College News
Inaugural kick-off event focuses on families, health
WVU to host Family Day at the Farm Oct. 14
Contact: Stephanie Ballard Conrad
University Events
Office: (304) 293-4674
Family, food and fun will be the focal points Sunday, Oct. 14 when West Virginia University launches a week of events celebrating the inauguration of WVU’s 22nd President, Mike Garrison, with Family Day at the Farm. The event at WVU’s Animal Science Farm on Stewartstown Road will be held from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The WVU and Morgantown community are invited to enjoy a fall afternoon at the farm and learn how your dinner ends up on your plate.
Event organizers have planned a wide range of hands-on activities for kids and kids at heart. Activities include jewelry making, a hay bale maze, football toss, insect origami and the opportunity to meet the service-dogs-in-training.
For the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, WVU Extension Service and the Mountaineer Parents Club, all sponsoring organizations, the day’s theme – Supporting Families, Strengthening Health – is particularly meaningful.
“Supporting families and strengthening health are really at the core of everything we do in the Davis College, from helping to develop a safe and plentiful food supply to making best use of forest and natural resources to creating new economic opportunities for West Virginians,” said Cameron Hackney, dean of the Davis College.
Challenging new course coming to WVU
Contact: Nathan Harlan
Program Coordinator
Office: (304) 293-5056
Follow a shady path in the West Virginia University Forest and you’ll see the expected sights at first – sturdy Appalachian hardwood trees, leafy ferns on the ground, and even the occasional wary doe. Go a bit further and some unusual features start to emerge.
The first is an imposing, multi-level log tower draped with ladders, rope nets and climbing lines. The second is a sort of raised obstacle course, a string of bridges, ladders, and other unconventional means of getting from point A to point B.
It’s WVU’s new Challenge Course, a multi-element high-and-low facility to be used for student education and development. Once completed, the challenge course facility will be one of the largest educational facilities of its kind in the state.
National ranking for ag research at WVU rises
Contact: David Welsh
Public Relations Manager, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2329, ext. 1
West Virginia University’s ranking for expenditures in agricultural research has moved up among colleges and universities in the United States for the second consecutive year.
In the most recent rankings, agricultural research at WVU moved from 41st to 39th place in National Science Foundation (NSF) rankings, placing it fifth among colleges and universities in the northeastern United States. In 2006, expenditures in agricultural research moved from 50th to 41st.
“The NSF rankings are a meaningful way to see how you’re doing as a research institution, particularly in comparison to your peers around the country,” said Cameron Hackney, dean of the WVU Davis College and director of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
WVU Davis College grad students recognized for research
Contacts: Dr. Jacek Jaczynski
WVU Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2631, ext. 2429
Janet Tou
assistant professor, Human Nutrition and Foods
Office: (304) 293-2631, ext. 4437
Two graduate students in West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences made strong showings in research competition at the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists held recently in Chicago.
Joey Gigliotti earned 2nd place in the Nutrition Division with his paper titled "Isolation and nutritional analysis of krill protein concentrate." Gigliotti, of Berkeley Springs, is pursuing a master’s degree in human nutrition and foods. His major advisor is Dr. Janet Tou, assistant professor of human nutrition and foods, and his co-advisor is Dr. Jacek Jaczynski, assistant professor of food science and technology.
Leah Levanduski earned 4th place in the Nonthermal Processing Division for his paper titled “Increased resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to electron beam following repetitive irradiation at sub-lethal doses.” Levandusky, of Acme, Pa., earned her master’s degree in animal and nutritional sciences over the summer and will begin veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia this fall. Her major advisor was Dr. Jaczynski.
WVU interior design faculty author textbook
Contact: Cindy Beacham
Assistant Professor, Interior Design
Office: (304) 293-3471
West Virginia University’s interior design faculty have authored a textbook that offers students valuable advice in career development.
Cindy Beacham, Barbara McFall and former faculty colleague Shari Park-Gates have collaborated to author “Designing YOUR Future: An Introduction to Career Preparation and Professional Practices in Interior Design,” published by Pearson Prentice Hall.
Offering a unique combination of professional practice and career development, the book includes self-assessments, personal resource management techniques, and career strategies specific to the interior design profession.
WVU's Davis College creates special first-year courses
Contacts: Amber Hines
Program Specialist, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2691
The first year of a university education can be a bit overwhelming, what with adapting to a new environment, getting in the flow of course work, and making decisions about majors. West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences has created a series of one-hour courses that are designed to give first-year students some off-the-beaten-path choices while helping them refine their career goals, learn new skills, and make connections with other students and faculty.
The five courses run a gamut of subjects from ecology and working with animals to bonsai and the art of dining.
“We wanted to give new students some fun choices that can help them lighten up their schedules while still providing them with some really useful skills and exposing them to different career opportunities,” said Amber Hines, Davis College recruitment coordinator.
