plant life – has been rooted at West Virginia University. Over the next several years, the tiny, soil-dwelling residents of the International Culture Collection of (Vesicular) Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi will be relocated to the University of Kansas thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation.

West Virginia is no stranger to ravaging floods, severe droughts and other extreme weather threats. One West Virginia University expert, Nicolas Zegre, thinks the state can shape possible solutions to future weather-related disruptions by applying a thing or two from how it’s effectively approached COVID-19: Listen to the science.

Bethany Wager has prioritized pursuing undergraduate research experiences throughout her time at West Virginia University. That hard work is being recognized this year, as Wager has been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, given to students with great potential to make a significant contribution to research in their chosen field.

Water researchers at West Virginia University hope to turn a pollutant – acid mine drainage - into a technological resource through the continuation of a $2.1 million contract from the National Energy Technology Laboratory.