Eberly News

Scientist Jennie Hunter-Cevera to receive honorary degree at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:35:00 EST

Scientist and West Virginia University alumna Jennie Hunter-Cevera will be recognized Sunday with the highest honor an institution can bestow — an honorary degree.

Hunter-Cevera, whose career in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries spans 22 years, will be honored during the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate commencement ceremony. The honorary degree is reserved for eminent individuals with national or international reputations.

She is the founder of Hunter and Associates, a consulting firm focusing on finding integrative solutions to complex problems in the life sciences arena that include sustainability issues.

Hunter-Cevera founded The Biotic Network and Blue Sky Laboratory and spent five years as the head of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In addition, Hunter-Cevera served for 10 years as the president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Most recently, she was executive vice president of discovery and analytical sciences, government relations, public relations and corporate development at RTI International.

Hunter-Cevera holds 15 patents in natural products and enzymes. She specializes in screen design for the discovery of natural compounds in the areas of human therapeutics, nutraceticals, biodefense, sustainable agriculture, bioremediation and biocatalysis for industrial processes in the food and clothing industries.

Named one of Maryland’s Top 50 Influential People and Top 100 Women, Hunter-Cevera’s other award recognitions include the Porter Award from the American Society for Micriobiology (ASM) for distinguished research in microbial systematics and taxonomy. She also was elected as a SIM fellow, a member of the ASM Academy of Microbiology and an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow.

Hunter-Cevera completed her bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in microbial ecology from WVU. She earned her doctorate in microbial physiology and biochemistry from Rutgers University. Because of her outstanding academic and professional achievements, she has been named a WVU Distinguished Alumni and Nath Lecturer.

Hunter-Cevera will receive her honorary degree at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate commencement at 2 p.m. Sunday, at the WVU Coliseum.

Visitors to http://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/ can view the history of honorary degrees at WVU, from 1873 to the present.

For more information, contact University Relations/News at 304-293-6997

Congressman Rush Holt to deliver commencement address at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences doctoral and master's degree ceremony

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:35:00 EST

Helen Holt, West Virginia’s first female secretary of state, to receive honorary degree

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-New Jersey, will deliver the address at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’s doctoral and master’s degree commencement ceremony this Sunday.

The ceremony will double as a family affair as his mother Helen Holt, West Virginia’s first female secretary of state, will receive an honorary degree.

“Representative Holt has an outstanding set of accomplishments in science, innovation, government and leadership and has become a forceful and effective voice in support of education, health and social justice, alternative sources of energy and international arms of control,” Dean Robert H. Jones said.

Rep. Holt is a resident of Hopewell Township, N.J., and has represented central New Jersey in Congress since 1999. Born in Weston, W.Va., he inherited his interest in politics from his parents. In addition to his mother’s political career, his father Rush Holt Sr. was the youngest person ever elected to the U.S. Senate, at age 29.

Holt serves on the Committee on Natural Resources, where he serves as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, and on the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

In 2011, Holt beat Watson, IBM’s computer system, in a simulated round of “Jeopardy!” at an event to promote innovation. He holds the distinction of being a five-time champion on the program.

From 1989 until he launched his 1998 congressional campaign, Holt was assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the largest research facility at Princeton University and the largest center for alternative energy research in New Jersey.

Holt earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Carleton College in Minnesota, and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in physics at New York University.

During her marriage to Rush Holt Sr., Helen Holt was his principal adviser. After his death in 1955, she was appointed to fill his unexpired term. She was appointed secretary of state in 1957, becoming the first female to serve in the position. Following her two-year tenure as secretary of state, Holt served as assistant commissioner of public institutions. In 1960, President Eisenhower appointed her to create a program establishing standards that would eliminate unsafe, inefficient nursing homes. Through Holt’s mortgage insurance program at the Federal Housing Administration, and later the Department of Housing and Urban Development, she established nationally high standards for the care of the elderly and oversaw the construction of 1,000 modern long-term healthcare facilities with more than 100,000 beds. She was reappointed by six subsequent presidents.

Holt’s honors and accomplishments include officer roles with the American Association of University Women, Zeta Mu Epsilon, Tri-Delta, Business and Professional Women’s Clubs and Executive Women in Government. She was selected Daughter of the Year by the West Virginia State Society and received the International Year of the Woman Achievement Award. She also received West Virginia Woman of the Decade and was recognized as one of the Fifty Women who have Made a Difference by the International Association of Women.

