A video tribute to former WVU professor George Esper was screened during the P.I. Reed School of Journalism Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12. You can view the tribute on WVU’s YouTube page.

For many, commencement marks a time to celebrate bright young students entering a new chapter in their lives.

But the occasion is not only for students.

It is also a time to honor West Virginia University alumni, friends and donors whose hearts and minds have blessed the Mountaineer community in countless ways.

Four men who each embody the Mountaineer essence will receive honorary degrees from WVU during Commencement exercises May 11-13.

They are: Gregory S. Babe, an engineer who rose to the top of the Bayer Corp.; Ming Hsieh, also an engineer by trade and the namesake of Ming Hsieh Hall; G. Ogden Nutting, a longtime leader in West Virginia newspaper publishing; and Stuart M. Robbins, a financial expert who built one of the top equity businesses in the world.

Though each man excelled in a different profession, they share an unmatched passion and dedication to WVU.

Gregory S. Babe

A West Virginia native, Babe earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from WVU in 1980. That set him down the path to a successful career at one of the world’s top chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
Gregory S. Babe

He had already joined Bayer in 1976 while in college as an intern in the polyurethanes group.

He has risen to become president and chief executive officer and is Bayer’s senior representative for the United States and Canada. He is responsible for the North American activities of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials organization based in Leverkusen, Germany. In addition, he is president and CEO of Bayer MaterialScience LLC.

Babe has held several management positions throughout his career at Bayer, including president and CEO of Bayer Corporate and Business Services LLC. In that role, he provided expertise and support in engineering, information systems, procurement, materials management, human resources, finance, accounting and other business services to Bayer and its affiliates.

Outside of Bayer, Babe serves on several boards and committees, including the American Chemistry Council’s executive committee and board of directors, the WVU Foundation board and as chair of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.

A Mt. Lebanon, Pa. resident, Babe, who has announced his retirement from Bayer effective June 30, is married with four children.

He will receive an honorary doctorate of science at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources ceremony, 2 p.m. May 12 at the Coliseum.

Ming Hsieh

Hsieh may have earned his education at the University of Southern California, but the accomplished entrepreneur and philanthropist fits the Mountaineer mold.
Ming Hsieh

Born in China, Hsieh co-founded Cogent Inc., a manufacturer of automated fingerprint identification systems, and served as CEO and chairman until 2010 when Cogent was purchased by 3M.

Under his leadership, Cogent became a leading provider of biometrics identification systems and solutions to government, law enforcement agencies and other worldwide organizations.

Hsieh developed a longstanding interest in training, mentoring and nurturing the next generation of forensic scientists. This desire fueled his generosity toward WVU. He has given the University more than $5.5 million, including contributions for the construction of Ming Hsieh Hall on the downtown campus in 2007.

He has also established two distinguished professorships in teaching and research for the Forensic and Investigative Science Program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. He also made possible a gift from Cogent to develop a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility for the Forensic Program’s home in Oglebay Hall.

As a philanthropist, he has donated more than $100 million to high schools, research institutions and universities. He has served on the University of Southern California Board of Trustees since 2007 and on the Board of Trustees of Fudan University since 2011.

Hsieh will receive an honorary doctorate of science at the Eberly College ceremony, 2 p.m. May 13 at the WVU Coliseum.

G. Ogden Nutting

This honorary degree recipient’s Mountaineer roots date back to the 19th century. Nutting, publisher of the Ogden Newspapers Inc., had a grandfather, H.C. Ogden, who graduated from WVU in 1887. H.C. published the first edition of the Wheeling News in 1890. Ogden Newspapers, West Virginia’s largest newspaper company, has had its headquarters in Wheeling ever since.
G. Ogden Nutting

Today Nutting’s company publishes six daily and three weekly newspapers in West Virginia, as well as 34 daily newspapers in 10 other states.

