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.

West Virginia University students pursuing careers in geoscience and energy engineering will have access to industry-leading professional software thanks to a $26.8 million gift from Rock Flow Dynamics.

The in-kind gift allows students and faculty at the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences to use tNavigator, a state-of-the-art reservoir modeling and simulation platform created by Rock Flow Dynamics.

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.

A West Virginia University psychology professor has been honored for her exceptional teaching of writing during the University’s annual awards season.

Julie Hicks Patrick is the 2024-2025 recipient of the Caperton Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Writing. Established in 2007, the award was made possible by the generosity of former West Virginia Governor and College Board president Gaston Caperton. Caperton’s intent was to “increase awareness of the need for improved writing skills,” identifying writing as a critical issue necessary to maintaining America’s competitive edge in the global market. 

The University’s Forensic and Investigative Science program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences isn’t just ahead of the curve — it’s helping draw the curve for the rest of the nation. 

WVU is building one of the most respected programs of its kind, through a mix of cutting-edge research, hands-on training and unmatched faculty expertise.

This work opens meaningful, high impact career paths for students in science, law enforcement, environmental analysis and more.

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.

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.

Katy Goodrich, an assistant professor in the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, was honored with a Big 12 Conference Faculty of the Year Award for her groundbreaking work in plasma and space physics. This prestigious award recognizes faculty from all 16 of the Big 12 institutions who have demonstrated incredible work, diversity of research breakthroughs and educational opportunities for their university.

As a national and international leader in forensic and investigative science programs, Glen Jackson, Ming Hsieh Distinguished Professor of Forensic and Investigative Science, says the University is racing to shape the future of the field.