West Virginia STATE Magazine Vol. 3: 2015

Volume 3: 2015

west virginia

Dear State Family: It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the third edition of STATE magazine. As you browse the pages herein, I know, like me, you will be so proud of the meaningful contributions and significant impact so many members of the State family are making across the Kanawha Valley, the State of West Virginia and our nation!

From our unbelievable women’s tennis team, who have won three consecutive conference tournaments in as many years while earning accolades for their academic achievements, to the incredible support for the University’s first-ever fundraising campaign, “Realize the Promise, Deliver the Future,” which will significantly enhance the lives of Yellow Jackets for generations to come, there can be no doubt that the passion displayed by each member of the State family featured within this edition is truly inspiring.

West Virginia State University has a proven record of providing students with an affordable, world-class education. International students, like Erblina Prekazi, are provided this incredible education which instills important lessons for all students about international relations, cultural awareness, diversity and mutual respect. Now, State’s rapidly expanding international relations with universities in Brazil, Guyana, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates will lead to an even more diverse student population.

Whether enrolled in undergraduate studies, graduate programs or our new English as a Second Language (ESL) program, growing populations of international students are calling State home, allowing us to create a substantial footprint in communities across the globe. I am confident these students will soon cherish the place we love so dear as much as we do.

In a year’s time, we have made colossal infrastructure improvements, welcoming new state-of-the-art facilities: the Judge Damon J. Keith Scholars Hall and the Gregory V. Monroe Athletic Complex. The incredible growth and forward momentum occurring at every level of the campus community could not have occurred without the deep-rooted passion, sustained dedication and lasting commitment of our exceptional students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

As we celebrate State’s enduring legacy and look with great promise to a truly remarkable future, I hope you enjoy the tremendous examples of the State family’s passion illustrated within these pages.

GO STATE! With sincerest appreciation,

Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. President West Virginia State University

Volume 3: 2015

EXECUTIVE EDITORS Kimberly Osborne

Vice President for University Relations and Operations

Ashley Schumaker

Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President

Patricia Schumann

Vice President for University Advancement President, WVSU Foundation, Inc.

MANAGING EDITOR Jack Bailey

F E A T U R E S THE CLOCKMAKER Milton Kates talks about his design for the University’s clock tower, and the quest to build what has become an enduring symbol of State.

W E C A N D O T H AT State alum and retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Walter F. Johnson III and his wife, Doris, talk about giving back to support the next generation at WVSU.

CAL BAILEY Long-time State baseball coach Cal Bailey talks about retirement, philosophy and spending his days down on the farm.

Director for Public Relations

ART DIRECTOR Yuma Nakada

Director for Publications and Design

PHOTOGR APHER Todd Griffith

Director for Photographic Services

CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Browning

Director for Communications Gus R. Douglass Land-Grant Institute

HIGH ENERGY The new WVSU Energy and Environmental Science Institute is looking to increase State’s work in energy and environmental research, teaching and outreach.

DELIVER THE FUTURE The University has upped the goal for its on-going campaign to $18 million in order to bring more new services and programs to students.

CL A SS NOTES Keep up with the latest news about Yellow Jacket alumni.

Belinda Fuller

Director for Alumni Relations

STATE is published annually by West Virginia State University.

Story ideas and feedback for STATE magazine may be sent to Jack Bailey at jbaile19@wvstateu.edu.

To be added to our mailing list, contact Belinda Fuller at bfuller@wvstateu.edu.

COV E R : C H A M P I O N S H I P C A L I B E R The State women’s tennis team is a force to be reckoned with.

For students at West Virginia State, over the past two decades, The Carillon, or clock tower as it is more commonly known, has been a prominent feature on the campus landscape.

Located between Ferrell and Hamblin Halls, the clock tower is an instantly recognizable icon of the University, so well-known, in fact, that in 2014 its image was incorporated into the school’s logo as part of an ongoing rebranding and marketing effort.

Given its prominent place in the University’s landscape today, it is difficult to imagine campus without the clock tower. It is even more difficult to imagine that what is now a fundamental element of campus life was almost never built.

In 1989, two years before the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of West Virginia State, members of the University’s National Alumni Association were discussing what could be done to mark the historic occasion.

“None of the ideas seemed to be working out,” recalled Milton Kates, ’52, who served 27 years

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as President of the Cleveland Area Alumni Association. “P. Ahmed ‘Doc’ Williams was president of the National Alumni Association at the time.

“We kept having these meetings, and no one had any good ideas. I told Doc to let me take the responsibility. Don’t give me anyone else, no committee, just let me do it. He said, ‘If you want it you can have it.’”

A prominent Cleveland area businessman as owner of Solar Universal Technologies, Kates said when he took on the role of crafting a gift from alumni to the University he did not have a specific idea in mind.

“Then, one morning, I was just waking up, and I had the idea for a clock tower in my head,” Kates said, “and I had a sketch pad laying by my bed, and I drew what I had envisioned.”

A published poet, Kates said that he wasn’t certain what inspired his design for The Carillon.

“It just came out of the clear blue,” said Kates.

“I write poetry, too, and I don’t always know where the ideas come from. It just came to me.

Maybe I saw something like that along the way.”

Kates said his vision for the clock tower was more than simply a large stone structure; he also wanted it to tell State’s story.

Incorporated into his design are plaques

featuring each of the college’s presidents through Dr. Hazo W. Carter, Jr. Each of the president’s plaques details significant accomplishments during his time in office.

“I wanted this to be more than just a clock tower by itself, I wanted it to be a history of the College,” he said.

Kates took his drawing for The Carillon to an architect friend who transformed the handdrawn image into professional architectural renderings. Armed with these renderings, Kates went back to the National Alumni Association to present his idea.

The reception of the Alumni Association was not overwhelming, as Kates recalled, with many members of the board expressing concern over raising the estimated $200,000 it would cost to bring the architectural renderings to life.

But Kates had a plan. He proposed approaching alumni to have their names placed on the new clock tower for $200. If 1,000 alumni participated the necessary money would be raised.

The Alumni Association voted to proceed with the clock tower project, but it was close. Kates said the decision passed by only one vote.

In addition to raising the funds for the project, Kates also faced another hurdle: he needed to get the Campus Beautification Committee to approve the design and location of the project.

The task proved harder than he initially thought.

Kates’ original proposal would have put the clock tower in the middle of the quad. That plan was rejected. Additional rejections followed, until the clock tower’s current location was approved.

While the location and design were going through the approval process, Kates began his fundraising drive to raise money for

construction. The timeline was tight with only about a year to raise the necessary funds.

Letters went out to all of the school’s alumni, but returns were slow to roll in.

“I thought for $200 it would be an easy sell,” Kates said. “A good night out on the town will cost you $200 and the next day it is only a memory.”

But eventually, all the pieces fell into place.

G&G Builders of nearby Putnam County was selected to construct the tower in the months leading up to its October 1991 dedication.

In addition to the plaques featuring State’s presidents, a time capsule was installed in The Carillon to be opened in 2091 on the University’s bicentennial. Kates said information regarding the history of the college, the clock tower project and various newspaper clippings, among other objects were placed in the capsule.

The day of the clock tower’s dedication, Kates said, was unforgettable.

“The day of the unveiling was a day of celebrating, a day of euphoria, for finally accomplishing something that had a lot of resistance,” he said.

Now, nearly 25 years later, Kates said he is proud to have played a role in the history of the University and leave such a lasting monument for generations of Yellow Jackets to come.

“Every year, I come to Homecoming. I haven’t missed one in 50 years. And always when I am on campus, I go up there and walk around The Carillon and check it out,” Kates said. “You could say it was like a labor of love. Once I get involved with something, I just hang onto it.”

For those interested, space is still available to have names engraved on a plaque on The Carillon for $200. Contact Belinda Fuller at (304) 766-3387 or bfuller@wvstateu.edu for more information.

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The poet Alfred Austin said, “to nurture a garden is to feed not just the body but the soul.” One State student, with the help of WVSU Extension Service, is taking that notion a step further, using garden-based education to feed the minds of preschoolers throughout the region.

Junior Emily Moore was first introduced to State as a young child, when her fourth grade class at Buffalo Elementary School in Putnam County built a garden through a WVSU Extension Service program. The experience planted seeds of passion that have led Moore to WVSU’s biology program – and back to the very school garden that started it all.

Last summer, Moore found herself working as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) for Melissa Stewart, assistant program director for WVSU Extension Service’s agriculture department.

One of her tasks was to revamp the garden at Buffalo Elementary and introduce agriculture education to the school’s preschool students.

“It was so much fun and a good experience for me,” Moore said of her early exposure to gardening through WVSU. “I want little kids now to have the same experience I did.”

Using the Junior Master Gardener (JMG) curriculum, Moore is helping adapt activities to the preschool age level, including picket fence design, garden building and container garden development.

“It’s great to see someone who experienced this program as a kid return and teach it to the next generation,” said Stewart. “That experience is helping her revamp the program to an even younger audience.”