Nutting’s involvement with the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism is unparalleled. He is a member of its Visiting Committee and helped establish the Ogden Newspapers and Nutting Family Journalism Endowment Scholarship Fund for juniors and seniors studying print media. His family also created the WVU Journalism Library Endowment Fund, the Ogden Newspapers Seminar Series, the Ogden Newspapers Multimedia Classroom and the Ogden Newspapers Endowed Visiting Professor, which was held for 10 years by the late George Esper.

Nutting has also been a member of the WVU Foundation board and was inducted into the Order of Vandalia and the WVU Business Hall of Fame.

The Nutting family also owns Seven Springs Mountain Resort and is the major owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nutting and his wife, Betty Woods Nutting, have two sons, William and Robert, vice president and president, respectively, of Ogden Newspapers.

Nutting will receive a doctorate of humane letters at the School of Journalism ceremony, 9:30 a.m. May 12 at the Creative Arts Center.

Stuart M. Robbins

Robbins earned a bachelor’s degree in history from WVU in 1965, and he has never forgotten the Mountaineer community.
Stuart M. Robbins

After leading one of Wall Street’s leading investment banking firms, Robbins and his wife, Joyce, have given back to the University. They established the College of Business and Economics Center for Global Business and Strategy, a chair in history, a Distinguished Professorship in Epidemiology for the emerging School of Public Health and several other funds and scholarships.

WVU has honored Robbins by inducting him into both the Academy of Distinguished Alumni and the Order of Vandalia.

He is the former managing director of global equities for Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. At the time of his retirement, Robbins managed a global business of more than 1,500 people in 24 offices.

Robbins is current chair of the board of directors of Open Exchange Inc., a leading provider of video networking solutions to the financial services industry. Robbins is also a former Institutional Investor All Star investment research analyst, having been ranked in the top three in his industry for 11 consecutive years. His experience includes numerous other corporate boards and participations with industry associations.

He is former chair of the WVU Foundation board and has served on advisory boards for the College of Business and Economics and the Eberly College, and is a founding member of the Mountaineer Athletic Club Development Council.

Robbins and his wife split time between Florida and Michigan and have two children.

He will receive a doctorate of humane letters at the College of Business and Economics ceremony, 6 p.m. May 12 at the Coliseum.

For more information on WVU Commencement, including webcast information, see: http://commencement.wvu.edu/.

Also, WVU’s Office of the Provost last year created a website that commemorates honorary degree recipients past and present. Visitors to http://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/ can view the history of honorary degrees at WVU, from 1873, when the school’s first honorary degree was bestowed on Marmaduke H. Dent, to the present.

The site also includes background on the importance of significance and history of honorary degrees and guidelines for nomination.

Read the official release at WVU Today.

T here are teachers who merely teach, and then there are teachers who change lives.

Meet the latter.

Six West Virginia University faculty members have been named recipients of the 2012 WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching.

This year’s cohort of honorees teach diverse subjects, but they all share a common goal: Delivering a high-quality education to WVU students to last a lifetime.

Each honoree will be recognized during the University’s Week of Honors (April 13-22).

The Foundation has been giving out the awards since 1985. For a list of recipients over the years, click here.

The 2012 honorees are:

Brian Ballentine

—Ph.D., English, Case Western Reserve University, 2006.
—Assistant professor and professional writing and editing coordinator, WVU Professional Writing and Editing program, 2007-present.

—”Empower students as both critical consumers and producers of texts.”

A decade ago, Brian Ballentine was a software engineer and technical writer. He had a well-paying job where he learned the importance of collaboration and good writing.

“My career as a software engineer and technical writer was extremely rewarding and that experience still informs my teaching today,” Ballentine said. “However, that career didn’t allow me to teach, design curriculum, or otherwise share in a classroom what I was learning as a practitioner.”

He wanted to understand the theories behind what he was doing, and he wanted to teach it. Enough so that he went back to school to get a doctorate.

In his five years at WVU, Ballentine has become a major force in the Professional Writing and Editing program. Because of the depth and breadth of his instruction, graduates of the program have pursued their passion, some going on to top graduate programs around the country and others finding rewarding careers in writing and editing.

His coworkers point to his innovative research that stimulates students – he’s currently leading an FBI-sponsored study that is collecting handwriting samples for a biometric database.

Students give him high ratings and appreciate what they can do with the education he gives them.

Brian Coyle, a former graduate student who worked with Ballentine, said his mentor is skilled at connecting academia with the ‘real world’ experiences students will face.

“Dr. Ballentine should be considered a model of a serious scholar who can thoughtfully engage with the world at large, and a spokesman for the sort of work that will continue to keep the liberal arts ‘relevant’ in the future,” Coyle said.

Kenneth P. Blemings

—Ph.D., nutritional sciences, University of Wisconsin, 1994
—Assistant professor of nutritional biochemistry, genetics and developmental biology, WVU Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 1999-present.

—”I enjoy helping young people reach their career aspirations. It is an opportunity to influence society.”

Kenneth P. Blemings is a mastermind at memorizing.

Blemings, a professor of nutritional biochemistry in the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, is well-known for his ability to learn about 150 different names each semester for his AGBI 410 class.

“He deals impartially with students, provides honest feedback on performance, and suggests alternative practices for those who seek improvement,” said John Barnard, a medical student who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at WVU. “The strategy that he employed gave me the skills to become a self-directed learner and highlighted the relevance of biochemistry to the working world.”

Blemings was also appointed to serve as the assistant director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences’ academic programs in 2010. He also teaches mini-college lectures to Honors/AP biology and chemistry classes across the state to try to recruit students to WVU.

Blemings uses group homework assignments to allow students to learn such difficult material together. By using a tandem of group assignments and presentations, he was also able to improve the AGBI 410 drop/fail rate by 50 percent. His overall attitude stands out most to his students and it helps him persuade student interaction in lectures and motivates them to be enthusiastic in lab classes and field trips.

“My most effective teaching tools are the connections I have with my students, my sense of humor, and the high expectations that I effectively communicate to the students,” Blemings said. “I enjoy helping young people reach their career aspirations. It is an opportunity to influence society.”

Gina Martino Dahlia

—Master’s degree, journalism, WVU, 2007.
—Teaching assistant professor, television journalism program chair, WVU Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism, 2008-present; broadcast news sequence chair/senior lecturer, 2004-2008; adjunct professor, 2001-2004.

—”I teach with an iron fist?and a warm heart.”

Gina Martino Dahlia knew she was a teacher after watching a student’s TV story on the dangerous threat of anthrax in U.S. mail.

She saw how much her student had learned and how the quality of her work had improved. She saw how her own belief, passion and refusal to accept mediocrity put students on paths that improved their lives.

Her former students now work at television stations across the country – often with the help of her persuasive reference letters – and when they decide that’s not where life is taking them, she’s just as supportive.

Known as an exceedingly assertive and demanding professor who will push her students to create the best work they can, Dahlia is also beloved by students for the time she invests in their TV productions and for her accessibility.

“They know they can call or text me any time of the day or night with interview questions, camera help in the field or editing support in the newsroom,” said Dahlia, an teaching assistant professor in the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.

One of her main roles is as executive producer of WVU News, an award-winning program filmed by WVU students that airs on PBS and cable TV in West Virginia.

Dahlia is familiar with working through challenges. She’s from a family of coal miners and factory workers and paid her way through college and graduate school at WVU. So she knows why she has to push them.

Kevin Kinkead remembers what it was like editing with Dahlia, or more likely having to make major revisions or starting over after she got a look at his work.

The two “butted heads,” he said. She used tough love and wouldn’t take “baloney.” But he learned how to report and produce because she was tough. Five years later, he’s a producer for CBS in Philadelphia.

“I learned how to do all of this in Professor Dahlia’s classes,” he said.

James W. Lewis

—Ph.D., neurobiology, California Institute of Technology, 1997.
—Assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology, WVU Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, 2004-present.

—”I try to teach in a manner that conveys my enthusiasm for research.”

When James W. Lewis went to college, he had his share of what he considered fantastic and awful professors. By paying attention to those tactics, he’s been able to become a better professor himself.
“I was taught by numerous past advisors, professors and educators, and I, in turn, now try to teach in a manner that conveys my enthusiasm for research to keep the process going,” said Lewis, an assistant professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at WVU’s Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.

In addition to his time spent teaching neuroscience at WVU, he is also a mentor to students at Morgantown High School and teaches classes on brain function at local senior citizen centers and centers for the blind.

He says he tries to “meet students half way.” He learned that in larger, auditorium-style classes to adopt a theatrical style of teaching. He tried to adapt his teaching styles to help reach each generation. Now he uses multimedia presentations to leave a lasting impression.

Lewis hits his students with “knowledge hooks,” which are memorable facts or demonstrations during a lecture that will last a lifetime – something that students, after they graduate and go into the field, will be able to remember.

“Dr. Lewis set himself apart from all of the other instructors with his use of props, class participation, homemade videos and animated lecture slides,” said Rebecca Hebel, a senior nursing student. “Not only were the lectures fun and engaging, but I still remember the material, three years later.”

Mark Schraf

—Master’s degree, analytical chemistry, WVU, 1989.
—Teaching assistant professor, chemistry, WVU, 1999-present.

—”If you can do ‘pizza chemistry,’ you can do ‘chemistry chemistry.’”

Whether it’s balancing chemical equations or discussing the processes of ion charges, Mark Schraf admits that chemistry is not the easiest subject.

That’s why Schraf, a teaching assistant professor in WVU’s C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, takes an informal approach to an intimidating subject. On most days, he’s decked out in the type of sports jersey that can be seen on students all over campus. A self-described “old school guy,” he finds his lessons are usually better conveyed through the medium of chalk and blackboard rather than high-tech gadgetry.

And those tough concepts that seem far removed from everyday life? Schraf has a way of tying them into the college experience.

“Chemistry can be so abstract,” Schraf said. “So I try to take sandwiches, pizza – anything students are familiar with – and use them as teaching tools. If you can do ‘pizza chemistry,’ you can do ‘chemistry chemistry.’”

Schraf’s route to teaching was an unlikely one. He spent a few years as a lab chemist before leaving the profession to try his hand at sports writing. When Schraf moved back to Morgantown in 1997, Ron Smart, one of his former professors, asked him to help teach a freshman class.

“I would do anything that man asked me to do,” Schraf said of Smart. “I thought I’d give it a try and see what happened. Thirteen years later, I’m still here and I’ve won a couple of teaching awards. It’s been amazing.”

Schraf’s students seem to agree with his methods. Former student Joe Melia, now a chemistry teacher at Morgantown High, was inspired by Schraf’s humor and his enthusiasm.

“I had over 15 science professors throughout my post-secondary education but none could match the delivery of the material like Professor Schraf,” Melia said. “The combination of knowing the curriculum extremely well with attention-grabbing delivery is what he gives in his lectures and what inspires me in my classroom.”

Kate Staples

—Ph.D., history, University of Minnesota, 2006.
—Assistant professor, history, WVU, 2006-present.

—”I try to show them the foundational value of inquiry.”

Although she teaches about the past, keeping pace with technology and the latest scholarship have helped Kate Staples relate to her students.

Rather than focus on dates and events, Staples, an assistant professor of history, relays information through YouTube clips, news articles and even song lyrics to stimulate conversation and ideas.

The goal is to assemble viewpoints that construct a picture of the past, Staples says, and once the information is absorbed, the students become a part of that conversation through analyzing sources and asking questions. To stimulate discussion, Staples has incorporated role playing and group debate into her classroom.

