Campus Reacts to War

By Becky Lofstead

The campus was void of students and faculty on March 19—the day U.S. bombs began raining on Baghdad—with most away on spring break.

Upon their return, however, college activism displayed itself in many forms from antiwar protests to rallies in support of President Bush and the troops. All were peaceful demonstrations, for the most part, despite some tense words and antiwar slogans written on campus sidewalks and along concrete walls.

In April, students joined faculty, staff, and townspeople for a campus forum aimed at trying to understand the war. Others met in silent prayer and read scriptures at a candlelight vigil under the mast of the USS West Virginia on WVU's Oglebay Plaza.

One of the inspirations for the vigil was student April Konka, whose sister was serving in the Middle East as a member of the army's biological/chemical weapons division. "We wanted to show our support for the people who have family over there," one of the student organizers said.

Even before war broke out, Peter Li, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, met with Middle Eastern students attending the University. "Morgantown is a tolerant, safe, and caring community, but when a conflict like this breaks out, we want to do everything we can to ensure that our international visitors are aware of the resources available to them and know that we care," Li said.

Faculty also found the topic of war ripe for the classroom. "Whichever side you are on, the discussions show why college is such a great time in a student's life," said Provost Gerald Lang. "You wake up one day and you are an adult and have to look at the world in a deeper way."

And, despite the war, WVU's approximately 20 study abroad exchange programs—in destinations ranging from England to Turkey—are continuing, although there are none currently scheduled in the Middle East. "Students seem undaunted," said Jeff DeGrave, who heads WVU's study abroad office. "In fact, semester exchanges are at full capacity and even more popular than short-term programs."

The war's repercussions are being felt in numerous ways, perhaps most directly by those students, faculty, and staff who are military reservists being called to duty. As of April, approximately 75 WVU students and employees had withdrawn or taken military leave.

WVU's Department of Public Safety, hospital staff, and others also participated in a mock disaster with other local emergency responders, gearing up for a possible biological or other terrorist attack as a consequence of the war. Preparations for responding to such an event actually began shortly after September 11, 2001. University officials also added some emergency procedures and stepped up safety measures and training after the war began.

In the true spirit of patriotism, a "Support the Troops" care package drive was held on campus. Items such as eye drops, dental floss, snacks, and phone cards were collected and sent overseas.

WVU Offers Rescued POW Financial Assistance
West Virginia's rescued prisoner of war Jessica Lynch, of Palestine, Wirt County, has been offered financial assistance to attend her home state university—WVU, President David C. Hardesty Jr. announced April 2—the day after Lynch's miraculous and dramatic rescue.

"We've been thinking about and praying for U.S. Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch's safe return since her capture on March 23," Hardesty said. "We've read about her reason for joining the military, and along with her love for her country and her concern for the plight of the Iraqis, she wanted to better her life through a college education.

"West Virginia University wants to provide that opportunity to our West Virginia hero, and will offer Jessica sufficient financial assistance-in coordination with any other assistance she may receive from the army-to pursue her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher-when she is ready, of course."

A private donor has stepped forward to fund the full cost of the scholarship through the WVU Foundation.
While University officials did not speak directly to the Lynch family, they made the offer through a family friend. WVU mementos and a note, tied with a yellow ribbon, were also sent to the family.

The family was notified of the rescue April 1—just prior to a televised news conference.

Jessica is the daughter of Greg and Deadra Lynch, and she has two siblings—Gregory, also a member of the military, and Brandi, a senior in high school.

Stellar 2003 Festival of Ideas Lineup
A former president of the Navajo Nation, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a syndicated columnist and political commentator, and a staunch advocate of victims' rights and missing children were among those featured at the eighth annual Festival of Ideas series on the WVU campus February through April.