While JMG is traditionally designed for students beginning in third grade, Stewart is leading efforts to adapt it to the preschool level. Moore’s work at Buffalo is among the first JMG interactions with that age group across the nation. Ultimately, the project will result in a nationally unique curriculum that incorporates garden activities with the sought-after skills of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) – all at the preschool level.

“There are no STEM-based curricula targeting the preschool age range,” says WVSU Extension Agent Jenny Totten, noting that teachers are turning to sites such as Pinterest to find adaptable activities for children. “Fortunately, we’re finding that several of the JMG activities for older kids are adaptable to a younger audience.”

“Kids at this level learn through hands-on interaction,” adds Stewart, “and JMG was designed to provide that style of learning, so this is a natural transition to a new audience.”

With the support of the national JMG program, housed at Texas A&M University, Stewart’s team will construct the lesson plans and activities through 2015, eventually leading to a whole new addition to the JMG series.

Moore, meanwhile, welcomed the opportunity to be part of such an important project, as introducing agricultural concepts to school children is gaining momentum both in West Virginia and across the nation. Lessons are being introduced at several schools and community centers throughout Kanawha and Putnam counties. In addition to instruction, each site is benefiting from an on-site garden, like the one Moore helped build.

The experience proved a worthwhile introduction – or, perhaps, reintroduction – to WVSU. Reuniting with Stewart in the garden helped ease Moore’s transition to State. She began her first semester in fall 2014 after transferring from another university.

“I’m happier at State,” said Moore, who balances her biology coursework with outreach opportunities through WVSU Extension Service.

Stewart looks forward to working with Moore on additional projects during her academic career and attributes that childhood interaction to helping guide her to WVSU as a young adult.

“Such lifelong connections are what Extension is all about,” Stewart said. “I’m thrilled Emily is with us again, planting those seeds in children who could be the Yellow Jackets of tomorrow.”

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Retired United States Army Brigadier General Walter F. Johnson III has always been a leader.

Whether as a point guard on the basketball court, or as quarterback of the football team for Immaculate Conception High School in Charleston, S.C., Johnson has earned the respect and admiration of those around him.

The 1961 graduate of West Virginia State spent 27 years in the U.S. Army, rising to the highest rank he could achieve, before retiring from the service to launch a second career as a highly successful international businessman and entrepreneur.

Today, he and his wife and best friend, Doris, divide time between homes in Florida and South Carolina, and visiting with their six children and 14 grandchildren. It has been quite a journey for Johnson; one he writes about in “I Can Do That: Advice for Spiritual Entrepreneurs,” and shares in public talks.

“We have been given a lot” Gen. Johnson wrote in his book, “and I’m fully aware of God’s admonition that much is expected of me in return.” To that end, today, the Johnsons spend their time working on a variety of social causes and projects to ensure future generations will also have access to opportunities.

“I grew up in public housing in Charleston, S.C.,” said Gen. Johnson during a visit to Institute for Homecoming 2014. “I had a very good education not only from my school, but from my family and neighbors. I had a lot of very positive people around me. My dad was a major influence on me.”

Growing up, Gen. Johnson was always industrious. He began delivering newspapers in Charleston, S.C., at an early age and was so successful he took second place in a city-wide contest for developing new subscribers.

Gen. Johnson credits his paper route with helping him develop his salesmanship and entrepreneurship at an early age. In 1988, Johnson was named to the International Circulation Managers Association Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame.

“Having a paper route teaches you discipline,” he said. “Trust me, if you didn’t deliver the papers on time there were older subscribers there waiting on you for their paper.”

Gen. Johnson attended Immaculate Conception, an African-American high school, and performed well in the classroom and in athletic competition. He said he had ambitions to go to Howard University when his school’s principal stepped in and suggested West Virginia State College may be a better option .

“I had not heard of West Virginia State College, and I had never been to West Virginia,” Gen. Johnson said. “(But) the principal of my school talked about the strong faculty that we had here, and my dad had a good friend that had gone to West Virginia State.”

Gen. Johnson arrived in Institute and was impressed by what he found.

“Two things struck me – first, the professors cared about you as a student. They took an interest in you. These professors really cared about you as an individual

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and wanted you to succeed not just in their class, but in life,” he said. “Second, here I was this just-turned-18-year-old-kid and the professors would say ‘Mr. Johnson this’ and ‘Mr. Johnson that.’ Here I was a kid out of the projects of Charleston, S.C. That really struck me.”

During his time at State, Johnson was active in ROTC and also played saxophone in the school’s band. In addition, he was active in student government, serving as vice president of his junior class, and also served as president of the campus Catholic club. He lived on campus in Gore Hall for four years.

Gen. Johnson graduated in 1961 with a degree in zoology and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps.

He said, at the time, he thought he would stay in the service for two years, but two years became four, and Gen. Johnson began to rise through the ranks. In all, he would remain in the service for 27 years and achieve the rank of Brigadier General with command of 5,000 officers in the Medical Service Corps. He was the first African-American to hold this position, and also the youngest.

He was inducted in the West Virginia State University ROTC Hall of Fame in 1985, one of 15 former members of the Yellow Jacket Battalion who achieved the rank of general during their service.

He said his time at West Virginia State prepared him well for his military career, and later work in the business arena.

“West Virginia State gave me a solid foundation academically and also taught me how to deal with people and how to deal with life,” he said. “The staff and faculty were concerned about making you a well-rounded individual. They prepared us so very well.”

When he retired from the service in 1988, Johnson went to work as a regional director for the American Hospital Association. He later became vice president of the Association, before leaving in 1993 to become the President of the Institute for Diversity in Health Management.

But Gen. Johnson had always harbored dreams of having his own business, and in 1996, after long talks and consultations with Doris, he launched Eagle Group International, Inc., a full-service health care consulting firm with major civilian, federal and international practices.

Over the next 12 years, Eagle Group grew from a start-up family operation to a successful enterprise with over $150 million in annual revenue, and more than 1,500 employees in 30 different states and seven foreign countries. In 2008, the family sold the company to Lockheed Martin Corp.

During his military and subsequent business career, Gen. Johnson said he did not maintain much of a connection to West Virginia State – that changed with the arrival of President Brian O. Hemphill in 2012.

Gen. Johnson said he was at an event and was introduced to the new President shortly after Hemphill came to the University. He said he was impressed by the President’s vision and liked what he heard.

“He is clearly a leader and not afraid to make decisions,” Gen. Johnson said. “He is going to reenergize the alumni across the nation. He is in a very good position to get them energized and reconnected to the University.”

The Johnsons are supporting the vision for the University through their donation of $750,000 to establish a scholarship for WVSU students majoring in business and students in the ROTC program.

Gen. Johnson sums up his and his wife’s philosophy to support the University simply.

“It’s not the taking, it’s the giving that is important,” he said.

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Retirement means different things to different people. For some, it means more time to play golf, for others more time to travel, or to read.

For recently retired West Virginia State baseball Coach Cal Bailey, it means more time to work at a place he may love more than the ball field – his farm.

“If you have a farm, there’s always something to do,” said Bailey from the front room of the old home that sits on his 126-acre farm near Liberty in Kanawha County. “Normally, I come here about daylight. I enjoy being in the fields. It’s just a different kind of field than the ball field; its hay fields, meadows, pastureland.”

Following the 2014 baseball season, after 37 years of leading the Yellow Jackets baseball program, Bailey hung up his spikes and baseball cap for the final time.

He left the coaching ranks on a high note with his team winning the first Mountain East Conference baseball tournament. The victory meant the 18th conference championship of Bailey’s legendary coaching career.

Along the way, his teams collected 1,063 wins, making Bailey one of the all-time winningest coaches in the history of NCAA Division II baseball.

“It was the perfect fit for me,” said Bailey of his coaching career at West Virginia State. “It was home.

I would always get comments like, ‘why don’t you go here, or why don’t you do this or that?’ They didn’t see things from my point of view. My heart was at West Virginia State.”

A native of Newton, W.Va., and a graduate of Spencer High School, Bailey first came to Institute as a baseball player. During his two years of playing baseball for the Yellow Jackets, Bailey made a name for himself, earning all-conference honors, and the opportunity to play professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

While playing professional baseball, Bailey continued his coursework at State, eventually earning his bachelor’s degree, and then later a master’s degree from the former W.Va. College of Graduate Studies.

When his days of playing professional baseball were over and following a stint in the U.S. Navy, Bailey went to work in State’s admissions office in 1974.

In 1978, Bailey was named the head coach of the Yellow Jackets and established WVSU as one of the premier baseball programs in the nation. He said that through the years he used the same approach in coaching his many teams.

“My style has always been to cause a little disequilibrium,” he said. “Baseball relates to real life more than any other sport. Things aren’t always going to go right. Trying to stay on that positive side is a big task. You can’t get on the positive side unless you battle some of the negatives. If I could cause disequilibrium in practice, they (the players) would be able to handle it themselves. I wanted them to be their own best coaches. Practice was my classroom, the game was their test. It worked well for 36, 37 years.”

In addition to the victories and conference championships, Bailey’s legacy extends through the players he developed. Several high school baseball coaches in West Virginia played for Bailey, and 39 of his former players played baseball professionally.

Beyond the baseball diamond, Bailey’s legacy extends in other ways as well. In addition to coaching, Bailey taught for many years at State in the Education and Health and Human Performance departments.

He said he enjoyed being in the classroom and encouraging young minds to learn.

“I really miss classroom teaching. I really enjoyed that,” Bailey said. “My style was argumentative.

In education, there are two sides to every story, so regardless of the comment or discussion in class I would pick the other side to expose students to how different things could be depending on what their beliefs are. I would try to get them to understand, things aren’t always what they seem; they aren’t always what they think they are. There is another side of the story.”

Bailey retired from the classroom in 2008-2009, but kept coaching through the 2014 season. He announced his retirement from coaching a full year in advance so it would not be a distraction during the baseball season, and it would give the administration time to plan for and name a successor.

Long-time assistant coach and WVSU Athletic Director Sean Loyd has taken over as the new coach of the Yellow Jackets.

When asked if he offered Loyd any advice, Bailey laughed and said, “It’s your baby now.”

Since retiring, Bailey said he has only been back to campus a handful of times.

“The thing about retirement is, if you go back all the time, you are really not making a break, but if you don’t go back, people think you don’t care, or have a bad attitude about it, but that’s not the case,” Bailey said.

When spring rolls around, Bailey said he would likely be spotted around the baseball field in Institute, taking in a few games as a spectator and cheering from the stands.

“I do plan to go watch some games, but I won’t get wet and I won’t get cold,” Bailey said. “The NCAA really needs to make some changes in college baseball.

Baseball isn’t meant to be played in February or March.”

While work on the farm occupies much of his time these days, Bailey and his wife, the former Ruth Fisher, also travel and spend time visiting with their children, Danny and Janna, and their four grandchildren.

Ruth is a 1967 graduate of WVSU and a former Yellow Jacket cheerleader. Both of the Baileys’ children are also State graduates.

“West Virginia State has been good for us and good to us,” Cal Bailey said. “State was my home since 1964.”

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Just about anyone who has come into contact with Kanawha County Commission President W. Kent Carper knows he is a proud West Virginia State graduate.

The long-serving politician keeps his State degree hanging in his office, and he goes out of his way to find out where folks who come to the courthouse went to college.

“I went to West Virginia State. I am proud of that,” said Carper, who in addition to his political career, also has a thriving law practice as a partner with the firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler, PLLC. “I have in my office my West Virginia State College diploma. I am very proud of it.

That is my college degree, and it hangs right next to my desk.”

A Charleston native, Carper attended what was then West Virginia State College in the early ’70s. A commuter student, like many who attend the school, Carper said that he still made time to be on campus and relished the college experience.

“There was a really interesting group of folks there at the time,” Carper recalled. “Even though I had gone to an integrated high school, it wasn’t that integrated. At State, it truly was integrated and everyone sat and talked together.”

Encouragement from State professors also spurred Carper to continue his education and earn a law degree.

“There are a lot of very, very, very fine professors. I had a lot of very fine, world-class professors. They changed my interests,” he said. “My first year I made C’s, my last year I made straight A’s. They challenged me and caused me to become curious about things.”

After earning his law degree from Ohio Northern University, Carper returned to the Charleston area to embark on his legal

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career. While building his legal practice, Carper also placed a high value on public service. During his career, Carper served as Chief of Police for Charleston, and as Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. He has served on the Kanawha County Commission since 1996.

Carper and his wife, Deborah, place a high value on education and have given generously to support scholarship programs for students at the University. In recognition of her leadership and service, Deborah Carper was awarded an honorary doctor of public service degree from WVSU in 2012.

“Debbie likes to give back, that is something she very strongly believes,” Carper said. “If you touch one person’s life, it’s hard to predict what will happen. It is a great reward to hear that something you were able to help with has made such a big difference to someone.”

Deborah Carper said that through the years she has most enjoyed meeting with students she and her husband have been able to help.

“We want a great education for these students who are trying so hard, and we want to help them along,” she said. “We are proud to do it. We always wanted to give back.”

The Carpers believe that supporting educational opportunities in the Kanawha Valley is important, and encourage others to learn more about what West Virginia State has to offer.

“It is an excellent opportunity for those who need an educational opportunity closer to home. I think you should take a hard look before you go too far up Interstate 79 or somewhere else. You would be surprised by what is in your own backyard,” Kent Carper said.

Growing up in the small European country of Kosovo, Erblina Prekazi always knew she wanted to come to the United States to pursue her college education.

Determined, after finishing her 11th grade year of school in the city of Mitrovice, she applied to be a foreign exchange student to come to America.

“I have always been independent,” said Prekazi, who is now a sophomore studying economics at West Virginia State. “I knew if I wanted an education the best place to get it was in the United States. My intention was to come to the United States for my senior year to get ready for college. Thankfully, it happened.”

Prekazi was paired with a family from the South Hills area of Charleston, and came to the United States to complete her final year of high school at Cross Lanes Christian, a small private school only a few miles from Institute.

“It was a bit of a culture shock to be honest with you,” said Prekazi. “I went to a high school of 2,000 people in Kosovo, and there were only 200 students in the entire school at Cross Lanes Christian.”

Still, she quickly found that America was everything she hoped it would be.

“Once you adjust, you find out how friendly people are,” she said, “and the most important thing is that it is never about the place, it is always about the people.”

As she completed high school, Prekazi already knew she wanted to continue with college in America. Her host family, Connie and Merrill Bergstedt, helped her work with an advisor to explore her options, and one of those schools was West Virginia State.

“I came here to State and had a meeting with Vice President Kitty McCarthy and then with President Hemphill himself,” Prekazi said. “And I loved it. I seriously loved it. I just wanted to be one of those students that I saw on campus that day.”

Now, in her second year of studying at State, Prekazi has embraced the college life. She lives on campus in Dawson Hall and is the President of the International Student Services organization. In addition, she works 20 hours a week on campus managing the music lab in the Davis Fine Arts Building.

“I love being on campus.

It’s way better to be here and around other young people,” she said. “All my friends are here. The most important thing is that the faculty and staff made me feel at home. I just love it.”

While finding a home away from home in the mountains of West Virginia, Prekazi has been able to travel throughout the United States. She has been to seven other states and counting.

After graduating from WVSU, Prekazi plans to go on to graduate school in the United States, with her ultimate goal to earn a Ph.D. in economics or finance.

Eventually, she would like to work in the government or financial planning sectors.

For now, she is enjoying life as a college student at State.

“I love West Virginia because of the mountains. Kosovo is the same way… beautiful mountains,” she said. “The state in general is beautiful. People here are very hospitable, make you feel like home.

I wouldn’t change being in America for anything.”

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The University is focusing its energy on its latest research environment and sustainability. One project involves enhancing venture, the West Virginia State University Energy and the capacity of crops to produce energy in the production of Environmental Science Institute (WVSUEESI). The Institute biofuels, bioproducts and industrial chemicals. Crops are being launched last year with the mission of enhancing State’s tested for performance efficiency on formerly mined lands. capacity to participate in evolving opportunities in energy and One of the goals of the WVSUEESI is to generate technologies environmental research, teaching and outreach. and provide hands-on research opportunities for students and “Our goal is to partner with public and private sectors so we science-based outreach opportunities for K-12 youth throughout can work together to address pertinent energy and environmental the region in the hopes of inspiring the scientists of tomorrow. issues for West Virginia,” said “We are producing the future WVSUEESI Director Dr. Sanjaya. workforce in the sustainable Those issues include researching “One of my biggest interests in being at energy industry,” said Sanjaya, WVSU is the opportunity to work in a team, who received his Ph.D. in tree the feasibility and sustainability of alternative energy sources improvement and biotechnology with hard-working and smart students and for the Mountain State as in 2003 from the University of a strong scientific community.” government regulation and Mysore, India. environmental concerns continue Before arriving at WVSU to lead to cast resources such as natural gas and coal in the national the WVSUEESI, Dr. Sanjaya worked as a senior research associate spotlight. at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at Michigan State Coal, especially, has become a point of debate and a hotUniversity. His credentials include three patent applications, 20 button issue in West Virginia, but Sanjaya is quick to say that papers in refereed journals, six published book chapters and eight WVSUEESI is not out to replace it with alternative sources. published reviews. The opportunity to lead WVSU’s venture into “Coal is in the blood of West Virginia,” he said. “We’re not here energy research was a welcome step in an already storied career. to say coal is not good. Instead, we want to make our existing “I’ve always wanted to progress professionally and resources more efficient and supplement them with new ones.” academically, and to enrich my previous experience working Those new energy sources include renewable resources with energy and environmental science,” he said. “One of my from plant-based biomass. Scientists at WVSU are conducting biggest interests in being at WVSU is the opportunity to work ongoing projects focusing on feedstock improvement, biofuels in a team, with hard-working and smart students and a strong and bioproducts; biogas and microbial genomics; bioremediation, scientific community.”

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When it comes to representing West Virginia State University in athletic competition, no one has done it better the past few years than the Yellow Jackets women’s tennis team.

In the fall of 2014, the team clinched its third consecutive conference championship when it won the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament. It did so by posting a 9-0 record for the fall season, including 7-0 in MEC conference matchups. In fact, the women’s tennis program has won 33 straight matches against conference opponents.

The team has been to seven consecutive NCAA tournaments, making it to the regional finals the past two years.

But just as impressive as its on-court performance, the team has also excelled in the classroom. The Lady Yellow Jackets have been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic team seven of the past eight years for maintaining a team GPA of 3.2 or higher. For the 2013-2014 school year, the team’s GPA was 3.7.

Leading the charge for the Yellow Jackets team at the No. 1 singles position is Brittany Franco, a junior biology premed major from Deerfield Beach, Fla. Franco was named the Freshman of the Year in 2012 in the former West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) and has been named first team all-conference each year.

“I don’t expect anything less of the team. I know we are better than everyone else,” Franco said. “I have goals to win a fourth ring (for winning the conference championship) and for us to make it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. That is something that has not been done before.”

Behind Franco playing in the No. 2 spot in singles is Freshman Brooke Campbell from Perth, Australia. A biology, pre-med major, Campbell posted a 7-2 mark in singles competition during the fall season and a 9-0 mark in doubles earning her first team all-conference.

“It’s good to be part of a winning team, and we get along well together,” Campbell said.

The No. 3 seed for the Lady Yellow Jackets is Charlotte Sandy, a junior math major from Liskeard, England.

“I picked this school because of the tennis program,” said Sandy, who moved up to the No. 3 spot this season after playing at the No. 5 spot the year before. “I wanted to be part of a winning team so I chose this over other schools that were recruiting me. Winning our third ring was great, but now I am 14 | We s t V i r g i n i a S TAT E

so motivated to get the fourth next year and finish it out.”

Even though she is new to the program, freshman business major Nina Dillwald already has a great appreciation for its winning tradition. The No. 4 seed played in the deciding match of this year’s MEC tournament.

“Everyone was watching,” said the freshman from the city of Castrop-Rauxel in Germany. “I told myself, ‘Nina, you can’t lose this match.’ It wasn’t for me, it was for the whole team. I was so proud of the whole team and all that we accomplished.”

The Lady Yellow Jackets No. 5 seed, Diana Cotoros, a junior from Chisinau in the Republic of Moldova, came to Institute to be part of the tennis program but enjoys all that campus has to offer. She carries a double major in business management and economics where she has posted a 4.0 GPA. During the fall 2014 semester she carried 21 hours, while also doing an internship and tutoring other students.

“I am happy here. I like the small college environment.

Everyone knows everyone, and people help you here,” she said.

The Lady Yellow Jackets No. 6 seed, Brenda Cumpa, a freshman from Lima, Peru, also came to Institute to be part of the winning tradition.

“It is exciting to be part of this,” said the economics major.

“Everyone contributes, it is a group accomplishment. I like it.”

Freshmen Lauren Chambers and Christine Johnson play doubles for the Lady Yellow Jackets.

Johnson came to Institute from her hometown of Eldersburg, Md., to be part of the Lady Jackets basketball team, but said she also enjoys being part of the winning tradition of the tennis team.

“I hate losing,” Johnson said. “I enjoy being part of a winning program. We all get along well. It is like a second family.”

Chambers, who came to Institute from Logan County, W.Va., said that she also enjoys the camaraderie of the team, as well as being close to home.

In building a winning program, interest has also built from those in high school who want to step up and play in college.

Coach John Simms said when his three junior players graduate, he will have much more of a selection of potential players now than three years ago.

“I will have more than a hundred names to go through at least,” Simms said. “When I was recruiting them, I was looking at five or six other players; now it is well over 10 times that.

That is the kind of interest that a winning program generates.”

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For those who may not have been on the West Virginia State University campus recently, the landscape has been changing dramatically.

The year 2014 saw the opening of two of the largest buildings ever built on campus in the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center and the Judge Damon J. Keith Scholars Hall.

These were followed in early 2015 by the dedication and opening of the new Gregory V. Monroe Athletic Complex.

Combined, the three new buildings mean expanded classroom learning environments, enhanced athletic training facilities and modern, state-of-the-art living.

“West Virginia State has a lot of history and a lot of tradition. You can come to Homecoming and see the number of alumni who return,” said sophomore Shealyn Shafer. “But now with that tradition there is also new, with new buildings and new faces and new students, and that really gives West Virginia State a dynamic (feel).”

The first of the trio of new additions, the Walker Convocation Center, opened in February 2014. The Convocation Center features a 1,350-seat arena and an athletic court that is home to the Yellow Jackets men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as volleyball. In addition, the arena has also served as the site for the May and December 2014 commencement ceremonies.

Construction on the $19 million expanded academic and athletic space began in 2012 after the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, then-Governor Joe Manchin and the West Virginia Economic Development Authority approved the issuance of Lottery Revenue Bonds to support capital improvement projects located at higher education institutions across the state.

In addition to the construction of the new Walker Convocation Center, as part of the project, extensive renovations were made to the existing Fleming Hall.

Renovations included expanded academic areas enabling students pursuing Health and Human Performance degrees to learn using state-of-the-art technology in the classroom.

The Convocation Center is named in honor of longtime Kanawha Valley civic leaders D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker.

In August 2014, the new Judge Damon J. Keith Scholars Hall was dedicated and opened to students for the fall 2014 semester. The new residence hall is the first built on campus since 1969 and is named in honor of Judge Damon J. Keith, a State alumnus who has served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit since 1977.

The new Keith Scholars Hall features suite-style living with two-, three- and four-bedroom suites, in addition to a study lounge, café and gaming room for students.

Scholars Hall resident Alana Weyant said the new residence hall has been a big hit with students.

“Keith Hall has been a brilliant addition to the University. It has been a great way to bring residents together socially and academically,” the senior psychology major said. “The game room and the big conference room have really been utilized by many people this year!”

Ground was broken for the new residence hall in September 2013 after the Kanawha County Commission approved the issuance of up to $30 million in bonds to fund construction. Ambling University Development Group is the developer of the 291-bed, four-story residence hall.

A native of Detroit, Judge Keith is a 1943 graduate of West Virginia State, as well as a graduate of the Howard University Law School and the Wayne State University Law School.

As a member of the federal judiciary, Judge Keith has earned a reputation as a defender of the constitutional and civil rights of all people. In U.S. v. Sinclair, commonly referred to as “the Keith Decision,” the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed Judge Keith’s landmark ruling prohibiting President Richard Nixon and the federal government from engaging in warrantless wiretapping in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Spring 2015 saw the newest addition to the State campus with the opening of the Gregory V. Monroe Athletic Complex.

The $3.5 million athletic complex is adjacent to Lakin Field at Dickerson Stadium and features 15,691-square-feet of space including meeting rooms, a weight room, training room and a locker room.

The two-story athletic complex is named in honor of Gregory V. Monroe, Sr., a 1980 graduate of State who played football for the Yellow Jackets.

The new building features a new, larger locker room for the Yellow Jacket football team. Having that locker room to use during games means the locker room previously used by the home team at Lakin Field is now available for use by the visiting team.

In the past, visiting football teams would have to dress before the games in a locker room at Fleming Hall and then walk to the field where a tent would be set up for them to use during halftime.

All 200 of State’s student athletes benefit from the new athletic building, having access to the weight room and meeting rooms.

Yellow Jacket football player Matt Kinnick said the whole team is excited for the addition of the new Monroe Athletic Complex.

“We’re all excited about the new building. Having a place that holds all our meeting rooms, our locker room and our weight room under one roof is very beneficial to our program,” said the redshirt freshman quarterback. “It’s great having a place we can call our own and be proud of.”

Learn more about these and other exciting improvements on campus by visiting the University’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/wvsu1891.

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West Virginia State University (WVSU) is in the midst of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign – “Realize the Promise, Deliver the Future.” Announced publicly as part of Homecoming 2014 activities, the campaign to raise $18 million by 2017 has been in a quiet phase since 2010 and has already generated more than $10.3 million in donations to the University.

Funds raised through the campaign are designed to position WVSU for success by investing in scholarships, academic programs and faculty support, student success, capital improvements, information and technology and the WVSU Fund.

Numerous alumni and friends of the University have already stepped up to contribute to the campaign, and are urging others to do the same to ensure the next generation of Yellow Jackets maintain access to a quality and affordable education.

“The students are our future. We need to remember that,” said Diane Strong-Treister, President and regional franchise owner of Manpower, and Co-Chair of the campaign. “Many of those students maybe didn’t have the upbringing we were fortunate to have. So this is where I think the business community needs to get behind students and all of us take a part in allowing these students to succeed.”

