Four Join Order of Vandalia
A prominent state newspaper publisher and philanthropist and three retired WVU administrators whose contributions to student life, special events, and creative arts education are well known were inducted into the Order of Vandalia during May 19 Commencement activities.

The 2002 inductees are: M. Dee Brown ('60 B.A.), retired assistant vice president for Institutional Advancement; Philip J. Faini ('59 B.M., '65 M.M.), retired dean emeritus of the College of Creative Arts; Gordon Thorn ('53 B.A., '55 M.A.), retired vice president for student affairs; and G. Ogden Nutting, publisher of Ogden Newspapers Inc. The Order of Vandalia is reserved for those who have demonstrated extraordinary service, loyalty, and dedication to the University.

WVU Press to Publish Landmark Scholarly Work
The West Virginia University Press will make a 1,200-year-old book available for the first time in an English edition. Heliand: Text and Commentary, edited by University of Massachusetts Professor James E. Cathey, represents the first edition of this early ninth-century life of Christ published for English-speaking students.

Georgetown University Professor Ronald Murphy is an authority on Heliand, which presented Christ and Christian principles to non-Christian Germans during the period of European conversion to Christianity. "Nothing quite like it exists anywhere in the world," said Murphy. "I can't tell you how genuinely helpful Cathey's work will be. It will be the version for students in North America and quite possibly abroad as well."

Murphy said the new edition contains something that is exceptionally valuable and cannot be found elsewhere in English: a compact grammar of Old Saxon and a glossary that defines all vocabulary in the edited version of the Heliand.

Speaker Ray Lane Enters Ceremony on High-tech Scooter
Be disruptive. Shift the paradigm. That's what entrepreneur and former COO of Oracle Ray Lane told West Virginia University's Class of 2002 (on May 19) after entering the ceremony on an electric-powered, high-tech scooter called a Segway, invented by Dean Kamen and funded by K. P. Caufield and Byers, the California-based firm Lane helps run.

His gold and blue commencement robe flapping in the breeze as he maneuvered his way down the center aisle and up the ramp to the main stage, the 1968 WVU mathematics graduate told graduates that the Segway's brilliant design and engineering is changing the most basic of life's functions: Walking.

He used the prop to make this point to WVU's 3,000 graduating seniors: "When you leave this campus, take what you've learned and improve life tenfold, whether you do it in your family, your job, or in society."

Labor Leader, Technology Guru Receive
Honorary Degrees from WVU

By Bill Nevin

One of the most prominent labor leaders of the 20th century and a leader in the software computing industry worldwide accepted honorary degrees during WVU's 133rd Commencement on May 19.

WVU conferred an honorary doctor of law degree on Victor G. Reuther and an honorary doctor of science degree on Raymond J. Lane. Lane also gave the Commencement address.

"This year's honorary degree recipients are leaders in their respective fields—labor and civil rights as well as business and technology," WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. said. "By honoring these two gentlemen, we present our graduating students with models of greatness to which they can aspire."

Raised in Wheeling, Victor G. Reuther attended WVU from 1928-29, his freshman year, and then went on to complete his degree at the College of the City of Detroit, now known as Wayne State University.

He rose to prominence in the United Automobile Workers union in the 1930s. In the 1940s, he moved from local union activities to become the assistant coordinator of the UAW War Policy Division, a special department created by the UAW-CIO to facilitate speedy and orderly conversion and mobilization of the nation's urgent defense production.

In the spring of 1946, Reuther was appointed director of UAW's extensive education program throughout the United States and Canada, a position he held until becoming European representative of the CIO in 1951. From this vantage point, he played a strategic role in consolidating the pro-democratic union forces that later routed the communists from all positions of influence in the UAW-CIO.

In 1953, he became director of the CIO International Affairs Department and, when the CIO was merged with the AFL, he was named director of the UAW International Affairs Department. He remained in this position until he retired in May 1972.

Reuther is the only living member of the extraordinary Reuther brothers, whose lives are chronicled in his book, The Brothers Reuther, considered one of the great labor history books of all time.