“I try to show them the foundational value of inquiry,” Staples said. “Asking questions and entertaining ideas you might not otherwise entertain – that was the purpose behind the creation of the first universities in the Middle Ages.”

By encouraging critical thinking, Staples is teaching skills that extend beyond the classroom and beyond the college experience.

“A particularly memorable example of Dr. Staples’ engaging teaching style was her dramatization of the fall of Richard III during the War of the Roses,” Chad Wilcox, a former student, wrote. “Many teachers may have been content with a multiple choice question of Richard’s treatment of the young princes, she would not let us dismiss such a significant part of English history. She split the class into small groups and assigned us the daunting task of defending or condemning the last Plantagenet king in a mock adversarial court. In this way, she showed us that the interpretation of events by historians was just as crucial to the making of history as the events themselves.”

Read the official release at WVU Today: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2012/04/05/they-change-lives-six-wvu-faculty-members-named-outstanding-teachers

The West Virginia University Center for Civic Engagement has announced this year’s winners of the Excellence in Civic Engagement Awards.

On April 19, during the CCE’s annual Engagement Celebration, it will recognize exemplary representatives of each category with the Excellence in Civic Engagement Awards. The award presentation takes place as part of the seventh-annual Week of Engagement (April 16-21).

The awards, which were created in 2009, are dedicated to recognizing the most active and civically engaged among us at WVU. For 2012, the CCE expanded the award categories to include student organizations and local businesses. Each recipient has to have shown a strong commitment to civic engagement and service throughout the 2011-2012 academic year.

“This group of recipients represents the very best of WVU and our community,” said Dr. Kristi Wood-Turner, director of the CCE. “Their hard work and accomplishments speak for themselves, and we are proud to recognize each of them with these awards.”

The 2012 Excellence in Civic Engagement Award Recipients:

Dr. Rita Colistra – Faculty Excellence
Colistra is an assistant professor in the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism who is dedicated to service-learning and civic engagement beyond classroom requirements. Through West Virginia “Buy Local” initiatives, awareness campaigns for the Center for Civic Engagement, and Habitat for Humanity fundraising efforts, Colistra specifically tailors coursework to actively engage students and maximize community benefit and sustainability. Her commitment, enthusiasm and passion spread to all those who come into contact with her. One of her current students said, “She is not only a leader, but a trail blazer ready to show everyone the importance of service-learning, community service and civic engagement.”

Taylor Martin – Student Excellence
Martin is a highly involved undergraduate student studying English and communications. Since August 2011, Martin has completed more than 550 volunteer hours with organizations such as the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center of Monongalia County and the Center for Organ Research and Education. As Berkeley County’s contestant for Miss West Virginia, Martin also participates in fundraising efforts for WVU Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network. She is very involved with the Center for Organ Research and Education where she works on a media campaign to promote the necessity of organ donation. According to a fellow student, “It goes without saying that Taylor is a leader. She is dedicated to helping her community reach its capabilities.”

Lacey White – Student Excellence
Lacey White is a sociology and anthropology major, a resident assistant and president of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity at WVU. Her focus as a resident assistant is to inform students of community service opportunities in the building and on-campus. White goes above and beyond her responsibilities as a resident assistant and has planned a variety of community activities for her residents, gaining a great deal of respect among residents and co-workers alike. She volunteers with many local organizations including the Shack Neighborhood House and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. She also serves as a campus representative for WVU Wishmakers on Campus. A fellow resident assistant said, “Lacey is an amazing person, coworker and community member, because she is always striving to help someone when she is able ? She is the definition of a giver.”

WVU American Kids International Parents – Student Organization Excellence
WVU American Kids International Parents is a student organization that provides guidance and assistance to international students who have children. It connects students to necessary resources, builds a sense of community among international students and their families and advocates for the needs of international students. Among the organization’s various accomplishments: the club has recently petitioned and received parking for students with children at the WVU Student Recreation Center and received a First Book Grant donating $4,000 worth of children’s books to WVU Children’s organizations. By developing a program in coordination with the Morgantown Early Learning Facility, this organization has been able to meet the learning needs of children by sharing information about language, clothing, food, geography, and traditions of the parent’s native lands. The director of Morgantown ELF says, “We are fortunate to have such a fantastic resource in our community.”

