As a child in Texas, Rodney Elliott dreamed of going to college and studying science but it was a dream deferred because of family finances. He joined the Air Force and, after a 20-year career, enrolled at West Virginia University gaining accolades, not just from his professors, but by winning the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering—the Goldwater Scholarship.
Similar to how microwave ovens heat soup but not the bowl, researchers at West Virginia University are exploring the possibility of heating one solution component selectively over others in chemical reactions. The research is led at WVU by Gregory Dudley, the Eberly Family Distinguished Professor and chair of the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, in close collaboration with Albert Stiegman, a professor of chemistry at Florida State University.
Six West Virginia University faculty members have been selected for the 2018 Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching, which honors exceptional professors who go above and beyond to inspire their students. g
As a critical component to the administration of justice, researchers are calling for more science in forensic science. Led by Suzanne Bell, chair of the West Virginia University Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, a group of academic scientists who were members of the former National Commission on Forensic Science’s Sub-Committee on Scientific Inquiry and Research are urging the larger scientific community to advocate for independent research and assessment in forensic science.
As West Virginia seeks to re-imagine its future both economically and culturally, new skills beyond technical training will be necessary to generate innovative paths forward. Ryan Claycomb, a professor in the West Virginia University Department of English and interim director of the WVU Humanities Center, is working to create pathways for more flexible doctoral degrees in the humanities, particularly English and history.
Some of West Virginia University’s extraordinary researchers are mapping the universe, using hair follicles to solve crimes and helping consumers understand the risks of off-label prescription drugs. Three of those researchers were celebrated last week at the Office of Graduate Education and Life’s annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition, in which 12 doctoral students from across the University competed for the top spots, all of which came with cash awards.
West Virginia University is one of 20 institutions in the U.S. to receive a 2018 Career Diversity Implementation Grant from the American Historical Association to support a career diversity initiative for graduate students in the Department of History.
West Virginia University’s David C. Hardesty, Jr. Festival of Ideas series will address African American English, the most controversial and misunderstood variety of speech in the United States, during a documentary and panel discussion titled “Talking Black in America” April 10 at 7 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.
Internal climate migrants are rapidly becoming the human face of climate change, according to a new report from World Bank. Brent McCusker, a professor of geography at West Virginia University, has contributed to a study of migration projections in the developing world, including Ethiopia, Mexico and Bangladesh, to help inform government leaders of what to expect from future migration patterns as a result of climate change.
The West Virginia University Foundation will honor donors on Tuesday, April 10, whose planned gifts over the past year will provide for the future of the University.