McKeesport, Pa., native Raymond J. Lane is a 1968 graduate of WVU. He is currently a partner in the venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers in San Francisco, Calif., and former president and COO of Oracle Corp.

He joined Oracle in 1992 after many years at IBM, Electronic Data Systems Corp., and Booz Allen & Hamilton. He quickly rose to the position of president and CEO in 1996. According to Fortune Magazine and Industry Week, Lane's work at Oracle made him a leader on the American business scene, and CNN Magazine selected him as one of the top 25 executives in the computer industry.

Lane, a member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors, is serving as the general chairman of the Foundation's current Capital Campaign.

Lane and his wife Stephanie recently gave the WVU Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering $5 million to support an endowed computer science chair and endowed graduate fellowships; enhance faculty research labs and outreach activities; add to library resources; and more.

He also assisted the University in acquiring new software to upgrade the institution's reporting and accounting systems in preparation for the year 2000.

Lane is a 1998 inductee of the WVU Alumni Association's Academy of Distinguished Alumni.

WVU Honors Retiring Health Care Administrator,
Composer at Commencement

By Jim Davis

The outgoing chief of West Virginia United Health System and the composer of the popular "My Home Among the Hills" were honored during WVU's 133rd commencement May 19.

Bernard G. Westfall, who retired this year as chief executive officer of United Health System, and E.W. James Jr., a deceased Clarksburg business and civic leader who wrote the widely performed choral piece, were recipients of the 2002 President's Distinguished Service Award. James' widow, Julia, accepted his award at the ceremony.

"These two individuals' names are synonymous with service, and their contributions to West Virginia cannot be overstated," said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. "Bernard Westfall has been an advocate for health care concerns in the northern part of the state, while E.W. James Jr. composed a wealth of music—and one piece in particular—that connects West Virginians to their Appalachian roots."

Pharmacy Graduate Transformed After Transplant

By Shelly Stump

Russ White of Morgantown knows the value of an education. But more importantly, he knows the value of life, and isn't about to waste a single second. And while he encountered some tough assignments in pharmacy school, White is now facing an even more difficult task-writing a thank-you letter to the family of the man who gave him a new heart.

White now has a whole new life, powered by a heart transplant he received October 11, 2001. And while he thinks a lot about his future after graduating from the WVU School of Pharmacy, he also thinks a lot about his donor and what this gift means to him.

"I have been wanting to write a thank-you letter to the family for a while now. But how do you put into words what this gift has meant to me?" White asked. "Thank you just doesn't cut it. I feel very close to someone I never met and will never see. I know organ donation was a tough decision for the family. But it's one I will always be grateful for because of the opportunities it has given me."

White's heart started failing when he was 20. He was diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The problem stems from a rare genetic defect in a chromosome, similar to muscular dystrophy. White's body doesn't produce the necessary protein to keep his heart strong. As his heart became weaker, it grew larger and larger to compensate. Finally, with his heart no longer strong enough to pump the needed blood, White had to go to Pittsburgh last June for what he jokingly calls, "a heart on a cart."

He was hooked up to a ventricular assist device with four hoses used to pump blood in and out of the body. The device, about the size of a carry-on suitcase, was wheeled around on a cart everywhere White went. White then remained in Pittsburgh, awaiting a donor heart.

During his first month on the heart machine, four hearts became available, but none matched his blood type. Then, on that October day, everything changed when a compatible donor heart became available.

All White knows now is that his heart came from a young man who died on October 10. He doesn't know where or how the man died. But through CORE, the Center for Organ Research and Education in Pittsburgh, White hopes to talk with his donor's family and learn more.

"I'd really like to know them," White said. I'd like them to see the difference it has made in my life." And that difference will soon touch the lives of others, as White contemplates life after graduation.

"I am so much more focused now on the needs and concerns of patients," he said. "I know what it feels like to get bad news. It has made me more determined than ever to provide patients the best care and compassion possible."

White hasn't accepted a pharmacy job offer yet and is contemplating work in research or in a hospital setting. A residency in cardiology with a focus on drugs that help the heart is one possibility.