Strong-Treister has many reasons to invest in the success of the University, knowing from her own experience the role it can

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play in the lives of those seeking an education.

“I took classes in the evening two days a week at State early in my career for a couple of years. I would work and take classes in the evenings,” she recalled. “For myself, coming from small town USA, it proves you can really go there and be anybody you want to be. I loved my classes; I loved the interaction. I think that’s what I want people to know. You can stay right here in the Valley, attend a great University and it’s not just the students, it’s the faculty, the administration, everyone has a part in making sure you succeed.”

Today, Strong-Treister’s Manpower franchise has 11 locations in West Virginia and Kentucky that employ several thousand people in administrative, industrial and professional positions.

In addition to her business, she volunteers her time to multiple organizations, including the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority and the state’s Workforce Investment Board.

Just as she enjoys the challenges of identifying opportunities and growing her own business, she sees the same opportunities for State to grow and prosper with the right support.

“By investing in the University, you are making a big difference,” she said. “The atmosphere there, people really care.

Even more than that, I love development, marketing, creating and at State you get that. People there are kind of on the ground level. They see the enthusiasm building.”

Another prominent West Virginia business leader supporting the “Realize the Promise, Deliver the Future” campaign is Andy Paterno, President of the West Virginia region of Huntington Banks.

“West Virginia State University is very much needed in this area,” Paterno said. “It is affordable and allows people who want to commute that opportunity, or they can live on campus. I got involved in the campaign because President Hemphill asked me to be involved; he is energetic and has brought new life to the University. He is getting things done, and when you have a leader transitioning a school, we want to help people who are doing things. I want to support him.”

A Kanawha Valley native and fixture of the area’s business community for more than 30 years, Paterno held executive positions for Wells Fargo Insurance Services, formerly McDonough Caperton Insurance Group and Acordia Mid-Atlantic. He was also part of a Charleston area group that came together to ensure minor league professional baseball remained in the Capital City.

Paterno said that the growth experienced at the University in the past two years is evidence of the need for an institution like State in the region.

“West Virginia State is on the move,” Paterno said.

“Having two straight years of enrollment growth means something, and it means something for our communities. It is needed; the school is needed. It has given opportunities people would not have otherwise.

Building up foundation support and scholarships are necessary.”

In announcing the campaign, WVSU President Brian O. Hemphill said that working together will mean a brighter tomorrow for the University and its students.

“Together, we are achieving our goals that benefit the Yellow Jackets of today and those of tomorrow,” President Hemphill said. “Our continued collaboration is vital to our University and the people of West Virginia and the region. On behalf of all Yellow Jackets, thank you for your continued support.”

The $18 million dollar campaign will conclude in 2017. Learn more about the campaign from StrongTreister and Paterno by visiting the University’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/wvsu1891.

For more information, naming opportunities and how you can support WVSU, visit connect.wvstateu. edu or call (304) 766-3130.

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After serving as senior counsel, Walker joined the litigation department in the Pittsburgh law firm of Strassburger, McKenna, Gutnick and Gefsky.

In 2011, Walker launched his own law firm, Frank Walker Law, in downtown Pittsburgh, where he focuses on criminal defense and personal injury matters. Since opening the Pittsburgh office, he has also opened a second office in Morgantown, W.Va. Walker is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; the Supreme Court of West Virginia; U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia; and the United States Supreme Court.

Since opening his law practice, Walker has developed a reputation as one of the most sought after criminal defense attorneys in western Pennsylvania. He has been named a member of the National Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Top 40 Under 40 Criminal Defense Lawyers.

“It is an awesome feeling to be able to give back.

With Frank’s law practice growing, the When you think about where you started and Walkers began to look for ways to give back and where you are right now. State has always been support the alma mater that launched them on the road to success. the foundation. State was the starting point.”

“It is an awesome feeling to be able to give back,” said Walker. “When you think about where you started elected President of the Student Government Association, voted Freshman Athlete of the Year, selected for Who’s Who in and where you are right now. State has always been the foundation. State was the starting point.”

American Colleges and Universities and served as a member The Walkers’ financial support of the University is part of the Judicial Conduct Board. He also met his wife, the former of the ongoing “Realize the Promise, Deliver the Future” Jennifer Jackson, while both were students at State.

He credits his service on State’s Judicial Conduct Board with campaign.

Frank urges other young alumni of the University to be sealing his desire to eventually go to law school. active in the campaign, as well.

“I always try to look at a situation objectively and see both “People in my age group, that 35-45 age group, maybe side’s point of view without any prejudice walking in,” Walker come back for Homecoming, maybe make a $100 donation said. “On the Judicial Conduct Board, I went in with a blank a year, but we really aren’t as involved as we should be,” slate, and I started to realize I could do some things because I knew how to look at things objectively and see both sides of an Walker said. “Maybe if I lead the way, and make a donation, then they will see that and say, ‘Well he did it, maybe I argument. After that, I knew I wanted to go to law school.” should put together some money and make a donation Following graduation from State in 1998 with a bachelor’s myself.’ Do it for their city, or their alumni chapter, or their degree in criminal justice, Walker went on to earn a master’s practice, or their business. Maybe it will open a door for degree in education/leadership studies from Marshall people from my generation.”

University, and a law degree from West Virginia University.

Frank and Jennifer are both life members of the WVSU After law school, Walker served as a senior trial attorney National Alumni Association. The couple live in Pittsburgh for the Allegheny Office of Conflict Counsel in Pittsburgh, with their two children. where he worked to defend indigent clients and supervised To hear more about the Walkers’ support of WVSU, visit younger trial attorneys, while carrying a caseload of high the University’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/wvsu1891. profile criminal cases before various courts in Pennsylvania.

West Virginia State University has always played a role in the life of prominent Pittsburgh attorney Frank Walker, Jr. Originally from Institute, Walker grew up on Douglass Street, near the Drain-Jordan Library building, and remembers fondly roaming around the campus grounds during his youth.

“My father, mother and grandmother are all West Virginia State graduates. I have fond memories of going to football and basketball games on campus. I was the little kid who grew up on campus,” Walker said.

When it was time to think about going to college, however, Walker said initially he wasn’t planning to just walk across the street, but the opportunity to play sports for the Yellow Jackets proved too tempting. He met with the State football coaching staff and was assured he could play as a freshman.

“After that, I fell in love with it,” he said. “Best decision of my life.”

Once on campus as a student, Walker embraced the college lifestyle. While at West Virginia State, Walker was twice

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIR

OF MANY HATS West Virginia State University (WVSU) Board of Governors Chair Tom Susman has worn many different hats during his career – community journalist, small business owner and public servant to name a few.

The Beckley, W.Va., native grew up in a household surrounded by politics, whether it be his father, a state senator, or his mother, who operated a weekly newspaper. He said that debates around the dinner table were often lively, centered on public policy.

Susman would go on to major in politics as his field of study at West Virginia University.

Following graduation, he worked in the family newspaper business, which had expanded to two weeklies, The Mullens Advocate and The Gulf Times in Sophia.

“I really enjoyed that part of my life in terms of profession,” he said. “Covering the council meetings and talking to people. Community journalism. You can really help people.”

Eventually, Susman entered the political arena himself, serving in the state House of Delegates from 1987 through 1992, and later as the Director of the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency and the Acting Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Administration.

It was during his time serving in the Legislature that Susman said he became truly acquainted with WVSU. “I grew up in West Virginia, so I knew West Virginia State was here,” Susman recalled, “but it was when I was in the Legislature that I really came to know its mission and history.”

During his time under the capitol dome, Susman was among the legislators that led the drive for State to have its land-grant status restored, something he appreciates all the more now that he serves on the University’s Board of Governors.

“We have to do more to increase our research role. We are a land-grant institution,” he said.

“We are doing a lot in that area, but there is more that can be done. We are strategically located between Charleston and Huntington.

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We can generate a lot of economic return.”

Susman was appointed to the Board of Governors six years ago and began serving as Chair in July 2013. He said State is making remarkable progress in attracting and retaining students, and in building its infrastructure with new facilities like the D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center and the Judge Damon J. Keith Scholars Hall.

“I appreciate its role as a commuter school, but I like the idea we are improving our housing so we can become more of a residential school,” he said.

Looking forward, Susman said that State must continue to attract and retain the best and brightest students from West Virginia and beyond, while also reestablishing relations with alumni who may be in a position to give back to their University.

“We have to realistically understand that we are responsible for our own destiny,” Susman said of the University. “We are going to have to try and continue to increase enrollment and increase fundraising and continue to make realignments in how we operate.”

Susman is president of TSG Consulting, a Charleston-based public and government relations firm that he founded in 2000. Today, the company has seven employees.

Recently, he and a partner purchased WMOV AM and FM, a radio station serving Jackson and Mason counties. While not his full-time job, Susman said that he enjoys being involved in the local radio station, as it gives him a chance to reconnect with the community journalism he enjoyed early in his career.

Susman is married to Carol and has four children, daughters Jennifer and Courtney and sons Austin and Michael.