Born in rural Illinois in 1913, Holt studied at Stephens College and the Marine Biological Laboratory. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in zoology from Northwestern University and was inducted into Sigma Xi. She taught biology at National Park College in Forest Glen, Md., and Greenbrier College for Women in Lewisburg, W.Va.

The doctoral and master’s degree commencement ceremony is 10 a.m. Sunday, at the Creative Arts Center.

Students and their families are encouraged to visit the Commencement website http://graduation.wvu.edu/commencement for event updates, as well as information about photography, lodging and traditions.

For more information, contact University Relations/News at 304-293-6997.

WVU Eberly Ideas discussion series presents 'Building Wealth in Uncertain Economic Times'

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:49:00 EST

The country’s economic outlook is still murky and the job market a bit of a wild card, but how is that driving lawmakers’ priorities and how should it factor into yours?

As part of the 4th Annual West Virginia Money Smart Week, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University will host “Building Wealth in Uncertain Economic Times” 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 in room G21 Ming Hsieh Hall on the Downtown Campus. The talk is free and open to the public.

Frank Vitale, senior vice president at Clear Mountain Bank in Morgantown and Eberly College alumnus, will moderate the panel discussion.

Mike Mays, director of the Institute for Mathematics Learning, Neil Berch, associate professor of political science and Brian Luskey, associate professor of history discuss economic public policies, historical perspectives on corruption and the raw numbers behind wealth-building.

“We live in a challenging time to save and invest, but our country and our state have prospered through similar circumstances before,” said Robert Jones, dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

“The context of why, how, when and what’s next is incredibly valuable and I’m proud to have faculty members in our College that can take a topic that literally hits us in our pockets and build such an interesting knowledge-building opportunity around it.”

“Building Wealth” is the third discussion in the Eberly Ideas series, a unique forum that promotes the exchange of ideas and stimulating debate while highlighting the timely research of some of the College’s all-star faculty.

Dozens of organizations are participating in this year’s West Virginia Money Smart Week. The event aims to educate people about saving, investing, giving and spending.

“In these tough economic times, it’s important to be smart consumers. Money Smart Week events help people learn about developing good financial habits and how to better manage personal finances,” said Susan LeFew, a senior program specialist for the AARP Foundation and a member of the West Virginia Money Smart Week Planning Committee.

To RSVP to attend “Building Wealth in Uncertain Economic Times,” email ECAS@mail.wvu.edu with “Eberly Ideas” in the subject line. Include the name/s of the people attending in the body of the email.

For more information, contact Devon Copeland at 304-293-6867 or Devon.Copeland@mail.wvu.edu

WVU guest speaker to address religious views of early W.Va. settlers

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:17:00 EST

On Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m. in 125 Brooks Hall, Jeff Bach, Ph.D., will discuss the earliest known white settlers in Preston County in his lecture, “The Hermits of the High-Lying, Wide-Stretching Alleghenies: Pennsylvania Dunkers in Preston County, West Virginia in the 1750s.”

The lecture provides background on the religious views and conflicts that propelled three brothers, Samuel, Israel and Gabriel Eckerlin, to settle along the Cheat River. They had been expelled from a Protestant monastic community of people who were pacifists and baptized by immersion.

Bach discusses details of the unique religious views of the Eckerlin brothers and their original community in Ephrata, Pa., which is now a museum. Illustrations will accompany the lecture. Evidence from recently discovered manuscript letters and treatises expands the story about the Eckerlins, their attempts to form a monastic community and the demise of their outpost in the Alleghenies in 1757.

This event is free and open to the public.

Bach, a native of Middletown, Ohio, is the director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies and teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa., in Lancaster County. He began at the Young Center in 2007 after teaching at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., for 13 years.

He earned his doctorate in religion from Duke University in 1997, concentrating on the history of Christianity. He has studied and written topics related to Radical Pietist groups in Europe and America, including the Ephrata Cloister in Pennsylvania.

Bach is the author of “Voices of the Turtledoves: The Sacred World of Ephrata” (Penn State Press, 2003) and collaborator with Michael Birkel, professor of religion at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., for “Genius of the Transcendent: Mystical Writings of Jakob Boehme” (Shambhala, 2010). He recently published “The Unchristian Negro Slave Trade: Brethren and Slavery,” in Brethren Life and Thought (Fall 2011).

