Eberly News

Photo credit: Science.org

 

In June, research ethicist Trisha Phillips held a training session with a group of West Virginia University students.

“I asked what they’d learned from the reading,” Phillips recalled. “One student raised their hand and said, ‘I hadn’t understood that there are authorship standards and norms,’ such as guidelines determining the order in which names of authors of an academic paper are listed.

“The student thought that was entirely up to their advisor. For them to know there are standardized practices was empowering. It helped them understand how research is done, what it means to be listed as an author.”

That’s what it’s all about for Phillips. As a scholar, she focuses on research misconduct and norms or best practices, and she teaches political science at the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. In her role at the WVU Research Office, Phillips promotes research integrity at the University.

                      

A West Virginia University biologist is studying why some animals can regenerate while others cannot and has identified the genes that play a role in the process. 

Christopher Arnold, assistant professor of biology at the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, will explore how genes establishing animal body plans — the structure of organs and tissues — also set the stage for regenerative abilities. 

His research could provide insight into human development and disease, leading to enhanced understanding of factors underlying tissue regeneration and inspiring novel approaches to improving human health.

An Eberly College alumna with a passion for storytelling and exploring cultural similarities between Appalachia and the Arab world is the recipient of a prestigious Fulbright scholarship. 

Clara Haizlett of Bethany is one of approximately 2,200 college students and recent graduates selected to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program. 

Researchers at West Virginia University are working to ensure small landowners and local communities, instead of large corporations, profit from the ability of Central Appalachian forests to remove greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.