“I have learned a lot about higher education being on the Board,” Susman said, “And I am really impressed by our outstanding students and faculty, and the dedicated alumni we have at West Virginia State.”

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01.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY POSTS SECOND STRAIGHT ENROLLMENT INCREASE At a time when the national student recruitment environment is challenging, West Virginia State posted a second consecutive year of increased enrollment in fall 2014.

State had 2,884 students enrolled during the fall semester, an increase of more than 200 over the 2,677 who attended the Institute school in fall 2013. Student enrollment in fall 2012 was 2,644.

“This remarkable achievement speaks volumes about the variety of new and long-standing, quality areas of study we offer at West Virginia State,” said President Brian O. Hemphill.

“Coupled with the infrastructure investments we have made on campus, including the opening of our first new residence hall since 1969, more students are choosing State to continue their education as we prepare them to lead the workforce of tomorrow.”

WVSU posted an enrollment gain in the number of students transferring from other colleges and universities.

Transfer students were up nearly 20 percent from fall 2013 with 276 students opting to come to Institute. In addition, WVSU welcomed 422 first-time freshmen in fall 2014.

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02.

DR. KUMARA L. JAYASURIYA NAMED NEW PROVOST Dr. Kumara L. Jayasuriya was named West Virginia State University’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs effective July 1, 2014. Jayasuriya came to Institute from Purdue University North Central, where he had most recently served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Mathematics. From 1993 until 2011, Jayasuriya served in a variety of positions at Indiana University East (IUE) rising from Assistant Professor of Mathematics to Dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics. During his tenure at the Indiana University System, he received numerous teaching awards, including the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching, which is presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to teaching and learning through areas of self-evaluation, course preparation, research, instructional skills and student impact. In 2003, he received the highest faculty honor awarded at IUE, the Helen Lees award for excellence in teaching.

During his career, Jayasuriya has served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and for The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. He has also participated in numerous education development initiatives on a statewide level including leading the Indiana State Group, Affinity Network national project – Connecting K-12 & Postsecondary Education in Common Core State Standards, which was launched by the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center.

Jayasuriya earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee in 1993. He holds a Master of Science from Southern Illinois University and earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of ColomboSri Lanka.

Jayasuriya and his wife, Salmini “Sally,” have three children, Daniel, Dylan and Devon.

03.

WVSU RECEIVES TREE CAMPUS USA DESIGNATION In 2014, West Virginia State University became the first institution of higher education in the Mountain State to receive Tree Campus USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. “The Tree Campus USA designation is testament to the State family’s efforts to appreciate the environment in which we live and work,” WVSU President Brian O. Hemphill said. Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by Toyota to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. WVSU achieved the recognition by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project. Organizers celebrated the designation in April 2014 with an Earth Day planting of a European Birch Tree in the area between Dawson Hall and Cole Complex on the University’s campus.

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04.

STUDENTS CREATE FILM DOCUMENTING THE LIVES OF WEST VIRGINIANS KILLED IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN Two West Virginia State University communications students teamed up to create “37 Fallen,” a film chronicling the lives of 37 West Virginians who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. State students Calvin Grimm and Tyler Miller tell the stories of the lives of those West Virginians who died in the War on Terror through interviews with family members, military unit members and military historians. The movie debuted on Veterans Day 2014 at the WVSU Capitol Center Theater in downtown Charleston. Grimm and Miller, who are both veterans themselves, produced, wrote and directed the film. Work on the film began in 2013, and took the pair of student filmmakers to 16 states, traveling more than 10,000 miles. The pair describe the film as a personal mission to document the lives and service of their 37 fallen fellow West Virginians. Research for “37 Fallen” was funded by a $5,600 grant from the Promoting Excellence in Education through Research Program at WVSU and a $1,500 grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council.

05.

WVSU SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH MARSHALL, WVU Building on earlier partnerships with other institutions of higher education in the region, West Virginia State signed a series of agreements in 2014 providing expanded educational opportunities for WVSU students. In June, WVSU signed an agreement with the Marshall University School of Pharmacy allowing State students who are in good standing and meet the admissions requirements to enroll at Marshall’s School of Pharmacy and receive full credit for up to 72 hours of collegelevel coursework. Additionally, once students satisfactorily complete two years of pharmacy coursework at Marshall, they will be eligible to receive their bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biology from West Virginia State.

In December, State entered into a collaborative agreement with the West Virginia University School of Dentistry for a Dental Early Admission Program (DEAP). The purpose of DEAP is to help facilitate pre-dental students’ transition into the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at the WVU School of Dentistry. Participating undergraduates will take part in pre-health professions seminars and community service activities while enrolled at West Virginia State. Annually, the School of Dentistry will reserve two spots in the entering dental class for West Virginia State students meeting DEAP requirements. Priority will go to West Virginia residents, but qualified non-residents could be selected, as well.

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06.

BIOLOGY PROFESSOR PRESENTS AT INTERNATIONAL AQUACULTURE CONFERENCE Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Jonathan Eya gave a presentation during the Aquaculture America 2014 International Conference and Exposition on the interactive effects of dietary protein sources, dietary lipid levels and water temperatures on growth, feed utilization, enzyme activities and gene expressions in rainbow trout.

Eya has been engaged in aquaculture research for several years, and has been published in the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health and the Journal of Aquatic Sciences, to name a few.

The long-term goals of his research include: investigating the nutritional requirements of species with potential economic importance; studying the interrelationships between nutrition, immunity and resistance to bacteria and parasites of fish of economic importance; and studying means of utilizing nutritional strategies to reduce aquaculture waste production such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

Eya earned his doctorate degree in Fisheries (Aquaculture) from Auburn University. He has a master’s degree in Fisheries and a bachelor’s degree in zoology, both from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

07.

HUNDREDS TURN OUT TO CELEBRATE HOMECOMING 2014 A little rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Yellow Jackets who returned to Institute Oct. 9-11, 2014, for West Virginia State’s annual Homecoming celebration. In addition to unveiling a new goal for the University’s ongoing fundraising campaign, the weekend featured plenty of food, fun and fellowship. President Brian O. Hemphill kicked off Homecoming activities by delivering his annual State of the University address. Other highlights included a golf outing, planned giving seminar, a parade and the Homecoming football game against the W.Va. Wesleyan Bobcats. In addition, Homecoming weekend featured the induction of four new members into the ROTC Hall of Fame. Joining the ranks of those enshrined in the ROTC Hall of Fame were Commissioner (retired) Anthony Conyers, Jr.; Lt. Col. (retired) Haywood Holder; Lt. Col. (retired) Kenneth Rainelle Mosley; and Capt. Robert Lee Smith. In addition, five members were inducted as Honorary ROTC Hall of Fame members. Honorary members are Maj. (retired) Richard Neece Ojeda II, Rose Agnes Rolls Cousins, Henry L. Moore, Mac Ross and Wylie W. Seldon, Jr. In addition, the National Alumni Association recognized Glover L. Smiley, Jr., ’77, as its Alumnus of the Year and Autumn Anderson, ’05, as its Young Professional of the Year.

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08.

YELLOW JACKETS CLAIM MOUNTAIN EAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT TITLE The West Virginia State University baseball team won the first Mountain East Conference tournament title to cap off a successful 2014 season. Led by a determined group of seniors, the Yellow Jackets refused to let retiring Coach Cal Bailey go out anything but a champion. The Yellow Jackets won a winner-take-all title game 4-1 over Notre Dame with senior pitcher Devin Bowles throwing five hitless innings on two day’s rest. Senior Cody Smith drilled the second pitch of the game over the left field fence to start the scoring. Senior Jack Hudson drove in two runs with a double, senior Stephen Workman shook off a line drive to his hip and tossed a scoreless seventh. It was the 18th title for Bailey, who finished with 1,063 wins during his 37-year career.

For his performance during the 2014 season, WVSU sophomore relief pitcher Joshua Falbo was voted Honorable Mention All-American status by the National College Baseball Writers Association.

He set new WVSU program records for saves in a season with 14 and career with 22. The former Hurricane High star posted a 0.68 earned run average, struck out 32 batters in 26 1/3 innings, and opponents hit just .198 against him. Falbo and senior outfielder Jack Hudson were also selected to the Daktronics All-Atlantic Region second team while Hudson was also named second team All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Hudson finished his WVSU career with a batting average of .356 and a slugging percentage of .561 after playing in 167 games.

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09.

NBA LEGENDS HELP OPEN WALKER CONVOCATION CENTER IN STYLE Three NBA Hall of Famers came to Institute in February 2014 to help open the new D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center in style. Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell traveled to Institute to see the opening of the Center and the unveiling and dedication of a statue honoring their friend and fellow Hall of Famer Earl Lloyd. Following the completion of his legendary playing career at West Virginia State, Lloyd went on to become the first African-American to play in an NBA game.

The statue honoring Lloyd is located in the lobby of the Center and was supported by the NBA, as well as the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, Mannie Jackson. Artist Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Sculpture Studio created the bronze statue.