For more information, contact Jane Donovan at 304-293-7739 or Jane.Donovan@mail.wvu.edu

WVU professor's research on labor movement leads to ACLS Fellowship

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:31:06 EST

World War II dramatically changed the American South, bringing industry and challenges to the racial and political climate known for low wages and non-union business practices. This reputation made it a prime target for organized labor. Much of the conventional wisdom on this topic points to racial tension as the main reason for the failure to unionize the South in the 20th century; however, Ken Fones-Wolf, professor of history, at West Virginia University is completing a project that examines the role that religion played in this failed crusade.

This May, while many students and teachers empty the halls of West Virginia University and begin a much needed summer vacation, Fones-Wolf will turn his attention to completing the research and writing made possible by his receipt of the American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship.

The ACLS Fellowship program is dedicated to furthering research in all disciplines of the humanities and related social sciences, and makes it possible for scholars like Fones-Wolf, to dedicate up to 12 months on research and writing. Of the 1125 applicants for this fellowship, Fones-Wolf is one of only 65 who received the award.

“Scholarship in the Eberly College is of the highest caliber,” Dean Robert Jones said. “Ken Fones-Wolf’s work in this area is original and highly respected, the recognition is well-deserved.”

Fones-Wolf will be devoting his attention to research and writing from May of this year until August 2014, and will continue working with graduate students in the department. Though the ACLS Fellowship is an individual award, he feels that in a way his success acknowledges the efforts of many others as well.

“The extra semester made possible by the fellowship will, I hope, also enable me to get a significant start on my next book project, which will look at the complex interaction of popular religious belief and working-class identity in the Appalachian region. This will involve research in the rich oral history collections at various Appalachian institutions,” said Fones-Wolf.

“I feel very fortunate to be awarded such a prestigious fellowship; however, as most scholars know, while awards are individual, scholarship is a collective enterprise. I have had the benefit of a tremendous group of colleagues in my department and throughout the country, who produce terrific scholarship on a regular basis,” said Fones-Wolf.

“The Struggle for the Soul of the Postwar South,” is Fones-Wolf’s current book project with his wife, Elizabeth, professor and chair of the Department of History, and is also the basis of his fellowship proposal. The book is an attempt to explain the inability of the labor movement to grow in the post-World War II South.

“We feel that to truly explain the success or failure of social movements in the 20th century South, it is imperative that we understand the centrality of the sacred in southerners’ grappling with issues of class and race. The religious culture of the South in the 1940s and 1950s was dynamic and contested by prophetic and evangelical forces. The results of that contest and the rise of modern evangelicalism not only worked against organized labor by making workers question their support for a collectivist campaign for workplace justice, but also diminished the support that prophetic white Christians might have given to the emerging Civil Rights Movement,” said Fones-Wolf.

Ken Fones-Wolf received his doctorate in history from Temple University, and holds the Stuart and Joyce Robbins chair in history at WVU. He is the author of several publications, his most recent being the article “Religion, Human Relations, and Union Avoidance in the 1950s: The Electrical Industry’s Southern Strategy and Its Limits,” which was featured in Enterprise & Society.

For more information, contact Kenneth Fones-Wolf, at 304-293-9308 or kenneth.fones-wolf@mail.wvu.edu

Eberly College Outstanding Staff Awards announced for 2012-2013

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:58:49 EST

Nicholas Mick, senior budget analyst for the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and Hilary Attfield, managing editor for WVU Press, are the Eberly College Outstanding Staff Award recipients for 2012-2013.

“Receiving this award is an honor. I appreciate it because it comes from colleagues who have made this possible; the people in Eberly College with whom I have worked have been the best of things—collegial—as well has hardworking and friendly. I’ve enjoyed it here and I hope I have helped,” said Attfield.

Both Mick and Attfield believe that their success working at West Virginia University is the product of collective work and a great work environment and are appreciative of the support they receive from their colleagues.

“Working for the Eberly College has given me the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. I love the team atmosphere that the employees at Eberly are a part of, especially my coworkers Vicky Wood and Mickie McIntosh. I may have received this award individually, but it truly is a team effort in the Eberly payroll unit and without them a lot of things would not get done as smoothly and quickly as they do,” said Mick.

