Higher Education

ELKINS, W.Va. — Davis & Elkins College has received a substantial gift from distinguished alumnus and philanthropic supporter Mike Ross, marking another significant contribution to the “Creating Home: It Takes a Village” capital campaign. Gifts to the capital campaign will be used for the construction of the Freshman Village, which will include the hillside where … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — More than two dozen researchers with ties to West Virginia University have helped unearth evidence of ripples in spacetime that have never been observed before now. Gravitational waves travel outwards from a source at light speed, stretching and squeezing the very fabric of spacetime — for instance, making the length of a … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University researchers plan to increase the supply of rare earth elements and critical minerals extracted from acid mine drainage across the country, thanks to $3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. A team led by Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of the Water Research Institute at WVU, will establish … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Wool production has declined in West Virginia, but researchers at West Virginia University are exploring new ways to support the state’s sheep farmers and wool producers. Jordon Masters, a WVU research assistant, is leading the effort to promote farm-to-fiber production in the Mountain State with the goal of adding value to wool … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Motivated by extreme weather events, one West Virginia University researcher is looking to emerging technologies to reimagine how state and city agencies might maintain roads and other transportation networks. Kakan Dey’s expansive research will delve into a variety of ways a data-driven approach can enhance roadway maintenance operations — from modernizing maintenance vehicle … Read more

ATHENS, W.Va. — Three of West Virginia’s best-loved state and national parks are a drive of fewer than 15 minutes from Concord University, which is maximizing that advantage to the benefit of students. Officials are working with nearby Pipestem Resort State Park to provide students discounted opportunities for zip-lining, water recreation, and other outdoor adventures, … Read more

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Four Shepherd University programs will benefit from $2,708,000 in congressionally directed spending that the university is receiving from the $1.7 billion omnibus bill signed by President Joe Biden on December 23, 2022. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who serve on the Appropriations Committee, requested the money to … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—Using data collected by citizens through a mobile app, researchers at West Virginia University are working to understand why some bass are becoming “blotchy.” Brent Murry, assistant professor of aquatic ecology in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center, hope to uncover information … Read more

Language has partly defined the way people in Appalachia are perceived in other regions of the U.S., according to two researchers at West Virginia University. Yet many natives stand their ground and continue to use vowel sounds that give away their linguistic roots. Kirk Hazen, director of the West Virginia Dialect Project and professor of … Read more