"I figure I learned a lot about hearts and drugs in the 'School of Hard Knocks' so now I am ready for a more formal education in that area."

Shady Spring Native Earns Five Degrees from WVU-Most
Ever at One Time at WVU

By Becky Lofstead

For the typical college student, graduating with one degree and a minor in another field is the norm. A dual degree, especially in the field of teacher education, is not uncommon. But to graduate with enough credit hours to earn five degrees is extremely rare-especially when you do so in a six-year span with a 3.6 grade point average.

Such is life for West Virginia University senior Daniel R. Miller, who collected those five diplomas May 19 from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. The magna cum laude graduate received a bachelor of science in biology and bachelor of arts degrees in English, geography, history, and liberal arts and sciences.

The 23-year-old Miller, who entered WVU in the fall of 1996, explained his search for knowledge.

"I didn't start out to earn five degrees. I began as a biology major, hoping to one day attend medical school," said Miller, a 1996 graduate of Shady Spring High School. "But I soon discovered that I enjoyed other subjects just as much. I had a lot of interests, and didn't want to pigeonhole myself. So, I stayed in biology. . .then took some history classes because I found them interesting. . . added some geography. . .and it just grew from there."

All total, Miller had over 240 credit hours when he graduated—128 for the first degree and a minimum of 30 additional credit hours per each additional baccalaureate.

"Daniel is a terrific example of a student who has taken full advantage of the breadth of academic opportunities available in the liberal arts and sciences," said Dean M. Duane Nellis of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. "We don't expect—or even encourage—many students to pursue multiple undergraduate degrees, but Daniel's spirit of inquiry is refreshing and his ability to perform well in a wide variety of disciplines is enviable."

A WVU Bucklew Scholar—one of WVU's elite awards named for former President Neil S. Bucklew—Miller came to the University six years ago on the full tuition and fees scholarship. Because of his academic standing, he was admitted into the WVU Honors Program and has remained in the highly selective program throughout his WVU career.

Keith Garbutt, director of the Honors Program, said, "Certainly, this is quite an accomplishment. In my experience, this is the most degrees I've ever seen earned at one time."

Eberly College Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Nick Evans agreed. "I know we've had students complete three degrees at one time," Evans said, "but I really can't recall any over the last couple of decades who completed four or even five."

With so much to do, one would guess that Miller spent most of his time in the classroom or library, but not so. He was a member of "The Pride of West Virginia," WVU Marching Band for five years, playing the trumpet and flugal horn and serving as a district officer for Kappa Kappa Psi national band honorary.

He was involved in the WVU Geography Club and inducted into the national geography honorary Gamma Theta Upsilon and the academic honorary Phi Kappa Phi.

He also found time to work at the local Book Exchange.

"I balanced schoolwork, friends, band, and work," he said. "It definitely was not all work and no play."

After graduation, Miller plans to return home for a time and then re-enroll at WVU as a non-degree graduate student for one year. During that year, he plans to apply to several law schools and evaluate his future.

If he does decide to go into law, he plans to specialize in biological and medical cases, public policy, and medical malpractice issues.

In addition to the Bucklew Scholarship, Miller also received financial support from several other sources, including a National Merit Finalist Scholarship, a Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, a Tylenol Scholarship, and a scholarship from the Vecillio and Grogan Foundation of Beckley.

Physics Professor Retires After 36 Years
WVU Department of Physics professor Carl A. Rotter retired after 36 years of service.

"Carl Rotter has been an important asset to the Eberly College, West Virginia University, and the state's education community for nearly four decades," Dean M. Duane Nellis said. "His efforts in teaching and service have opened doors for bright minds and have instructed two generations of science teachers about how to do the same for their students. He will be missed."

Rotter focused on improving science education at the high school level and teaching basic physics courses taken by WVU students majoring in science education and engineering. His dedication led to his being named one of the top five WVU teachers in evaluations by senior engineering majors.

In his work on pedagogy for high school science teachers, Rotter developed the Comprehensive Conceptual Curriculum for Physics with support from a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The curriculum includes a CD ROM, which high school teachers study to understand basic concepts in physics and to develop their presentations. The curriculum is used by teachers in 40 states.

During his 36 years on the WVU faculty, Rotter has received the Outstanding Teacher Award in the Eberly College three times, the Golden Key Honor Society Outstanding Faculty Award twice, and the WVU Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award in 1987. In 1988 the Council for Advancement and Support of Education named him West Virginia Professor of the Year.

Rotter's wife, Mary Ann Hayes-Rotter, other family members, and friends have recently endowed the Carl Rotter Graduate Teaching Award in Physics, which annually will recognize a graduate physics student for his or her outstanding teaching in the classroom or laboratory.

The gift was made in conjunction with the Building Greatness Campaign, a $250 million fund-raising effort being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University.

Paschal Younge Takes WVU to "World Stage"

By Charlene Lattea

Azaguno, an African music group made up of WVU alumni and student musicians, performed at the opening ceremony for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Soccer Competition in Seoul, Korea, in May.

According to music professor Paschal Younge, who directs the group and heads WVU's World Music Center, Azaguno is the only group from the United States to be invited to participate in a special drum festival for the World Cup opening ceremony.

Korea cohosted the 2002 World Cup Finals with Japan from May 31-June 30. The opening ceremony was in the new 64,000-seat World Cup stadium in the western outskirts of Seoul.

"What an honor for Paschal and this group," said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. "This invitation is indicative of the superb, professional talent which abounds from the College of Creative Arts."

"Once again, West Virginia University was on the world stage," said Bernard Schultz, dean of the College of Creative Arts. "I am thrilled for Professor Younge and our students in his African ensemble. What we know as a treasure for us in Morgantown was spotlighted at one of the world's greatest sporting events. This was a remarkable educational experience for our students; I am so very proud of them."

WVU is reknowned for its World Music Center—one of only a few of its kind in the nation. The Center boasts one of the largest collections of musical instruments from Africa and other countries around the world.

Azaguno means "master drummer" among the Ewe people of Ghana in West Africa. Founded and directed by Younge, the group is a colorful and vibrant multiethnic ensemble made up of 15 professional drummers and dancers who focus on traditional African music and dance, as well as other styles from the Caribbean and Latin America. Zelma Badu Younge, who is adjunct professor in the WVU Division of Theatre and Dance, is the group's dance director.

Others members include: WVU music alumni Anthony Hailey, Aaron Guidry, Sean Haleem, Zachary George, Michael Ramsey, and Christine Moses; current WVU students Eric Fountain, Jennifer Douglas, Jonathan Burbank, and Gordon Nunn; and Gershon Agbalevu, Janine Tiffe, and Brett Wiewiora, who are former students from the WVU summer course in Africa.

WVU Eastern Medical Program Receives Financial
'Shot in the Arm'

By Bill Nevin

A $1 million allocation from the state budget digest will ensure West Virginia University's plan to create a medical education program in the Eastern Panhandle of becoming a reality, school officials said.

"This funding allocation shows the Legislature's commitment to improving health care in the Eastern Panhandle," said Dr. Michael Friedland, dean of the Robert C. Byrd WVU Health Sciences Eastern Division.

The new campus will take in third and fourth-year medical students from WVU, Marshall University, and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Friedland said.

"We hope that after receiving their training here, doctors will stay in the area which is medically underserved," Friedland said.

The new 15,000-square-foot education building will be built on the grounds of City Hospital in Martinsburg. Officials hope to break ground for the new facility by the end of the summer and have it completed in 18-24 months.

So far, $5.4 million has been raised for the program, Friedland noted. Of that amount, $3.4 million came from the federal government and $2 million, which includes the recent digest money, has come from the state.

The $3.4 million will be used for construction while the $2 million will be used for education, Friedland said.

Besides receiving training in the new facility, students will receive training at City Hospital, Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Berkeley County, and the Harpers Ferry Family Practice Center.

A pilot program with about 10 medical students started in September, Friedland said. If all goes well, 60-80 students could be enrolled in the program in three to five years, he added.