Robert Jones, dean of Eberly College, shared his thoughts on the attributes Mick possesses that make him an outstanding staff member.

“A sense of customer service is a central tenant of Eberly College staff, but Nick takes this to an extreme. He is truly a role model for all of us to follow,” said Jones.

Dean Jones also believes Attfield is a major factor in the success of the WVU Press.

“West Virginia can be proud that in a time when other university presses are under stress, the WVU Press is thriving and moving up in stature. We owe much of its success to Hilary, who has provided not just efficient management, but also creativity and energy that lifts up the value of all who work with her,” said Jones.

Mick has worked for the University for eight years, and coordinates the management of payroll and budget for Eberly College and School of Journalism. He is also responsible for budget development, management and financial reporting, assisting in the new year budget preparation and year end close.

As managing editor for WVU Press, Attfield is responsible for editing all books and journals that the Press publishes, working alongside authors and editors as well as hiring managing copyeditors. Attfield was previously the journals manager for WVU Press and continues work with journal editors and authors as one of her many ongoing tasks.

For more information, contact Rebecca Herod, at 304-293-9264 or Rebecca.Herod@mail.wvu.edu

WVU Career Fair to host over 100 nationwide employers

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:53:49 EST

Summer is rapidly approaching and now is the time to start considering summer employment options. Students interested in finding internships, full-time jobs upon graduation or simply looking to polish their interviewing and communication skills should take advantage of the upcoming West Virginia University Career Fair, organized by the Career Services Center. The career fair will take place March 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.

“The WVU Career Fair is an excellent free resource for students looking for full-time employment and internships. Students should come armed with their resumes, a winning attitude and the ability to answer probing questions from perspective employers,” said Bonnie McBee Fisher, coordinator of career development for the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

The event will feature recruiters in diverse fields from over 100 national employers such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nordstrom and Volvo Powertrain. This is a valuable opportunity to effectively network, and increase chances of employment success. Participants should bring several copies of their resumes and dress in professional attire.

“All students, including freshmen and sophomores are encouraged to begin their career development with us as soon as possible to ensure the best chance of employment following graduation,” said Sarah Glenn, assistant director of employer relations in the Career Services Office.

Students interested in attending are encouraged to utilize the Career Services Center before attending this event. The Career Services Center offers the opportunity for students to review their resumes, schedule mock interviews and meet with career counselors to learn more information about successfully networking at a career fair.

For more information, contact the Career Services Center, at 304-293-2221 or CareerServices@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU's Eberly College hosts annual Certificate of Achievement ceremony

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:24:00 EST

The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’ annual Certificate of Achievement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m. in the West Virginia University Mountainlair Blue Ballroom. This event recognizes arts and sciences majors who have completed 45 or more credit hours at WVU and have obtained an overall GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Approximately 400 students and their families have been invited to attend this year’s event. A reception will follow the ceremony.

At the ceremony, students will receive a certificate of achievement for academic excellence from Dean Robert Jones, and be invited to apply for the Eberly Scholar award for the 2013-2014 academic year.

“This is the College’s most prestigious undergraduate award, reserved for the best students in the Eberly College,” Valerie Lastinger, associate dean for undergraduate studies and chair of the scholarship committee said. “Only students who qualify for a certificate of achievement are eligible to be considered for an Eberly Scholar award.”

Through the leadership of the College’s Advisory Committee, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences established a scholarship program in 1988. As part of the program, up to 25 merit-based undergraduate scholarships have been awarded each academic year since 1989.

In addition to their scholarship, Eberly Scholars receive a special, personalized bronze medallion.

Last year’s recipients include majors in numerous arts and sciences disciplines: Tonia S. Ahmed, chemistry and mathematics; Caroline D. Bailey, political science and international studies; Julie M. Button, chemistry and forensic and investigative sciences; Jessica A. Carr, chemistry and mathematics; Amanda D. Delligatti, biology; Rachel M. DeRoos, psychology; Janise S. Domingue, regents bachelor of arts; John W. Hall, biology; Heather V. Hill, history and religious studies; Chelsea L. Hodgkins, international studies and geography; Joseph E. Malone, chemistry; Miranda R. Miller, social work; Nainika Nanda, biochemistry/chemistry; Darrin E. Nichols, biology; Michael J. Niemann, biology; Emily R. Orlikoff, French and animal and nutritional sciences; Alexandra V. Palmer, political science and history; James F. Scheidler, biology; Leah M. Skrypek, German and secondary education; Richard S. Stefancic, biology; Christian J. Thomas, geography; Jonathan M. Turner, chemistry; Michael A. Urban, history; Robert W. VanDervort, physics and mathematics and Katrina M. Weimer, forensic and investigative sciences and biology.