Nancy Young – M-SNAP – Community Partner Excellence
Nancy Young is not only an administrative assistant in the Law Library offices but is also a founding member and dedicated Board of Directors Treasurer of Mountaineer Spay Neuter Assistance Program. M-SNAP advocates and has provided funding for more than 2,700 surgeries for Morgantown animal shelter pets. Young has been influential in the creation of M-SNAP’s current organizational structure, many fundraising initiatives, various community outreach efforts and various organization committees. She has actively been engaged with the Center for Civic Engagement since M-SNAP was founded and can always be found participating in campus service projects and fairs. A co-worker said, “Her contribution, passion and quality of work is priceless.”

The Boston Beanery – Local Business Excellence
The Boston Beanery concept was founded in Morgantown in 1983. The restaurants are patterned after old Boston pubs from the 1800s, which at the time were called Beaneries. There are currently six Boston Beanery locations in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. For the past six years, the Boston Beanery has served as the official sponsor of the annual Make a Difference Day program, which is WVU’s largest service project each year. More than 400 students participate each fall, and the Boston Beanery provides lunch for each volunteer. Over the past six years, they have contributed more than 1,600 lunches to volunteers. The Boston Beanery’s sponsorship is crucial to the success of the program each year. The Boston Beanery is truly a model business in the Morgantown community that makes corporate social responsibility a priority.

Seven West Virginia natives – a mix of filmmakers, journalists, advocacy leaders, cartographers and School of Journalism alumna – are jumpstarting a hybrid community participatory and interactive documentary called Hollow, which spotlights McDowell County and its residents.

To cover production costs, the group launched a campaign with Kickstarter, an online crowdfunding site, to raise $25,000, which includes workshop fees and the purchase of five cameras for participants. After production, the cameras will be donated to residents so the storytelling can continue—maintaining the project’s goal to create content for the community, by the community.

The project, set to launch online in May 2013, will combine personal documentary video portraits, user-generated content, photography, soundscapes, interactive data, and grassroots mapping to highlight the ingenuity and spirit that keeps the community fighting.

“This project has great potential to become a place where the community can have a voice and share ideas for the future,” said project director Elaine McMillion, a 2009 West Virginia University graduate. “We hope that this interactive model can encourage trust among the community and empower them to work together for change.”

Over the years, media has portrayed the people of Appalachia as one-dimensional characters in issue-driven films about mining disasters, poverty, and drug abuse. On top of this, West Virginia has struggled with depopulation, losing 200,000 residents in the last 60 years. But McDowell County’s loss has been the most severe: nearly 80,000 people between 1950 and 2010. Today, the county still has a negative growth rate.

The project leaders of Hollow—-including West Virginia natives McMillion, Tricia Fulks, Megan Bowers, Eric Lovell, Jason Headley, Ry Rivard and Michelle Miller—believe that the voices of West Virginia have not been heard.

“Films about our home state have not given residents a chance to speak but have instead used them to fit their categories of ‘hillbilly,’ ‘poor Appalachian,’ ‘ignorant coal miners’ or ‘radical environmentalist,’” McMillion said.

To combat these stereotypes and emphasize West Virginia’s potential for the future, members of the community will take part in the filmmaking process by creating 20 of the 50 short documentaries.

Community storytelling and participatory mapping workshops will be held in June and continue through August. Residents will have a chance to film their own content. The Hollow team believes that through interactive storytelling, the McDowell County residents will begin to see their community in a new light and will be empowered to work together and take control of their situation.

“Most of the thoughts and opinions of our state are formed by outside forces looking in,” said Headley, story director and Tyler County native. “A project like this gives us the opportunity to do the exact opposite: to let people see West Virginia from the perspective of the people who live here.”

