AROUND CAMPUS
AND BEYOND
Trauma Center
Among Nation's Best
The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma has verified
the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center at WVU Hospitals as a Level
I trauma center.
This is the first time any West Virginia hospital has achieved such verification. Only 150 of the 5,000 hospitals in the U.S. have achieved this status. To earn it, a hospital must meet strict, voluntary national standards for the care of injured persons. The verification is granted only after an on-site review by a team of experienced trauma surgeons.
WVUH was also recently redesignated as a Level I trauma center by the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Health and Human Resources. The trauma center has held state certification since 1985.
WVU's center is one of only a few nationally recognized Level I trauma centers serving a mostly rural population. It was created in the 1980s with the assistance and support of U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, and is named for his grandson, Jon Michael Moore, who died as the result of an automobile crash.
"I am immensely proud of this honor, and I know that my beloved grandson, Jon Michael, would be, as well. The verification shows that the doctors and nurses at the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center have excelled in their work. They make a great difference for West Virginians of all ages. I applaud their commitment to saving lives and preserving the health of their patients," Byrd said.
Nearly 2,000 injured patients a year are cared for annually at the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center and admitted to WVUH. WVUH is also home to HealthNet I, the state's aeromedical emergency service, and MedCom, which coordinates emergency medical communications for a large region in the north central part of the state.
Benedum Distinguished
Scholars Named
The WVU professors winning the Benedum Distinguished Scholar
Award for 2001 are: Linda Butler, professor of plant and soil
sciences; Peter Lightfoot, associate professor of music; and
Mark E. Koepke, professor of physics.
"These faculty are top-notch in their fields," said C.B. Wilson, associate provost for academic personnel. "The awards acknowledge their contributions in creativity and research."
The recipients were honored at individual awards ceremonies and gave public lectures related to their fields. Each received a $2,500 prize.
The Benedum Distinguished Scholar Awards were established to honor and reward University faculty for a recent achievement of note, or a distinguished career. The program is funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
Psychologists
Recognized Nationally
Research done in the WVU Psychology Department was featured in
the December 2000 edition of The Monitor on Psychology,
a publication of the American Psychological Association. The
article, "Preferring the Predictable," highlighted
research Professor George Eifert conducted with doctoral students
Carl Lejuez and Mike Zvolensky and a visiting research assistant
professor, Jerry Richards.
The team did a study to monitor anxiety and determine whether anxiety is lessened when it is predictable. The answer is "yes." Predictability was especially important for participants whose general vulnerability to anxiety was high.
Also, WVU Psychology Professor Kennon Lattal has received an award from the Behavioral Analysis Division of the American Psychological Association for distinguished contributions to basic research in the psychology of learning.
Lattal has been conducting research in this field for the past 29 years at WVU. Lattal has collaborated with more than 100 WVU graduate and undergraduate students during his career. They have investigated many research questions about the nature of positive reinforcement, which Lattal calls "the most important tool in learning." Lattal has written about general theories of learning and how animal and human behavior are related.
Math Learning
Institute Founded
Recent studies have shown that students in American elementary
schools test near the top in math proficiency compared to students
in other countries. Their competency in the subject slips, however,
during middle school years, and by high school graduation they
rank near the bottom.
Reversing this trend and providing national leadership in math education are the goals of the new WVU Institute for Math Learning.
"This institute is an excellent example of WVU's commitment to helping our students learn and understand the principles and concepts of mathematics, which potentially will expand their options for choosing majors while in college and their careers and earning potential after graduation," Provost Gerald Lang said.
The institute is administered by the Department of Mathematics. Faculty assigned to the institute will research, design, and implement effective teaching techniques; supervise math instruction; and advise the department on the use of technology in instruction. They will also work with K-12 teachers on various initiatives and seek grants to support their mission.
Gluck Coins New Word: "Humorosity"
Joe Gluck, WVU's former dean of students,
is a well-known bel esprit. He collects jokes and funny
stories and shares them in person and by mail with friends near
and far. He is also a logophile (word lover) and a lexicomane
(lover of dictionaries). Now, at age 86, he is making his own
contribution to lexicology (the study of words) by coining a
new word: "humorosity."
"If you consult an unabridged dictionary," he explains,
"you will find listed with the noun humor ' humorousness.'
It is comparable to 'generousness,' which became 'generosity,"
and to 'curiousness,' which moved on to be 'curiosity.' 'Humorousness'
has the same problem as 'generousness' and 'curiousness.' They
come off the tongue awkwardly."
Having coined "humorosity," Gluck decided to make a
contribution to lexicography (dictionary making) by submitting
it to the editors of Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
What, then, is the definition of Gluck's new word? "The
presence of humor," according to a new bronze plaque commemorating
the word and its creator on the wall of honor at his alma mater,
Bethany College. This just tickles Joe Gluck, who has demonstrated
great humorosity all his life.
Battle of the Brains
By Jim Bissett
George W. Bush and Al Gore wouldn't have
lasted five minutes with these guys. They wouldn't have been
able to get a word in edgewise.
Political stances and pointed rebuttals soared through WVU's
Woodburn Circle on a weekend in mid-February as the University
hosted its inaugural John A. Jacobsohn Memorial Classic, a tournament
featuring the top, fast-talking collegiate debate teams from
across the country.
About 100 debaters representing 15 colleges were on campus for
the three-day event.
The tournament is named in memory of the political science professor
and debate coach credited with transforming the 20-member WVU
team into a national powerhouse. Jacobsohn coached the team for
seven years until his death in 1997. The WVU team, which didn't
participate because it was the host of the affair, was ranked
No. 11 in the country at the time, and had been ranked as high
as second (behind No. 1 Emory University in Atlanta), over the
academic year.
As teams carting plastic storage boxes of resource materials
bustled to classrooms in Woodburn Hall for their respective matches,
WVU team coach Neil Berch took a stand for the Mountaineer debaters,
arguing that his team and program may have pulled off the quickest
turnaround in the nation.
"We came from 130th place to 11th in just three or four
years," said Berch, also a political science faculty member.
"For a while, we were the second team in the nation this
year. That's an effort. We're enjoying this."
In Room 106 of Woodburn, varsity debater Judy Goss of Mary Washington
College in Fredericksburg, Va., was generating an amazing effort
of her own, as she debated in favor of why the United States
should increase federal monies and other developmental assistance
to the countries of the Greater Horn of Africa.
This wasn't idle discourse. This was competition. Her eyes were
wide, and her knees were slightly bent as she did brain-battle.
She tightly gripped a sheet of notes in one hand and a digital
stopwatch in the other as she sent forth a torrent of words.
And words.
And more words.
She cracked the firm points of her argument like a whip, with
the power of her delivery and inflection. "Thousands of
Tanzanian women have died," she said, snapping the final
word for emphasis.
Her teammate, Nora Cronin, pored over her own material during
Goss's time at center stage. Their opponents, Michael Grossman
and Benjamin Sevacool of Cleveland's John Carroll University,
took notes and whispered advice to each other before taking their
turn.
Grossman, a sophomore philosophy major who's leaning toward law
school, stepped up. With his right hand slashing the air like
a verbal conductor, he tore through a litany of reasons detailing
exactly why the U.S. should hold back and offer humanitarian
efforts elsewhere.
"Debating is by far the most 'educational' activity I've
done in college," Grossman, an Adam Sandler look-alike with
a quick laugh, said moments before the match began. "It's
made me more tolerant of different views, and it's also improved
my study habits. There's a lot of discipline involved and you
have to think fast."
And just how fast is that?
Try as much as 300 words a minute, the judge of this match marveled.
"That's what you're looking at," said Larry Watts,
an amiable Texan and administrator at Mansfield University in
Pennsylvania who serves as a traveling judge for debate tournaments
across the country. "Some of these kids are clocking 280
to 300 words a minute."
Despite self-depreciating jokes about his slightly laconic Texas
drawl ("Texans can't talk that fast," he said), Watts
was himself a champion debater—first in high school at San
Marcos, Texas, then later at Texas Arts & Industries University
and the University of Nebraska.
"You do have to look for clarity of presentation, in the
delivery and in the argument," he said. "The ideas
have to be solvent, and you have to be able to actually understand
what they're saying."
All this talk about debating led to Dubya, Watts's fellow Texan
George W. Bush, who some pundits say made it to the White House
at least in part because of his debate performance against Al
Gore.
So how would those two fare against this crop?
"Al Gore might hang in there for a while," Watts laughed.
"But Bush? I don't think so."
Reprinted courtesy
of the
Morgantown Dominion Post.
Distinguished
Alumni
Praise Their WVU Preparation
By Amy Quigley
The three outstanding grad-uates elected to the WVU Alumni Association's Academy of Distinguished Alumni this spring credit a significant part of their success to WVU.
Bray Cary
"I wouldn't trade my WVU education for one from any other
college or university in the world," said Bray Cary, a Hinton
native who received a degree in public relations from the Perley
Isaac Reed School of Journalism in 1970 and a degree in public
administration from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences in
1971. "WVU prepares people to go out into the world and
be successful."
Cary is vice president of broadcasting and technology for the
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The second-most-watched
TV sport in the country, NASCAR races are carried on six major
networks and cable outlets.
The ability of people to relate to the sport has led to its recent
explosion in popularity, Cary believes. "We don't all play
football or basketball, but we all drive," he notes.
Along with his education, Cary values the friendships he made
at WVU above all. "You carry them with you for a lifetime,"
he says.
Cary and his wife, Dianne Shutts Cary, a 1971 WVU graduate, are
long-time supporters of the University, giving their time and
generous financial support. He also has been a lecturer at the
School of Journalism and is a recipient of the school's P.I.
Reed Achievement Award.
He served as commencement speaker for WVU in December 2000 and
is a past member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors.
The Carys live in Charlotte, N.C., and at their farm in Ripley,
W.Va.
Raymond G. Gillette Jr.
The School of Journalism's focus on the practical rather
than theoretical prepared Raymond G. Gillette Jr. for a successful
career in advertising.
"I've been able to put much of what I learned here as a
student into practice," Gillette says.
A native of the Weirton area, Gillette graduated from WVU in
1971 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Since joining the
advertising business in 1974, Gillette has been a leader in integrated
marketing and information technology.
He is currently a managing partner and president of agency operations
at the advertising firm DDB in Chicago. He joined the company
in 1978 as an account executive and soon began climbing the ladder.
Gillette is also president of integrated services for DDB as
well as president of Beyond DDB, the company's integrated communications
group. Beyond DDB has offices in six markets: Chicago, Dallas,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
DDB's clients have ranged from Budweiser and the popular "whass-up"
campaign to State Farm's familiar "like a good neighbor"
signature.
Prior to joining DDB, Gillette worked for McDonald & Little
Advertising in Atlanta, Ga., and served as a lieutenant in the
U.S. Army.
He recently returned to WVU to speak and to advise journalism
students. He shares with them the value of hard work: "Be
passionate about your work. Work harder than the competition
and don't be afraid to take a risk."
Gillette lives in Winnetka, Ill., with his wife, Susan, and two
daughters, Maggie and Lindsay.
Diana J. Mason
As a WVU nursing student in the 1960s, Diana J. Mason said she
learned from a faculty that was ahead of its time.
Mason graduated from WVU in 1970. She earned her master's degree
in nursing from St. Louis University in 1977 and a doctorate
in nursing research and theory development from New York University
in 1987.
She is editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Nursing;
the oldest and most widely read nursing journal in the world.
The publication has some 350,000 subscribers.
Her favorite WVU memories include the pride she felt wearing
her blue student uniform around campus and being called "Nurse
Mason." She also recalls the embarrassment of "pirouetting
down the hall of the pediatrics floor" only to realize that
the watchful eyes of a senior faculty member were upon her. Mason
also remembers taking part in protests against the Vietnam War.
From 1995 to 1997, Mason was associate dean for graduate studies
at the Pace University Lienhard School of Nursing. Her book,
Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care, is the
leading text on the topic and is a standard in the nursing classroom.
The most critical issue facing nursing today is the shortage
of people entering the field, Mason says. "Our society does
not value caring," she believes. "Students struggle
with whether to go into this profession."
It's a profession that Mason has found fulfilling and multi-dimensional.
As a community leader and youth supporter, she continues to make
students a top priority. She provides information on health issues
and radio expertise to Youth Pulse, a monthly radio show
aired on New York City Public Radio that helps to educate teens
on substance abuse. She has served as director of nursing education
and research for the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City,
where she lives. She also serves as a member of the WVU School
of Nursing Visiting Committee.
The Academy of Distinguished Alumni is in its 14th year.
Student Recreation Center Opens This Summer
By Becky Lofstead
A fit young woman climbs to the top of
a 50-foot, rock-like structure. Nearby, young men play a game
of pickup basketball. Swimmers do steady laps in a six-lane pool
while others relax in a leisure pool and sunning area. Runners
pass by on an elevated track, and friends enjoy fruit drinks
and bran muffins at a café.
If this sounds like a five-star resort and health spa, that's
not too far off the mark. This is WVU's new Student Recreation
Center—a 170,000 square foot, $34 million facility opening
this summer on the Evansdale campus. A grand opening celebration
will take place in September when students return for the fall.
College students are looking for more health-conscious activities,
says Dave Taylor, the center's director. "It's a trend college
administrators are seeing across the country," he says.
"Having a place to exercise, eat healthy food, and just
mix and mingle with friends in a relaxed environment is important
to students."
And they want choices. "Students today want options to the
traditional bar scene and house parties. WVU has given them that
with this rec center and other programming options. You'd be
hard-pressed to go to any major university campus and find nicer
recreational facilities or such an array of intramural and other
activities."
Attesting to the keen student interest and involvement in the
rec center, Taylor notes that the facility was initiated and
eventually approved by the student body in a special referendum
vote in April 1997. It was clear to students who voted for it
that the center would require a fee increase. That $90 per semester
fee goes into effect this fall.
Even though sophomore Leslie Cyphert belongs to a private gym
now, she says she'll use the WVU rec center—especially since
students are paying for it.