This year's Festival of Ideas lineup consisted of Peterson Zah, former president of the Navaho Nation; Bruce Feiler, best-selling author of Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths; John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back; Judith Miller, the New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who broke the story about Iraq's attempt to buy nerve gas antidote; Arianna Huffington, author of Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America; Randall Kennedy, Harvard Law professor and author of Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word; and Eric Schlosser, investigative journalist and best-selling author who presented "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal."

Student Elections Go On-Line
For the first time ever, WVU students turned to cyberspace for annual student elections. In February, students voted by logging on to their Mountaineer Information Xpress (MIX) e-mail accounts, where a hyperlink led them to the voting page, complete with ballots and profiles of the candidates.

Students elected Charlie Battleson, a senior aerospace and mechanical engineering major from Buffalo, N.Y., as the new Student Government Association president. Jordan Workman, from Madison, and a junior double majoring in political science and economics, will serve as vice president. Over 3,000 students voted.

The Millionth Person
WVU law student Charles Bayless, the millionth person to walk through the turnstile at the Student Recreation Center, accepted $500 worth of prizes and congratulations from Susan Hardesty, former Student Government Administration VP Don McIntyre, and President David C. Hardesty Jr. Bayless, 33, of Morgantown, uses the Rec Center about five times a week and has tried every activity offered there except swimming. The Morgantown native and former air force captain said he enjoys working out at the center, particularly with the weight-lifting and cardiovascular equipment. The millionth customer is a milestone for the Rec Center, just one year and seven months after opening its doors.

State Committee Recognizes WVU Social Justice Program
The Martin Luther King Jr. West Virginia Holiday Commission recognized the WVU Academic Partnership for Minority Teaching Fellows on its Honor Roll of Service Organizations as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration. The WVU Academic Partnership was established in September 2001 by the WVU President's Office for Social Justice to provide semester-long teaching appointments for WVU minority doctoral students. The teaching fellows served as visiting faculty at one of the four participating colleges: Fairmont State College, Glenville State College, Potomac State College of WVU, or WVU at Parkersburg. Subsequently, the program extended to West Liberty State College and has plans to expand statewide. "I was delighted to hear about the Academic Partnership being included on the Honor Roll," said Jennifer McIntosh, WVU executive officer for social justice. "It has been especially encouraging to see how higher education leaders are working together in our state on a program that benefits both students enrolled in our state colleges and the teaching fellows from WVU."

Orchesis Marks 75 Years of Dance
WVU's Orchesis Dance Ensemble is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The Orchesis Dance Ensemble was founded in 1928-29 with a nucleus of young women who were experimenting with a new dance form called "creative dance," offering the opportunity of free expression with the body as the instrument of interpretation, according to Kacy Wiedebusch, coordinator of the dance program in the College of Creative Arts. "The Ensemble has grown and known many forms to its present college company of talented young men and women," she said.

Wiedebusch has been artistic director of the Orchesis Dance Ensemble for the past 46 years, and she has directed and produced a dance concert at WVU during each of those years. Members of the Orchesis Dance Ensemble are the top students currently studying for a minor in dance at WVU. Initiated in 2000, the minor in dance currently has 115 students enrolled.

Business Program Goes Transcontinental
The executive education and graduate programs in WVU's College of Business and Economics have joined forces to help a West Virginia company educate its employees about the many aspects of good business practices. Starting in January, a select group of employees from Simonton Windows began the first MBA Essentials course to be transmitted across the continent. MBA Essentials is an intensive 14-session course designed to provide a foundation in current business theory and practice, covering such topics as strategic management, financial accounting, marketing, and strategic use of information technology.

The course curriculum was customized for Simonton to fit the company's specific needs. For example, to study marketing principles, the classes will be looking specifically at marketing Simonton products, and when cost control is the topic, they will consider how general principles can be applied at Simonton. Each course topic is taught by experts in the field. This course brings together some of the college's best faculty, its seasoned executive-in-residence, successful alumni, leading local attorneys, business consultants, and other practitioners. Using Simonton's distance conferencing facilities and college experience in distance teaching, Simonton employees will be taught at two sites in West Virginia—including the Simonton home office in Parkersburg—and the class sessions will be transmitted simultaneously to the Simonton site in Vacaville, Calif.

