West Virginia University Office of Research & Economic Development announces the Innovation Awards, which recognize WVU faculty, administrators or staff members for their contribution to innovation and/or the commercialization of ideas that benefit the public’s well-being.
For these awards, innovation includes all forms of discovery, creation and production of inventive and progressive ideas, methods, and products that promote society’s growth.
The awards are:
• Early Career Innovator Award honors a WVU faculty member who has been employed with the University for six years or less and whose work exemplifies the spirit of innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
• Established Innovator Award recognizes a WVU faculty member who has been employed here for more than six years and whose recent work has actively contributed to innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
• Presidential Innovation Service Award honors an administrator, faculty or staff member who has shared expertise and/or mentored faculty members in their pursuit of innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship.
For the application instructions and other award guidelines, click on the following link: http://www.innovation.research.wvu.edu/events/wvu-innovation-awards-guidelines. All applications are due by the close of business July 1.
The winners will each receive $5,000 to support their continuing innovative work. The winners will be recognized at the WVU Innovation Awards Ceremony from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Waterfront Place Hotel.
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
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
Chemistry is more than just lab coats, beakers and solutions; study of the field can lead to a myriad of career choices and opportunities. On Wednesday, April 17, 2013, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., the West Virginia University C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry will explore those opportunities when it hosts the Nineteenth Annual C. Eugene and Edna P. Bennett Careers for Chemist Program.
This event is free and open to the public and will take place in The Erickson Alumni Center on the Evansdale Campus.
During the event, three professionals with degrees in chemistry will discuss their career trajectories and personal experiences.
“The program is designed to inform our undergraduate and graduate students of the wide variety of potential careers available to them as chemistry majors. It has been a great success over the past eighteen years,” C. Eugene Bennett Chair and Professor Kenneth Showalter, the event organizer said. “In a tightening job market, advice from our guest speakers provides important guidance on career development for our students.”
William Carroll, PhD
William F. Carroll, Jr., holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. He is currently vice president, industry issues for Occidental Chemical Corporation and also an adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University.
Carroll is chair of the board of directors of the American Chemical Society, and a past president. For ACS, he has chaired the committees on executive compensation, international activities, public affairs and public relations and the executive committee of the board. He has been a member of the Budget and Finance, Pensions and Investments and Audits committees.
He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the advisory board for the Tulane School of Science and Engineering. In 2009, he was chair of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
He has been a member of a number of committees for the National Research Council of the National Academies. He co-chaired, with Barbara Foster of WVU, the 2011 rewrite of “Prudent Practices in the Laboratory,” the definitive work on laboratory safety in the field.
On behalf of Occidental Chemical Corporation, he has chaired numerous committees for industry associations, including the American Chemistry Council and the Vinyl Institute. He has served on expert groups commissioned by the United Nations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and three states—most recently the California Green Ribbon Science Panel.
Carroll has received the Henry Hill Award, sponsored by the ACS Division of Professional Relations, the Michael Shea Award from the Division of Chemical Technicians, Distinguished Alumni Awards from both Indiana and DePauw Universities and the Vinyl Institute’s Roy T. Gottesman Leadership Award. He is the 2012 recipient of the Harry and Carol Mosher Award from the ACS Santa Clara Valley Section.
He holds two patents, and has over sixty-five publications in the fields of organic electrochemistry, polymer chemistry, combustion chemistry, incineration and plastics recycling.
Dr. Cynthia Graves
Cynthia Graves is an assistant professor in the WVU Department of Surgery. She is currently the director of the General Surgery Residency Program and has held that position since 2003. Graves’ main focus is the education and program development of the General Surgery Residency Program. Her clinical practice focuses on laparoscopic as well as open general surgical and acute care surgery procedures.
Her research interests include education and geriatric surgery. She is co-editor and co-author of the “Step Up to Surgery” textbook, which is currently in preparation for release of its second edition. In conjunction with Dr. Phil Polack, Graves has developed a communication and humanities seminar, offered to incoming first year residents in surgery. Graves was an invited panel discussant for the National Association of Program Directors conference in 2011 and 2012.
In 2007, Graves was awarded the Surgical Educators Award and in 2008 the Department of Surgery Excellence in Student Teaching Award. She has been recognized twice, in 2009 and 2012, by WVU Hospitals, National Doctor’s Day. In 2011, she was selected for membership in the Women in Science and Health Committee. She has also recently been elected to the WVU Faculty Senate.
Graves, a native West Virginian, graduated from WVU with bachelor’s degrees in both biology and chemistry. She received her medical and surgical training at WVU. She completed a trauma/critical care fellowship at the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems in 1995, and spent 7 years providing trauma care at Geisinger Medical Center before returning home to WVU in 2002.
Graves currently resides in Morgantown with her husband and two children who attend University High School. She is an avid Pittsburgh Penguins fan and supporter of the performing arts. Since 2006, she has served as vice president of the Morgantown Hockey Association.
Glen Jackson, PhD
Glen Jackson joined the faculty of WVU in the fall of 2012. He is a Ming Hsieh Distinguished Professor of Forensic and Investigative Science. He holds a joint appointment in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry and the Forensic and Investigative Science Program. Before this appointment, he was an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and director of the Forensic Chemistry Program at Ohio University.
