Weete Named
Vice President
As part of West Virginia University's continued focus on strengthening
and advancing research, the position in charge of research and
economic development was elevated to a vice presidential post.
Current Associate Provost John D. Weete assumed the new title
in May.
"The vice presidency is a recognition of the advancing stature of WVU's research and its vital importance to our mission, President David C. Hardesty Jr. noted. "WVU continues to grow as a national research university through the efforts of Dr. Weete and his staff. We want to stress, at every opportunity, that WVU's research enterprise is vital to the state, the nation, and international communities."
WVU is one of just a handful of universities classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive. Others such as Penn State, Purdue, and Tennessee already have vice presidents for research and economic development.
"Elevating the position to the level of vice president reflects the transition WVU has undergone in recent years," said Provost Gerald Lang. "The research enterprise at West Virginia University has seen tremendous growth, not only in terms of funding from external sources, but in technology transfer and economic development."
"As the University extends its research efforts, it is important for WVU's constituents to know research is a major focus of attention," Lang added. "By upgrading this position, the University is conveying that message," he said.
"I'm appreciative of the confidence shown in me by the president and provost and their commitment to our research enterprise," said Weete, who has been in charge of WVU's research efforts since 1998 and also serves as president and executive director of the WVU Research Corporation.
"It reemphasizes and sends another message that WVU takes very seriously its mission of research. . .it shows we're stepping up to the plate."
Impact of
Coal Mining on Water Quality to be Studied
The West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) at WVU will
be administering three research projects over the next two years
on the impact of coal mining on water quality across the state.
One project will use records dating back 30 years to study how streams recover from acid mine drainage. The project team, lead by WVWRI's Paul Ziemkiewicz, Jennifer Simmons, and Craig Mains, will compare present-day water quality to the historical record while comparing the stream life in mined and unmined watersheds.
"The insect larvae and other stream organisms that comprise the food source for game fish are excellent indicators of stream health," said Mains, the project's stream biologist. "This project will allow us to get an idea of whether natural recolonization occurs and how long it takes."
"When we plan a mine drainage treatment project, we need to understand how clean the water needs to be at the end of the day in order to sustain a viable fishery," said Ziemkiewicz, director of the WVWRI. "The difference between clean enough and extremely clean may be tens of millions of dollars. Where we draw the line will determine the project cost for a given ecological outcome."
To answer these questions, a second project, expected to last two years, will attempt to establish criteria for restoring the health of mining-impacted watersheds. It will be led by WVU Assistant Professor of Forestry Todd Petty, who will combine stream biologic surveys and water quality assessments to determine not only water quality goals, but to identify how many healthy tributaries are needed to sustain a viable fishery in a large river like the Cheat.
A nine-month project will look at the effects of longwall mining on headwater streams in northern West Virginia. It will use a new method of assessing damage to headwater streams based on the biological community. Ben Stout, professor of biology at Wheeling Jesuit College, will lead a four-person team conducting biological assessments in Marshall and Monongalia counties.
WVU Joins
with Spanish Firm on Recycling Project
The WVU Research Corp. has added an international partner in
its efforts to better recycle junked computers and other electronics.
Spain's nonprofit GAIKER Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding June 14 with the Research Corp. and Polymer Alliance Zone (PAZ) of Parkersburg.
The three groups agreed to collaborate on the science and business aspects of electronics recycling. GAIKER is working with the Virtual European Recycling Center. It expects to benefit from PAZ-owned technologies that could support recycling.
Representative Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., helped obtain funding for the recycling initiative formed nearly four years ago.
Working to
Reduce Acid Mine Drainage
Researchers at WVU are studying the effects of large-scale mine
applications of coal combustion byproducts (CCBs) on groundwater
chemistry. In particular, the study is looking at the ability
of coal ash to eliminate or reduce acid mine drainage.
"The use of CCBs in coal mine environments is far reaching and affects the environment slowly but permanently," said Jennifer Simmons, program coordinator with the West Virginia Water Research Institute at WVU and project researcher.
"We are investigating how past and present CCB management practices have impacted groundwater quality by studying sites throughout the mid-Atlantic region," explained Simmons. "Understanding the implications of using large-scale CCB applications in coal mine environments will allow us to make better decisions in the future regarding the use of CCBs in mine land reclamation. It will enable us to better predict how these materials will perform in acid environments, which will help us select the most suitable materials for acid mine drainage remediation projects without the risk of leaching toxic metals."
Joining Simmons on the research is Louis McDonald, assistant professor of environmental soil chemistry with WVU's Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.
"While most coal combustion byproducts application sites are monitored for changes in groundwater chemistry, few studies are conducted to show the effects of CCBs on groundwater chemistry," McDonald said.
Ongoing research activities include assembling existing data, characterizing the chemical and physical properties of the CCB and its impacted waters, and conducting a laboratory analysis of the leachability of metals from CCBs under acidic conditions.
Tracking River
Otter Populations in Ohio
Researchers from WVU are working with the Ohio Division of Wildlife
to determine the habits of river otters to enhance the manageability
of the animal in Ohio and adjacent states.
Otters were a common species in Ohio until habitat loss during the late 1800s and early 1900s caused this species to weaken in population in Ohio and many other areas of the United States, including West Virginia.
Between 1986 and 1993 the Ohio Division of Wildlife released 123 otters in four eastern Ohio watersheds. Since the release, the otters have increased their range to include 51 counties encompassing 52 watersheds. Since the release program ended nine years ago, methods used to inventory the population and location of the otters have not been adequately evaluated, and population figures are uncertain.
The team from WVU was approached by the Ohio Division of Wildlife to conduct a radio telemetry study to help determine movements of otters in order to determine population size and location of the otters' home ranges. Researchers will also evaluate the reproductive output of the otters and their habitat use. The data will help the Ohio Division of Natural Resources better manage otter populations and determine which land-use activities are or are not compatible with otters.
"This project will increase awareness of otters in the region and help ensure that this species will continue to be present in the landscape," said project investigator Jim Anderson, assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries resources at WVU's Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences. "The otters are a natural component of our landscape and everything possible should be done to conserve their habitats and allow this species to prosper."
Other researchers involved in the project are John Edwards, assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries resources at the Davis College, graduate student Dave Helon, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources furbearer biologist Chris Dwyer.
Studying Anemia
among WIC Infants in Rural West Virginia
The concern for anemic infants in West Virginia who receive services
from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) has prompted a WVU professor to study the problem.
A recent report released by the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) noted that 40 percent of children who receive services from WIC did not meet their dietary requirements for iron and were insufficient of other vital nutrients such as vitamins A, B6, and zinc at varying levels. WIC infants in West Virginia are not yet meeting the Healthy People 2010 target for reduction in iron deficiency for children ages one to two years old.
In the United States, the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia has decreased over the past three decades. However, the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia is higher among infants who live at or below the poverty line, the report indicates.
Cindy Fitch, project investigator and assistant professor of human nutrition and foods at WVU's Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences, plans to focus her research on how dietary patterns and nutrient intake of iron affect health and development of West Virginia infants during the first two years of life. Her research will be used by WIC personnel to design and implement intervention and education programs to prevent iron deficiency.
"By providing insight into relationships among dietary factors and iron status, this project can serve as a basis for appropriate community outreach and education programs that will result in improved iron status among low-income infants and children," Fitch said. "This will help to lower the monetary costs of impaired immunity and development delays that are associated with iron deficiency."