For more information about the invitation only ceremony or the Eberly Scholar application process, contact Brenda Riggle at 304-293-9205 or Brenda.Riggle@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU Center for Women's and Gender Studies hosts prominent feminist activist Sondra Hale

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:48:00 EST

The West Virginia University Center for Women’s and Gender Studies is will host their thirteenth resident scholar, Sondra Hale, PhD. Hale will visit the campus February 10-15.

She will give a free, public lecture on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m. in G20 Ming Hsieh on the downtown campus, titled “Women in Conflict Zones: The Politics of Memory in Sudan and Eritrea.” The lecture will examine conflict and gender in the Middle East and Africa, and the role of memory, Islam and nationalism in both civil and human rights. Students, faculty staff and community members are invited to attend the lecture.

“This lecture focuses on memory as a means of resisting, understanding and coping with gender-based violence experienced by women in Sudan and Eritrea. We are fortunate to be able to share Dr. Hale’s extensive work as a scholar activist that stems from over five decades of teaching, research and living in this region,” Ann Oberhauser, PhD, director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies said.

Sondra Hale is professor emerita of anthropology and gender studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned a Ph.D. in anthropology; M.A. in African studies; and B.A. in English literature from UCLA, where she has taught since 1986. In addition, she taught at the University of Khartoum in Sudan, California Institute of the Arts and at California State universities, Long Beach and Northridge. She is co-director of the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies and is past co-editor of the Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies.

Hale is celebrated for her diligent efforts and work as an activist in anti-war movements, labor union organizing, academic freedom campaigns and feminist movements — both at home and abroad. As an activist scholar, she values her involvement on the various campuses where she has taught, including in the classroom where she is known to introduce new and controversial ideas.

“Her commitment to anti-war campaigns, feminist movements and academic freedom throughout the world is inspiring. This year’s Women’s and Gender Studies Residency is a wonderful tribute to Judith Gold Stitzel and her impact on feminist scholarship and teaching at WVU and in the broader women’s studies community,” Oberhauser said.
The Women’s and Gender Studies Residency Program began in 1999 in honor of Dr. Judith Gold Stitzel, the founding director of Women’s Studies at WVU. Each year the Center hosts a scholar who is involved in women’s and gender studies research and activism. Residents visit campus for three to five days to participate in classes and meet with students, faculty and staff.

The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies supports teaching, research and advocacy that is based on feminist perspectives and centered on analyses of gender and its intersection with race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age and ability.

For more information, contact the Center at wmst@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-2339.

WVU's Eberly College builds new career development program for students

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:41:00 EST

The West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences is investing in a new career development program for undergraduate students, and has recruited a talented individual to lead the effort: Bonnie McBee Fisher.

“I’m very excited to be part of the Eberly College’s effort to transform its undergraduate learning environment. The critical student services that we will be developing are anticipated to dramatically assist new graduates with post baccalaureate transitions,” Fisher said.

The broad goal of the initiative, tied directly to the Eberly College’s 2020 Strategic Plan, will enrich students’ undergraduate study through the participation in experiential opportunities. The College will initially focus on increasing student involvement in internships, which are very powerful and important experiences, often leading directly to jobs immediately after graduation.

“The initiative will also track and grow other out-of-the-classroom experiences, including service learning, study abroad, teaching, research and others,” Dean Robert Jones said. “Experiences such as these not only deepen learning, they also grow appreciation for how learning can be tied to careers. Our goal is to have 100 percent of Eberly College majors involved in at least one experiential learning program by 2020.”

Fisher will build new external connections to expand the number of internship opportunities for Eberly students and other learning venues including research opportunities, teaching practicums and study abroad.

“Bonnie knows all of the college’s programs and most of the faculty, and has cultivated many relationships with alumni and friends of the college, many of whom have an interest in providing education opportunities for our student interns,” Dean Jones said.

Fisher is the former director of development for the Eberly College. In that role, she assisted the college in raising over $40 million in support of student scholarships and college programs. Prior to her work with the Eberly College, Fisher was the director of development for the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. She received her BA and MA in history from WVU in 1983 and 1986, respectively.