10.

WVSU NATIONAL “W” CLUB SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTS EIGHT NEW MEMBERS West Virginia State University’s athletic booster organization, the “W” Club, inducted eight new members into the University’s Sports Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming 2014 activities. The new inductees were provided gold jackets to wear at a brunch in their honor before walking from the Wilson University Union to the nearby Canty House, home of the Hall of Fame, through a cheering lineup of previous Hall inductees. The new “W” Club Sports Hall of Fame members are: Gregory Damone Banks (class of ’88) for baseball and football; Carl T. Chadband (class of ’02) for basketball, football and track; Reggie Coleman (class of ’78) for baseball; Wilfredo C. Collazo (class of ’80) for football; Patricia R. King (class of ’85) for basketball and track; Dr. Lynn H. Smith (class of ’62) for track; Malcom E. Spence III (class of ’92) for football and track; and Michael Taylor (class of ’07) for basketball.

11.

POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR CHAIRS PANEL AT THE YALE CONFERENCE ON BALTIC AND SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES Dr. Ginta Palubinskas, Associate Professor of Political Science at WVSU, served as chair of a panel discussion at the 2014 Conference on Baltic and Scandinavian Studies at Yale University. The conference was a joint effort of Yale, the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies and the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study. The conference drew scholars from 22 different countries, whose research draws on the experiences of the peoples of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, as well as Scandinavia.

Palubinskas chaired and led the discussion for the panel “Nordic-Baltic Nexus on Energy and Russia,” where she presented her paper, “The Significance of U.S. Shale Gas for Baltic-Scandinavian Energy Security.” She also chaired and led the discussion for a second panel, “Shifting Economic Roles and Their Social and Cultural Consequences,” where scholars discussed political, economic and social changes occurring in the Baltic States and Scandinavia.

Palubinskas earned her doctorate degree in Public Policy from The School of Public Policy at George Mason University.

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CLASS NOTES 1937: Wendell Smith (Biology) was posthumously honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors with the Red Smith Award in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2014, which would have been his 100th birthday. Smith played baseball while attending WVSU and was the sports editor for the Yellow Jacket student newspaper. Best known for his role in the desegregation of Major League Baseball, Smith convinced Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey to give Jackie Robinson a chance. His role in Robinson’s career was featured in the motion picture “42” released in 2013.

1939: Parthenia Fountain Edmonds (Home Economics) celebrated her 100th birthday in December 2014 with family and friends. Edmonds currently resides in Beckley with the family of her niece, Pamela H. Moore (’71).

1940: James E. “Jimmy” Huger (Business) celebrated his 100th birthday in January 2015 at the Daytona International Speedway 500 Club. In 1965, Huger was elected the first black city commissioner in Daytona Beach and later became the first black member of the Volusia County Council in 1973. Huger currently resides in Daytona Beach, Fla. 1949: Edouard E. Plummer (Bachelor of Arts) celebrated 50 years of guiding young scholars in Harlem. Through the Wadleigh Scholars Program (an academic boot camp preparing disadvantaged boys and girls for the secondary school test and offering etiquette classes, trips to the theater and other events), Plummer has helped more than 500 young people into 108 different boarding and preparatory schools since 1964. After five decades, Plummer continues to push his scholars to realize their own promise and reach for their dreams. Plummer resides in New York City.

1951: Lottie B. Gibson (Sociology and Drama) has been a volunteer and advocate for Greenville, S.C.’s, poor and disenfranchised for more than 50 years. Gibson retired in 2006 after 32 years from Greenville Technical

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College as the College’s first Director of Federal Trio Programs for disadvantaged students and continues to serve on various committees and councils in the Greenville area. She has received more than 65 public awards, recognitions and citations. Gibson and her husband, Dr. W. F. Gibson, reside in Greenville, S.C.

1951: Louise Elaine (Taylor) Neal (Bachelor of Arts) received the 2014 Wall of Fame Award from the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) at their Annual Conference and Training Institute in Orlando, Fla. Earlier in the year, Neal was awarded the 2014 Stellar Woman Award from the Stellar Women Organization.

She continues to make a difference in her community through The Empty Plate Project, a project she initiated to help local food banks on behalf of the NABCJ. Neal and her husband, Bill, reside in Denver, Col. 1952: Robert H. Saulsbury (Education) has been recognized by Wilber Cross High School for his coaching career accomplishments. Saulsbury coached at Wilber Cross for 28 seasons, amassing 497 victories and nine state championships.

He was the first African-American varsity basketball coach in the city of New Haven, Conn. Saulsbury and his wife, Ilene, currently reside in North Haven, Conn.

1954: Mattie Goodrum Taylor (Psychology) has been named “Mother of Fellowship” and is in the process of becoming a minister in the Global Unity Fellowship, an international interdenominational Christian organization. Taylor resides in Camp Springs, Md.

1974: John L. Davidson, III (Criminal Justice) received the honor of Fellow status by the American Psychotherapy Association.

Davidson is a retired U.S. Special Agent, Department of Justice, and is currently the Executive Director of the Prince George’s Coalition of Domestic Violence, Prince George’s County, Md. Davidson and his wife, Vivette, reside in Upper Marlboro, Md. He is the President of the WVSU National “W” Club Shenandoah Valley Chapter.

1975: Debra F. Harris (Social Work) has received the Delta Sigma Theta Torch Award for her community service in the City of Atlanta.

Harris served 31 years in the City of Atlanta government. She received her Master of Arts degree from Atlanta University (now known as Clark Atlanta University) and graduated from the National Center for Paralegal Training, an American Bar Association Approved Program. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Harris resides in Atlanta, Ga. 1975: Deborah “Deb” Cheesebro (Criminal Justice) has been named the first female police chief at the College of William & Mary. Cheesebro has served as deputy director for the department of police and public safety at the University of Michigan and, most recently, led the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as senior director of police and public safety. She holds a doctorate in organizational behavior and development from Union Institute and University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University.

Cheesebro resides in Lanexa, Va. 1976: David Sneed (Industrial Technology) was recently named Executive Director for the West Virginia School Building Authority (WVSBA). With more than 35 years of experience in the public and private sector, Sneed is the recipient of the Council of Educational Facility Planner’s award for outstanding educational planning and was integral in creating guidelines and procedures that are still used by the WVSBA and architects across West Virginia. Sneed resides with his wife, Linda Ann, in Charleston.

1978: Cassandra F. Marshall (Social Work) recently retired after 37 years of Social Work practice, with 23 of those years in Psychiatric Clinical Social Work practice. She is retiring from full-time work and going into private practice and community consultation. Marshall received her Master’s of Social Work degree from Wayne State University in 1991. She is President of the Detroit Alumni Chapter, a Life Member of the WVSU National Alumni Association and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Marshall resides in Detroit, Mich.

1986: Jeffrey Barnes (Business) has opened a second location for his advertising agency in Huntington, W.Va. After playing minor league baseball with the Texas Rangers for five years, Barnes returned home to West Virginia a decade ago and launched the Barnes Agency, based in Teays Valley. The advertising agency creates video, commercial, digital and graphic design projects. Barnes’ wife, Susan Miller Barnes, works with the agency as Vice President of Client Services. The Barnes reside in Hurricane.

1987: Kimberly C. Scranage (Psychology) was recently appointed Vice President for Enrollment and Degree Management at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). Prior to NKU, Scranage served as Vice President for Enrollment Management at Kutztown University; Vice President for Enrollment Management at Shepherd University; and Director of Admissions at the University of Charleston.

She received a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Mountain State University.

Scranage resides in Florence, Ky.

1995: Terry A. Lively (RBA) traveled throughout West Virginia to create the film “Crossings: Bridge Building in West Virginia,” which highlights West Virginia’s 17 remaining covered bridges. The film debuted on West Virginia Public Broadcasting in 2014. Lively currently serves as President of Vandalia Productions, which she started 14 years ago, and has worked on several films, including “A New York City Central Park Stationary Bike Tour” and “Finding the Gold Within.” Lively resides in Elkview.

1999: Kelly McCorry Fields (Nuclear Medicine Technology) recently opened the U.S. Navy Poster Museum in Point Pleasant, W.Va. The museum features various posters covering 100 years of recruiting and Navy life, as well as a souvenir store with items ranging from t-shirts and caps, to lanyards and flags.

A Massachusetts native, Fields enlisted in the Navy at age 19 and was on active duty from 1985 to 1989, serving aboard the USS Emory S. Land. From 1989 to 2006, Fields served in

the Navy Reserve in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Fields resides in Point Pleasant, W.Va.

2002: Sharon McClanahan (Art) is expanding her business, Art Works Studio, where she teaches art classes for all ages.

Located in Cross Lanes, W.Va., Art Works Studio now occupies a larger area within the Old English Village apartment complex.

McClanahan teaches acrylics and oils, drawing and other forms of media and offers a number of classes each week. McClanahan resides in Poca.

