Eberly News

Mark Brazaitis, a professor in the Department of English and the director of the Creative Writing Program, collaborated with imprisoned people in Appalachia to publish a documentary play about life behind bars titled “Dark Shadows.”

A simulation game developed by the School of Social Work in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences is the first game produced by a WVU program to be published on the Meta Quest app store.

When it comes to self-control, adolescents tend to follow the patterns their parents establish, according to West Virginia University psychology research. Professor Amy Gentzler of the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences led a six-month survey of 213 Appalachian adolescents and their parents, learning about their self-control in areas like health, work and school, money management, leisure activities and relationships.

A team of West Virginia University researchers is exploring whether the heat deep beneath northern West Virginia can be harnessed for large-scale heating and cooling endeavors.

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.”