He earned his undergraduate degree in chemical and analytical science at University of Wales, Swansea in the United Kingdom and his master’s degree in analytical chemistry from Ohio University during a year abroad in 1996-1997. He earned his doctorate in analytical chemistry from WVU in 2002.
After completing his doctorate, Jackson worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before joining the faculty of Ohio University in 2004. He earned early tenure and promotion in 2009, when he also assumed directorship of the FEPAC-accredited Forensic Chemistry Program until his departure in 2012. While at Ohio University, he received the Transformative Faculty Award for his dedication and inspiration of undergraduates and graduate students through his teaching and research.
Jackson’s research includes mass spectrometry instrumentation development, forensic and biological applications of mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. His research has appeared in more than 36 publications, more than 100 conference and university presentations and two issued patents. In 2007, he was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to construct a new type of miniature, portable mass spectrometer with forensic-related applications. During his eight years at Ohio University, his grants helped secure more than $1.9 million in extramural support from funding agencies.
Jackson currently serves on the science advisory board for Protea Biosciences, Inc., is a panelist and grant reviewer for NSF and is the chair of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Asilomar Conference Committee and ASMS Fundamentals Interest Group.
He has taught several forensic-related mass spectrometry workshops to practicing forensic professionals, has served on several forensic education committees and workshops and is an active forensic chemistry consultant. He has appeared on Nancy Grace Live and his published research on trace human remains was once covered in an episode of Law and Order SVU.
The first C. Eugene and Edna P. Bennett Careers for Chemists Program took place in 1995. The program has been made possible through the generosity of C. Eugene Bennett and Edna Bennett Pierce and the Bennett Family, who established in 1994 the C. Eugene and Edna P. Bennett Careers for Chemists Program and the C. Eugene Bennett Chair in Chemistry at West Virginia University. In addition, they have established the C. Eugene Bennett Chemistry Program Enhancement Fund, the C. Eugene Bennett Graduate Fellowship Program in Chemistry and the C. Eugene Bennett Academic Enrichment Endowment through the WVU Foundation.
The WVU Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation that generates and provides support for WVU.
For more information, contact Kenneth Showalter, at 304-293-0124 or Kenneth.Showalter@mail.wvu.edu
How many times have you seen a case closed on television using a gunshot residue test? Given how frequently it pops up on cop shows, you would think the test is widely used and easy to interpret. On television and in movies, if the suspect has gunshot residue on their hands, they definitely fired the gun.
Surprisingly, current methods of gunshot residue analysis focus on detecting residues from the primer, the part of the cartridge case that ignites the powder, and this residue is easily lost or transferred from one surface to another through contact as simple as a hand shake or high five.
“Results from primer residue analysis alone, the test most frequently used to determine if someone has fired a gun in criminal cases, can be difficult to interpret. For example, a person may have primer residue on their hands or clothing, but it could have gotten there by other means than that person firing a gun,” Suzanne Bell, PhD, said.
Bell, an associate professor at West Virginia University in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, is currently researching more effective gunshot residue analysis methods with an $181,412 grant from the Research Triangle Institute, International.
“By focusing on the primer residue alone, the organic residues of the gunpowder are ignored,” Bell said. “These organic propellant residues are potentially a rich source of physical evidence.”
Currently, here are no widely accepted tests for the analysis of the organic components of gunshot residue. Bell’s method analyzes the primer residues as well as the organic propellant residues using existing commercial instrumentation already used at airports to screen for explosives. The goal is to combine both pieces of test data to answer more definitively and more quickly, “Did this person fire a gun in the last few hours?” The data is evaluated using statistical methods and neural networks which can be automated for rapid response in field situations like crime scenes or the battlefield.
Bell says that many of the organic components of gunshot residue cling to skin and some are actually absorbed through the skin in the same way drugs in time-release patches are absorbed. Because of this, the organic materials are less likely to be lost or transferred and as such, have the potential to provide a greater level of confidence when trying to determine if a person has or has not recently fired a weapon.
When the trigger of a gun is pulled, the particulate primer residue along with vaporized organic materials from the propellant condenses, with significant amounts ending up on the shooter’s hand. By taking swabs of people’s hands, Bell can test for the organic materials on the surface of the skin or those that may have been absorbed into the skin.
“When complete, this research will help law enforcement and military personnel more definitively determine if a suspect has fired a gun recently,” Bell said.
Bell is conducting her research at Oglebay Hall, the WVU Crime Scene House Complex and local firing ranges with students in the WVU Forensic and Investigative Science Program.
Suzanne Bell received her doctorate in chemistry at New Mexico State in 1991 and joined the Mountaineer family in 2003. She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a fellow of the American Board of Criminalistics in the area of forensic drug analysis.
For more information, contact Suzanne Bell at 304-293-8606 or Suzanne.Bell@mail.wvu.edu
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.
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.
Sign up for the event in MountaineerTRAK by February 11th. Space in limited, so register early.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 for submission is Saturday, December 15, 2012.
For more information, please contact Natalie Carpini, editor, at ncarpini@mix.wvu.edu.