Agreement Establishes Global Jingdezhen
WVU and Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute officials signed an agreement strengthening the ties between the two schools and establishing the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute-WVU Center for the Study of Ceramic Arts. The agreement will allow for creation of a semester abroad ceramics program, a continuation of a popular summer travel program art faculty member Robert Anderson has led since 1996. Jingdezhen, located in China's Jiangxi province, maintains relationships with only 20 institutions worldwide, one of which is WVU. Jingdezhen itself has 8,500 students and offers programs ranging from ceramics to electrical engineering. "I am most pleased to see an expansion of the relationship between WVU and Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute," said Dean Bernie Schultz of the College of Creative Arts. "Our ceramics program has enjoyed an affiliation with Jingdezhen for the past eight years. This expanded partnership will open new educational and research opportunities for our students and faculty." The city of Jingdezhen is considered the porcelain capital of the world, producing imperial porcelains since the Yuan Dynasty. Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute is China's national school for ceramic education.

The program will allow students to spend the semester for credit in Jingdezhen, where they can work with faculty at the institute, as well as local artisans and people from the manufacturing sector.

A Historical Art Collection: Bringing the State's Fine Art to Light
When one hears the words "West Virginia art," visions of colorful quilts and hand-crafted glass pieces usually come to mind.

And while many consider West Virginia synonymous with mountain folk art, an impressive but often overlooked tradition of fine art also exists in the Mountain State, says John Cuthbert, curator of WVU's Regional History Collection.

Bringing this art heritage to the forefront is one goal of the West Virginia Historical Art Collection created at WVU in the 1990s. Art from the collection currently hangs in the Stewart Hall mezzanine—a gallery completed in October 2002—and in the WVU President's residence, Blaney House.

Artwork in the Stewart Hall gallery will be rotated approximately twice per year. Historical artwork also graces the walls of the entry hallway galleries leading to the West Virginia Regional History Collection in the renovated Wise Library. Cuthbert hopes the two galleries will give students, employees, and campus visitors the opportunity to learn about West Virginia's fine arts tradition by seeing firsthand artwork in the Historical Art Collection.

Currently displayed in Stewart Hall are works representing just a slice of the state's rich fine arts history. Featured artists include nationally-renowned illustrator David Hunter Strother and Blanche Lazzell, a very important and accomplished modern artist.

Life Sciences Lab Dedicated
The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Psychology dedicated a facility in the new Life Sciences Building as the Hayne W. Reese Group Observation Laboratory. Reese was one of four distinguished scholars either recruited or promoted as centennial professors to celebrate the University's 100th anniversary in 1967. He was recruited in 1970 from the University of Kansas, where he established himself as a leading development psychologist. He retired in 2000 after 30 years of service to the University.

As one of the founders of the field of life-span development psychology, Reese's professional achievements are well known in the discipline worldwide. He and others helped establish the Department of Psychology's strong research and teaching programs in clinical, life-span developmental, and behavioral psychology.

Corporate Citizenship Class Grants Community Project Awards
Students in the College of Business and Economics learned how difficult—and how satisfying—it can be to give. The Corporate Citizen Project class had $25,000 to give away to nine local nonprofit organizations that proposed community projects the class deemed most worth supporting.

Two Business and Economics alumni—Howard Knicely and Robert Reitman-are responsible for making this grant possible through donations from TRW and the Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Philanthropic Fund. This grant allowed students to participate in the only class of its kind in the nation, one where they learn to make tough decisions with real consequences in their community. To determine which local charities should receive a grant, the class solicited proposals for projects that would benefit the greater Morgantown community, developed a set of criteria for judging them, and then selected the winners from among nearly 40 proposals.

