Eberly News

West Virginia University sociologists James Nolan and Henry Brownstein hope to shift the primary focus of policing from law enforcement activities, such as making arrests and seizing large quantities of guns and drugs, to helping residents create the conditions in their communities where crime and violence are less likely to thrive.

There’s much more to having healthy teeth and gums than brushing and flossing. Oral health is central to one’s overall health and quality of life. As Daniel McNeil, a clinical health psychologist, puts it, “oral health is a mirror of overall health.”

Sunday church service in Amish country is more than just belting out hymns, reading Bible passages and returning home an hour later to catch a football game or nap. 

Sounds like crickets chirping and the taste of warm buckwheat pancakes can spark the senses of people with dementia — a fact faculty and students at West Virginia University used to develop a way for those people to experience parts of their cultural past and to relieve stress for their caregivers.

The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences has recognized 64 outstanding seniors, graduate teaching assistants and graduating Eberly Scholars for their academic achievements in 2020-2021.

Meet WVU's first sociology PhD grad, Julia Wolf.

Under the quiet surface of near-stilled campuses over the past year, WVU researchers, faculty and administrators have scrambled to learn more about COVID-19 and mitigate its spread, calculated how to teach online and hybrid classes and figured out how to better ensure people on those campuses could remain safe from the virulent disease that has killed more than 500,000 U. S. citizens to date.

This past year certainly hasn’t turned out to be what anyone expected. Our students have persevered, learning how to study in virtual classrooms and finding new ways to stay connected. We checked in with several students as they shared challenges they’ve faced since the start of the pandemic and advice for others navigating this new normal. Meet sociology PhD student Sara Guthrie.

The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences has named recipients for its 2020-2021 awards for faculty and staff. In total, the Eberly College recognized 11 individuals across four categories for their talent, commitment and service to the College and WVU.

Closed religious communities such as the Amish are high-risk populations for the spread of both infectious diseases and public health misinformation, according to sociologists from West Virginia University who are working with data from Amish and Mennonite settlements to understand the COVID-19-related beliefs and behaviors prevalent within their communities.