Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

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.

Garrett Burgess, a senior Honors student majoring in political science and world languages, literatures and linguistics with a concentration in Russian studies, and Morgan King, a senior Honors student majoring in civil and environmental engineering with a minor in international and comparative politics, placed first among ten teams competing from institutions including the American University, Johns Hopkins University and the US Naval Academy.

Pride in his Appalachian roots led West Virginia University junior Joshua Stuart to reclaim what it means to be Appalachian. Stuart, an interdisciplinary studies major in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences from Philippi, West Virginia will present research at the Appalachian Studies Association conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 5-8. His presentation focuses on queer culture in Appalachia, where he pulls perspectives from his background in creative writing, sociology and LGBTQ+ studies.

Erin Cassese, an associate professor of political science at West Virginia University, has been named the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’ first Harriet E. Lyon Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies. The first-of-its-kind professorship recognizes the interdisciplinary role of women’s and gender studies on the WVU campus. It is designed to support the dissemination of knowledge sensitive to gender and places women's concerns, ideas, perspectives and interests at the center of the scholarly and teaching enterprise.

Glen Jackson, a professor of forensic and investigative science at West Virginia University, has been promoted to the rank of Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. The rank is one of the highest recognitions for researchers in the forensic science discipline. It was announced at the 2018 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle.

To meet the changing needs of professionals working with evolving policy and regulatory issues in the justice system, homeland security and healthcare, the West Virginia University Department of Public Administration has launched a new 30 credit hour Master of Legal Studies (MLS) curriculum for fall 2018.