Howard Knicely, who earned a master's degree in 1960, is executive vice president of human resources and communications at TRW, and Robert S. Reitman, class of 1955, is a former chairman and CEO of Tranzonic Companies, a Cleveland-based personal care products and industrial textiles company.

Mollohan True Friend of WVU
WVU welcomed U.S. Representative Alan B. Mollohan, a WVU College of Law alumnus, when he addressed graduates and received an honorary degree during 2003 Commencement ceremonies May 18.

"We were honored to have as our commencement speaker this year a man whose hard work and vision have helped to make West Virginia University one of this country's leading higher education institutions," said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. "His dedication and service to not only WVU, but the entire First District, are a shining example for our graduates."

Honorary Degree Recipients
Four individuals who have risen to the top of their professions, held significant national leadership positions, and supported the mission of WVU were awarded honorary degrees during WVU's 134th Commencement.

Alan B. Mollohan, a 1970 graduate of the WVU College of Law, has had a long and distinguished record of public service to the people of West Virginia.

Mollohan's leadership in the House of Representatives has led him to membership on strategic committees that represent the needs of north central West Virginia, facilitate the economic growth of this district, and provide opportunities for partnerships with WVU.

Sylvia M. Mathews was born and raised in Hinton, W.Va. She graduated cum laude from Harvard University with an A.B. in government in 1987, and, as a Rhodes Scholar, earned an honors degree in philosophy, politics, and economics in 1990 from Oxford University in Oxford, England.

Mathews is executive vice president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's most extensive private foundations working globally in the areas of health, education, and technology.

Yolanda Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni, was born in Knoxville, Tenn., and raised in Ohio. In 1960 she entered Fisk University, where she worked with the school's Writer's Workshop and edited the literary magazine. After earning a B.A., she organized a Black Arts Festival in Cincinnati and then entered graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nikki Giovanni is a Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and one of the most widely read living American poets.

Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard was born in Tehran, Iran. After attending the University of Phalvei for one year, he immigrated to the United States in 1977, settling in Morgantown. At WVU, he earned his B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1981.

Yassini is founder and CEO of YAS Broadband Ventures, LLC. Yassini is internationally recognized as the "father of the cable modem." CED magazine named him "1998 Man of the Year" for creating and fostering the multibillion-dollar cable model "broadband" industry.

Order of Vandalia
"The Order of Vandalia is reserved for those who have demonstrated extraordinary service, loyalty, and dedication to WVU," said President David C. Hardesty Jr., who called this year's honorees "valued alumni and friends whose enthusiasm for and devotion to WVU never wavers."

The 2003 honorees are: Alfred F. Ware, retired CEO of Amherst International; the Hon. Judge Irene Keeley, U.S. District Judge, Northern District of West Virginia; Milan "Mike" Puskar, retired CEO of Mylan Laboratories, Inc.; and Forest "Jack" Bowman, retired WVU law professor emeritus.

President's Distinguished Service Award
Lloyd Jackson earned a B.S. in political science from WVU in 1974 and his law degree from WVU in 1977.

"During Lloyd Jackson's distinguished legislative service, he was instrumental in the passage of significant laws that reformed higher education, initiated funds for scholarships and other financial aid, retooled K-12 education, and improved our economy and our environment," Hardesty said. "We are deeply grateful for his leadership and his vision."

Childhood Fitness Advocate Named Ware Distinguished Professor
The recipient of the first endowed professorship in WVU's School of Physical Education plans to use her position to spread the message about childhood fitness. Linda Carson, an associate professor and director of the West Virginia Motor Development Center, was named the Ware Distinguished Professor. The Ware Family Foundation established the professorship in honor of School of Physical Education alumni Alfred F. and Dolores Jamison Ware.

