Eberly News
3 Eberly students honored for community building efforts on campus and beyond
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.
WVU paleoclimatologist predicts California fires will become ‘more extreme, more frequent, more widespread’
As the destruction continues with southern California’s wildfires that could be the costliest in U.S. history, one West Virginia University researcher said ongoing warm air temperatures and variable precipitation will lead to even more extreme fires in the future. Amy Hessl, a geography professor and paleoclimatologist in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, has studied the relationship between fire and climate throughout the world, particularly North America, Central Asia and Australia. She attributes the widespread devastation of California’s fires to an unusual weather pattern, known as the Santa Ana or “devil winds,” that are unique to that area.
School of Social Work, state Department of Human Services partner to offer gerontology certificate
“West Virginia has the third highest percentage of older adults in the nation. This vital collaboration with the state Department of Human Services affirms our commitment to the University’s land-grant mission in support of West Virginia families and communities,” said Deana Morrow, principal investigator.