"It's awesome," she says. "I will definitely use
the facility, especially the basketball courts and running track.
It seems to be a very well-organized and thought-out design."
She says the extra fee doesn't bother her because "I'll
get my money's worth . . . even if I just go there to meet friends
and hang out."
Faculty and staff, their spouses, and children—and the spouses
and children of WVU students-may also use the center by purchasing
memberships.
Taylor says the complex will strengthen the quality of life for
students and employees.
"The state of West Virginia is a recreation area year-round,
and Morgantown—with the new Caperton Trail and other riverfront
development—is flourishing," he says. "This center
is going to further enhance fitness and health activities for
our students and employees for many years to come."
Recruiting will benefit as well, says Adele Siba, coordinator
of undergraduate recruiting, as word spreads of the center located
just a short walk from the Evansdale Residential Complex and
two primary PRT stations. It occupies a hillside just behind
the Communications Building overlooking busy Patteson Drive.
"The location is ideal," Siba says. "It's just
another example of how WVU is always thinking of ways to put
students first, in and out of the classroom."
Siba says student surveys at campuses that have recently built
rec centers indicate that having such a facility is a factor
in the college decision-making process. For that reason, the
center will be incorporated into the regular campus tour, with
groups traveling through a glass-enclosed area that provides
a perfect view of the amenities and access to the café.
"Many students come to a college campus with fixed patterns
of behavior. They may be members of private gyms or have access
to school or other fitness facilities in their hometowns. And
they tell us that having a multipurpose fitness center is important
to their lifestyle," Siba adds.
WVU's facility has two swimming pools. One is a 25-yard, six-lane
lap pool. The other is a leisure pool with warmer temperatures
and a beach-style entry. The leisure pool also has two fitness
lanes and a comfortable entry for wheelchair users and children,
plus a seating area for socializing. Next to the leisure pool
is a clover-leaf-shaped whirlpool that seats about 20 people
and an outdoor sunning deck that captures the morning and afternoon
sun.
A "wet classroom" is located off the pool area, as
well as locker rooms for men and women with separate wet and
dry entries for swimmers and the general public.
Two gymnasiums—one with four courts, the other three-are
marked for basketball, volleyball, and badminton and separated
with mesh dividers. The feature attraction, Taylor notes, is
17,000 square feet of weight and fitness space on two levels.
"By comparison, our largest fitness center on campus before
was 3,000 square feet," he says.
The focal point of the rec center is a massive 50-foot climbing
wall that stretches magnificently from the ground floor up through
the center of the four-story facility. The wall has 750 hand-holds
across its jagged surface.
"Today, if you're building a fitness center that accommodates
students and represents their interests, you should include a
climbing wall," Taylor says. "Ours has a mountain structure.
It should be a popular activity."
Also in the facility are a three-lane elevated running and walking
track; three multipurpose rooms for aerobics, martial arts, and
dance activities; three racquetball courts and one squash court;
and an outdoor recreation center for checking out skiing, camping,
and other equipment.
"We plan to offer a lot more outdoor trips once the new
facility gets up and running," Taylor adds.
Scott Kelley, WVU's vice president for administration, says the
new facility complements the current student union and other
campus recreational facilities located on the downtown campus.
"When you add this new recreation center to what's already
available, there aren't too many universities in the nation that
can offer what we do, especially for the price," he says.
Ken Gray, vice president for student affairs, says the new facility
expresses WVU's student-centered philosophy. "WVU was recently
cited in the Templeton Guide for our healthy, community-minded
approach to student programming. This new center enhances the
fact that we're offering our students one of the top college
living and learning environments in the nation," Gray says.
The facility employs a full-time campus recreation staff of about
15 people, plus another 300 student employees.
"In addition to working out and staying fit, we're looking
forward to offering more opportunities and space for socializing,"
Taylor adds. "We hope to complement the successful WVUp
All Night activities taking place at the Mountainlair on the
weekends, for example."
Most of WVU's intramural activities will be taking place in the
rec center. Plus, there is a wellness center, resource library,
study area, classroom, conference room, and socialization areas.
The architectural firm Moody/Nolan of Columbus, Ohio, designed
the center in consultation with WVU students and recreation staff.
The firm has designed rec centers at Ohio State University and
Miami University, among others, and will also renovate Brooks
Hall, a classroom building at WVU, next year.
The new facility is only one part of WVU's $250 million campus
renewal plan, which includes a $35 million main library addition
and renovation, a $43 million life sciences building, and renovations
to other campus buildings.
In addition, the WVU Foundation has built a $22 million office
complex, Waterfront Place, along the downtown Morgantown riverfront.
WVU is leasing six floors of the building, including a ground-floor,
"front door" entry housing the WVU Visitors Center.
Opening this summer, the seven-story building is soon to be complemented
by an adjacent Radisson Hotel.