Alumni and friends can contact Bonnie Fisher at 304-293-9208 or via e-mail at Bonnie.Fisher@mail.wvu.edu, to establish partnership opportunities with the College.

WVU Career Services hosts second annual Mocktail Party and Fashion Show

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:29:00 EST

If you want to become more attractive to potential employers, you need to have an edge over the other applicants. Proper dress, behavior, manners and smooth communication skills are critical components of becoming truly career ready.

The West Virginia University Career Services Center and the Office of Student Affairs wants to help you land the first job by hosting the second annual University-wide Mocktail Party and Fashion Show.

The event is February 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms. This professional development and networking event with Human Resource representatives is an interactive workshop specifically designed for juniors, seniors and graduate students who will be seeking internships or careers in the near future. The event will teach students how to be successful at career fairs, conduct themselves in formal and informal interviews and dress appropriately as a professional.

Light appetizers will be served and there will be drawings for prizes throughout the evening, including a iPad Mini.

For more information, contact Sarah Glenn at Sarah.Glenn@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU's Perone named associate dean for faculty in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:05:00 EST

Michael Perone, PhD, has been named the associate dean for faculty in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University.

The associate dean for faculty is part of the senior leadership team in the Eberly College, and is responsible for a large number of faculty related processes ranging from hiring and mentoring through promotion, sabbatical leave, and a host of other aspects of faculty life.

In his first year in the position, Perone hopes to roll out the College’s custom version of Digital Measures, a software system for archiving records of faculty achievements and generating reports for faculty evaluation committees, department chairs, deans and other administrators. He also will manage the College level of the promotion and tenure process, review faculty workload plans, and, in the next academic-year cycle, support the hiring of new faculty members and postdoctoral research associates.

“Our 2020 Strategic Plan goal to be the ‘the best place’ to work includes hiring quality faculty and then nurturing and supporting them once here,” Robert Jones, Dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences said. “With the appointment of Mike Perone, we are reiterating our commitment to provide our faculty the support and advocacy necessary to ensure successful careers here at WVU, from the moment they interview until retirement.”

Perone, who began his career at WVU in 1984, is a professor in the Department of Psychology. He received his PhD in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1981. In 1982, he was assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He has made substantial contributions to behavior analysis through his research, service, administration, and teaching. He is well known for his programmatic research on conditioned reinforcement, avoidance, and transitions from rich to lean schedules of reinforcement, and more generally for the elegance and ingenuity of his experimental methodology. He has secured support from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Occupational Safety and Health Association and the National Science Foundation for much of his research. His investigations with animals and extensions of basic mechanisms to humans serve as a prototype for research translation.

Perone’s accomplishments in administration, service to the discipline, and teaching are similarly noteworthy. He served for 12 years as chair of the West Virginia University Department of Psychology, one of the foremost programs in behavior analysis. He has served as president of Association for Behavioral Analysis International (twice), Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Analysis, Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and the Southeastern Association for Behavioral Analysis International. He has been appointed to key editorial positions for major journals in behavior analysis, represented behavior analysis on the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences, and served on numerous committees.
In each of those roles, his skill and humor have been instrumental in bringing a charge to effective completion. Dr. Perone has received numerous awards for his teaching and mentoring, which, along with the successes of his former students, are testaments to his effectiveness in that arena as well.

For more information, please contact Michael Perone at (304) 293-1785 or via e-mail at Michael.Perone@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU Calliope submission deadline December 15

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST

Calliope, WVU’s Undergraduate Literary Magazine, is still accepting submissions for the 2013 edition.

Undergraduates from any major can submit up to three pieces of prose (fiction or nonfiction), up to 2,000 words per piece; up to five pieces of poetry, up to 500 words per poem; and up to three pieces of artwork, which can be a painting, drawing, photograph, sculpture—anything.

If you are submitting a piece of prose, please specify if it is fiction or nonfiction. Also, if your artwork is not in digital form, please either scan it or take a picture of it in order to submit it.

Submissions can be emailed to wvucalliope@gmail.com.

The deadline is Saturday, December 15, 2012.

WVU's Eberly College post-election talk in Charleston kicks off new discussion series

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:56:00 EST

After the last vote’s been tallied, the exit poll results reviewed and the winner declared, a number of questions remain. Namely what does it all mean and what’s next?

