The West Virginia University Mine Rescue Team has evolved from the seed of an idea born out of determination to a highly respected competition team earning accolades around the world for its performance. Built by students from multiple disciplines on campus and industry experts with a passion for safety and rescue, the team already has two international and four national champion titles under its belt.
Developing a new kind of rechargeable battery — zinc-ion batteries, a cheaper, safer alternative to today’s lithium-ion batteries — is the goal of West Virginia University graduate student and postdoctoral fellow Xiujuan Chen.
Matthew Richardson and Akeya Simeon of the West Virginia University Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership are on a hazing education mission, focusing on how to continue creating a safer and more inclusive community on campus where such destructive behaviors have no place.
More than 13 years after his death, the legacy of Dr. James Boland, longtime chairman of the Department of Surgery at the West Virginia University School of Medicine Charleston Campus, still looms large. Generations of alumni cite Boland as an instrumental influence in their careers and continue to celebrate his memory through charitable gifts to support a lectureship and professorship established in his name.
First Ascent, a program designed to cultivate and retain local talent within West Virginia by supporting new graduates from West Virginia University and Marshall University, is seeing success one year after its launch. Parker Surface and Landon Lambert are two current participants seeing benefits from the program’s mix of professional development, outdoor recreation and community engagement.
From old floorboards, tree roots and driftwood, West Virginia University professor Nina Assimakopoulos handcrafts flutes in the Native American tradition, then “woos the voice of the wood” into being through improvisational performance. She recently won a Best Solo Native American Flute CD award from the World Flute Society for her recordings with these unique flutes.
Seven current and former West Virginia University students are gaining valuable experience while serving local communities thanks to the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media’s Internship Alliance which provides paid internships, allowing students to begin their professional careers early.
Getting out and exercising, while also building relationships and having fun, are a few of the many aspects that make intramural sports a critical part of West Virginia University. Open to students, faculty and staff through Campus Recreation at WVU, the Intramural Sports Program is accepting registrations until Sept. 4 via the WVUGo website or app for a variety of competitive sports.
Officer Brandon Moser is fairly new to the West Virginia University Police Department, but not the uniform or the good that he can do in the community behind his badge.
Trisha Phillips is a native of Eugene, Oregon, an avid outdoor adventurer and works as a research ethicist at WVU promoting research integrity. Her work focuses on research misconduct, norms or best practices, and helping the University avoid unethical research environments which, she said, can impede the quality of work that happens on campus.