2005: Kristin Call (Communications) has been named Senior Director of Marketing for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, marking her ninth season in minor league baseball. Call previously served as Assistant General Manager of Marketing for the West Virginia Power Baseball Team and, in 2012, was named the South Atlantic League Female Executive of the Year. Originally from Barboursville, W.Va., Kristin resides in Myrtle Beach, S.C. 2006: Roger “Lee” France (Communications) recently accepted a position as Music Director/On Air Talent for WACO-100 in Waco, Texas. Born and raised in Charleston, W.Va., France previously served as News Anchor for WQBE-FM Country in Charleston and as a Morning Show Co-Host on 96.1 in Charleston. France currently resides in Waco, Texas, with his wife, Jennifer, and son, Schuyler.

2008: Jayson L. Moore (Business Administration and Marketing) was announced as a leader of the Volunteer division of Generation Huntington. Currently a member of the JP Morgan Chase team as a mortgage banker, Moore resides in Barboursville.

cinematography, composing and sound work. The owner of Casting Life Films credits include Paramount Pictures/MTV’s “The Wild Wonderful Whites of West Virginia,” and music videos such as Danielle Peck’s “Impossible Dreams;” Julie Roberts “Whiskey and You;” and Beau Davidson’s “Blessed.” He currently teaches and mentors students in Cinema Production at the Nashville Film Institute.

Stryder resides in Nashville, Tenn.

2011: Erin Snyder (Communications) recently joined the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy as a Health Policy Analyst (WVCBP). Snyder recently worked with Families USA on national health policies and will work on WVCBP’s Paid Sick Days campaign and other health policy issues. She is a member of the West Virginia Bar Association.

Snyder has a J.D. from Charlotte School of Law and resides in Charleston.

2011: Stephanie Barnett Bragg (Communications) married Nicholas W. Bragg, May 24, 2014, at Coonskin Park Riverside Pavilion, Charleston. She is a Staffing Assistant for Express Employment Professionals. The couple resides in Belle.

2011: Jeffery Preast (RBA) recently married Caitlyn Brook Motes of Mitchell Heights, W.Va. Preast is the Human Resources Director for Trinity Healthcare Services of Logan. The couple resides in Indore.

2013: Raymond Williams (Business Administration and Management) was promoted to Business Account Executive at National Travel Service, Inc. Williams specializes in controlling travel expenses and developing corporate travel policies and is currently responsible for corporate acquisitions and customer relations. Williams resides in Charleston.

2009: Michael “Stryder” Sydenstricker (Communications) is a two-time Emmy nominated, four-time Golden Addy Award winner for his directing,

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ALUMNI EVENTS 2015 APRIL 25 WVSU CARES DAY Cares Day is West Virginia State University’s largest community service event, bringing together Yellow Jacket students, faculty, staff and alumni for a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Project sites around the community of Institute, and in Kanawha and Putnam counties, focus on various initiatives such as outdoor clean-up, working with youth, literacy education, serving meals, office work and a variety of other worthwhile endeavors. For more information and to volunteer, please visit wvstateu.edu/caresday.

MAY 9 BLACK & GOLD GALA AT CHARLESTON MARRIOTT The annual Black & Gold Gala will be held on May 9, 2015.

Attendees will experience an elegant evening of entertainment and dancing as they celebrate West Virginia State University’s profound contribution to the region, and recognize those who make it possible. All proceeds will benefit the WVSU Foundation.

For more information, please visit connect.wvstateu.edu.

MAY 16 COMMENCEMENT D. Stephen and Diane H. Walker Convocation Center

MAY 30 ALUMNI NIGHT AT DURHAM BULLS ATHLETIC PARK Raleigh-Durham Alumni Chapter The Raleigh-Durham Alumni Chapter invites alumni and friends to come “out to the ball game” at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. on Saturday, May 30. Information will be available at connect.wvstateu.edu/events.

JUNE 27 8TH ANNUAL HBCU ALUMNI 10K/5K RUN/WALK IN ATLANTA, GA Atlanta Alumni Chapter Join the Atlanta Alumni Chapter for State’s second year of participating in the annual HBCU Alumni 10K/5K Run/Walk in Atlanta, GA. Proceeds from participation by WVSU alumni and friends will benefit scholarships for State students. For more information, please visit connect.wvstateu.edu.

AUGUST 14-23 WEST VIRGINIA STATE FAIR Join WVSU at the State Fair in Lewisburg, W.Va. OCTOBER 8-10 HOMECOMING 2015 Join the fun of WVSU’s annual Homecoming celebration!

Tailgating, a parade, football game, awards dinners, the annual Yellow Jacket 5K – there’s something for everyone!

This year’s Homecoming will be held October 8-10, 2015. For more information or to register for events, please visit connect. wvstateu.edu/homecoming.

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West Virginia State University lost two of its biggest champions in 2014 with the passing of President Emeritus Dr. Hazo W. Carter Jr. and his wife, Judge Phyllis H. Carter.

For 25 years, the Carters served as the first family of West Virginia State after coming to Institute from Little Rock, Ark., where Dr. Carter had served as president of Philander Smith College.

Dr. Carter became the ninth President of what was then West Virginia State College in September 1987. Shortly after becoming President, he began a 12-year quest to regain the school’s landgrant status. Under his leadership, West Virginia State was once again recognized, on both the state and federal levels, as an 1890 land-grant institution with accompanying funding to carry out its mission.

In 2004, West Virginia State gained University status and began offering graduate degrees in biotechnology and media studies. Dr. Carter was also instrumental in the creation of the West Virginia State University Research and Development

Corporation, the organization that manages grant funds provided to foster research and other projects at State. Dr. Carter became President Emeritus of West Virginia State University in 2012.

During her service at WVSU, Judge Carter was a champion of the arts with a strong passion for and unwavering commitment to history and culture. For many years, she chaired the University’s History and Culture Committee and her work led to the establishment of the Booker T. Washington Institute and the creation of the WVSU National Center for Human Relations.

She represented the University nationally by serving as the minority liaison for the 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges to the Council for Agriculture, Research, Extension and Teaching of the National Association of State Universities and LandGrant Colleges.

An attorney, Judge Carter was serving as the Acting Executive Director of the West Virginia Human Rights Commission at the time of her death. She had previously served as an assistant attorney general, executive director of the West Virginia Division of Juvenile Services and Commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Human Services.

The Carters are survived by their daughter, Angela.

November 2013 – October 2014 Martha Marion Hall Smith, ’33 Samuel C. Hunter, ’40 Marjorie C. Hathcock, ’43 Lorraine Anderson Wakefield, ’45 Lloyd L. Hurst, ’45 Ruby C. Sulton, ’45 Mildred Irene Carlton, ’47 Herman Carter, ’47 Edith Gholston, ’47 Myrtle G. Donoho, ’48 Guy A. Jones, ’48 William L. King, ’48 William G. Nunn, ’48 Elvin Davenport, ’49 Marion M. Hatcher, ’49 Hazel M. Head, ’49 Jesse L. Jenkins, ’49 Willie G. Smith, ’49 Olger C. Twyner, ’49 Charles A. Carter, ’50

Julia J. Kerr, ’50 Charles R. Nicholson, ’50 Robert Wilson, ’50 Vivian H. Zorn, ’50 Jacqueline R. Dell, ’51 Elizabeth M. Harden, ’51 Samuel Miller, ’51 Bedford B. Vaughn, ’51 Henry B. Daniels, ’52 Phyllis B. Greer, ’52 D. R. Holland, ’52 Allen W. Blount, ’53 Clarence O. Hill, ’53 Lillian B. McGill, ’53 Edwin C. Anderson, Jr., ’54 Augusta A. Clark, ’54 Norma Sutter Freeman, ’56 Carlton B. Reid, ’57 David C. Coleman, ’58 Daniel L. Hudson, ’58

Yvonne H. Jackson, ’58 Earl B. Brown, ’59 Azalee Wallace, ’59 Janice M. Thomas, ’60 Rosetta Thomas Young, ’61 Dempsey L. Barnett, ’62 Beverly H. Jackson, ’63 Joseph L. Jones, ’64 Miriam E. Pipes, ’65 William Lee L. Autry, ’68 James S. Jackson, ’68 William (Willie) McCray, ’68 Harold Lowe, ’69 Patricia M. Shafer, ’71 Cheryl Y. Taylor, ’71 Saundra E. Miller, ’72 Ernest G. Alston, ’73 Kellis M. Gillespie, ’78 Demetrice Hardman, ’78 Mildred O. Haley, ’80

Betty O. Darby, ’83 Terence L. Kizer, ’85 Donald M. Bell, ’94 Donna G. Woolcock, ’94 Gwendolyn J. Saulton, ’95 Emir Stokes, ’95 Robert E. Smith, II, ’96 Vickie S. Steed, ’96 Audie Murphy, Jr., ’09 Veronica Bowels, ’12 Eugene R. Baity Alonzo P. Hairston Pauline V. Jackson Ghislaine L. Mills Lewis E. Pringle Raynina Hope Lee Swann Elizabeth N. Youngue

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