To develop the courses, Hines worked with Hillar Klandorf, professor of animal and nutritional sciences and resident faculty leader for Lyon Tower, the residential college for Davis. The sections have drawn a mix of students from programs within the Davis College and from other WVU academic units.
WVU Davis College honors outstanding faculty
Contacts:Denny Smith
Associate Dean, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2691
The West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences recognized its outstanding faculty for the 2006-07 academic year at its Honors Convocation April 20.
Cindy Beacham, assistant professor of interior design, and James Thompson, assistant professor of soil science, shared the title of Outstanding Teacher. Kyle Hartman, associate professor of wildlife and fisheries resources, was named Outstanding Researcher. Phillip Osborne, associate professor and Extension Specialist – Animal Husbandry, was named Outstanding Service Contributor.
Dailey named outstanding advisor at WVU's Davis College
Contacts:Bob Dailey
professor, Animal and Nutritional Sciences
Office: (304) 293-2631, ext. 4419
West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences students have named Robert A. Dailey, professor of animal and nutritional sciences, outstanding advisor for 2006-07.
The Outstanding Advisor Award selection is conducted each spring by the Davis College Student Council. Twenty-six nominations were submitted by students in the college, and the council then conducted a college-wide vote, asking students to choose from five finalists.
WVU Foundation announces Order of Augusta - top 8 WVU seniors
Contacts:News and Information Services
Office: (304) 293-6997
Eight of West Virginia University’s top graduating seniors will be awarded the Order of Augusta, WVU’s most prestigious student honor, during WVU Commencement Honors Convocation at 7 p.m. Friday, May 11, at the Coliseum.
The WVU Foundation established the Order of Augusta in 1995 to recognize a highly select group of students based on their superior scholarship, demonstrated leadership and record of community and public service. A private, nonprofit corporation, the foundation generates, receives and administers private gifts for the benefit of the university.
The 2007 recipients are Samuel Blatt of New Martinsville; Elizabeth Gebhard of Moon Township, Pa.; Rebecca McCauley of Morgantown; Tirzah Mills of Morgantown; Matthew Schessler of Charleston; Aaron Stonebraker of Ridgeley; Justin Stover of Maben; and Brandon Stump of Kingwood.
Four WVU students earn Kidder scholarships for graduate, medical school
Contacts: Paul Lewis
director, Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences
Office: (304) 293-2631
Four students in West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences have gotten a head start on funding their post-graduate educations.
They have received awards from the H.E. “Doc” Kidder Memorial Trust, which will provide them with $2,500 for each year of their graduate or medical school education.
The four recipients, Andrew Gentilin, Robert Loar, Brian McMillan and Kevin Shaffer, are all graduating seniors in the Davis College’s Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences.
WVU symposium to celebrate resource economist's career
Contacts: Peter Schaeffer
professor, Resource Management
Office: (304) 293-4832, ext. 4459
Former students and colleagues will gather to celebrate the career of Walter Labys, professor emeritus of resource economics, at a symposium Monday, May 7, in rooms 101 A & B of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy on West Virginia University’s Evansdale Campus.
The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will be presented in three thematically-linked segments that reflect Labys’s research interests. From 9:45-11:30 a.m., speakers will focus on commodity prices and advanced time series methods. The 1 to 2:15 p.m. time block will feature discussions of commodity prices and inventory adjustments. The 2:35-4:05 p.m. block is dedicated to resource markets, energy and the environment.
WVU poultry scientist wins national teaching award
Contacts: Joe Moritz
assistant professor, Animal & Nutritional Sciences
Office: (304) 293-2631, ext. 4435
Joe Moritz, an assistant professor of poultry science in West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, has been awarded the Land O’Lakes/Purina Mills Teaching Award.
The annual award of $1,500 and an engraved plaque is presented to a member of the Poultry Science Association who, over a period of years, has demonstrated outstanding success as a teacher. The organization recognizes that excellence in teaching is the base for the future of the poultry industry.
WVU graduate student combines watercress, fish production
Contacts: Todd West
assistant professor, Horticulture, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-6023, ext. 4336
West Virginia University graduate student Nichole Smith hopes her research on reusing nutrient-rich water from trout production can help farmers grow watercress and other plants year-round, adding to their profit margins.
Smith, of Grantsville, has been preparing her master’s thesis on a sustainable, integrated agriculture system involving horticulture and fish farming under the direction of Dr. Todd West, assistant professor of horticulture in the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.
By-product nutrients from fish production are found in water used for production (effluent). If these nutrients aren’t removed, they can build up and potentially cause nutrient loading of streams.
WVU Davis College outstanding alumni to be honored May 5
Contacts: Bonnie McBee Fisher
Davis College, director,
Development and Alumni Relations
Office: (304) 293-2395, ext. 4525
Five alumni of West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences will be honored at the College Alumni Association’s annual banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at the Pines Country Club in Morgantown.
Three individuals will receive the Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award. They are Robert A. Dailey (B.S., ’67), Nicholas R. Kent (B.S.R., ’73), and Roberta Jefferson Swank (B.S., ’58). Matthew B. Harper (B.S., ’93) will receive the organization’s Young Distinguished Alumni Award. Truman R. Wolfe (B.S., ’75) will receive an Honorary Membership to the Association.
The event will begin with a social hour at 5 p.m., and the banquet will follow at 6 p.m. A silent auction will be held during the social hour to raise money for the Association’s scholarship fund. Tickets for the event are $25, and deadline for reservations is Wednesday, April 25. For information or reservations, contact Carol Schuller, 304-293-2694, ext. 3473 or CRSchuller@mail.wvu.edu.
Study abroad grants awarded to WVU students
Contacts: Rebecca McDaniel
Office of International Programs
Office: (304) 293-6955, ext. 6169
West Virginia University’s Office of International Programs has awarded students a total of $12,500 in Global Education Opportunities (GEO) grants for 2007.
The recipients, chosen from more than 40 competitive applicants, include 15 undergraduates and one graduate student who will pursue international study, research and training experiences in Austria, China, Costa Rica, England, Japan and other countries.
Initiated in 1992, the GEO grants are supported by the Carter and Carolyn Jones, Ralph and Dora Nelson International Study Travel, W. Gerald and Carolyn E. Blaney and Gold and Blue Travelers endowments. Additional funds are provided by the Office of International Programs.
WVU graduate student combines watercress, fish production
Contacts: Todd West
assistant professor, Horticulture, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-6023, ext. 4336
West Virginia University graduate student Nichole Smith hopes her research on reusing nutrient-rich water from trout production can help farmers grow watercress and other plants year-round, adding to their profit margins.
Smith, of Grantsville, has been preparing her master’s thesis on a sustainable, integrated agriculture system involving horticulture and fish farming under the direction of Dr. Todd West, assistant professor of horticulture in the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.
By-product nutrients from fish production are found in water used for production (effluent). If these nutrients aren’t removed, they can build up and potentially cause nutrient loading of streams.
WVU experts to participate in acid mine drainage meeting this week
Contacts: Jeff Skousen
Davis College
Office: (304) 293-6256
Scholars and experts from West Virginia University will participate in the West Virginia Mine Drainage Task Force’s 28th annual symposium Tuesday and Wednesday, April 10-11, at Morgantown Ramada Inn.
The Task Force was formed in 1978 to investigate the acid mine drainage problem in West Virginia and surrounding regions. Members keep current on new developments in prevention, control and treatment of acid mine drainage. Task Force members represent the coal mining industry, regulators, private consultants and scientists from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland.
The meeting provides an opportunity to learn about the newest innovations in mining, reclamation and water quality.
Invited speakers will discuss a variety of topics including selenium, aluminum standards, acid mine drainage impacts on streams, fishery recovery in the Cheat River, and passive treatment of acid mine drainage.
Brent Wahlquist, acting director of the federal Office of Surface Mining, and Randy Huffman, director of the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection, will be keynote speakers on Tuesday.
WVU faculty members will lead seminars and symposia on mapping technology, watershed mitigation and stream recovery assessment.
More information on the symposium can be found at http://wvmdtaskforce.com
For further information, contact Jeff Skousen, WVU Extension Specialist for Land Reclamation and Professor of Soil Science in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, 304-293-6256, jskousen@wvu.edu
WVU's Shaffer earns Cattlemen's prize
Contacts: David Welsh
Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2329, ext. 1
A West Virginia University senior has joined an elite group of college students to be recognized by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) as future leaders in the beef industry.
Kevin Shaffer, an animal and nutritional sciences major in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, was one of 20 students nationwide to be awarded a $1,500 2007 Beef Industry Scholarship.
He is only the second student from WVU to ever receive the prestigious scholarship. Alecia Larew Naugle, a 1995 animal and veterinary sciences graduate, was the first University recipient. Naugle is currently a veterinary epidemiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in Washington, D.C.
Each year, the NCF honors outstanding, talented and thoughtful students who are pursuing careers in the beef industry. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or a full-time undergraduate student enrolled at a two or four-year institution. They must also demonstrate a commitment to a career in the industry through classes, internships or life experiences.
WVU students get sneak peak at animal health system
Contacts: Keith Inskeep
professor, Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Office: (304) 293-2406, ext. 4422
A groundbreaking method in animal health diagnoses got a hands-on test at West Virginia University, and courses are scheduled to introduce it to producers in the region.
The method, called FAMACHA, lets sheep and goat producers determine whether their flocks have what’s known as a significant gastrointestinal parasite burden, specifically a parasite called Barber Pole Worms, Haemonchus contortus. The worms take up residence in the animals’ stomachs and can cause them to become anemic.
FAMACHA uses a color chart to evaluate anemia based on the eyelid of the animal. After training on March 19 in the FAMACHA method, several WVU faculty and staff members and students in the lambing management class taught by Dr. Keith Inskeep, professor of reproductive physiology at WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, can examine the animals and give an accurate prediction of whether they need to be dewormed.
WVU to offer certificate in ecotourism
Contacts: David Smaldone
Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2443
West Virginia University’s program in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources has joined forces with a consortium of institutions to offer a certificate program in ecotourism.
“Ecotourism has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the overall tourism market, and this program will help us to prepare our students for exciting jobs in the field,” said David Smaldone, assistant professor in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences who will act as WVU’s academic consortium advisor.
Ecotourism focuses on responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Ecotourism providers and professionals strive to minimize impact to the destination, build environmental and cultural awareness and respect among visitors, and provide financial benefits and empowerment for local host communities.
WVU Community Design Team headed to Fayetteville March 15-17
Contacts:Meghan Stalebrink
WVU Community Design Team
Office: (304) 293-4832, ext. 4399
Fayetteville, W.Va., often described as “the Gateway to the New River Gorge,” is the next destination for West Virginia University’s Community Design Team (CDT).
The CDT, a multidisciplinary group of WVU faculty, students and staff along with others from the public and private sectors, will lead Fayetteville citizens through an intensive planning process Thursday through Saturday, March 15-March 17.
“Fayetteville is a community in transition,” said Meghan Stalebring, CDT program coordinator. “They have strong community interest in smart growth, recreational activities and tourism, small businesses, improving accessibility for the handicapped, and the arts.”
WV is temporary home to many
WVU professor, grad student study 'fascinating journey' of the American eel
Contacts: Stuart Welsh
Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2941
When you think of eels, you probably think of the ocean. But did you know that West Virginia is a temporary home to many American eels?
The migration of those eels in relation to electric dams is the focus of a study under way by Stuart Welsh, an adjunct assistant professor in West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences. Along with graduate student Jennifer Lowery, the pair is looking at American eels in the state’s Shenandoah River.
American eels become temporary residents of West Virginia after swimming upstream from either the Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River) or the Chesapeake Bay (Potomac River).
WVU to co-sponsor forest taxation, estate planning workshop
Contacts: Robin Maille
Forest Stewardship Program
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2401
West Virginia University’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources will join with the West Virginia Division of Forestry’s Forest Stewardship Program to host a one-day workshop on forest taxation and estate planning Friday, March 16, in Kearneysville (Jefferson County).
The workshop will provide practical information about income taxes related to timber harvesting and issues associated with forestland estate transfers. Some of the topics to be covered include: recordkeeping for operating and management expenses, land basis, passive losses, capital gains from timber sales, cost-share expenses, inheritance taxes and conservation easements. There also will be a session providing tools and techniques for involving the next generation in forest management.
WVU ag sorority chapter makes the grade
Contacts: Bonnie Fisher,
Davis College, Director of Development and Alumni Relations
Office: (304) 293-2395, ext. 4525
Cell: (304) 216-6801
The Chi Chapter of Sigma Alpha at West Virginia University was recently recognized for having the highest cumulative grade-point average among the sorority’s 80 collegiate chapters.
A professional agricultural sorority centered in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, Sigma Alpha promotes scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship among its members. The chapter’s 28 members are carrying a cumulative GPA of 3.57.
President Amy DeHaven, a senior agribusiness management and rural development major from Martinsburg said she was surprised when she heard the news.
“Everyone is very focused on their studies, but it never occurred to me that we’d have the highest GPA,” DeHaven said. “It’s an extreme honor to be recognized for this achievement.”
New WVU student leaders chosen
Kirkpatrick, Parsons vow to increase SGA outreach; enhance parking, transportation
Contacts:Patrick Brooks
SGA elections co-chair
Office: (304) 293-6090
With the largest voter turnout in Student Government Association history (6,595 votes), West Virginia University students David Kirkpatrick and Jason Parsons were declared the unofficial winners of the 2007 SGA elections late Thursday night (Feb. 22) at the Mountainlair.
Kirkpatrick, a senior finance major from Johnstown, Pa., was elected student body president. Parsons, a sophomore political science major from Seth, W.Va., is the new student body vice president.
Specifically, the Kirkpatrick-Parsons administration wants to expand student government outreach and increase SGA’s visibility in the University’s colleges and schools. Central to the plan will be the creation of a new advisory group made up of student liaisons from each of the colleges and schools who will meet periodically to provide feedback, distribute information and bring their peers’ concerns to the attention of the student body leadership.
New WVU course examines equine opportunities
Contacts: Carol Pettito
Davis College
Office: (304) 293-9748
Finding the right job is tough, but students interested in a career in the equine industry can get head start by enrolling in a new equine careers course at West Virginia University.
Offered by the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, the one-credit hour course is designed to help students identify careers and jobs available in the equine industry and evaluate interests and skills needed to pursue an equine related job.
“Students who know they want to work in the industry, or those exploring the possibility, will certainly benefit from this course,” said Carol Petitto, adjunct professor of resource management and course instructor. “It’s important for students to explore job opportunities early in their collegiate careers.”
WVU trots out equine management minor
Contacts: Amber Hines
Program Specialist, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2691
Students at West Virginia University now have the opportunity to pursue a minor in equine management through the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences.
According to Paul Lewis, director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, the need for the minor is two-fold: Equine management is growing in the state and the indication of student interest is high.
In 2002, WVU Extension Service and faculty members of the Davis College evaluated the impact of the equine industry on West Virginia’s economy.
The study confirmed that the equine industry has a strong impact in the state, contributing an estimated $509 million in total industry output.
Featuring rich wetlands and abundant animal and plant life
WVU partners with Pitt's Pymatuning Lab for summer courses
Contacts: Jim Anderson
associate professor, Wildlife and Fisheries Resources
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2445
West Virginia University students now have the opportunity to take a number of summer courses at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology’s (PLE) field research station in Pennsylvania.
The PLE is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Biological Sciences, and is located on the shores of the Pymatuning Reservoir, 90 miles north of Pittsburgh and 40 miles south of Lake Erie.
The area was shaped by the action of the glaciers that covered the region more than 14,000 years ago. As the last ice melted away, a rolling terrain dotted with dozens of lakes was revealed. Gradually, a swamp forest developed, rich in wetlands and home to abundant wild animal and plant life. The name is taken from an Indian term translated as "the crooked-mouthed man's dwelling place."
Charleston student wins WVU mascot cheer-off, dons buckskins for another year
Contacts: News and Information Services
Office: (304) 293-6997
Charleston student Brady Campbell will again represent West Virginia University as the Mountaineer mascot for 2007-08, after winning Saturday’s (Feb. 17) cheer-off at the WVU-Seton Hall men’s basketball game.
“The finalists faced tough competition this year, but Brady has done an outstanding job, and I think that showed through in his application and the cheer-off this year,” said Jenny Margolin, committee co-chair. “He’s been a great Mountaineer, and I’m glad he’s going to get to serve another term.”
The senior wood science and technology major said he looks forward to continue representing not only the state and school, but also his hometown and the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences.
WVU Rotary Scholar from Charleston bound for Africa
Contacts:Frances Bennett
Rotary International
Home: (304) 598-7454
Office: (304) 293-6629
Emily Waldie
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar
Home: (304) 598-7454
Office: (304) 293-6629
Cell: (304) 389-6094
A West Virginia University student and Rotary Scholar will spend a year studying abroad and acting as a goodwill ambassador in Africa.
Charleston native Emily Waldie was recently awarded the 2007-08 Rotary International District 7530 Ambassadorial Scholarship, established to further international understanding through humanitarian service, personal diplomacy and academic excellence.
Valued at up to $26,000, the award covers round-trip transportation, tuition and fees, room and board and educational supplies for one year of study abroad.
Florida beekeepers honor WVU researcher for helping save the honey bee
Contact: Jim Amrine
professor, Entomology
Office: (304) 293-6023
Florida beekeepers are in a crisis, but one West Virginia University professor has been recognized for his efforts to help bring some relief.
Jim Amrine, professor of entomology in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, has been honored as Florida State Beekeepers Researcher of the Year.
“Florida beekeepers are losing hundreds, if not thousands, of colonies to a combination of varroa mites and the pathogens, especially viruses, which they transmit,” Dr. Amrine said. “But hopefully we’re a light at the end of the tunnel.”
WVU students to participate in Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol Feb. 8
Contact: Keith Garbutt
Honors College
Office: (304) 293-2100
About 40 West Virginia University students will take their research projects to Charleston as part of the fourth annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol Thursday, Feb. 8.
Twelve colleges and universities will be represented at the event from 9:15 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. In all, 106 students will participate.
Undergraduate Research Day allows students to present their discoveries in poster format and talk to legislators about their findings, said Keith Garbutt, Eberly Family Professor and dean of the Honors College at WVU. The projects are original research, and the posters have been designed for a general audience.
Seminar at WVU looks at societal-wildlife conflicts
Contact: Jim Anderson - associate professor, Wildlife and Fisheries Resources
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2445
Brian Dorr, a research wildlife biologist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Wildlife Research Center in Starkville, Miss., will present a seminar at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in room 320 of Percival Hall at West Virginia University.
“The National Wildlife Research Center: Resolving Societal-Wildlife Problems Through Research” is free and open to the public
WVU's ag and resource economics program among nation's best
Contact: Alan Collins - Agricultural & Resource Economics
Office: (304) 293-4832, ext. 4473
West Virginia University’s research program in agricultural and resource economics has been ranked eighth in the nation among similar programs according to a Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index generated by Academic Analytics and published exclusively in the Jan. 12 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The index rates faculty members' scholarly output at nearly 7,300 doctoral programs around the country. It examines the number of book and journal articles published by each program's faculty, as well as journal citations, awards, honors and grants received.
Series on international forestry begins Feb. 1 at WVU
Contact: Dave McGill - Forestry Extension Specialist
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2424
A series of colloquia on international forestry will begin Thursday, Feb. 1, at West Virginia University with a look at “Land Management Planning in Angola, Africa” from Glen Juergens of the USDA Forest Service’s Monongahela National Forest. The presentation will be held at noon in room 1030 of the South Agricultural Sciences Building.
The colloquia series has been organized by the WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, Office of International Programs and Extension Service, funded by a grant from International Science and Education Program of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. The purpose of the $98,000 grant is to revitalize an international sustainable forestry curriculum at WVU.
WVU research initiatives showcased on Capitol Hill
Contact: Amber Hines - Program Specialist/Recruitment
Office: (304) 293-2691
Select West Virginia University research efforts were featured and displayed for West Virginia’s Congressional delegation and staff members Jan. 18 at a reception and exhibition in Washington, D.C.
The first ever “Showcase of West Virginia University Research Initiatives” was held in the Hart Senate Building on Capitol Hill. West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller and First District Cong. Alan B. Mollohan, in addition to nearly 50 congressional staff members representing each member of the state’s Congressional delegation, attended the event.
Alum takes recruitment post at WVU Davis College
Contact: Amber Hines - Program Specialist/Recruitment
Office: (304) 293-2691
An alumna of West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences has returned to the college to guide its recruitment efforts. Amber Hines, a 2000 graduate of the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources program, began her new role Jan. 17.
“Being a graduate of the Davis College, I have experienced first-hand the support and enthusiasm for education that is fostered by the faculty and staff,” Hines said.
WVU courses headed to Costa Rica, Fiji
Contact: David Smaldone - Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2443
West Virginia University’s program in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources will lead study-abroad expeditions to Costa Rica and Fiji this summer.
Both will focus on sustainable tourism and conservation efforts.
The trip to Costa Rica will run from May 13-28 and focus on ecotourism, conservation and sustainable development in the Central American nation.
“Students will travel in the Atlantic coastal region of Costa Rica and experience how indigenous cultures are shaping and being shaped by tourism in the region,” said Dave Smaldone, assistant professor in the program.
“Opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, incredible wildlife viewing and boating will round out their experiences,” he added.
The Fiji excursion will run from July 10-28.
WVU Appalachian Hardwood Center recognized for educational efforts
Contact: Robin Maille - Forest Stewardship Program
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2401
The National Association of University Forest Resource Programs and the National Woodland Owners Association awarded the 2006 Family Forests Education Award to West Virginia University’s Appalachian Hardwood Center (AHC) at the organization’s annual meeting Oct. 24.
The award recognizes university programs that benefit non-industrial private forest landowners. Criteria for selecting the AHC education program included program quality, outcomes, impacts and number of faculty involved.
WVU's forestry faculty receive top ranking by national journal
Contact: Joe McNeel - director, Forestry & Natural Resources
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2471
If the “publish or perish” cliché is a reality, faculty members in West Virginia University’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources have nothing to worry about. They were ranked first in research publications per faculty member in a recent survey by the Journal of Forestry.
Results of the survey, published in the July/August 2006 issue of the journal, looked at research articles published in the five major publications of the discipline – Forest Science, the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Forest Ecology and Management, the Forest Products Journal and the Journal of Forest Engineering.
Survey authors David N. Laband and Daowei Zhang looked at faculty publication productivity of 53 forestry programs in Canada and the United States, including institutions such as Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, Yale University and University of California – Berkeley. WVU was ranked first in research publications per faculty member, followed by Virginia Tech in second and Louisiana State University in third.
WVU Davis College offering three new student organizations
Contact: Denny Smith - Associate Dean, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2691
Students have three more clubs to join thanks to the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences at West Virginia University.
The first club, called the West Virginia Collegiate Farm Bureau, is a subgroup of the national farm bureau organization, which represents agriculture across the nation. The second club, the Society for Environmental Professionals (SEP), is in the planning stages. SEP is a national organization that works to provide a common ground where students from various academic disciplines related to air and waste management can advance their understanding of environmental management through an organized exchange of knowledge. The third organization is the bird club. “The club was formed last year as a result of student interest,” said Bob Whitmore, faculty advisor and professor of Division of Forestry. “It was a grassroots effort.”
Aquaculture products, research to be showcased at WVU forum
Contact:Ann Baily Berry - WVU Extension Communications
Office: (304) 293-4221, ext. 3416
Cell: (304) 216-3938
Dive into aquaculture at the 2007 Aquaculture Forum Saturday, Jan. 20, in Jackson Hall at Cedar Lakes near Ripley.
The annual event will be from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and will showcase West Virginia’s aquaculture products and research.
Aquaculture is the farming of plants and animals – including trout, catfish and bass – that live in water. Generally raised in ponds, tanks and other controlled areas, farm-raised fish are used for recreation and harvested as food.
The forum is sponsored by the West Virginia University Extension Service, West Virginia Department of Agriculture and West Virginia Aquaculture Association. Participants will be able to mingle with aquaculture experts as well as learn where to get fish, feed and supplies and how to grow fish for food or sport.
Openings remain for spring break trip to Ireland
WVU receives grant to offer international forestry experiences for students
Contact: Kathryn Piatek - assistant professor, Forest Soils & Management
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2411
Faculty in West Virginia University’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources have received a $98,000 competitive grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (USDA CSREES), International Science and Education Program to improve global competency of WVU’s forestry students and faculty.
The purpose of the grant is to revitalize an international sustainable forestry curriculum at WVU, with funding through Spring 2009.
The project, a joint venture of the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, the WVU Office of International Programs and WVU Extension Service, will include field experiences in Ireland, India and the Philippines; an International Forestry Colloquium, featuring speakers from local forestry business community, government agencies, international collaborators and Davis College faculty; and reviving of the Global Forest Resources (FOR 425) course.
Name change reflects WVU Davis College division's wider focus
Contact: Paul Lewis
Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences
Office: (304) 293-2231, ext. 4420
A division of West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences will begin a new year with a new name. The Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences will now be known as the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences.
The change has been under consideration since the Davis College’s program in human nutrition and foods joined the division in 2005.
“This move provided an excellent opportunity for enhancement of the academic programs in both units,” said Paul Lewis, director, noting the significant crossover of research interests among the different disciplines.
WVU students turn 'rags to riches' for area charity
Contact: Tracy Gainer Vash, Professor, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-3535
A group of West Virginia University students will raise “A-WEAR-ness” of apparel recycling and support a charitable organization at the same time.
Professor Tracy Gainer Vash’s Textiles, Apparel and Merchandising 230 class will be collecting worn, usable and unusable garments, and textile products during the month of November.
WVU student's research on meat market to include taste tests
Contact: Jason Evans
Office: (304) 293-6253, ext. 4471
Does the idea of purchasing grass-fed beef appeal to consumers in Morgantown and the region? One West Virginia University student is attempting to find out.
In today’s health-conscious world, “consumers who are looking for an alternative to grain-fed beef that offers a different nutritional profile, as well as environmental and animal welfare consciousness, would benefit from the availability of such products,” said Jason Evans, a resource management and sustainable development doctoral student in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences.
Growing a beautiful campus (and some green) mission of Plant & Soil Science Club
Contact: Emily Kaminski
Treasurer, Plant & Soil Sciences Club
Cell: (304) 573-2225
Mum’s the word at West Virginia University.
Visitors immediately notice those fall-colored chrysanthemums – all 1,500 of them – that are adding dashes of autumnal beauty these days to the Downtown and Evansdale campuses.
If Emily Kaminski has her way, though, the flowering plants will lay down other roots in a big way – by contributing to the coffers of the Plant and Soil Science Club, the organization she serves as treasurer.
The club is planning an international trip sometime in the future. And Kaminski, a senior horticulture major from Beckley, had the seed of a beautifully unique fundraising idea: Mums for money.
Davis College to host career fair Oct. 25
Contact:Sarah Brown - Career Fair Organizer
Office: (304) 293-2691
Are you graduating in December, or are you an underclassman interested in an internship? Do you want to network with some of the top companies in landscape architecture, forestry, parks and recreation, agribusiness management and more?
If so, the West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences career fair is the place to be. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the Bennett Tower Gold and Blue Ballroom.
WVU Block and Bridle Club to host annual livestock show Oct. 28
Contact: Tanya Nickerson - VP, Block and Bridle Club
Cell: (304) 282-2632
West Virginia University’s Block and Bridle Club will host its 57th annual Little Eastern Livestock Show Saturday, Oct. 28, at the WVU Animal Sciences Farm on Stewartstown Road in Morgantown. The event begins at 9 a.m.
“The show is a longstanding tradition for the club and its biggest event of the year,” said Tanya Nickerson, a senior majoring in animal and veterinary science from Arcade, N.Y., and Block and Bridle’s vice president and organizer of the event.
Everything’s coming up zinnias for WVU horticulture student
When people note that “You reap what you sow,” the connotation isn’t always positive. But a horticulture student at West Virginia University has given it a happier spin with a summer-long project.
Emily Kaminski, a senior from Beckley who is studying horticulture and pursuing a minor in agribusiness management in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, spent the past few months planning, preparing and nurturing cut flower beds at the college’s agronomy farm.
WVU aquaculture hooks international attention
Contact: Dan Miller - senior program coordinator, Aquaculture
Office: (304) 293-4832
West Virginia University’s aquaculture project received international recognition at this year’s meeting of the World Aquaculture Society in Florence, Italy.
Dan Miller, research associate with the Aquaculture Product and Market Development Project, won the poster competition at AQUA 2006 with his entry profiling a project integrating aquaculture as a post-mining land use.
WVU’s Davis College appoints two new administrators
Contact: Cameron Hackney - dean, Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2395
Two faculty members in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences have been appointed to leadership positions.
Barbara McFall, an assistant professor of interior design, has accepted the position of interim director of the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences. Tim Phipps, professor of resource economics, has accepted the position of interim director of the Division of Resource Management.
They will replace Peter Schaeffer, who is returning to the classroom after serving as director of both divisions.
WVU forest economist studying how urban trees grow
Contact: Kathryn Arano - Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2423
If a tree grows in Brooklyn, will they hear it in Ithaca?
That’s what West Virginia University’s Kathryn G. Arano wants to get to the root of.
Arano, an assistant professor of forest economics in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, is branching out with a study on urban tree phenology – the study of the seasonal timing of natural or biological events.
WVU professor accepts directorship of wood utilization effort
Contact: Jingxin Wang - associate professor, Wood Science & Technology
Office: (304) 293-2941, ext. 2481
Jingxin Wang, associate professor of wood science and technology in West Virginia University’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, has been appointed the new director of WVU’s Wood Utilization Research (WUR) Project.
The WUR project is part of a national research effort that focuses on creating opportunities for improved use and recovery of Appalachian hardwoods through basic and applied research, and enhancing global competitiveness of the Appalachian hardwood industry.
Three join WVU Davis College faculty
Contact:David Welsh - Davis College
Office: (304) 293-2329, ext. 1
Claudia Bernasconi recently accepted the position of assistant professor in landscape architecture.
Yong-Lak Park accepted the position of assistant professor of entomology in the WVU Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.
Margaret A. Minch, a 1995 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was selected as a clinical assistant and associate professor of veterinary sciences.
Results published in prestigious journal
WVU ag scientists study low temperature stress in wheat
Contact: Dale Karlson - Genetics & Developmental Biology
Office: (304) 293-6023, ext. 4335
Two West Virginia University scientists have had their research on how cold weather impacts wheat production published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Dale Karlson, an assistant professor of genetics and developmental biology in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, and Kentaro Nakaminami, a post-doctoral researcher in Karlson’s laboratory, conducted the research under the leadership of Ryozo Imai of the National Agricultural Research Center for the Hokkaido Region in Sapporo, Japan.
WVU animal scientist earns regional Young Scientist Award
Contact: Matt Wilson - assistant professor, Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Office: (304) 293-2631, ext. 4425
West Virginia University researcher has achieved a major milestone in the early stages of his academic career.
Matt Wilson, an assistant professor of animal and veterinary sciences in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, has received the Young Scientist Research Award for the Northeast Region of the American Society of Animal Science and American Dairy Science Association.
Webster County forest tour set for Sept. 26
Contact:Robin Maille, 304-293-2941 x 2401
The West Virginia University (WVU) Appalachian Hardwood Center is hosting a tour of the Upper Elk Watershed Log Landing Vegetation Project near Webster Springs Tuesday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A box lunch will be provided to registered participants.
The Upper Elk River is considered one of the highest quality cold-water fisheries in the mid-Atlantic region, and also supports a large wood products industry.
The purpose of the research project was to investigate the use of native seed mixtures for landing and skid road reclamation following harvesting. Mixtures were chosen based on their ability to lessen the severity of erosion and their attractiveness to wildlife.
Career Development Events set for Sept. 27-29
Contact:Harry Boone, 304-293-4832 x 4481
Over 900 West Virginia middle and high school students will pay a three-day visit to West Virginia University’s Morgantown Campus for the 83rd annual Career Development Events Sept. 27-29.
“The Career Development Events are an outgrowth of the knowledge that students gain from the classroom, in Future Farmers of America (FFA), and through supervised agricultural experience programs,” said Harry Boone, associate professor of agricultural and extension education.
Students compete for individual and team awards in areas such as agribusiness, plant pathology, floriculture, forestry and 10 other areas of agriculture. The contests consist of multiple choice tests and hands-on activities, judged by the faculty of the Davis College and WVU Extension. Some 35 WVU faculty members work to design and conduct the contest activities.