If you are interested in participating in the project, would like more information or have questions, please contact Elaine McMillion at (304) 545-6192 or elaine@hollowthefilm.com and visit hollowthefilm.com.

Former Group President of Kimberly-Clark to share insights on how to market to seniors in the digital age. The presentation will be held April 19th on the campus of WVU.

The Martin Hall Agency announces the pinnacle event in its “Power Up Your Professional Network” series with an important presentation entitled, “Marketing to Seniors in the Digital Age.”

Tom Wilson, former Group President for Kimberly-Clark and current CEO of The CareGiver Partnership, will share his insights about how he built Kimberly-Clark’s global adult care business (Depend and Poise), and how his new venture, The CareGiver Partnership, is marketing to seniors using a range of digital and traditional platforms.

This event will begin at 6:30 PM on April 19th in the Mountainlair Ballroom on the WVU campus. The event will cost $5 at the door and will be open to students, faculty, staff, and interested community members. A reception with refreshments will follow the event.

Since 2004, Mr. Wilson has been President of The CareGiver Partnership, a national direct to consumer retailer of over 3,000 home-healthcare products. Prior to 2004, Wilson served as an officer and President at Kimberly-Clark, leading several global business sectors including the Depend, Huggies, Poise, and Kotex brands. Wilson is also an author of Negotiate Anything!: Secrets to Make Businesses Treat You Fairly.

For more information or questions contact Kelsey Cowan at(804) 347-0741 or email kcowan2@mix.wvu.edu, or contact Amy Bruzgo at (215) 595-3046 or email amy.bruzgo@gmail.com.

West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism public relations seniors are taking the lead in raising public awareness of equine-assisted therapy. As the final project of their college career, capstone students are gaining real-world experience in healthcare public relations working with the therapy center, On Eagles’ Wings, located in Fairmont, W.Va.

By utilizing social media, media relations and brand development strategies, the group is planning and executing a full public relations campaign, including special events, fundraising activities, a new Web site, Twitter account and Facebook page.

Under the direction of School of Journalism adjunct instructor Chuck Harman, the students have created their own agency, Better Tomorrow Public Relations, to raise awareness of the center’s services.

“We have developed a campaign that provides our client with necessary community awareness, and in return, we are gaining real-world experience,” said public relations senior Lynne Stabler. “Better Tomorrow PR is a fantastic stepping stone for my future career because it is giving me experience in teamwork, agency and client work and other skills I need to be a public relations professional.”

The students work directly with Dr. Carol Petitto, the executive director of On Eagles’ Wings and a School of Journalism alumna. The organization serves adults and children with physical, cognitive, emotional and social disabilities and challenges in north central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, providing therapeutic riding lessons, hippotherapy and other equine-assisted therapies and activities.

“I am very grateful for the work the students are doing for On Eagles’ Wings,” said Petitto. “This was the year we really wanted to begin reaching out to the community and let people know who we are, so everything really seemed to fall into place. The timing has been perfect. Our needs coincided with the work of the class. It is really helping the awareness of our services.”

Public relations senior Natalie Doerr says the combined efforts of her classmates and that of On Eagles’ Wings is making a difference within the organization and the community.

“The work that Carol and her volunteers are doing for people with disabilities is amazing and life-changing,” said Doerr.

The School of Journalism offers the alternative capstone course each semester for public relations students interested in working in the healthcare industry. Students are assigned a client in the healthcare industry and must plan and execute a public relations campaign throughout the semester.

Better Tomorrow Public Relations consists of School of Journalism public relations seniors Leigh Ashby of Summersville, W.Va; Natalie Doerr of Pittsburgh, PA; Blair Dowler of Parkersburg, W.Va.; Breanne Hill of Morgantown, W.Va.; Taylor Scarnato of Harrisburg, Pa.; Lauren Sobon of Ellicott City, Md.; and Lynne Stabler of Abbottstown, Pa.

Who: Mark Schaefer – globally-recognized blogger, educator and executive director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions.

What: In an online Wimba classroom session, author and WVU alum Mark W. Schaefer will take us through the highlights of his new book, Return On Influence. This session will cover the surprising new realities of personal power on the Internet, how companies like Klout are assessing influence and how brands are leveraging this revolutionary new marketing channel.

How: Wimba classroom log in instructions can be downloaded here .

When: Wednesday, April 11, at 8 p.m. Eastern

Bio: Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized blogger, educator, business consultant, and author who blogs at {grow}—one of the top marketing blogs of the world. Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for nearly 30 years and now provides consulting services as Executive Director of U.S.-based Schaefer Marketing Solutions. His clients include both start-ups and global brands such as Cisco, AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, and the UK government. Mark has advanced degrees in marketing and organizational development and holds seven patents. He is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University and is the founder of Social Slam, a national social media event that takes place each April. He is the author of two best-selling marketing books, Return On Influence and The Tao of Twitter. In 2012, he was named by Forbes magazine as one of the Top 50 social media “power influencers” of the world.

In the era of digital and mobile media, traditional news organizations are struggling for their share of the marketplace. Increasingly, journalism graduates are being called upon to contribute new ideas and help develop new economic models to strengthen and reinvent media.

Recognizing the need for students to be innovative and entrepreneurial, West Virginia University’s P.I. Reed School of Journalism and College of Business and Economics will launch a new blended minor in Media Entrepreneurship in Fall 2012.

The Media Entrepreneurship minor will build upon the existing College of Business and Economics’ entrepreneurship minor to support emerging industry trends in journalism and new media entrepreneurial development. Created specifically for School of Journalism students, courses will allow students to explore such areas as new economic models for publishing, audience building and social media, content monetization, technology trends in media, new media marketing and mobile opportunities.

The new minor will significantly enhance any of the current School of Journalism majors, providing students with an edge in today’s competitive marketplace and broadening their career opportunities. School of Journalism Dean Maryanne Reed said the Media Entrepreneurship course of study will give students a stronger foundation for a career in the media industry.

“In today’s evolving media landscape, it’s not enough for journalists and professional communicators to know their craft,” said Reed. “They also have to be enterprising and entrepreneurial and able to develop new projects, applications and platforms that will attract audiences and revenue in an increasingly crowded media marketplace.”

This minor is the second blended program the School of Journalism has partnered to create at WVU. In 2009, the School of Journalism and WVU’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Science launched a blended minor in sport communication to offer WVU students the opportunity to gain practical skills as professional communicators in the multibillion-dollar sports industry.

College of Business and Economics Dean Jose Sartarelli says the Media Entrepreneurship minor is an opportunity to expand the College’s popular curriculum to an external audience.

“I am very excited about this initiative between our two colleges,” Sartarelli said. “To be able to ‘turbo charge’ students’ careers as they prepare to enter the marketplace is beneficial all the way around.”

The program of student requires 18 credits hours (6 courses), which can be completed in three semesters. By summer 2013, all courses will be offered online.

Additional program information is available on the School of Journalism’s website.

Read the official release at WVU Today.

Shelly Stump, IMC professor and director of advising for online programs, will travel to New York City this Friday, March 23rd, to be a national judge for the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Silver Anvil Awards competition.
“The Silver Anvil, symbolizing the forging of public opinion, is awarded annually to organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness,” PRSA states on their website. “The public relations profession’s most prestigious honor, the Silver Anvil Award acknowledges the very highest level of achievement and is the established icon of the “best of the best” public relations practices.”
Stump and other judges from around the country will review hundreds of entries in multiple categories. This will be Stump’s second year judging. She teaches IMC 618 (PR Concepts & Strategy) and IMC 628 (Applied Public Relations).
West Virginia University’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) graduate program is a PRSA University Partner.