spotlight

When Molly Hughes, assistant professor in the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics, looks at supply chains — those vast webs of factories, transportation networks, warehouses and retailers that connect the raw source materials of any product to its eventual end user — she sees human beings. She studies risks to supply chains, as well as risks posed by supply chains, with a perspective informed by seven years in the pharmaceuticals industry.

When Matt Stanislav first arrived at West Virginia University, he had a different path in mind, but it wasn’t until he made the decision to transfer to the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources that he truly found his home.

Growing up, Selasi Asamoah saw how much joy nursing brought her mom Angela, so she wanted to follow in her footsteps. The senior West Virginia University School of Nursing student is well on her way to making that dream a reality, as her graduation is set for December.

Selected based on an essay and letters of recommendation, West Virginia University students Tysa James, Janelle LaBarbera, Cheyenne Torres and Gabrielle Williams are the recipients of the prestigious 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship. The awards were announced during the MLK Unity Breakfast.

Through her professional career, personal experiences and community-based activities, Yvonne Shaw, a native of England and current graduate student in the West Virginia University population health master’s program, is working to make an impact in West Virginia by increasing access to health care. 

Lauren Dysart grew up in Elkview, but West Virginia University was always familiar to her because she spent many weekends in Morgantown embracing the Mountaineer spirit. While the senior marketing major stays busy balancing academics and other extracurricular activities, she considers her role in helping co-found the Country Line Dancing Club one of her proudest accomplishments at WVU.

Charleston native Andrea Elkins always dreamed of attending college, but traditional admissions requirements, especially standardized testing, presented a barrier for the differently-abled adult, as she describes herself. That was until West Virginia University became the first public higher education institution in the Mountain State to temporarily, then permanently adopt a test-optional admissions policy.

All the world’s a stage, and West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics entrepreneurship and innovation major Bella Randle is on her way to being a major player.

For Joseph Watkins, working in a lab and pursuing a career in the field of pathology have been goals since high school. The West Virginia University School of Medicine provides a path into the in-demand profession of histotechnology with one of only 11 programs offered in the United States. After graduation, Watkins said he hopes to earn his histotechnologist certification before beginning the WVU Pathologists’ Assistant program.

Mannon Gallegly died Jan. 7 at the age of 101, but not before making a huge impact on the Mountain State. Read about the legacy he left behind, including improvements to tomato crops for generations of farmers and growers. A memorial service for Gallegly will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 18) at Wesley United Methodist Church in Morgantown.