Eberly News

Two West Virginia University researchers have joined an elite group after being awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a program that supports graduate education in STEM-based fields.

This year’s recipients are Camila Romero, of Morgantown, and Christopher Smith, of Point Pleasant. Both are pursuing research-based doctoral degrees.

The Graduate Research Fellowship program is designed to help ensure the quality, vitality and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. Fellows are provided professional development opportunities, in addition to a three-year annual stipend of $37,000.

During the application process for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the recipients received support from the WVU ASPIRE Office, which assists students applying for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships.

The Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications hosted a student recognition event on April 15 on the Morgantown Campus to recognize three students who completed its Community Leadership and Civil Advocacy Certificate program.

Sophie Slaughter, a native of Culloden and member of the Honors College, is the recipient of the prestigious annual award given to college juniors with exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to public service. Slaughter, a junior double majoring in history and women’s and gender studies, envisions a future where everyone has what they need to live safe, healthy and self-directed lives.

Tyler Hickey said he believes West Virginia could be the future of energy. The Indiana native and graduate of Indiana University Southeast came to West Virginia University to pursue a graduate degree in geology on the advice of a professor who was a University graduate.

Hickey was one of 24 students chosen for a prestigious internship sponsored by the Geothermal Technologies Office and the National Science Foundation, which aims to support graduate students going into the geothermal workforce.

Hickey’s internship focuses on geothermal applications that have mainly been associated with the western United States, where geothermal energy is more prevalent. He works closely with Amy Weislogel in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Geology and Geography.

West Virginia University students at the WVU College of Law and the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences will benefit from a WVU alumna’s efforts to honor her brother’s legal legacy and promote education in the Mountain State through scholarships.

The College of Law celebrated the career of Judge Robert B. King, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, on Friday (April 4) with a portrait unveiling and a surprise. His sister, former WVU Eberly College Dean Mary Ellen Mazey, is spearheading fundraising efforts to establish a scholarship in his honor with support from King’s former law clerks, other colleagues and friends.

The Judge Robert Bruce King Law Scholarship will be awarded to law students from West Virginia, with first preference for WVU Eberly College graduates.

A new collaboration between the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the WVU Health Sciences Center Office of Interprofessional Education is giving Bachelor of Social Work students an opportunity to join future doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals in active learning and simulation activities, underscoring the vital role social workers play in patient care.

In an empty studio room of the Clay Center in Charleston, West Virginia, Princeton Middle School students wriggle neon-colored ropes that coil and arc to the amusement of the youngsters. It’s not all fun and games, though it looks that way from the smiles and giggles. The students are getting lessons on gravitational waves and wave frequencies, courtesy of Science Behind the Sport at West Virginia University. It’s just one of many STEM-related activities for students from all across the Mountain State on NASA Day, sponsored by the student with science experiment NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium at WVU.

One of the newest additions for this mission is the Foundational STEM Collaborative, a hub for all foundational University STEM courses required by more than 47 science-focused undergraduate degree programs. Launched in Fall 2023 by the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the WVU Office of the Provost, the Collaborative quickly expanded its services in Fall 2024 with the opening of the STEM Learning Center and Student Collaboration Space on the ground floor of the Chemistry Research Laboratory, providing students access to drop-in and appointment-based academic assistance, study space, and areas to relax and recharge between classes while making connections with each other.

Recognized as champions for justice, civil rights and world peace, four West Virginia University undergraduate students are the recipients of the prestigious 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship. Selected by the Center for Black Culture based on an essay and letters of recommendation, Tysa James, Janelle LaBarbera, Cheyenne Torres and Gabrielle Williams were honored at the annual MLK Unity Breakfast on Jan. 18 in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.

Jessica Deshler, director of the School of Mathematical and Data Sciences, and Erin Goodykoontz, mathematics teaching associate professor, discuss the University’s responsibilities to its students and the state of West Virginia.