Eberly News

In a quiet attic turned makeshift office space, West Virginia University students pore over yellowing police reports, grainy photographs, and witness statements. Posters inscribed with gritty, motivational sayings and crime and justice iconography plaster the walls. For a handful of forensic science undergraduates, this is not a class simulation. They’re working real-life murder cases that have stumped investigators for decades.

Anurag Srivastava and Shikha Sharma identify National Science Foundation funding as a possible key to protecting the power grid and lowering heating bills in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.

Aaron Gale and Alex Snow, associate professors of religious studies at the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, explained that modern American Halloween traditions have roots around the world, with many cultures besides the U.S. still celebrating the supernatural during events like China’s Festival of Hungry Ghosts.

“Biochemistry gives me such a broad overview of science. It leaves the door open, so I don’t feel locked into one path after college. Now I feel like I can choose from a wide range of options.” Through the WVU Research Apprenticeship Program, Jaczynska joined a project studying sustainability in textiles, specifically the environmental impact of cotton versus hemp.

The WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences celebrated the achievements of a group of outstanding graduates during its 2025 Eberly College Alumni Awards Banquet on October 3.

“The greatest reward is seeing my advisees graduate,” De Sousa-Brown said. “My investment in their success begins on day one.”