West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences will host “Beyond Red and Blue: A Closer Look at the 2012 Elections,” at 7 p.m., November 27 at the Woman’s Club of Charleston, 1600 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25311.

The event, which is free and open to the public, kicks off the College’s new Eberly Ideas Discussion Series. A panel of Eberly College faculty will discuss the nation’s political landscape and the role technology played in the elections, among other topics.

A unique forum that promotes the exchange of ideas and stimulating debate on current events, the Eberly Ideas Discussion Series offers alumni an opportunity to learn more about the timely research of some of the College’s all-star faculty.

“Our graduates are educators, innovators and leaders that want to talk about what’s going on in their communities, and how we can all work together to build a brighter future for generations to come,” said Dean Robert H. Jones. “Eberly Ideas will give us the chance to highlight our faculty’s expertise and engage with the public in meaningful discussions about current events.”

The November 27 forum will feature Eberly College faculty members Elizabeth Cohen, Scott Crichlow, Patrick Hickey and Karen Kunz.

Cohen is an assistant professor in the WVU Department of Communications. She specializes in media psychology, new media and health and risk communication.

Crichlow and Hickey are both faculty within the WVU Department of Political Science. Crichlow, an associate professor and the department chair, teaches and conducts research on U.S. foreign policy, Middle Eastern politics, political psychology and international relations. Hickey, an assistant professor, investigates how presidents build winning legislative coalitions in Congress.

Kunz, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Administration, specializes in public budgeting, financial management and political economy.

Eberly Ideas will host two luncheons in Charleston in early 2013.

RSVP to “Beyond Red and Blue: A Closer Look at the 2012 Elections” at ECAS@mail.wvu.edu.

For more information, contact Devon Copeland, at 304-293-6867 or Devon.Copeland@mail.wvu.edu

WVU's award-winning undergraduate literary magazine accepting submissions for 2013 edition

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:53:00 EST

Are you interested in being published in an award-winning literary magazine?

Calliope, WVU’s undergraduate literary magazine, is now accepting submissions for the 2013 edition.

Undergraduates from any major can submit up to three pieces of prose (fiction or nonfiction), no more than 2,000 words per piece; up to five pieces of poetry, no more than 500 words per piece; and up to three pieces of artwork, which can be a painting, drawing, art photograph, or photography of a sculpture, pottery—anything classified as fine art, craft or folk art.

Submissions can be emailed to wvucalliope@gmail.com. The deadline for submission is Saturday, December 15, 2012.

For more information, please contact Natalie Carpini, editor, at ncarpini@mix.wvu.edu.

WVU lecture by Jeff Bach cancelled due to storm

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:42:00 EST

Today’s lecture (Oct. 29) by Jeff Bach, “The Hermits of the High-Lying, Wide-Stretching Alleghenies: Pennsylvania Dunkers in Preston County, West Virginia in the 1750s,” originally scheduled for 7 p.m., is cancelled due to inclement weather and travel advisories associated with Sandy.

WVU speaker address religious views of early W.Va. settlers

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:31:00 EST

On Monday, October 29 at 7 p.m. in 202 Brooks Hall, Jeff Bach, Ph.D., will give a presentation about the earliest known white settlers in Preston County. His lecture, “The Hermits of the High-Lying, Wide-Stretching Alleghenies: Pennsylvania Dunkers in Preston County, West Virginia in the 1750s,” provides a background on the religious views and conflicts that propelled three brothers, Samuel, Israel and Gabriel Eckerlin, to settle along the Cheat River. They had been expelled from a Protestant monastic community of people who were pacifists and baptized by immersion.

Bach discusses details of the unique religious views of the Eckerlin brothers and their original community in Ephrata, Pa., which is now a museum. Illustrations accompany the lecture. Evidence from recently discovered manuscript letters and treatises expand the story that has been known about the Eckerlins, their attempts to form a monastic community and the demise of their outpost in the Alleghenies in 1757.

This event is free and open to the public.

Bach, native of Middletown, Ohio, is the director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies and teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa., in Lancaster County. He began at the Young Center in 2007 after teaching at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Indiana for thirteen years.

Bach is the author of “Voices of the Turtledoves: The Sacred World of Ephrata,” (Penn State Press, 2003) and collaborator with Michael Birkel, professor of religion at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., on “Genius of the Transcendent: Mystical Writings of Jakob Boehme,” (Shambhala, 2010). He recently published “The Unchristian Negro Slave Trade: Brethren and Slavery,” in Brethren Life and Thought.

For more information, contact Jane Donovan, at 304-293-7739 or Jane.Donovan@mail.wvu.edu

WVU Career Services sponsers trip to WestPACS Job and Internship Fair

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:13:00 EST

West Virginia University Career Services Center will sponsor a bus trip to the WestPACS Job and Internship Fair where students can network with over 100 employers from diverse industries, non-profits, and government agencies. View a complete list of employers.

The event is October 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Monroeville, Pa. The $30 fee will cover transportation to and from the event as well as the standard career fair registration fee. Buses will depart from the Mountainlair on October 17 at 8:15 a.m. Buses will depart from Monroeville at 3:15 p.m. for the return trip to Morgantown.

Registration is required for the event. The registration deadline is October 12.

Interested students should complete the two-part registration process.

Log in to MountaineerTRAK
Make sure you have a resume uploaded in the ‘My Documents’ section
Go to Career Fairs and Events and click on WestPACS Job & Internship Fair
Click Register for Event
Select the Attendance Fee and under Payment Method, click Credit Card
Submit credit card payment
Your resume uploaded in ‘My Documents’ will automatically link to your registration and a career counselor will review it and email suggested revisions back to you
In addition to your MountaineerTRAK registration, you must also register with the fair at http://www.westpacs.org/register.aspx.

For more information, contact Sarah Glenn at sarah.glenn@mail.wvu.edu or via phone at 304-293-8214.

WVU Center and local charity to screen documentary on empowering girls and women

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:44:00 EST

The West Virginia University Center for Women’s and Gender Studies has partnered with Monongalia County Girls on the Run (GOTR) to shed some light on an important issue impacting girls and women globally.

The organizations have partnered to offer a screening of the film “Miss Representation,” on Tuesday, October 2, at 7 p.m. in the Gluck Theater in the Mountainlair.

The documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, was aired by the Oprah Winfrey Network. The film explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. The film delivers a powerful message about the media’s role in convincing women that their value and power is linked only to their youth, beauty and sexuality, rather than their capacity to lead.

“It is important for women to understand where the ideals regarding body image and self-worth are coming from, and to start forming their own opinions,” Allyson Perry, graduate teaching assistant for the Women’s and Gender Studies Program said.

Laurie Abildso, council director of the Monongalia County chapter of GOTR, is excited to partner with WVU and hopes this film will be a springboard for new thinking and community-wide conversation.

Girls on the Run is a national organization that combines training for a 5K running event with healthy living education. Programs instill self-esteem and strong values through health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships, and physical training—all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff and the community.

The Center for Women’s & Gender Studies supports teaching, research and advocacy that is based on feminist perspectives and centered on analyses of gender and its intersection with race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age and ability.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations to the Center or GOTR are welcome. For more information, contact the Center at wmst@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU call for participants in the International Research Symposium for faculty and graduate students

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:02:00 EST

West Virginia University is holding its second annual International Research Symposium for faculty and graduate students. The symposium will be co-hosted by the Environmental Research Center of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design, the WVU Peace Corps Masters International (PCMI) Program in Sustainable Forestry and Natural Resources, the WVU Office of International Programs and the WVU Office of Graduate Education and Life.

International Research Symposium
October 12, 2012
101 NRCCE
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

The objective of this symposium is to highlight the diversity of international research projects being undertaken by faculty and graduate students at WVU.

WE invite all members of the WVU community engaged in international research to present and discuss their latest projects, and hope that you will contribute your expertise and insight to scale-up WVU’s critical mass in international research and service.

The symposium will be held from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. on Friday, October 12, 2012. It will be held in Room 101 of the NRCCE Building on WVU’s Evansdale Campus. Presentations will represent a diverse range of topics from environmental, engineering, health, and social sciences.

Along with research presentations from faculty and graduate students, we will take a short moment to welcome our second cohort of PCMI students to WVU and celebrate the mission of the Peace Corps.

Information on last year’s symposium along with an agenda can be found at:
http://peacecorps.davis.wvu.edu/home/symposium

Interested students and faculty should contact Todd Petty at jtpetty@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-2278 for more information.