Carson has been a faculty member in the School of Physical Education for 22 years. She started the Motor Development Center at WVU in the 1980s as a way of teaching motor skills and active lifestyles to children. Carson also developed the Choosy Kids Club, an after-school fitness education program for elementary school children in Monongalia and surrounding counties. Some 250 children meet twice a week at the Coliseum to learn the value of exercise, nutrition, and being tobacco- and drug-free. About 20 WVU students from various disciplines staff the meetings, gaining practical experience in teaching childhood fitness. It is the Choosy Kids Club that Carson wants to expand, using the Ware Distinguished Professorship as her bully pulpit. Her goal is to establish Choosy Kids Clubs in schools across the state and encourage adults to be equally choosy when making decisions on behalf of children.

Health Educator Wins WVU Teaching Award
If one of her students were to give Ruth Kershner an apple, she would probably say thank you and then explain the benefits of eating the fruit every day. A health professor at WVU, Kershner has spent the past 12 years doling out such hearty tidbits to budding health care professionals and educators under her tutelage. For her efforts, Kershner has been awarded the 2003 June Harless Award for Exceptional Teaching, one of WVU's premier teaching honors.

Kershner, a clinical assistant professor, joined the School of Medicine's community medicine department in 1991. She teaches courses in school and community health and serves as the alcohol educator for the School of Medicine. She takes a holistic approach to health education. "Some people believe that health is associated only with physical well-being," she said. "The reality is that there exist many other facets of health, including social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and intellectual components." Her teaching philosophy centers around getting students involved in various activities to reinforce the subject matter. "Every class has lecture and discussion, yet each class also features one or more learning opportunities that allow students to engage in purposeful activities to reinforce the content, examine values, resolve differences, reflect, think critically, or explore issues from a broader perspective," she said.

The June Harless Award is named for the late wife of James "Buck" Harless, a Mingo County coal executive and a longtime supporter of WVU. It was made possible by a contribution from Gene A. Budig, WVU's 17th president and now a teacher at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Administrator Recognized Nationally for Leadership
Kenneth D. Gray, vice president for student affairs, was one of ten prominent African American leaders featured in the 2003 Strong Men and Women: Excellence in Leadership series of educational materials produced by Dominion, one of the nation's largest energy producers. "Vice President Gray has helped to oversee WVU's growth into a more student-centered learning environment, which has resulted in increased enrollment, improved student behavior, and higher academic performance," said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. A native of Exelsior (McDowell County), Gray became the first African American general in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps when he was promoted to brigadier general in 1991. He joined WVU in 1997 after retiring as major general and the assistant judge advocate general of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps.

MLK Achievement Award
The WVU Center for Black Culture and Research presented the Reverend Angela Walker with the 2003 Martin Luther King Achievement Award during the 18th annual Unity Breakfast. Walker is an ordained elder with the African Methodist Episcopal Church and has served as pastor of St. Paul AME Church in Morgantown since 2000. Walker works with WVU's Health Sciences and Technology Academy as field site secretary of Barbour, Preston, Taylor, and Tucker counties. She is enrolled in the higher education administration doctoral program at WVU. Also during the Unity Breakfast, sponsored by the WVU President's Office, Tochukwu Aguoji was announced as the 2003 MLK Scholarship winner. Aguoji, a junior business management major, is from Belmont, N.Y.

USA Today Academic Team Honorable Mention
Ryan M. Schiffbauer, a senior pursuing a double major in psychology and French, was selected for honorable mention in USA Today's 2003 All-USA College Academic Team. A native of Fairmont, Schiffbauer graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1999 as a National Merit Scholar. He plans on attending graduate school at WVU through either the Department of Political Science or the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. The MALS program is an interdisciplinary major that requires students to choose a study-focus theme and select coursework from several disciplines. "Either way, I'm interested in focusing on French politics," he said. "After that, I plan to apply to a Ph.D. program in political science to study French and European politics. Ultimately, I'd like to be a professor or a research fellow at a foreign policy think tank."

Summer 2003 Contents

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