Eberly News

Tagged with Research
A West Virginia University astrophysicist is among this year’s Sloan Fellows, scholars recognized as emerging leaders in science. Sarah Burke-Spolaor, an assistant professor of astronomy, is one of 128 young faculty members from the U.S. and Canada to receive the competitive award.

WVU astrophysicist recognized as emerging leader in research

Eberly News /

Astrophysicist Sarah Burke-Spolaor is among this year’s Sloan Fellows, scholars recognized as emerging leaders in science. She is one of 128 young faculty members from the U.S. and Canada to receive the competitive award.

New research from West Virginia University biologists shows that trees around the world are consuming more carbon dioxide than previously reported, making forests even more important in regulating the Earth’s atmosphere and forever shift how we think about climate change. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Richard Thomas and alumnus Justin Mathias (BS Biology, ’13 and Ph.D. Biology, ’20) synthesized published tree ring studies. They found that increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the past century have caused an uptick in trees’ water-use efficiency, the ratio of carbon dioxide taken up by photosynthesis to the water lost by transpiration – the act of trees “breathing out” water vapor.

WVU biologists uncover forests' unexpected role in climate change

Eberly News /

New research from West Virginia University biologists shows that trees around the world are consuming more carbon dioxide than previously reported, making forests even more important in regulating the Earth’s atmosphere and forever shift how we think about climate change.

Maybe space is tight in your home and you share a remote office with your spouse. Or your partner asks you to step away from work to watch the children because they have an important call to jump on. Then you may wonder, ‘Well, what makes his/her job more important than mine!’ There have been no shortage of conflicts arising from the era of COVID-19, and that includes the challenges at home between married couples. In fact, the more a person felt that their spouse disrupted their daily routine, the more they viewed their relationship as turbulent, according to West Virginia University research. Kevin Knoster, a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication Studies, led a study examining 165 married individuals and how their partners interfered with their daily routines in April 2020, a month into the pandemic. Their findings are published in Communication Research Reports.

‘Honey, I’m home – all the time:’ Pandemic life for married couples can lead to sadness, anger

Eberly News /

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the more a person felt their spouse disrupted their daily routine, the more they viewed their relationship as turbulent, according to new research from the Department of Communication Studies.

A West Virginia University astrophysicist has been named a 2020 Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science, one of the world’s top research awards. Maura McLaughlin, the Eberly Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, is one of 123 scholars recognized in the category of space science for research from 2009 to 2019. During this time, she authored or co-authored 192 articles that have been cited more than 13,000 times. The highly anticipated annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their field based on how many times their work has been referenced by fellow researchers. The researchers are identified from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations in the Web of Science™ citation index.

WVU astrophysicist named international Highly Cited Researcher

Eberly News /

Astrophysicist Maura McLaughlin has been named a 2020 Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science, one of the world’s top research awards.

In data gathered and analyzed over 13 years, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves Physics Frontiers Center, featuring researchers from the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy, has found an intriguing low-frequency signal that may be attributable to gravitational waves.

NANOGrav finds possible ‘first hints’ of low-frequency gravitational wave background

Eberly News /

In data gathered and analyzed over 13 years, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves Physics Frontiers Center, featuring researchers from the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy, has found an intriguing low-frequency signal that may be attributable to gravitational waves.

The first shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in West Virginia on December 14. As doses are administered, researchers from the West Virginia University Public Interest Communication Research Lab are focused on making sure West Virginians get timely, accurate and scientifically sound information related to the vaccine.

WVU researchers inform COVID-19 vaccine communication

Eberly News /

The first shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in West Virginia on December 14. As doses are administered, researchers from the WVU Public Interest Communication Research Lab are focused on making sure West Virginians get timely, accurate and scientifically sound information related to the vaccine.

Rural residents often lack internet access – but how do West Virginians compare? Do West Virginians put off expensive medical care more or less than the average American? A first-of-its-kind survey produced by the Survey Research Center and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University is helping answer questions like these by making statewide socioeconomic data publicly available. The West Virginia Social Survey focuses on the most prevalent challenges faced by West Virginia residents. It will produce state-specific reports on issues like internet access, the economy, health, crime, volunteering, religion and more, which can help inform policymakers. Most social surveys are conducted nationally. A typical random sample of average American adults includes 1,000 to 2,000 individuals from all over the U.S. While these surveys are useful for informing the public about national trends, they are less helpful for learning about specific states, especially those with smaller populations, like West Virginia.

Filling in the blanks

Eberly News /

A first-of-its-kind survey produced by the Survey Research Center and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at WVU is examining the most pressing challenges facing West Virginians by making statewide socioeconomic data publicly available.

New racial justice grants awarded by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences support research for social justice initiatives that will engage with the community. Two projects received funding: one focused on poetry and creative writing workshops and the second on studying racial disparities in vaccination rates. The faculty leading these projects hail from both the Eberly College and the School of Public Health.

Eberly College announces racial justice grant recipients

Eberly News /

New racial justice grants awarded by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences support research for social justice initiatives that will engage with the community.

A team of West Virginia University physics and astronomy students helped create a new radio camera for the Green Bank Telescope, the first of its kind in the U.S. This upgrade to Pocahontas County’s Green Bank Telescope is a critical advancement for astrophysics research, especially galaxy mapping. Because of the sensitivity of the camera’s receiver, astronomers can now map galaxies seven times faster. The project was many years in the making, starting in 2013.

WVU students lead upgrades to Green Bank Telescope

Eberly News /

A team of WVU physics and astronomy students helped create a new radio camera for the Green Bank Telescope, the first of its kind in the U.S.

Scientists have long debated the respiratory workings of sea scorpions, but a new discovery by a West Virginia University geologist concludes that these largely aquatic extinct arthropods breathed air on land. James Lamsdell dug into the curious case of a 340 million-year-old sea scorpion, or eurypterid, originally from France that had been preserved at a Glasgow, Scotland museum for the last 30 years. An assistant professor of geology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Lamsdell had read about the “strange specimen” 25 years ago while conducting his doctoral studies. Existing research suggested it would occasionally go on land.

Coming up for air

Eberly News /

Scientists have long debated the respiratory workings of sea scorpions, but a new discovery by a WVU geologist concludes that these largely aquatic extinct arthropods breathed air on land.