While the focus right now is medicine, other health-related fields are being considered for the program, including pharmacy, medical technology, and dentistry.

"Our goal is to upgrade health care delivery and accessibility in the Eastern Panhandle," Freidland said. "We're pleased the Legislature and Higher Education Policy Commission are united behind our efforts."

In Memory of a Tragedy

WVU students, faculty, and staff spent Sept. 11 in observance of the tragic events one year ago. The day's events began when the Woodburn Hall clock tower bells chimed for one minute at 8:46 a.m.—nearly one year to the minute after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Almost 5,000 people came to Woodburn Circle and clasped hands to remember the victims and heroes of that day. They held a candlelight vigil and took part in a symbolic tree planting. Some took part in prayer services while others listened to a panel discussion on an America forever changed as a year of intense feelings melded into a day of caring, sharing, and healing.

By the end of the day on Sept. 11, 2002, many WVU participants said they felt a little better and a good bit stronger.

Fallen Soldier

By Jim Davis

Staff Sgt. Gene Arden Vance Jr., 38, of Morgantown, died May 19 in eastern Afghanistan when his National Guard unit came under fire from suspected al-Qaida or Taliban forces. He served in the 2nd Battalion of the 19th Special Forces Unit based in Kenova and was the first West Virginia National Guard member to die on active duty since World War II.

"He was a quiet man, a dedicated soldier who was willing to sacrifice his life for freedom," said Maj. Gen. Allen Tackett, adjutant general for the West Virginia National Guard. "He paid the ultimate price so his family can live in a free world."

Vance attended WVU from 1991-95 and had re-enrolled last fall before his unit was activated in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. He worked at Whitetail Bicycle and Fitness Center in Morgantown and enjoyed live music, especially legendary surf guitarist Dick Dale.

"A WVU student and local businessman, an avid outdoorsman and newlywed, a military expert and music lover, Gene Vance was a potent combination of the ordinary and extraordinary," WVU President David Hardesty said.

At a memorial ceremony on May 26, Hardesty and Vice President for Student Affairs Ken Gray presented Mrs. Vance with an honorary diploma and the WVU Distinguished Service Award in honor of her husband.

Others presented her with an order promoting Vance to staff sergeant and four posthumous awards for his service: the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal.

Vance was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and grew up in McDowell and Wyoming counties, the son of a sheriff. He was a 1981 graduate of Oceana High School and went on to study basic and advanced training at Fort Gordon, Ga. He joined the Army Reserve as a supply specialist in January 1992 and in October of that year joined the 19th Special Forces. He was fluent in Farsi and trained as a cryptologic linguist to translate intercepted messages.

Student Wins Prize for Fiction
Sara Pritchard, a student in West Virginia University's new master of fine arts degree program in creative writing, has won the 2002 Katherine Bakeless Nason Literary Publication Prize for Fiction. Her collection of linked stories, Crackpots, is scheduled for publication in 2003 by Houghton Mifflin.

Awarded by the faculty of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference at Middlebury College, Bakeless awards help fund the publication of writers' first books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Usually one recipient in each category is selected each year.

Jerry West Comes out of Retirement
Jerry West joined the Memphis Grizzlies as president of basketball operations. "Jerry will be an extremely valuable addition to our organization because he brings so much to the table as a legendary basketball executive, player, and head coach," said Michael Heisley, Grizzlies majority owner.

West attended WVU (1956-60), where he was a two-time All-American and concluded his collegiate career with a 24.8 scoring average. Following his senior year, he became the Lakers' first round draft pick (first-ever pick in LA Lakers history) in the 1960 NBA Draft (second overall).

Rec Center Design Awards
Moody/Nolan Inc. won two awards for its design of the WVU Student Recreation Center.

They won a Special Merit Award for Design of Interior Space from the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the 2001 Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects Columbus Chapter.

The $34 million, 170,000-square-foot building features a climbing wall; athletic courts; a weight/fitness area; an aquatics area; an elevated three-lane jogging/walking track; a wellness center; and three large multipurpose rooms.

Fall 2002 Contents

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