Eberly News

For Amy Hessl, professor of geography at West Virginia University, the past can predict the future. Hessl is a dendrochronologist, a scientist who unravels climate histories and trends through the study of tree ring growth patterns. So when wildfires engulfed the Los Angeles, California area in January 2025, resulting in dozens of deaths and tens of thousands of destroyed structures, Hessl wasn’t taken aback. In fact, she said, ongoing warm air temperatures and variable precipitation – which can be presumed from her studies of climate history trends — will lead to even more extreme fires in the future.

Olgur Celikbas, Associate Professor of Mathematics in the School of Mathematical and Data Sciences at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, is conducting research during this semester as part of an in-person fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics (MPIM) in Bonn, Germany.

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.

Faculty from the Eberly College gathered earlier this month to participate in the inaugural Foundational STEM Collaborative Symposium, a daylong event that provided many opportunities for collaboration, team building and peer learning.

Erin Goodykoontz, a Teaching Professor in Eberly College’s School of Mathematical and Data Sciences, has been named 2023 Professor of the Year by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia.

Every year, students from across Eberly College are selected as Outstanding Seniors and Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants. Eberly Scholars are also chosen annually for a monetary award to help offset the cost of their education as they work to achieve their academic goals. Read about all three groups below.

Five exceptionally talented incoming West Virginia University freshmen whose academic interests span the fields of humanities, medicine and science are eager to use their curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills to generate new ideas and innovative solutions for a better future as the 2024-25 WVU Foundation Scholars, the highest academic scholarship the University awards.

Erin Goodykoontz, Cody Hood and Vicki Sealey from the School of Mathematical and Data Sciences recently traveled to Doddridge County Middle School to host the inaugural event geared towards enhancing math skills in a fun and interactive way.

Eight members of the faculty in Eberly College of Arts and Sciences have been recognized for their excellence in teaching, research and service.

Each spring, West Virginia University recognizes faculty members for their exceptional and innovative teaching. This year, every faculty member selected for the 2023 WVU Foundation Awards for Outstanding Teaching is from Eberly College: