Message from the Provost
Big things are happening at West Virginia University! Last fall’s United Way campaign raised a record amount of money from the campus community: more than $335,000 that I’m delighted to know will go to our neighbors here in West Virginia. We started off 2012 with a triumphant trip to the Orange Bowl in Miami, then returned north to settle into the semester—but we are certainly not resting on our laurels this spring.
For one thing, we are busy making the acquaintance of our new peers in the Big 12 conference, who are inspiring not only athletically but also academically. We’ve joined the ranks of some of the premier research institutions in the country, and in the first few months of 2012 we have already done much to demonstrate just how well we fit in.
Our students have led the way. A team led by Electrical Engineering graduate student Kenneth Hite has been invited to the 2013 International Solar Decathalon, a competition sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy that “challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.”
Meanwhile, sophomore Katherine Bomkamp presented her research at a conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, England in February. And other undergraduates have been honored with some of the most prestigious scholarships in the country, from junior international studies and political science major Ben Seebaugh, who recently won a Truman Scholarship, to new Goldwater scholars Tonia Ahmed and Jessica Carr, both double-majors in chemistry and mathematics, and our three Fulbright Scholars, Lisa Beans, Jeremy Munza, and Stefni Richards.
Our faculty has been recognized for their excellence as well in recent months. Dr. Larry Banta of the Benjamin M. Statler College will travel to Genoa, Italy next January on his own Fullbright. CPASS dean Dana Brooks was recently given a lifetime achievement award by the NAACP, and Statler professor Marcello Napolitano, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, was named West Virginia Professor of the Year in Charleston this past March. This tremendous award carries a $10,000 prize and is richly-deserved.
Gene Cilento, dean of the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, oversaw this very significant name change to the college this Spring. The change is far more than just words—it is recognition of the extraordinary generosity of WVU alumni Benjamin and Jo Statler, who donated 45 million to the University specifically in support of engineering faculty, students, and facilities. We are so honored and thrilled to be working closely with the Statlers for the future of WVU.
And this summer we welcome two new academic leaders to campus. Daniel Robison will become the Dean of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design and Lynne Schrum will assume the Deanship of the College of Human Resources and Education. We are excited to have these two innovative thinkers joining the WVU academic community.
Finally, I want to extend my warmest wishes to all of our students, from those graduating this spring to those who have just excitedly received acceptance letters from WVU for the fall 2012 semester. Congratulations, Mountaineers! I wish you all the very best in the coming year.
– Michele G. Wheatly, PhD
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs