Fairmont State University’s outstanding faculty members were recognized on Wednesday, April 29, during the Recognition of Faculty Achievement for their exemplary efforts throughout the 2014-2015 academic year.

“It’s wonderful to have an event like this where we can all come together to celebrate the good work faculty are doing,” FSU President Maria Rose told those gathered in the Falcon Center conference rooms. “Fairmont State truly is set apart by this tremendous faculty. While we can tout an excellent faculty-to-student ratio, as compared to larger institutions, that statistic only becomes meaningful when we consider the quality of our faculty. I consider myself fortunate to be part of this institution and consider all of you colleagues and friends.”

The event was hosted by the Faculty Development Committee, the Office of Academic Affairs and the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Funding for the awards and grants is provided by the Office of Academic Affairs and the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc.

“Our program recognizes members who are recipients of awards or grants promoted and publicized by the Faculty Development Committee and the Office of the Provost. These awards are to honor outstanding faculty, as well as encourage faculty research and professional development. Thanks so much to all members of the Fairmont State Foundation who so generously support faculty achievement. We appreciate it, and our students do, too,” said Dr. Denise Lindstrom, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Chair of the Faculty Development Committee.

The following faculty members were honored at the event: Dr. Andreas Baur, William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence; Dr. Paul Reneau, Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Award; Dr. Robin Payne, Faculty Recognition Award; Dr. Rhonda Sanford, Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Fellow Award; Dr. Gwen Jones, Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Grant; Ryan Frost, Outstanding Adjunct Award; Dr. Jennifer Myers, Excellence in Academic Advising Award.

The following faculty members were recognized for their promotion to Associate Professor and received Tenure: Jason Bolyard, Hugh Costello, Alexis Hicks, Dr. Jennifer Myers, Dr. Adam Podlaskowski, Michael Ryan, Ashley Shroyer and Dr. Sam Spears. The following faculty members were promoted to Full Professor: Dr. Gwen Jones, Dr. Tad Kato and Kirk Morphew. The following faculty members were honored with Emeriti Status: Dr. D. Stephen Haynes, Dr. Tulasi Joshi, Dr. Susan Kelley, Chuck Manly and Dr. Mary Meighen.

Dr. Andreas Baur, William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence

The William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes full-time faculty at Fairmont State for outstanding achievements, unusual dedication or accomplishments in teaching. Dr. Andreas Baur, Professor of Chemistry in the College of Science and Technology, was nominated by his students for the award.

Lindstrom presented him with the award and gave the following remarks: “According to his students, Dr. Baur goes above and beyond the call of duty to teach. They feel like he cares about them as individuals as well as students. One student explained that Dr. Baur does not demand that students memorize information for the exam. Instead, he employs a strategy called the ‘toolbox,’ an organizing strategy that helps students understand how chemical reactions and mechanisms are interconnected, which according to his students, makes chemistry seem less like a graduation requirement and more like a lens with which to view the world at large.”

The committee was most impressed with Baur’s commitment to improving teaching, not only in his courses but also in his program, Lindstrom said. “According to one of his colleagues, Andreas has accomplished a truly impressive amount of assessment driven curriculum and course development that spans the categories of teaching and scholarly activity. He is a steadfast champion of assessment in his program and he continually reminds his colleagues of the inherent value of assessment to improve courses and programs. Most importantly, he leads by example in closing the loop on assessments in his courses and brings useful data to inspire discussions about programmatic improvement,” she said.

A group of seven of his students attended the event to support Baur.

“When I entered the chemistry field, there were rumors about how each teacher was. Dr. Baur’s rumors were always the same: he’s strict, his classes are hard and they are impossible to get good grades in. Some of this is true. He is strict about deadlines, but so are all the teachers. His classes are hard, but that is why they are upper level courses. However, it is not impossible to achieve in his classes. If you listen to what he says, you will succeed. Dr. Baur has taught us so much, which now we can take with us and find a job and always be on time and know just because it is hard doesn’t mean we should quit,” said student Brittany Aragon.

Baur has been a faculty member at FSU since 2000. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Regensburg in Germany.

Dr. Paul Reneau, Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Award

The Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Award honors and encourages innovative and distinctive teaching by faculty at Fairmont State. Lindstrom presented the award to Dr. Paul Reneau, Interim Associate Dean for the School of Education, Health and Human Performance and Professor of Exercise Science.

Over the past three years, Reneau has mentored more than 40 undergraduate students in completing their required research projects for their degree in Exercise Science. Of these 40 projects, 13 have been presented at regional or national conferences, 14 have published abstracts in international journals and two have been accepted for presentation at the 2015 American College for Sports Medicine national conference.

“Dr. Reneau’s commitment to his students goes beyond supporting research but is also found in his everyday teaching and advising interactions with students,” Lindstrom said.

Lindstrom read the following statement from one of Reneau’s students: “Dr. Reneau is as good as it gets. He is an all-around, top-notch professor, as well as everyday person. When sitting in his classroom, it is evident that he wants you to not only learn, but succeed. If he sees you walking around campus, he’s always the first to say hello, and if he has time, you can count on a comical conversation. Dr. Reneau really pushed me both semesters that I had him for class. While there were some days I didn’t think I would make it, there were others where he felt more like a confidant than a professor. Dr. Reneau certainly deserves to be rewarded for his incredible teaching abilities and all-around character.”

Reneau is a member of the graduate faculty. He earned a B.S. from West Virginia Wesleyan College, an M.Ed. from the George Peabody College of Vanderbuilt University and a Ph.D. from The University of Alabama. He has been an FSU faculty member since 2002.

Dr. Robin Payne, Faculty Recognition Award

The Faculty Recognition award is intended to honor a full-time faculty member who has engaged and inspired students to have original thinking and who has an active involvement and guidance in student projects. The award also honors the faculty for the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning. Dr. Adam Podlaskowski, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, presented the Faculty Recognition Award to Dr. Robin Payne, Assistant Professor of History in the College of Liberal Arts.

“The Faculty Recognition Award is given to honor excellence in teaching and to encourage continuing efforts to excel. Recipients of the award have demonstrated a sustained, energetic and successful commitment to teaching, as well as having shown personal attention and care in advising students. The recipient of this year’s award has been an asset to her students and colleagues; and as her nomination letter points out she, ‘makes it a point to make herself available to all students who may be struggling with her class. She goes as far as to actively seek out a student who may need help and ask them if there is anything she can do,’ ” Podlaskowski said.

Payne earned a B.A. and M.A. from Washington State University and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been a faculty member at FSU since 2012.

Dr. Rhonda Sanford, Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Fellow Award

Dr. Amy Sidwell, Assistant Professor of Community Health Education, presented the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Fellowship to Dr. Rhonda Lemke Sanford, Professor of English. The award will assist Sanford’s travel to Ireland to present a scholarly paper at an international literary conference and to research at several of the foremost research libraries in Great Britain the week after the conference.

In June 2015, she will present her paper, “The place of the Amazon(s) in Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queene’ ” at the Fifth International Spenser Society Conference, The Place of Spenser/Spenser’s Places, at the University of Dublin and Dublin Castle, Ireland. She will present at the session, moderate a session and attend paper sessions and plenaries with some of the top international scholars of the 16^th century poet, Sir Edmund Spenser. She will have the opportunity to visit Spenser’s home, Kilcomen Castle in County Cork. Sanford also will use the libraries at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, University of Dublin, Trinity College and the Public Records Office to continue her research into the real lives of unwed mothers and illegitimate children in Renaissance England.

A member of the graduate faculty, Sanford earned a B.A., M.B.A. and M.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has been an FSU faculty member since 1999. She has been awarded two Faculty Development Grants, two West Virginia Humanities Commission Grants, a Folger Shakespeare Library Grant and a sabbatical, as well as a Provost Grant and a grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research. She is the author of the book, “Maps and Memory in Early Modern England: A Sense of Place” (2002).

Dr. Gwen Jones, Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Grant

Dr. Amy Sidwell, Assistant Professor of Community Health Education, presented the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. Grant to Dr. Gwendolyn Jones, Professor of Education in the FSU School of Education, Health and Human Performance.

Jones’s funded project is focused on providing undergraduate teacher education students with a professional presentation experience at the Southeast Regional Conference for the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) that is held in Durham, N.C., in April. The conference is within driving distance from Fairmont State University and affords students an opportunity to both present their work and experience the conference proceedings at an affordable price in both money and time.

Jones received the Faculty Recognition Award in 2013-2014. She joined the faculty in fall 2003. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Eastern Connecticut State College, a master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Connecticut and an Ed.D. from West Virginia University in Curriculum and Instruction. She received teaching certification from the West Virginia Department of Education in 2003.

Ryan Frost, Outstanding Adjunct Award

The Faculty Development Committee presented the Outstanding Adjunct Award to honor excellence in teaching and to encourage adjunct faculty's continuing efforts to excel. The award is given to faculty members who have demonstrated a sustained, energetic and successful commitment to teaching. Lindstrom presented the award to Ryan Frost.

Frost is an adjunct instructor of percussion in the Music Department of the School of Fine Arts. He enjoys working with all students but especially non-music majors. Frost says he firmly considers it his responsibility to expand all students’ knowledge of interest in music and to broaden their appreciation of the arts in general. Among other accomplishments, he has developed the curriculum that led to the establishment of a campus African Drum and Dance Ensemble, which had its first public performance last fall. He also collaborated with psychology professor Dr. Tad Kato by leading a drum circle during one of Kato’s classes to help students understand how playing music together can develop listening, cooperation and leadership skills.

Frost is dedicated to supporting diversity on campus. “Last fall at a meeting of the West Virginia Music Teachers Association, he chose to play a piece from the Middle East using a drum from Saudi Arabia. According to one of his colleagues, Frost was surrounded by international students from Saudi Arabia who were thrilled to hear an instrument with which they were familiar being played so well by an American,” Lindstrom said.

Dr. Jennifer Myers, Excellence in Academic Advising Award

The Award for Excellence in Academic Advising is presented to honor the demonstrated excellence and commitment that academic advisors play in the education, personal development, and success of their advisees. This year’s award winner is Dr. Jennifer Myers, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice in the College of Liberal Arts.

“From her nomination letter, it is apparent that Dr. Myers is proactive, knowledgeable, compassionate and understanding, and that she customizes her advising based on the experiences, needs, goals and considerations of her advisees,” said Pam Stephens, Coordinator of Academic Advising and the RBA Program, who presented the award.

Stephens read the following quote about Myers from a student: “Dr. Myers went out of her way to inform her advisees of the policies of the University and especially the program. Even before we would meet face to face, she would e-mail changes in program requirements in a manner that was understandable and effective. She has a remarkable personality that offers students comfort and ease, and she is virtually reachable at any time. She is always extremely swift when sent an e-mail, and many times those e-mails are sent during nights and weekends. I know that she cares because her e-mails are sent from her personal phone, meaning that she took time from her personal schedule to ensure that my education was on track.”

Myers has been an FSU faculty member since 2009. A member of the graduate faculty, she is also the director of the M.S. in Criminal Justice program. She earned her B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from West Virginia University.

A total of 1,022 students have been named to the Dean’s List at Fairmont State University after completing the spring 2015 semester.

Dr. Christina Lavorata, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, has released the Dean’s List and the President’s List to recognize high-achieving students for their academic distinction. Full-time students who earned a 3.4 or better grade point average for the spring 2015 semester are named to the Dean’s List. Full-time students achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average are named to the President’s List.

School of Graduate Studies: President’s List

Stacie Aliff, Nicole Allison, Nathaniel Arnold, Brittany Bailey, Stephen Baldwin, Elizabeth Bowman, Michael Carpenter, Emily Crow, Shannon DeWitt, Gene Dodd, Crystal Dotson, Anthony Ellis, Michael Gallimore, Jeremy Gouzd, Stephanie Guzik, Kelsey Hall, Jessica Harmening, Sean Harwell, Teya Henthorn, Sheena Hershman, Miranda Jackson, Kimberly Kettler, Brenda Lamkin, Heather Leep, Tiffany Martin, Trent Moats, Taylor Myers, Rochelle Nestor, Dominique Nuzum, Courtney Phillips, Nina Price, Michelle Raines, Alyssa Scarbrough, Marshal Sherry, Savanna Shuck, Shae Strait, Andrew Thorne, Alisha Vincent, Emily Wagoner, Karl Weidhaas, Whitney Westfall, Jacob Wickenhofer, Sophia Youngs.

School of Graduate Studies: Dean’s List

Cassie Annan, Daniel DeVaul, Diana Ellis, Cullen Hencke, Matthew Jernigan, Mallorie Judy, Carolanne Keim, Jessie Long, Helen Milbourne, Corey Orban, Ann Post, Thomas Scott, Teresa Sestito, John Spears, Daniel Strosnider, Renee Ullery, Alexander Voldeck, Marissa Wilmer.

President’s List

Johnna Akers, Meshal Almuzaini, Adam Anderson, Elizabeth Arnold, Olivia Ashcraft, David Banister, David Bannister, Alissa Barnes, Michael Barnes, Derek Barnett, Amber Basnett, Ashley Bassel, Erin Bean, Daphne Beckwith, Jacob Bell, Jodie Bennett, Cassidy Berens, Leslea Blackshire, Nicole Bland, Heather Blankenship, Sarah Blosser, Zachary Bodkin, Aneva Bohon, Wayne Bourbeau, Kaitlin Brancato, Kelly Brett, Jennah Brinegar, Morgan Brooks, Chloe Brown, Michayla Brown, Zachary Buchanan, Jacob Buckland, Kasie Buckley, Bethany Buckner, Michael Byrd, Jill Cable, Laurie Caldwell, Hannah Carpenter, Lauren Chase, Zachary Chestnut, Krista Chicknell, Kylie Clatterbuck, Daniel Clay, Cody Cleavenger, Natalie Clelland, Casey Clutter, Caitlin Cockrell, Kathy Collins, Hannah Compton, Nancy Confalone, Andrew Cook, Kristina Coombs, Derrick Corns, Sarah Cory, Lorie Countryman, Marissa Cox, Ashley Crandall, Michael Cuppett, Timothy Curtis, Rachel Cutlip, Benjamin Daily, Yen Dang, Velicia Darquenne, Caitlyn Davis, Kaitlynn Davis, Amanda Dawson, Brenda DeBastiani, Kayla DeBolt, Brandon DeFebbo, Grant Delancey, Shealyn Delancey, Sona Delawder, Antonio DiDomenico, Jason Dingeldein, Katelin Dunlop, Andrew Edwards, Sharlyn Egress, Garrett Elam, Rachel Elliott, Amber Estok, Gina Estok, Mary Evans, Trevor Fancher, Brianna Fealy, Daniel Fernandes, Spencer Flanagan, Kylie Ford, Shanece Forge, Jason Frazer, Tyler Gahr, Sarah Garcia, Allison Gay, Ronald Gibson, Kristy Gore, Aja Gosper, Amber Gower, Rebecca Goydel, Bruce Greeley, Curtis Griffith, Sara Guidi, Hallie Gunnoe, Connor Haberland, Osama Hadadi, Raven Haddix, Breanna Hafer, Mitchell Haines, Mary Hall, Derek Hamilton, Jennifer Hanlin, Gage Hannah, Jonathan Hannigan, Ashley Hans, Shelby Harman, Sean Harris, Shannon Hartnett, Frankie Hinzman, Vanessa Hissam, Ashley Hoffmaster, Grant Holbert, Thairon Holler, Megan Howard, Amber Howdershelt, Charity Huber, Kelly Humphreys, Amy Hyde, Shelley Idleman, Kaitlynn Jackson, James Jesmer, Crystal Johnson, Shawn Johnson, Jonathan Jones, Philip Kahly, Andrew Kapper, Darian Kearns, Alexander Keefover, Kayla Keefover, Crystal Kelly, David Kennedy, Kayla Kerns, Laken Kiddy, Kaylee Kirkpatrick, Travis Kirtner, Ethan Knopsnider, Thomas Kovack, Sam Lacaria, Linsey Lamb, Ruth Lamp, Alexzandria Lane, Angie Lane, Melissa Layfield, Jessica Leech, Jessica Lego, Kaetlynn Lipinski, James Logue, Lindsey Losh, Faith Lough, Hannah Ludwick, Dale Lyons, Melissa Mann, Ashley Martin, Sarah Martin, Tyler Martin, Bruno Martinez, Hillary Martinez, Sharman Martinez, Elizabeth Masters, Taylor Masters, Jillann Mayle, Joshua Mayle, Garrett McCurdy, Resa McGlumphy, Erin McKown, Kayla Mikush, Brian Miller, Martin Miller, Sarah Minor, Hanif Mirza, Jasmine Moore, Emily Moorehead, Ruby Morris, Kalee Murphey, Kelsey Musgrave, Alisha Myers, Dominic Myhalsky, Nathan Napier, Aaron Nelan, Haley Nelson, Hannah Nelson, Nicholette Nelson, Michelle Nestor, Taylor Nichols, Anniwaer Nijiati, Rachel O'Dell, Miranda Oliverio, Caleigh Osborne, Hyeyeon Park, Sara Park, Elizabeth Parker, Cheyanne Parks, Alicen Patton, Julian Pecora, Rebecca Pendry, Sierra Perry, Lacey Peterson, Melissa Phillips, Paige Phillips, Stephen Phillips, Janalee Poe, Tyler Poff, Sophia Porco, Briana Pudsell, Sean Rafferty, Justin Ramsey, Ethan Ratkovich, Logan Ratliff, Alicia Reece, Jessica Reed, Andrea Richmond, Justin Richter, Jamie Riddell, Veronica Rine, Ryan Robba, Lee Roccio, Brandon Rohrbacher, Brandon Roth, Jeffrey Rush, Nicholas Rush, Daphne Ryan, Brandey Scarberry, Robert Schrader, Kelidanne Schuchardt, Ryan Scott, Tyler Scott, RaeAnn Secrist, Tyler Sensibaugh, Adam Shaffer, Vincent Sheeler, Jared Sigley, Joseph Simmons, Kathryn Simon, Kayla Simpson, Taylor Skelton, Jordan Smith, William Soles, Angela Spatafore, Debbie Stahl, Brandy Stebbins, Lisa Steffich, Chloe' Stephens, Roberta Stevens, Christina Strader, Sissy Stubbs, Raye Sullivan-Trippett, Alyssa Swiger, Grace Templeman, Alexandria Terwilliger, Christy Thompson, Caitlyn Tobin, Rachel VanOsdol, Christopher Vance, Hannah Vasicek, Hope Vasicek, Bruce Veltri, Erin Vilar, Carl Wahler, David Walker, Alexander Wallace, Rebekah Watson, Ashley Webb, McKenzie Weese, Maria Westfall, Thomas White, Jacqueline Whiteside, Olivia Wiley, Brandy Wilmoth, Travis Wilson, Elizabeth Wimer, Ann Marie Witkowski, Amber Wooten, Kenzie Wright, Mary Yankie, Cody Zagar.

Dean’s List

Zachary Adamczyk, Makenzie Adamek, Lucreatia Adams, Clint Aikins, Ammar Al-Awami, Mohammed Alanazi, Sultan Alanazi, Eisa Alanezi, Alexis Alastanos, Jenna Alastanos, Zuhair Albuazizah, Sulaiman Alduraywish, Riyadh Alkulaib, Alhumaidi Almutairi, Jillian Amos, Jesse Anderson, Jade Angeline, Brittany Aragon, Alyssa Arana-Garcia, Destini Arbogast, Lane Arbogast, Jordan Armstrong, Mackenzie Arthur, Samantha Ash, Rex Ashley, Stephanie Ashley, Louis Assaro, Jeffrey Audia, Ryan Audia, Catherine Bach, Aleah Backstrom, Deanna Bailey, Alexander Baird, Casey Baird, Jacqueline Baker, John Ball, Lacey Ball, Patrick Ball, Rachel Ball, Cole Ballard, Alex Barb, Kylee Barnard, Mark Barnett, Aaron Barnette, Jared Barr, Katelyn Barr, Sarah Barr, Munkhbayart Batsaikhan, Cayla Bayles, Timothy Bayne, Ashleigh Belfiore, Neely Benline, Emily Bennett, Kailey Bennett, Jessica Berg, Gabrielle Bergmann, Jeffrey Bias, Kristina Bikoulova, Maura Blake, Holly Blankenship, Abbigail Blosser, Christopher Blosser, Breanna Blot, Caroline Bohach, Emily Bolinger, Ethan Bolton, Tammy Bolyard, Josiah Bond, Martin Borror, Rachel Bowman, Jacob Boyce, Lauren Brewer, Cortney Bright, Kendra Bright, Brennan Brooks, Emily Broughton, Chyna Brown, Hannah Brown, Nicholas Brown, Samantha Brown, Logan Brusak, Craig Buchanan, Emily Buchanan, Sabrina Buhagiar, Whitney Burnside, Lacey Cale, Alexander Campbell, Elisabeth Campbell, Joseph Canterbury, Shawn Carlton, Devin Carpenter, Brandon Carr, Alexis Cartagena, Allison Carvelli, Claudia Castro, Callie Cathell, Angelica Chase, Gabriel Childers, Chad Christenson, Amber Cinalli, Mackenzie Cira, Danika Clark, Lawrence Clark, Matthew Clemens, Brian Cleveland, Colton Cogar, Regina Cole, Jesse Colebank, Kayla Coleman, Chelsea Collins, Emily Collins, Sean Collins, Jacob Combs, Brandi Connor, Adrianna Constable, Maura Conti, Robert Conti, Bradley Cox, Curtis Crabtree, Emily Crane, Sarah Crewdson, Gregory Crickard, Matthew Crislip, Mariah Cunningham, Brodie Currence, Nicole Currence, Abby Daetwyler, Taylor Daft, Jochebed Danby-Cobbina, Gabrielle Danner, Kevin Darlington, Kellie Davis, Samantha Davis, Sara Davis, Shawn Davis, Tyler Davis, William Davis, Haley DeBerry, Juanita DeBerry, Anna DeLong, Laura DeWalick, Brooklyn Defenbaugh, Jessica Dellagatta, Darcy Delligatti, John Dent, Philip Dent, Seth Devault, Danielle DiCarlo, Luka David Dilas, Jacob Dillinger, Jessica Dixon, Morgan Doerr, Sean Doherty, Candice Doub, Christopher Dowell, David Dryden, Alyssa Duckworth, Chelsie Dunn, Shauna Durant, Taylor Durst, Lauren Dzielski, Payden Eckleberry, Brody Efaw, Vicki Elam, Timothy Elbert, Alexander Elliott, Patrick Ellis, Gabrielle Etter, Shawn Evans, Cora Faby, Brooke Fadeley, Caleb Fancher, Canon Fancher, David Farmer, Jessie Feather, Bethany Fedio, Kayla Ferrell, Allie Fetty, Brent Field, Catherine Fiorini, Shawn Fisher, Sheena Fisher, Seth Fitzwater, Kaylee Flanagan, Alissa Fleming, Leo Fleming, Jessica Flesher, Sirena Flesher, Amber Fluharty, Arden Fox, Virginia Fox, Kyle Francis, Elizabeth Frederick, Seth Freeman, Mary Freiburger, Caitlin Friend, Steven Fulaytar, Jolene Fullen, Christopher Furbee, Jessica Furda, Taylor Gadd, Cameron Gallaher, Kaitlin Gates, Alexandro Gialone, Marquez Gibson, Krista Gillis, Katie Glover, Kristi Goe, Colton Goff, Gusty Golden, Carolyn Golden-Burrows, Bethany Gorman, Zachary Gower, Ashley Graham, Jordan Graham, Shawna Graham, Philip Griffin, Abigail Griffith, Samantha Grim, Tyler Gross, Tyler Groves, Jesse Grubb, Thomas Guempel, Danielle Guthrie, Brandon Haggerty, Ryan Hall, Hannah Haller, Lauren Hamilton, Alexandria Hamler, Alicia Hammond, Kellie Hammond, Ashley Hamrick, Sheri Hanberry, Alyssa Hanisch, Janna Hardinger, NaTasha Hardy, Emily Harman, Deborah Harold, William Harper, Mackenzie Harrison, Emily Hart, Abby Hartley, Erin Harwood, Amanda Hashman, Amin Hassan, Donna Haught, Ashley Hawkins, Dakota Hawkins, Gary Hayes, William Hays, Joseph Helmick, Alexander Henderson, Autumn Herbst, Skylar Herod, Krista Herron, Briana Hershman, Christina Hess, Scott Hessler, Dorian Hetzel, Daniel Hevener, Anne Hewitt, Elyssa Hibbs-Loughery, Drew Hill, Justin Hill, Tiffany Hillery, Brooke Hinerman, Nicholas Hinkle, Jessica Hirschkorn, Colby Holleran, Teala Holmberg, Emily Holmes, Shaniah Holtz, Anita Honeycutt, Morgan Hornsby, Macy Houck, Kelsi Hoult, Travis Howard, Daniel Hudson, Chloe Huffman, Audra Hull, Taelor Hunter-Roberts, Michael Hurt, Justin Hyre, Walter Ingram, Brandon Jackson, Mark Jefferies, Kyle Jenkins, Robert Jesmer, James John, Bryce Johnson, Dakota Johnson, Erika Johnson, Michael Johnson, Evan Jones, Jodie Jones, Ashley Jozwick, Jennifer Jozwick, Myung Hee Jung, Aaron Kast, Ashley Keith, Chelsea Keith, Michael Keller, Dominique Kelley, Erica Kelley, Joseph Kelley, Alyssa Kelly, Mitchell Kelly, Bailey Kershner, Mary Key, Colter Kincaid, Mark Kisner, David Klug, Lauren Knight, Mattison Koch, Mitchell Koch, Nathan Kolar, Pasko Komadina, Peyton Konchesky, Liana Kopelov, Patricia Kovach, Ashley Krause, Lesley Kuffour, Levi Kyer, Candice LaBenne, Jordan Lacy, Sierra Lamb, Isaac Lambert, Andrew Lamkin, Kenneth Lamp, Sarah Landis, Kerensa Larew, Chelsi Latocha, Maggie Lawless, Whitney Layton, LeeAnn Leary, Tierney Leary, Bradley Ledsome, Seung-ha Lee, Michael Lemley, Hannah Lenhart, Todd Levitan, Adam Lewis, Christopher Lewis, Jacklyn Lewis, Sophia Libonati, Ashley Limer, Greg Lloyd, Charles Loar, Emily Lohr, Ethan Long, Phillip Longnecker, Jordan Losh, Connor Loudin, Tyler Loudin, Ashley Lowe, Eric Lowe, Leonard Lucas, Paige Lucas, Andrew Lyon, James Mackey, Ashleigh Magee, Benjamin Male, Ashley Malone, Andrew Maltba, John Manchin, Renee Mandy, Amber Mann, Taylor Marsh, Austin Martin, Gabriella Mascaro, Erika Maskil, Rachel Masters, Brandon Mathis, Melinda Mauzy, Justine Maxey, Laura Mayhew, Shante Mayle, Joshua McClain, Vanessa McClung, Makenzie McClure, Stacy McCord, Andrew McCoy, Kathleen McDiffitt, Amber McDonald, Austin McFee, Mykelti McGaffic, Tyler McGee, Andrew McGilton, Daniel McGuffey, Makayla McGuire, Cynthia McIntire, Diane McKee, Corey McMillen, Jessica McPherson, Chelsea Mcie, Makala Meadows, Adam Meeker, Dominik Mensah, Cassidy Messenger, Ashton Meyers, Alexia Michael, Brooke Mick, Taylor Mihm, Megan Mike, Amber Miller, Lindsay Miller, Kaitlyn Mills, Sami Miltenberger, Nicholas Minutelli, Jacey Mitchell, Jade Mitchell, Jonathan Mitchell, Ria Mitchell, Shayne Mitchell, Brandon Moats, Jared Moats, Samira Mohamed, Bailey Mohr, Damien Monell, Saige Mongold, Dakota Moore, Haley Moore, Randy Moore, Virginia Moratti, Devin Morgan, Benjamin Morris, Montana Morris, Rachel Morris, Scarlett Mowery, Maddie Mullenax, Britany Mullins, Joshua Musgrove, Amanda Musick, Alex Myers, Eric Myers, Jessica Nestor, Katelyn Nestor, Dylan Nicholas, Carolyn Nolan, Daniel Nolte, Caitlin Norwish, Derek Nuzum, Charles O'Brien, Kenneth Oiler, Courtney Oliver, Julia Oliveto, Kayla Olsen, Brianna Owens, Jamie Paletta, Abigail Palmer, Bayley Palmer, Sara Parks, Austin Parsons, Sarah Parsons, Tyler Pate, Timothy Patrick, Nancy Patterson, Laiken Paugh, Alisha Pearcy, Kimberleigh Pearcy, Jennifer Perkins, Hatti Phillips, Lauren Phillips, Isaac Pifer, Emily Pingley, Kyle Ploucher, Kari Plybon, David Poling, Simon Poling, Zachary Porter, Victoria Postlewait, Mackenzie Powell, Chelsea Price, Jordan Price, Brooke Prichard, Alison Pritt, Jeffery Pritt, Emily Puskarich, Alisia Queen, Abigaile Quinn, Taylor Raby, Zachary Randolph, Kyleen Reckart, Brian Reed, Bethany Reese, Daniel Reitz, Thomas Retton, Joshua Rexroad, Rebecca Rexroad, Amanda Reynolds, Haley Richards, Tiffany Richards, Christine Ridenour, Bradley Riffee, Brandon Riffee, Gerald Riffle, Samantha Riley, Brittany Rimmer, Kayla Rinehart, Danielle Ritter, Daisy Rivera Torres, Christopher Roach, Hannah Roberts, Laine Roberts, Sara Robinson, Sarita Robinson, Hailey Rogers, Annie Rollins, Joshua Romeo, Lisa Romeo, Meredith Ruetty, Amanda Ruffner, Hannah Rux, Nicole Ryan, Brian Sagasti, Justin Sage, Matthew Saghy, William Sampson, Ryan San Julian, Phillip Sands, Kyle Sandy, Aaron Sanford, Haley Santmyer, Athena Sayrie, Justin Schmidt, Sarah Schmidt, Samantha Scritchfield, Levi Senger, Asim Shaar, Bailey Shade, Nicholas Shaffer, Brooke Shambaugh, Marissa Shanholtz, Kristin Shank, Julia Shemaitis, Tyler Sheppard, Brittany Shields, Brooke Shockey, Vanessa Short, Kelcy Shreves, Devin Shriver, Amanda Sigley, Derek Silski, Samantha Silva, Cara Simms, Breanna Sines, Lex Singleton, Brent Six, Amanda Skidmore, Crystal Smallwood, Tiffany Smathers, Cassandra Smith, Charles Smith, Christopher Smith, Heather Smith, Kaitlyn Smith, Loraine Smith, Nicole Smith, Shaun Smith, Tanner Smith, Trey Smith, Joseph Snopps, Natalie Southern, Kennidy Souza, Alyssa Sowards, Matthew Spiker, Logan Sponaugle, Melissa Spring, Amy Stahl, Ryan Stephenson, Ashtyn Stevens, Adam Stevenski, Jessica Stewart, Randall Stickley, Emily Stoneking, Michael Stonestreet, Faith Stout, Jakob Streyle, Brittany Strother, John Stump, Alyssa Suan, Kayla Summers, Jordan Swiger, Samira Swisher, Sommar Swisher, William Sydnes, Allie Talkington, Jennifer Tate, Abagail Taylor, Alisa Taylor, Christopher Taylor, Erin Taylor, Jessica Taylor, Justin Taylor, Marcus Teamer, Jackey Teets, Amber Tennant, Harleigh Tennant, Joshua Tenney, Kaja Tenney, Nash Thomas, Derek Tinney, Tyler Tobin, William Tolbert, Sean Tracy, Patrick Trosch, Anthony Trupo, Cara Turley, James Turner, Jessica Turner, Joni Tyree, Nicole Uccello, Andrew Udell, Brandon Umstot, Takawira Ushendibaba, Elroy Van Horn, Jacob Van Meter, Krista Vassil, Cavelle Vaughn, Marc Vero, Angela Viscount, Makala Vore, Matthew Wade, Rachel Waibogha, Nathaniel Wajler, Candace Walker, Cody Walker, Kiana Wallace, Luke Wallace, Adam Walls, Geoffrey Ward, Akili Wartts, Troy Watkins, Sheila Watson, Noah Weber, Morgan Weese, David Wegman, Shammgod Wells, Mendi Wentz, Courtlyn West, Tabitha Whetzel, Marianna White, Tesla White, Kelsey Whitt, Jackie Wick, Lauren Wickenhofer, Bethany Wiles, Jacob Wiles, Brycen Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Jonathan Williams, Leanna Williams, Cassandra Willis, Katelynn Wills, Aaron Wilson, Justin Wilson, Michelle Wilson, Tyler Wilson, Anthony Wilt, Steven Winters, Tyler Withee, Samantha Withrow, Kaitlyn Witsaman, Elena Wojcik, Hannah Wolfe, AnDee Wood, Kimberly Woods, Macy Woods, Matthew Woodward, Rayleen Working, Breana Wright, Ariah Wyatt, Leah Yoho, Matthew Yost, Shannon Yost, Sara Younker, Alina Zakharava, Mishayla Zecco.

Fairmont State University, with a 120-acre main campus in Fairmont, W.Va., is part of the state’s growing high technology corridor. A city of about 19,000 people, Fairmont is close to larger cities and also to opportunities for outdoor recreation. Founded in 1865 as a private institution dedicated to educating teachers, FSU has a long history of academic excellence. At FSU, students find a wide range of fields of study with more than 80 four-year programs and graduate programs. With an enrollment of about 4,200, FSU is large enough that students find a vibrant campus life and small enough that they do not get lost in the crowd.

The mission of FSU is to provide opportunities for individuals to achieve their professional and personal goals and discover roles for responsible citizenship that promote the common good. FSU values scholarship, opportunity, achievement and responsibility.

Questions about this list may be submitted to Kathleen.Cox@fairmontstate.edu.

The Fairmont State University Architecture Program will present the Mayfield Lecture 2015, featuring a world-renowned team, Keith and Marie Zawistowski.

The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. following with the lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, in Room 305 of the Engineering Technology Building on the main campus. The lecture topic will be Architectural Education & Practice in the Academy. The event is presented in partnership with American Institute of Architects West Virginia and is generously supported by the West Virginia Foundation for Architecture.

The first Mayfield Lecture of the 2015-2016 academic year is named in honor of the late Jeff Mayfield, who was an Assistant Professor of Architecture in the Department of Technology from 2001 until his death in 2003. Mayfield graduated from Morgantown High School in 1988. He received an Associate Specialized Technology degree from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute in 1990 and a Bachelor of Science degree in architectural and civil engineering technology from Fairmont State in 1995. He received his Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1999.

He was a past president of the Fairmont chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineering and the American Institute of Architectural Students. He served as chair for the Fairmont Historical Landmark Commission. He was a member of the Epsilon Pi Tau and Vocation Industrial Clubs of America.

Keith Zawistowski, AIA, NCARB, GC, was born in New Jersey and studied architecture at Virginia Tech. Marie Zawistowski, Architecte DPLG, was born in Paris, France, and studied architecture at the Ecole d’Architecture Paris Malaquais. They met at Auburn University’s Rural Studio while working as students with Architect Sambo Mockbee to design and build a charity house for Lucy Harris and her family. In 2005, they received a Graham Foundation Grant for “Traditions of Today and Tomorrow” their study of traditional building practices in Ghana, West Africa. They have since married and established OnSite Architecture to continue their collaboration, making buildings, which are deeply rooted in the unique identity of people and place. By working from within the context of their projects, the Zawistowskis strive to make buildings which are economically, culturally and environmentally sensitive.

From 2008 to 2015 Keith and Marie served as Professors of Practice on the faculty at Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture + Design, where they co-taught Professional Practice, Building Analysis, Building Assemblies and the design/buildLAB which they co-founded. The design/buildLAB, an initiative on OnSite Architecture, is a project-based experiential learning program focused on the research, development and implementation of innovative construction methods and architectural designs. Students collaborate with local communities and industry experts to conceive and realize built works of architecture that are both educational and charitable in nature. The aspirations of the program are simultaneously to reinforce the knowledge and skills necessary to the students’ successful and meaningful practice of architecture and to support development efforts in distressed communities by enriching the quality of their built environment. 

In 2009, OnSite received a Design Excellence Award from the Virginia Society American Institute of Architects for their design and construction of the Arritt Farm House. In 2011 Keith and Marie received the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ Grand Prize for the Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy for their Professional Practice course “Designing Practice,” they were featured in Architect Magazine’s AIA Voices, and their design/buildLAB students received both a Design Excellence Award from the Virginia Society American Institute of Architects and a Design Award from the National Wood Products Council for the Covington Farmers Market project.

In 2012 Keith and Marie were listed among “the top 100 individuals and teams working at the intersection of design and service” by Public Interest Design and the design/buildLAB's Masonic Amphitheatre was featured in Metropolis Magazine and named Building of the Year by American-Architects.com. In 2013 Keith and Marie were recognized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture with their inaugural Design/Build Education Award for “best practices in design/build education.” Also in 2013, the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects recognized Keith with the Award for Distinguished Achievement and Marie with Society Honors “for their extraordinary joint efforts to advance the art and science of architecture.” In 2014 OnSite was named a laureate of French AJAP (young architects award) and the design/buildLAB was recognized with awards from Azure Magazine and Architizer. Marie and Keith are also recipients of the prestigious “Prix Françoise Abella” from the French Beaux Arts Academy.

Students from the Fairmont State University Architecture Program pose with internationally renowned architect, Jose Oubrerie (wearing black in the center of the photo), after his recent lecture in Pittsburgh.  

Oubrerie is the last living protege of Le Corbusier, who was one of the most acclaimed architects of the 20th century. Oubrerie was the project architect for Le Corbusier’s Saint-Pierre de Firminy Church in France, seeing the final design through to completion in 2006 after nearly 40 years of delays. 

Oubrerie is also a former Dean at the University of Kentucky, Professor Emeritus at the Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University and is currently a visiting professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Other important projects by Oubrerie include the French Cultural Center in Damascus, Syria, and the Miller House in Lexington, Ky. He is also the author of the recently released book “Architecture With and Without Le Corbusier.”

As part of Fairmont State University’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, the campus and Fairmont community are invited to help commemorate an historic day for the oldest building on the main campus, Hardway Hall, originally known as the Administration Building.

The 100^th Birthday Celebration for Hardway Hall will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, outside on the front steps of the building. In case of inclement weather, the festivities will move inside to the second floor hallway. The event will include brief remarks from FSU President Maria Rose and Master of Architecture student Shae Strait. As a salute to Hardway Hall’s roots in theatre, the cast from the upcoming musical “The Boy Friend” will perform a song. Noteworthy Sweets of Fairmont has designed a special cake that looks like the building. All guests are invited to enjoy cake and coffee and to pose for a large group photo in front of Hardway Hall.

“Hardway Hall still occupies its prominent site atop a hill and in the hearts and minds of alumni a century later. Whether we appreciate Hardway Hall as a beautiful piece of neo-classical architecture or as a building that houses the historic and critical functions of our institution, we can all gaze upon this structure as a testament to Fairmont State University itself.  Hardway Hall has become more than a building: it is now both a symbol of our tradition, and a worthy witness to our aspirations in the next century to come,” Strait said.

Hardway Hall traces its origins to October 11, 1915, when its cornerstone was placed. Designed by Philadelphia’s influential Paul Armon Davis, III, the building opened in January 1917. The building was the first constructed on the Locust Avenue campus, formerly the Kennedy family dairy farm. The west wing was added in 1923. The building was first referred to as the Administration Building but was renamed in 1989 for Wendell G. Hardway, who was President of Fairmont State College from 1973-1988. Hardway Hall was included on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior on March 28, 1994.

The building has historic roots in theatre as the site of the creation of Alpha Psi Omega, Delta Psi Omega and the International Thespian Society. Plays were presented as a part of Fairmont State campus life as early as 1921. A faculty director was hired in 1923, and that year the Masquers organization was formed. The organization was charged with presenting a season of plays for the campus and the community. In 1925, Alpha Psi Omega was formed under the direction of Dr. Paul Opp. This national organization now includes members from more than 600 colleges and universities. 

In celebration of FSU’s Sesquicentennial, the Theatre Program is presenting a season of plays taken from the Masquers history. The first show of the 2015-2016 season is “The Boy Friend,” first produced at Fairmont State in 1959 and directed by JoAnn Lough. Dr. Susan Cato-Chapman, Temporary Assistant Professor of Theatre, will direct the show this year.

 “The Boy Friend,” written by Sandy Wilson, opened in London in 1954 and then on Broadway in 1955. The show was Julie Andrews’s introduction to the American stage. The show is about Polly Browne (played in the current production by Shannon Yost) who is desperate for a boyfriend. It is set in a boarding school run by Madam Dubonnett (Dani DeVito) in the south of France. A case of mistaken identity is central to this fast-paced story that features the musical numbers “Won’t You Charleston with Me” and “The Riviera.”

 “The Boy Friend” will be performed in the Wallman Hall Theatre on Oct. 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. On closing night, Saturday, Oct. 24, the Theatre Program will honor Jo Ann Lough with a reception in the Wallman Hall Tower Room at 6 p.m.  The reception is open to the public. Tickets for “The Boy Friend” can be purchased by calling the box office at (304) 367-4240.

A $10,000 grant from Dominion Foundation will help Fairmont State University’s College of Science and Technology launch a solar energy program that has on-campus and community outreach components.

Mark Barnes, Director of Gas Operations for Dominion Hope in Clarksburg, visited the FSU campus on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to present the grant funds to the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc., on behalf of the FSU College of Science and Technology. Barnes met with FSU President Maria Rose; Foundation President RJ Gimbl; Dr. Don Trisel, Dean of the College of Science and Technology; Dr. Erica Harvey, a faculty member in the College of Science and Technology; Amantha Cole, grant author; and three FSU students, senior Chemistry major Kevin Dudley, sophomore Biology major Jenni Perkins and M.Ed. Digital Media and Technology student Sean Harwell.

The overarching goals of the project, titled “Solar Powered Learning, Research and Outreach” led by Trisel and Harvey, are to provide hands-on learning and STEM research opportunities for University and high school students in the region in a real-world application and to raise awareness among students and the community about the viability of solar energy.

“It’s a very good project. We’re excited about the partnership with FSU,” Barnes said. “As a diverse company as Dominion is, it’s important that we support ventures like we have here at Fairmont State. It is important that the business community support student ideas.”

A small solar array will be installed on campus, along with a cell phone and laptop charging station. Students will assist in the planning and preparation for these solar stations and then will observe and analyze their energy production. The project will create cross-discipline learning applications and student research opportunities for students in Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Chemistry and Environmental Science.

“We are thankful for this funding opportunity from Dominion Foundation and for their ongoing support of Fairmont State,” Trisel said. “We are helping to train the future scientists and engineers that companies like Dominion will want to employ. We might also be able to excite some high school students about the possibilities of conducting research and contributing to society. Perhaps some of these students will consider a career in STEM fields.”

Harvey said the project provides a wonderful opportunity for FSU students to mentor K-12 students in real research. As the headquarters for the West Virginia Brigade, FSU students will recruit high school students for the West Virginia Brigade of the “Solar Army,” a nationwide search for new photoelectrocatalysts that can split water with sunlight to produce hydrogen gas for fuel. “Hydrogen gas has potential as a green fuel because when burned in the presence of oxygen, the only waste product is water,” Trisel said.

“I love the idea that a West Virginia student could potentially discover a useful new material for solar energy conversion,” Harvey added.

Originally funded by a National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation grant to a group of universities led by researchers at Caltech, the Solar Army engages students in the preparation and testing of combinations of cheap, non-toxic, earth-abundant metal oxides for photoelectrocatalytic activity. FSU will become a public example of the benefits of exploring alternative and diverse energy sources.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 24,600 megawatts of generation, 12,200 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,455 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the nation’s largest natural gas storage systems with 928 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves utility and retail energy customers in 13 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company’s web site at www.dom.com or Dominion Energy Solutions at www.DominionEnergy.com.

About the photo:

Pictured from left to right are Dr. Don Trisel, Interim Dean of the FSU College of Science and Technology; FSU President Maria Rose; Mark Barnes, Director of Gas Operations for Dominion Hope in Clarksburg; RJ Gimbl of the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc.; and Dr. Erica Harvey, a FSU College of Science and Technology faculty member.

In Calhoun County, you don’t need special equipment to see billions of stars—just gaze up at the night sky. The West Virginia county is closer to maximizing a vital asset – darkness – through a partnership between Fairmont State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with support from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The Second Annual Dark Sky Park Planning and Visioning Workshop and Star Party took place on Nov. 14 at Calhoun County Park in Grantsville. Members of the Calhoun County Commission, Grantsville Town Council, the Calhoun County Park Board and amateur astronomers, along with teams from FSU and UT, attended the event. The West Virginia University Extension Service is also a project partner.

Dr. Tim Ezzell, Research Scientist for the UT Master of Public Policy and Administration program based in the UT Department of Political Science, and Cat Wilt, UT researcher, gave a project status report and discussed recent developments.

“We have made a lot of progress in the past year, but we know we still have a long road ahead of us. We are encouraged, though, by the level of enthusiasm for this project. I think everyone involved sees the potential of this project and understands the need to protect and share this amazing resource,” Ezzell said.

The FSU Architecture Community Design Assistance Center team, comprised of students Shae Strait, Erin Taylor and T.J. Clegg, presented a master plan concept for the Dark Sky Park developed using a Lumion-created environment.

“The general reception was very positive. Everyone was excited to see that there was progress, excited to see some of the ideas and understanding the big picture that we were trying to create the biggest impact for Calhoun County as possible,” said Strait of Shinnston, an M.Arch. student.

Philip Freeman, FSU Associate Professor of Architecture, facilitated a brainstorming session to discuss the concept.

“This was the first time to introduce our team’s concept to the amateur astronomers and the community stakeholders to get feedback on the next step in refining the project,” Freeman said. “The astronomers had not seen the grand concept of bringing the constellations down to the earth. There’s a daytime element to astronomy, and there’s an element for casual stargazers. There was a positive review; people thought our concept was generally a pretty cool idea. The project will be refined so the park is good for the amateur astronomers and the casual stargazer. The park will become an overall economic development tool that is used year-round and not just a couple days a year.”

Freeman said the video, graphics and narrative generated by the FSU CDAC team will be used by the UT team to help find funding to build the park.

“Within a few years hopefully we will be breaking ground on some of these ideas and turning them into a reality,” Freeman said.

FSU, UT and amateur astronomers from the Mid-Atlantic region enjoyed stargazing with the public during the night.

“The stars in Calhoun County are incredible. Once you experience them, you really come to understand how much of the night sky most of us have lost. These are the skies our ancestors knew. People need to see this. We need to preserve it and make it accessible so they can,” Ezzell said.

Strait and the other FSU students had a competition to spot the greatest number of shooting stars. Twelve was the winning number.

“The Star Party was very exciting despite the cold. The astronomers were excited because there were people from the local community there who were unfamiliar with the project, and they were very engaged in sharing about it,” Strait said.

FSU offers an A.S. in Architectural Engineering, a B.S. of Architecture and West Virginia’s first Master of Architecture (M.Arch). The Dark Sky Park project fits with the Architecture program’s Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) and gives a team of graduate and undergraduate students hands-on, real-life design experience.

“The goal of the Community Design Assistance Center at Fairmont State University is to assist regional communities, neighborhood groups and non-profit organizations with improvements to the built environment through planning and design assistance,” Freeman said. “The CDAC is an outreach arm of the Architecture program at FSU, integrating the learning and working environments by linking students and faculty members to community projects that are unable to afford the services of professional consultants or are not ready to hire a consultant.”

The 2014 RESA 7 Science Bowl will take place on Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Engineering Technology Building on the main Fairmont State University campus. The competition is hosted and sponsored in collaboration with RESA 7; Fairmont State University; and the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Competition begins at 9 a.m. with the final round to determine the winner starting at 2:30 p.m. in Room 303 of the Engineering Technology Building.

Each year 12 counties (Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Upshur) are invited to participate in the RESA 7 Science Bowl. Six counties (Harrison, Gilmer, Lewis, Marion, Randolph and Monongalia) will participate in this year’s double elimination competition. 

Each school had an opportunity to bring two teams to the competition. The schools that will be participating in this year’s competition are as follows: :  Bridgeport High (2 teams), Clay-Battelle High (1 team), Fairmont Senior High (1 team), Gilmer County High (1 team), Lewis County High (2 teams), Morgantown High (2 teams), Notre Dame High (1 team), South Harrison High (2 teams), University High (2 teams).

First-, second- and third-place teams will move forward to the West Virginia State Science Bowl competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory. The WVSB Regional event is being graciously co-hosted by their partners at WVU, and is planned for Friday, February 5, 2016 and Saturday, February 6, 2016 which will be located at the Mountainlair on the WVU main campus.   During this event, WVSB will be hosting a 24-team HS field and a 16-team MS field, and planning to continue with the 2 engineering activities, the college fair, the campus tours, and the high school reception.

A total of 1,208 students have been honored for their academic achievement at Fairmont State University after completing the fall 2015 semester.

Dr. Christina Lavorata, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, has released the Dean’s List and the President’s List to recognize high-achieving students for their academic distinction. Full-time students who earned a 3.4 or better grade point average are named to the Dean’s List. Full-time students achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average are named to the President’s List.

School of Graduate Studies: President’s List

Stacie Aliff, Brandon Brown, Megan Carpenter, Michael Carpenter, Shannon DeWitt, Philip Dent, Michael Gallimore, Sean Harwell, Teya Henthorn, Stephanie Henthorne, Laura Hoggard, Jeremy Horvat, Rebecca Hutchinson, Brenda Lamkin, Heather Leep, Tiffany Martin, Angela Murray, Rochelle Nestor, Corey Orban, Courtney Phillips, Christopher Pratt, Kiley Radeski, Michelle Raines, Marshal Sherry, Amanda Smith, Shae Strait, Alyssa Swiger, Renee Ullery, Alisha Vincent, Alexander Voldeck, Karl Weidhaas.

School of Graduate Studies: Dean’s List

Nicole Allison, Amy Bess, Hannah Brown, Mollee Brown, Paige Buckhalter, Julia Campbell, Jennifer Cook, Leslie Gonzalez, Jayson Hamrick, Somi Jeong, Tammy Lacaria, Sarah Landis, Trent Moats, Brittany Morgan, Jacob Murphy, Teresa Sestito, Christopher Shreves, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Withee.

President’s List

Mariah Ack, Chase Alonso, Mackenzie Arthur, Emir Atilgan, Deanna Bailey, Jacqueline Baker, Rachel Ball, Crystal Barlow, Christan Barnard, Sarah Barr, Amber Basnett, Christina Batelli, Timothy Bayne, Daphne Beckwith, Kazelyn Bennett, Sean Berry, Mathew Bingaya, Benjamin Blair, Nicole Bland, Sarah Blosser, Zachary Bodkin, Ethan Bolton, Tammy Bolyard, Taya Bolyard, Harley Boyd, Taylor Bragg, Kendra Bright, Jennah Brinegar, James Britton, Jodi Brock, Morgan Brooks, Chloe Brown, James Buchanan, Jacob Buckland, Kasie Buckley, Zachary Burch, Timothy Burget, Whitney Burnside, Franklinn Carder, Cassandra Carley, Emily Carnell, Devin Carpenter, Alexis Cartagena, Kaitlyn Carter, Amber Cinalli, Natalie Clelland, Matthew Clemens, Molly Clingan, Anna Coffin, Samantha Cole, Kayla Coleman, Chelsea Collins, Megan Collins, Chase Connor, Amanda Corley, Sarah Cory, Ben Costello, Kevin Costello, Cecilia Cotton, Bradley Cox, Marissa Cox, Curtis Crabtree, Gregory Crickard, Eamonn Cronin, Holly Cunningham, Jochebed Danby-Cobbina, Yen Dang, Velicia Darquenne, Caitlyn Davis, Kaitlynn Davis, Amanda Dawson, Haley DeBerry, Josandra DeFazio, Justin Debusca, Brooklyn Defenbaugh, Samantha Delauder, John Dent, Antonio DiDomenico, Dustin Dilley, Jason Dingeldein, Krista Dixon, Sean Doherty, Colleen Dorsey, Victoria Dorsey, Sally Dotson, Katelin Dunlop, Larry Eakle, Kelsy Eaton, Evangeline Eden, Rachel Ellis, Jordan Ethier, Olivia Eubanks, Brianna Evans, Harold Fair, Canon Fancher, Trevor Fancher, Sarah Ferguson, Kristen Fetty, Julianna Findley, Sirena Flesher, Amber Fluharty, Hailee Foley, Michael Fountain, Jason Frazer, Christopher Ganoe, Michael Garrison, Christian Ghilani, Hannah Gilbert, Jordan Gray, Gage Gregory, Abigail Griffith, Curtis Griffith, Tyler Gross, Tyler Groves, Kira Guier, Madeline Gulan, Connor Haberland, Hannah Haller, Madeline Hamilton, Krista Hanshew, Shelby Harman, Sean Harris, Donna Haught, Dakota Hawkins, Haley Hefner, Alexander Henderson, Kelly Hernandez, Jennifer Herron, Daniel Hevener, Lakin Higgins, Savannah Hill, Robert Hinerman, Nicholas Hinkle, Vanessa Hissam, Casey Hittel, Grant Holbert, Thairon Holler, Joseph Holt, James Hotaling, Kelsi Hoult, Anna Hukill, Kelly Humphreys, Brandon Jackson, Kaitlynn Jackson, Amy Jeffrey, Kyle Jenkins, James Jesmer, Robert Jesmer, Crystal Johnson, Shawn Johnson, Jodie Jones, Presley Jordan, Katelynn Kabiru, Alexander Keefover, Chelsea Keith, Dominique Kelley, Kayla Kerns, Seungha Kim, Kaylee Kirkpatrick, Travis Kirtner, Jamie Knight, Nathan Kolar, Peyton Konchesky, Liana Kopelov, Tessa Krantz, Ashley Krause, Jordan Lacy, Chelsi Latocha, Michael Lemley, Todd Levitan, Taylor Long, Phillip Longnecker, Lindsey Losh, Leonard Lucas, Hannah Ludwick, Megan Lura, Brannon Lynch, Dale Lyons, Victoria Lyons, Andrew Maltba, Melissa Mann, Justin Marple, Preston Marsh, Taylor Marsh, Amanda Marshall, Ashley Martin, LeeAnn Martin, Tyler Martin, Hillary Martinez, Sharman Martinez, Blake Massie, Sienna Maunton, Wendy Maxwell, Laura Mayhew, Joshua Mayle, Halley McCarty, Jason McCleary, Savanna McCrobie, Garrett McCurdy, Jennifer McDaniel, Hailey McDonough, Derrick McElroy, Mark McKee, Nicole McLeod, Corey McMillen, Caleb Merisier, Makayla Metzger, Jena Michael, Daniel Miller, Hanif Mirza, Jonathan Mitchell, Damien Monell, Saige Mongold, Allison Moore, Tricia Moore, Virginia Moratti, Brian Morgan, Devin Morgan, Megan Moyer, Jasmine Murillo, Kalee Murphey, Macie Myers, Dominic Myhalsky, Nathan Napier, Haley Nelson, Adam Newlon, Taylor Nichols, Tina Nichols, Bernard Northrop, Olivia Ooten, Abigail Palmer, Bayley Palmer, Sung Hee Park, Cheyanne Parks, Laiken Paugh, Julian Pecora, Rebecca Pendry, Myranda Penrose, Sierra Perry, Lindsay Peters, Lacey Peterson, Melissa Phillips, Paige Phillips, Tyler Poff, Simon Poling, Sophia Porco, Brooke Prichard, Briana Pudsell, Jamie Pulice, Brandon Ralston, Kristy Rexrode, Amanda Reynolds, Andrea Richmond, Jamie Riddell, Molly Rinkevich, Louis Risher, Danielle Ritter, Brandon Roach, Grace Robinette, Sara Robinson, Lee Roccio, Brandon Rohrbacher, Emily Rohrbacher, Lisa Romeo, Brianna Rosnick, Nicholas Rush, Brooks Russell, Daphne Ryan, Phillip Sands, Kyle Sandy, Aaron Sanford, Dawn Sargent, Brigitte Satterfield, Madison Schell, RaeAnn Secrist, Tyler Sensibaugh, Bailey Shade, Adam Shaffer, Brooke Shambaugh, Kristin Shank, Vincent Sheeler, Hannah Short, Hillary Short, Kyrsten Shugars, Jessica Siders, Joseph Simmons, Amanda Simons, Kayla Simpson, Noca Singleton, Brent Six, Taylor Skelton, Adrianna Slaughter, Jordan Smith, Lana Solomon, Derek Somers, Angela Spatafore, Geoffrey Splendorio, Juliana Spradling, Kimberly Starrett, Kristin Staub, Victoria Stevens, Randall Stickley, Christina Strader, Rachel Strohmenger, Brittany Strother, Sissy Stubbs, Rebecca Sullivan, Raye Sullivan-Trippett, Audrey Sweeney, William Sydnes, Trang Ta, Megan Talbott, Samantha Tate, Jessica Taylor, Justin Taylor, Joshua Tenney, Haley Terango, Joseph Thomas, Mildred Thompson, Tyler Tobin, Erica Tracewell, Matthew Tucker, Richard Underwood, Kendra Urtso, Erica Uselton, Jordan Utt, Madison Van Meter, Rachel VanOsdol, Christopher Vance, Jessica Vincent, Carl Wahler, Faithlynn Walker, Elijah Warr, Ashley Webb, Noah Weber, Taylor Wells, Anna Westfall, Quentin Whitecotton, Kelsey Whitt, Benjamin Wilfong, Annelise Williams, Michelle Wilson, Tyler Wilson, Elizabeth Wolfe, Hannah Wolfe, Samantha Wolfe, AnDee Wood, Haley Wright, Shayla Wright, Mary Yankie, Shannon Yost, Aimee Zorik.

Dean’s List

Marissa Abe, Brock Acord, Dakota Adams, Lucreatia Adams, Jordan Adderley, Clint Aikins, Johnna Akers, Ammar Al-Awami, Mohammed Alanazi, Sultan Alanazi, Eisa Alanezi, Alexis Alastanos, Zuhair Albuazizah, Sulaiman Alduraywish, Dakota Alexander, Justin Allan, Alexis Allen, Edward Allen, Joel Alm, Meshal Almuzaini, Mohammed Alnahdi, Qublan Alqarni, Nicholas Alvaro, Jillian Amos, Jacob Andersen, James Anderson, Jesse Anderson, Trevor Andrews-Evans, Alicia Aracich, Nicholas Aragona, Destini Arbogast, Lane Arbogast, Jordan Armstrong, Rodney Ashcraft, Sakele Atayi, Amy Attoe, Faith Aube, Ericka Aversa, Taiwo Badmus, Heather Bailey, Alexander Baird, Casey Baird, Katie Baker, John Ball, Lacey Ball, David Banister, Alex Banko, Travis Barker, Kylee Barnard, Michael Barnes, Derek Barnett, Jamie Barnett, Laura Barnett, Jessica Barr, Makayla Barr, Nathaniel Barr, Autumn Bartles, Jordan Batten, Katherine Baughan, Janay Beamer, Erin Bean, Emilee Beckwith, Madison Beekler, Ashleigh Belfiore, David Bell, Jacob Bell, Jodie Bennett, Jessica Berg, Gabrielle Bergmann, Kayla Berkey, Tyler Berry, Jeffrey Bias, Leslea Blackshire, Maura Blake, Lindsey Bland, Christopher Blosser, Breanna Blot, Sydney Bock, Holly Bogdanich, Jacob Bolyard, Brittany Bonnett, Rachel Bowman, Ashley Boyce, Rebecca Boyce, Shelby Boylen, Dillon Bradley, Josh Bragg, Donald Bramer, Kaitlin Brancato, Faith Branham, Chelsea Breeden, Kelly Brett, Hayley Brewer, Brennan Brooks, Skyler Brooks, Chyna Brown, Nicholas Brown, David Brownfield, Jasmine Bruce, Brittiany Brumage, Bethany Buckner, Amanda Burns, Jared Burns, Sarah Bush, Bryson Butcher, Chelsey Butcher, Lynsey Butler, Michael Byrd, Jill Cable, Laurie Caldwell, Lacey Cale, Brittany Cameron, Christian Campbell, Iris Canfield, Jonah Cantrell, Morgan Carder, Justin Carey, Brodon Carpenter, Devanie Carpenter, Brian Carr, Zoey Carr, Claudia Castro, Dominic Casuccio, Savannah Catlett, Samantha Cavanaugh, Sydney Cavender, Zachary Cayer, Eliza Cercone, Tara Charles, Angelica Chase, Brett Chase, Maria Chase, Andre Chinnery, Paige Christopher, Timothy Cintron, Mackenzie Cira, Cullen Clark, Danika Clark, Naomi Clark, Jacob Clarkson, Kylie Clatterbuck, Cody Cleavenger, Amanda Cobb, Madison Coberly, Emily Coburn, Jennifer Cochran, Vincent Cochran, Jasmine Cogar, Madison Cogar, Roger Cogar, Corey Collins, Emily Collins, Sean Collins, Deidra Combs, Courtney Conley, Susan Cook, Kristina Coombs, Gabrielle Cooper, Karly Cooper, Matthew Copley, Derrick Corns, Kelsey Corwin, Stephanie Cottrell, Michelle Cottrill, Cori Cowan, Sierra Cowell, David Cox, Hana Cox, Mackenzie Cox, Emily Crane, Joshua Crawford, Taylor Crawford, Emily Crislip, Mitchell Cronin, Sarena Croy, Brodie Currence, Amber Curry, Hayden Curtis, Garrett Dailey, Benjamin Daily, Ryan Dalrymple, Kevin Darlington, Sara Davis, Tyler Davis, William Davis, Andria Davisson, Jessica DeBerry, Logan DeSellems, Laura DeWalick, Kalee Degler, Grant Delancey, Shealyn Delancey, Emily Delawder, Darcy Delligatti, Micah Deskins, Jessica Devericks, Jamie Diamond, Luka David Dilas, Jacob Dillinger, Conner Disotelle, Katie Dotson, Eric Dowdy, Christopher Dowell, David Dryden, Lacey Dulaney, Devin Dunigan, Chelsie Dunn, Chad Dutrow, Lauren Dzielski, Payden Eckleberry, Andrew Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, Erika Edwards, Brody Efaw, Garrett Elam, Kody Elam, Rachel Elliott, Samuel Elliott, Alicia Erjavec, Morgan Escue, Bethany Eskridge, Gina Estok, Cora Faby, Brooke Fadeley, Fahad Fadil, Faris Fadil, Brianna Farnsworth, Eben Feaster, Jessie Feather, Jonathon Fedoush, Angelica Felvus, John Fenney, Zachary Ferguson, Abbey Ferrari, Abigail Fetty, Catherine Fiorini, Joshua Fitzgerald, Chandler Fitzwater, Seth Fitzwater, Spencer Flanagan, Raven Flanigan, Katlin Fluharty, Kylie Ford, Kristin Fowler, Arden Fox, Nathan Fox, Logan Frame, Devin Freeman, Hannah Freeman, Mary Freiburger, Kristian Fuchs, Jolene Fullen, Clarissa Funkhouser, Jessica Furda, Emily Galan, Erinn Gallaher, Lucas Gardner, Breton Gates, Allison Gay, Richard Gee, Ursula Gentilozzi, Brandon George, Alexandro Gialone, Rebekah Gibson, Ronald Gibson, Brianna Gill, Krista Gillis, Tristan Gilman, Amy Glasow, Colton Goff, Brian Gore, Bethany Gorman, Catherine Gorman, Zachary Gower, Rebecca Goydel, Jordan Graham, Michael Gray, Shanden Gregory, Philip Griffin, Jordan Grimmett, Olivia Gross, Katelyn Groves, Sara Guidi, Lucas Gullo, Rachel Gunnoe, Dana Gustafson, Raven Haddix, Jessica Haga, Mary Hall, Stevie Hall, Tyler Hall, Courtney Halpenny, Elliot Halstead, Samuel Hamilton, Alicia Hammond, Alyssa Hanisch, Jaime Hanisch, Gage Hannah, Jonathan Hannigan, Victoria Harper, Brittany Harris, Natascha Harrison, Yasmine Harrison, Nicklaus Hart, Abby Hartley, Kenneth Harvey, Erin Harwood, Brett Hathaway, Ashley Hawkins, Megan Hawkins, Justin Heflin, Cetara Hefner, Donna Hefner, Ashley Helmick, Joseph Helmick, Skylar Herod, Jerica Herrera, Andrew Hess, Scott Hessler, Dorian Hetzel, Anne Hewitt, Cooper Hibbs, Elyssa Hibbs-Loughery, Tesla Hickey, Jerad Hidalgo, Alexis Hillberry, Ashley Hilliard, Brooke Hinerman, Erick Hinerman, Frankie Hinzman, Jessica Hirschkorn, Samantha Hoban, Kristen Hoffman, Ashley Hoffmaster, Teala Holmberg, Emily Holmes, Erica Holster, Shaniah Holtz, Zack Hoover, Hunter Hoskins, Macy Houck, Travis Howard, Audra Hull, Matthew Hunter, Michael Hurt, Justin Hyre, Courtney Iacobacci, Brianna Jackson, Denise James, Ninetta James, Emma Jenkins, Gerlie Jenkins, Megan Jennings, Miranda Jett, Cheyenne Johnson, Dakota Johnson, Emily Johnson, Kaitlyn Johnson, Michael Johnson, Skyler Johnson, Cassandra Johnston, William Johnston, Autumn Jones, David Jones, Hannah Jones, Josie Jones, Lauren Jones, Sara Jones, Ashley Jozwick, Myung Hee Jung, Ashley Keith, Erin Keller, Jared Keller, Bryant Kelley, Natasha Kelley, Mitchell Kelly, Tina Kendall, Harley Kerekes, Mary Key, Laken Kiddy, Brenna Kilgore, Jihyun Kim, Zakary Kimbrew, Colter Kincaid, Michael Kingston, Nicole Kirby, David Kirk, Courtney Kisamore, Katie Kisner, Mark Kisner, David Klug, Brian Knight, Lori Knight, Ethan Knopsnider, Sydney Knotts, Patricia Kovach, Thomas Kovack, Courtney Kress, Lesley Kuffour, Linsey Lamb, Stephanie Lambert, Ruth Lamp, Angie Lane, Melissa Layfield, Matthew Leach, Tierney Leary, Kaleb Leatherman, Jaein Lee, Hannah Lenhart, Aaron Leo, Theodore Leshen, Mary Leutz, Adam Lewis, Christopher Lewis, Danielle Lewis, Landon Lilly, Neil Lindsay, Brandi Linger, Kaetlynn Lipinski, Trenton Littleton, Greg Lloyd, Katherine Lockhart, Tesa Longwell, Antonio Lopez, Salvatore Lopez, Madison Lough, Ashley Lowe, Paige Lucas, Breanna Lynch, Andrew Lyon, Felicity Lyons, Rachaud Maddox, Jeremy Madon, Sabrina Madson, Ashleigh Magee, Rachel Malcomb, Ashley Malone, John Manchin, Amber Mann, Justin Manson, Lacey Marinovich, Clarissa Martin, Sarah Martin, Susan Martin, Zachary Massey, Taylor Masters, Brandon Mathis, Candice May, Kaitlynn Mayle, Kendra Mays, Jacy McCann, Dezirae McCauley, Makenzie McClure, Stacy McCord, Brodi McCoy, Hunter McCoy, Keegun McCullough, Travis McElroy, Brett McFerrin, Shaun McGary, Tyler McGee, Makayla McGuire, Daniel McKee, Alexandria McMeekin, Terry McNear-Jenkins, Jessica McPherson, Brooke McWhirt, Ryan McWhirt, Melanie Mccartney, Makala Meadows, Adam Meeker, Ashley Melton, Derek Meluzio, Miranda Menear, Paige Menendez, Ashton Meyers, Margaret Micale, Remington Michael, Brian Miller, Hunter Miller, James Miller, Martin Miller, Michael Miller, Tysa Miller, Kaitlyn Mills, Hailey Miltenberger, Sami Miltenberger, Joshua Minear, Ria Mitchell, Shayne Mitchell, Brandon Moats, Jared Moats, Garett Mock, Bailey Mohr, Chelvonte Montgomery, Catlynn Moore, Dakota Moore, Jasmine Moore, Jessica Moore, Randy Moore, Sarah Moore, Alec Moran, Kameron Moran, Benjamin Morris, Houston Morris, Rachel Morris, Ruby Morris, Quentin Mouser, Maddie Mullenax, Nathaniel Mullenax, Britany Mullins, Carly Mundie, Alexander Murray, Alex Myers, Eric Myers, Jerri Napfel, Karah Naples, Aaron Nelan, Jessica Nestor, Kathleen Norman, Jessica Nuckols, Dakota Null, Allyson Nutter, Kaylea Nuzum, Katie O'Mara, Easton Odenheimer, Courtney Oliver, Miranda Oliverio, Aric Ooten, Logan Orton, Abigail Ott, Brayden Ours, Christopher Owens, Larissa Owens, Jamie Paletta, Sara Park, Elizabeth Parker, Sara Parks, Presley Parsons, Abigail Pasierb, Angela Pasquale, Ryan Patrick, Timothy Patrick, Harlan Pealer, Alisha Pearcy, Kimberleigh Pearcy, Kayla Pepelea, Emma Perkins, Jennifer Perkins, John Perkins, Levi Perkins, Alexander Petry, Lauren Phillips, Morganne Phillips, Joseph Pierce, Justin Pierce, Isaac Pifer, Kayla Plauger, Kari Plybon, Janalee Poe, David Poling, David Poling, Jessica Poling, Michelle Popoca, Catlinn Porter, Emilea Posey, Victoria Postlewait, Geoffrey Potts, Devon Price, Jordan Price, Alison Pritt, Jeffery Pritt, Emily Puskarich, Tyler Quinn, Taylor Raby, Bethany Ramsey, Ethan Ratkovich, Logan Ratliff, Jennifer Redden, Brian Reed, Jessica Reed, Bethany Reese, Cassandra Rentz, Thomas Retton, Joshua Rexroad, Justin Richter, Brittinee Ridenour, Andrew Ridgway, Brandon Riffee, Sean Riggleman, Evan Riley, Brittany Rimmer, Veronica Rine, Kayla Rinehart, Luke Rinehart, Jeremy Ritter, Kaylee Ritter, Hannah Roberts, Cassady Rodriguez, Carrie Roedersheimer, Kelsey Romain, Tyler Romano, Jessica Romeo, Lacy Root, Meredith Ruetty, Amanda Ruffner, Amber Russell, Breanna Russell, Hannah Rux, Cory Saddler, Brian Sagasti, Justin Sage, Waleed Sagr, Sarah Sakaguchi, Marissa Saltis, Maher Samman, Sasha Sampson, Nicholas Sams, Ryan San Julian, Teewende Sandwidi, Lindsey Sanford, Greta Satterfield, Athena Sayrie, Alyssa Scherich, Heather Schmidt, Sarah Schmidt, Trevor Schoonover, Tyler Scott, Shyann Sears, Jennifer Secure, William Seigler, Levi Senger, Abagail Settembrino, Asim Shaar, Brittany Shaffer, Leila Shaffer, Nicholas Shaffer, Marissa Shanholtz, Dylan Shannon, Julia Shemaitis, Brittany Sheppard, Lindsey Shingleton, Brooke Shockey, Adam Shreve, Geri Signorelli, Derek Silman, Samantha Silva, Victoria Simon, Breanna Sines, Robert Sisk, Alyssa Skidmore, Courtney Sloan, Victoria Smallwood, Benjamin Smith, Cassandra Smith, Collier Smith, Daniel Smith, Debra Smith, Loraine Smith, Tanner Smith, Trey Smith, Valerie Smith, Perry Smithson, Marley Snider, Christina Snodgrass, Amber Snyder, Jason Snyder, Justine Snyder, Kathryn Snyder, William Soles, Natalie Southern, Kennidy Souza, Theodore Sova, Courtney Spears, Matthew Spiker, Logan Sponaugle, Ryan Springer, Caleb Sprout, Lisa Steffich, Ashtyn Stevens, James Stevens, Roberta Stevens, Fernan Stevenson, David Stickel, Justin Stivason, Khrysten Stolins, Emily Stoneking, Isaac Stoop, Nathan Stoop, Faith Stout, Michael Stout, Mary Stover, Harry Streyle, Alyssa Suan, David Sullivan, Donald Summers, Jordan Swiger, Maria Swiger, Sommar Swisher, Dakota Talkington, Jennifer Tassos, Alisa Taylor, Christopher Taylor, Erin Taylor, Marcus Teamer, Jackey Teets, Harleigh Tennant, Kaja Tenney, Joshua Thomas, Nash Thomas, Zoe Thompson, Erinn Thorn, Samuel Tindal, Eric Tobergte, Caitlyn Tobin, Samuel Tonkovich, Candice Travis, Scott Treadway, Joshua Trembly, Angelina Triplett, Cody Triplett, Anthony Trupo, William Tucker, Cara Turley, Cara Turner, Jackie Turner, James Turner, Stephen Tustin, Angelina Underwood, Aaron Uphold, Kayla Uphold, Takawira Ushendibaba, Elroy Van Horn, Hannah Vasicek, Bruce Veltri, Marc Vero, Madeleine Vessels, Dakota Vetter, Abigail Wade, Matthew Wade, Thomas Wagner, Nathaniel Wajler, David Walker, Deidra Walker, Alexander Wallace, Kiana Wallace, Magen Ware, Brandy Watkins, Sarah Watkins, Troy Watkins, Onnie Watson, Zachary Watson, Mackenzie Waugh, Alexander Weaver, Brittney Webb, Tabitha Weekes, Jessica Weekly, Shauntise Weeks, McKenzie Weese, David Wegman, Kaylee Welch, Shammgod Wells, Grace Westfall, Madison Westfall, Maria Westfall, Haley White, Marianna White, Thomas White, Jacob Whitmore, Jackie Wick, Bethany Wiles, Jacob Wiles, Olivia Wiley, Rachel Wiley, Amber Williams, Brycen Williams, Ethan Williams, Jonathan Williams, Toshua Williams, Shawn Williamson, Katelynn Wills, Zachary Wilmoth, Justin Wilson, Olivia Wilson, Jerrica Wilt, Thomas Wimbush, Elizabeth Wimer, Joshua Wine, Ann Marie Witkowski, Kaitlyn Witsaman, Elena Wojcik, Hunter Woods, Miranda Workman, Kenzie Wright, Lynsey Wright, Wesley Wyandt, Jacob Wyatt, Anna Wyont, Katelyn Yoho, Leah Yoho, Matthew Yost, Austin Young, Samantha Young, Hyebin Yu, Sarah Zickefoose.

Fairmont State University, with a 120-acre main campus in Fairmont, W.Va., is part of the state’s growing high technology corridor. A city of about 19,000 people, Fairmont is close to larger cities and also to opportunities for outdoor recreation. Founded in 1865 as a private institution dedicated to educating teachers, FSU has a long history of academic excellence. At FSU, students find a wide range of fields of study with more than 80 four-year programs and graduate programs. With an enrollment of about 4,200, FSU is large enough that students find a vibrant campus life and small enough that they do not get lost in the crowd.

The mission of FSU is to provide opportunities for individuals to achieve their professional and personal goals and discover roles for responsible citizenship that promote the common good. FSU values scholarship, opportunity, achievement and responsibility.

Questions about this list may be submitted to the Office of the Provost by e-mailing Kathleen.Cox@fairmontstate.edu.

Fairmont State University is meeting the challenge of educating professionals in a variety of fields including architecture, criminal justice, business and multiple areas within the field of education. Many fields that once employed graduates with bachelor’s degrees now prefer to hire those with master’s degrees. Choosing to pursue a master’s degree program at FSU represents a commitment to excellence, personal growth and lifelong learning.

Alumni, current FSU students and the public are invited to the Graduate Studies Fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, in the Falcon Center second floor Main Street area. Representatives of FSU’s graduate programs will be on hand to answer questions. Admission is free. For more information, contact the Office of Graduate Studies at (304) 367-4098 or gradstudies@fairmontstate.edu. Visit http://www.fairmontstate.edu/graduatestudies online.

As the demand for highly trained professionals increases, more and more students are choosing to pursue a master’s level degree. The degree, once considered primarily a stepping stone toward a doctorate, is becoming, for many, a terminal degree.

“Many of our students are from West Virginia and would like to earn their bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the same institution close to home. Fairmont State’s smaller class sizes mean students receive more attention from faculty. Our applications-based approach prepares graduate students for their next career or challenge,” said Dr. Jack Kirby, Associate Provost and Director of Graduate Studies. “Fairmont State’s graduate courses are offered in the evenings or online or through a combination of the two, which makes graduate education available and accessible for working adults.”

Graduate Studies at Fairmont State are designed to give students advanced knowledge in a special field of study, higher levels of professional competence, an understanding of and respect for scholarly research and a sophisticated knowledge of the techniques of continued, lifelong intellectual growth. These goals are achieved through coherent, orderly programs of study, investigation and supervised practical experiences that are carefully planned by each individual student in consultation with a graduate faculty advisor.

FSU graduate programs are committed to a student-centered learning environment that emphasizes concrete experiences, intellectual discourse and critical reflection. FSU is small enough to allow each graduate student opportunities for interaction with fellow students and distinguished faculty members, yet large enough to provide challenging and diverse areas of study.

“I always knew that I wanted to work with people hands-on. Working within the criminal justice field, which I’m doing now, allows me to do that and also allows me to help people get back on track and improve their lives. I was initially hired in Randolph County, where I established and ran the Randolph County Adult Drug Court program for two years. I accepted a transfer to my hometown in Upshur County and work with adult and juvenile offenders now,” said John Meadows of Buckhannon, a 2015 graduate of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program.

“The master’s degree program online was great. A lot of the classes are discussion based. You get to hear a lot from your professors, but what’s also neat about it is that you get to hear from other students who are also experienced professionals in the field. You really get into some detailed and in-depth and educational discussions within the class. You know any time you e-mail a teacher he or she is back to you within 24 hours. The criminal justice master’s degree program from Fairmont State University allowed me to receive a high quality education while accommodating my personal schedule, which consisted of family obligations, a full-time job and everything else that goes along with an adult’s everyday life. I was very fortunate and happy to be able to receive that education while balancing all my other life obligations. I would recommend any degree from Fairmont State to anybody with the experience I have had here.”

Meadows was named Most Outstanding Graduate Student in Criminal Justice in 2015 and now works for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in Upshur County.

The North Central West Virginia Regional Science and Engineering Fair is now accepting registrations.

Students in grades six through 12 from Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Upshur counties are encouraged to enter.  The fair will be held Feb. 27, 2016, on the Fairmont State University main campus in Fairmont. 

The community in encouraged to support this fair by visiting the projects from 11until 11:30 a.m. An awards ceremony will follow.

To register for the fair or for additional details, please visit http://www.fairmontstate.edu/collegeofscitech/outreach/regional-math-science-and-energy-fair or call (304) 367-4627.

The 2016 Pratt & Whitney Engine Services West Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair is now accepting registrations. All West Virginia students in grades nine through 12 are encouraged to enter. 

The fair will be held April 1 and 2, 2016, on the Fairmont State University main campus in Fairmont. Two projects will be selected to advance to the 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Ariz. Cash awards will also be provided for Best of Fair projects. 

The following sponsors have provided generous support to enable this fair to take place and to fund winning projects’ cash awards and participation in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair:

• Title Sponsor: Pratt & Whitney Engine Services.
• Premium Sponsors: FCX Systems, North Central West Virginia Airport, Robert C. Byrd Institute.
• Friends of the Fair: Frontier Communications, High Technology Foundation, Thrasher, and the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh.

The community in encouraged to support this fair by visiting the projects as well as interactive displays from various organizations on Saturday, April 2, from noon to 3 p.m. An  awards ceremony will follow.

To register for the fair or for additional details, please visit www.fairmontstate.edu/wvssef or call (304) 367-4627.

The Fairmont State University College of Science and Technology will host the West Virginia VEX Robotics Competition State Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 27.

Forty-eight middle and high school teams from across the state are expected to attend the event, which will take place at the Falcon Center and will be open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27.

The VEX Robotics Competition is an international robotics program that allows teams of middle and high school students (ages 11-18) to assemble and compete with robots that are designed to accomplish tasks on a 12 foot by 12 foot field. Each year, an engineering challenge is presented in the form of a game. Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, use the VEX Robotics Design System to build innovative robots designed to score the most points possible in qualification matches, elimination matches and Skills Challenges. In addition to having a great time and building amazing robots, through their participation in the VEX Robotics Competition and their work within their team, students will learn many academic and life skills.

The VEX Robotics Competition was sponsored by the Governor’s STEM Initiative, CSRA, Southwestern Energy, WV NASA Space Grant Consortium, and the NASA IV&V Robotics Alliance. For more information, visit www.WVRoboticsAlliance.org.

Two Fairmont State University students and a faculty member presented a poster at the Center for Chemical Innovation Solar Fuels Annual Meeting in Newport Beach, Calif., on Feb. 5 through 7.

Kevin Dudley of Elkins, a senior Chemistry major; Allison Moore of Fairmont, a first-year Pre-Medicine student; and Dr. Erica Harvey, Professor of Chemistry, were invited to the event hosted by the California Institute of Technology to present a poster about their work with the Solar Army: West Virginia Brigade. On the national level, the Solar Army is an outreach branch of the NSF Center for Chemical Innovation in Solar Fuels. The goal of The Solar Army is to capture the energy in sunlight and use it to split water and yield a chemical fuel, hydrogen. Through outreach projects like the one in West Virginia that FSU is leading, high school and college students can join in the search for catalysts that are needed to aid in this process.

“Kevin presented his really cool, new 3D-printed sample holder for an instrument used across the Solar Army. Several high school and college groups asked us to send the CAD files for the design as soon as possible so they can start using this sample holder,” Harvey said.

Dudley and Moore also shared information about outreach work the Solar Army: West Virginia Brigade has been doing across the state. In front of all the conference attendees including leading researchers in the field, both students gave one-minute “pop talks” about their work, using language and images intended for communicating with the general public.

“I was incredibly proud of how brave and competent they were, and they were very well received,” Harvey said.

Support for travel to the conference was provided by CCI Solar through Dr. Jenny Schuttlefield of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, by Dr. Don Trisel and the School of Science and Technology and by Dr. J. Robert Baker and the Honors Program.

For more information, visit www.fairmontstate.edu/solararmywv or www.thesolararmy.org.

Fairmont State University Math Department faculty members, along with four FSU pre-service mathematics teachers, attended the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference on March 11-12 at Stonewall Jackson Resort. The two-day conference focuses on learning from other mathematics teachers in West Virginia about ways to improve mathematics instruction.

The four pre-service mathematics teachers in attendance were Trevor Fancher, Kaleb Leatherman, Hannah Ludwick and Jamie Knight.

The three FSU math faculty members in attendance presented at the conference. Dr. Brian Blackwood’s presentation was titled “Mathematics and Financial Literacy.” Stephanie Jones co-presented with Dr. Matthew Campbell a session about “Looking for and Making Use of Structure with ‘Contemplate Then Calculate.’ ” Dennine LaRue presented “Growing with Quadratic Equations, Functions and Graphs.” LaRue serves as the WVCTM College Vice President and facilitated a session for Higher Education Math Faculty to discuss current issues in West Virginia mathematics, such as the Higher Education Policy Commission Series 21-Freshman Assessment and Placement Standards. The group discussed the implementation in West Virginia higher education institutions.

The keynote speaker was Dan Meyer, Chief Academic Officer of Desmos, a free online graphing utility. His presentation was titled “Beyond Relevance & Real World: Stronger Strategies for Student Engagement.” He explores the future of math textbooks and speaks internationally. Meyer was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

For more information about Mathematics degrees offered by FSU, visit http://www.fairmontstate.edu/collegeofscitech/academics/math-program.

The Fairmont State University College of Science and Technology would like to welcome members of the community to join in a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) on Saturday, April 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. 

On display will be projects competing in the 2016 Bombardier and Pratt and Whitney Engine Services West Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair. Projects are from 14 high schools from nine different counties in the state of West Virginia. Projects will be open to the public for viewing from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Engineering Technology Building on the FSU main campus in Fairmont. Projects are competing for the opportunity to attend the 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Ariz. Sponsors include: Title Sponsors: Bombardier, Pratt and Whitney Engine Services; Premium Sponsors: FCX Systems, High Technology Foundation, North Central WV Airport, Robert C. Byrd Institute; Friends of the Fair: Dominion, Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, Thrasher.

In addition, interactive stations will be provided by Fairmont Flyers; Global Science and Technology, Inc; NASA IV&V Facility Educator Resource Center; Pratt and Whitney Engine Services, Inc; Robert C. Byrd Institute; Solar Army: WV Brigade; WVU Department of Biology; and WVU Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. The community is welcome to take part in the STEM stations from noon until 3 p.m. in Colebank Hall. STEM stations will have a variety to topics including DIY weather measurements, 3D printers in action, robotics activities and rocket launches.

For additional details, contact Marcie Raol, WV State Science and Engineering Fair Director, at (304) 367-4627 or Marcie.raol@fairmontstate.edu .

Fairmont State University’s American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter continues its tradition of excellence with its 13th consecutive regional concrete canoe win. The team will represent the region at the National Concrete Canoe Competition for the 13^th year in a row, also a current national record for most consecutive national appearances. The team is encroaching on setting the longest overall consecutive national appearance record ever held by a team at the National Concrete Canoe Competition, which is currently set at 15.

FSU’s ASCE Student Chapter won first place in the Concrete Canoe Competition over the past weekend at the 2016 Virginias Conference, hosted by The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The FSU team won first place in four out of five concrete canoe races, first place in final product, second place in technical paper and second place for oral presentation. The 29th Annual ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition will be June 9-11, 2016, at University of Texas at Tyler in Tyler, Texas.

Team members participating in the weekend competition were Team Co-Captains Courtney Ridenour of Elkview and Kalee Murphey of Fairmont; Cole Anderson of Clarksburg; Hunter Beall of Weston; Anthoney Urgo of Fairmont; Quentin Knight of Clarksburg; Kathleen Kelly of Easton, Pa.; Ashley Kiser of Clendenin; Jonathan Decker of Fairmont; Brandon Howdershelt of Morgantown; Jimmy Pumphrey of Clarksburg; Jeffrey Hartley of Shinnston; Ben Costello of Fairmont; Sammy Jesmer of Bridgeport; Ian Chrobak of Farmington; and John Barker of Scenery Hill, Pa. Professor Tia Como, P.E., serves as ASCE faculty advisor with assistance from Professor James Vassil, P.E., and Professor Tabitha Lafferre.

“Fairmont State University remains the only college or university in the state to qualify for the national competition,” Como said. “Our students work extremely hard to create a concrete canoe of the proper consistency and dimensions to actually float and race on the water. I am always so very proud of our students’ accomplishments, particularly this year, given some of the obstacles they had to overcome.”

The conference brings together 14 schools from West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and provides students a chance to gain valuable hands-on experience by competing in many engineering-related competitions. Of the 14 participating colleges and universities this year, only ten produced concrete canoes for the competition. The students must follow strict rules that dictate the contents of the concrete matrix in building the canoe and, of course, the vessel must float, to be eligible to compete in the races. Fairmont State won the first of its regional titles in 2004.

The 2016 FSU team named its concrete canoe “Endeavour,” after the NASA space shuttle. The shuttle successfully completed 25 missions and the FSU Concrete Canoe Team sought to channel this success into the 2016 concrete canoe. The “Endeavour” canoe is 18 feet long, with a maximum width of 28 inches, depth of 14 inches and half an inch thickness. The density concrete is approximately 52 pcf and the overall weight is 180 pounds. The team created a strict budget so that the aging curing chamber and casting table could be rebuilt without causing undue financial stresses. With sustainability also in mind, the team used old plywood from previous years to construct the new casting table. This careful budgeting successfully allowed the team to purchase a computerized numeric controlled form once again this year. To allow more space for paddlers, Endeavour was slightly lengthened and, to improve maneuverability, a moderate rocker was added.

As part of the build up to the national competition the team will host a benefit dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 6, at Muriale’s Italian Restaurant, 1742 Fairmont Ave., Fairmont. This benefit dinner will act as the main fundraiser as the team begins planning their trek to Texas. This trip will be more costly than years past due to the distance. To purchase tickets or for more information about the dinner, contact Tabitha.Lafferre@fairmontstate.edu or kjeanmurphey@gmail.com by Tuesday, April 28. Individual sponsorships are $100 at the Platinum level, $50 at the Regular level and $25 for students; children age 5 and younger are admitted for free. Corporate sponsorships also are available.

The event will begin with a meet and greet and cash bar with music provided by team member Brandon Howdershelt and his band. The dinner buffet will begin at 7 p.m. The keynote address will be given by distinguished past concrete canoe captains.

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 137,500 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide, and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE’s vision is to position engineers as global leaders building a better quality of life. Visit www.concretecanoe.org and asce.org.

FSU ASCE will host a Summer Technical Conference for professionals and technicians to earn six professional development hours. The event with the theme “Engineering the Impossible,” will take place on the main FSU campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 2, in Room 305 of the Engineering Technology Building. Sponsored by the WV DOH, qualifying WV DOH employees can attend the conference for free. For more information, contact tia.como@fairmontstate.edu or kjeanmurphey@gmail.com,

About the photo:

In front of the canoe are Sammy Jesmer, Ashley Kiser and Jonathan Decker. Standing from left to right are Courtney Ridenour, Kalee Murphey, Anthoney Urgo, Cole Anderson, Kathleen Kelly, Jimmy Pumphrey, Quentin Knight, Jeffrey Hartley, Hunter Beall, Brandon Howdershelt, Ben Costello and Ian Chrobak.

The end of the academic year is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the students and faculty of Fairmont State University.

The six academic colleges and schools of the University are planning awards ceremonies to honor students. Following are the dates, times and locations for these events:

• Recognition of Faculty, noon to 2 p.m. April 27, Falcon Center third floor conference rooms.
• School of Business, 6 p.m. April 29, Falcon Center third floor conference rooms.
• School of Fine Arts, 2 p.m. May 1, Wallman Hall Theatre.
• College of Science and Technology, 6 p.m. May 4, Engineering Technology Building, hors d’oeuvres at 5:15 p.m.
• School of Education, Health and Human Performance, 5 p.m. May 5, Falcon Center third floor conference rooms.
• College of Liberal Arts, 5:30 p.m. May 6, Falcon Center third floor conference rooms.
• School of Nursing and Allied Health Administration, Nurses’ Pinning and Graduation, 7 p.m. May 12, Feaster Center.
• Commencement, 1 p.m. May 14, Feaster Center.

The 42nd Annual West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day will be held Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at Fairmont State University in Fairmont. Operated and organized by the West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day Organization, the event is sponsored in part by the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Reasoning Mind. 

The event is for students in grades four through 12, with schools in each of the eight Regional Educational Service Areas (RESA) sending three students to represent their region in grade levels four through nine and 10 students to represent their region in the 10th through 12th grade competitions. The annual awards ceremony is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, in Gym 1 of the Falcon Center. Parents and the community are invited to attend. 

The following counties are included in each region:

• Region 1: Raleigh, Summers, Monroe, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming.
• Region 2: Mason, Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo.
• Region 3: Putnam, Kanawha, Clay, Boone.
• Region 4: Braxton, Webster, Pocahontas, Nicholas, Fayette, Greenbrier.
• Region 5: Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Ritchie, Wirt, Calhoun, Jackson, Roane.
• Region 6: Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel.
• Region 7: Monongalia, Marion, Preston, Harrison, Taylor, Tucker, Barbour, Doddridge, Lewis, Gilmer, Upshur, Randolph.
• Region 8: Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson.

“The FSU Math Department looks forward to welcoming students and families to the Fairmont State campus. Faculty members have donated their time to write the tests for the high school students. On Saturday, the College of Science and Technology and the Office of Admissions and Recruitment will host tours for family members while students are testing,” said Dennine LaRue, site coordinator. “On Friday evening, student participants will have the opportunity to attend math activities sponsored by Reasoning Mind. We would like to thank our sponsors and the offices across the FSU campus that have been instrumental in preparing for this event.”

FSU is offering a $1,000 scholarship for the first-, second- and third-place winners in grades 10 through 12 and the student designated as the grades 10 through 12 Most Beneficial Team Member. Conditions apply, and selected students will receive additional information.

The state Mathematics Field Day event will include activities and games for grades four through nine that are challenging and fun. The activities for the students in grades 10 through 12 are patterned after those used in The American Regions Mathematics League (ARML). All the activities for both groups have been selected according to the basic philosophy that “mathematics is truly an exciting and challenging field of study.”

The events for students in grades four through nine include a written test, mental math activities, relays and estimation activities, which are both computational and physical in nature.  The mathematics faculty at Fairmont State University prepare the activities for grades 10 through 12. These activities include an exam and short answer questions, which are individual events. Each RESA team also will compete in relays, a team power question and team questions.

FSU Mathematics and preservice teachers will assist at the event. Reasoning Mind is sponsoring student participant lunches and providing box lunches for the teachers who are proctoring and scoring the events.

The West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day was established to promote increased student participation in classroom and extracurricular mathematics. These events stimulate greater interest for mathematics, recognize students who excel in mathematics and provide the opportunity for interaction of peers with common interests and abilities. The first State Math Field Day was held on May 16, 1975, in conjunction with the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting at Potomac State College.

The inspiration for the development of the West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day is credited to a presentation, “The Laboratory Approach to Mathematics,” given by Dr. Kenneth P. Kidd from the University of Florida at the 1971 Annual Meeting of the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Jerry L. Jackson, Mathematics Director for Braxton County Schools, acting on Kidd’s comments that mathematics is truly an exciting and fun subject to study, organized a mathematics field day for the students of Braxton County in the spring of 1972.

After many visits with superintendents and other curriculum representatives in several central West Virginia counties, the first regional mathematics field day was held on May 25, 1973, in a National Guard armory. Students from Braxton County, Gilmer County, Harrison County Catholic Schools, Mineral County, Nicholas County, Raleigh County, Tucker County and Webster County participated.

Fairmont State University’s outstanding faculty members were recognized on Wednesday, April 27, during the Recognition of Faculty Achievement luncheon for their exemplary efforts throughout the 2015-2016 academic year.

“The quality of our faculty and the quality of our academic programs set Fairmont State University apart from all other institutions in the state. I know that to you, our students come first,” FSU President Maria Rose told those gathered for the event. “This year’s honorees have truly distinguished themselves, and we have a lot to celebrate this year. These awards highlight FSU’s commitment to teaching excellence. I consider myself fortunate to be a part of this University and to call you colleagues and friends.”

The event was hosted by the Faculty Development Committee, the Office of Academic Affairs and the Fairmont State Foundation. Funding for the awards and grants is provided by the Office of Academic Affairs and the Fairmont State Foundation.

“Today’s honorees are realizing a culmination of many hours of tireless effort and dedication to furthering the lives of young people in pursuit of a greater future. Celebrations such as this truly bring to light the achievements and hard work that the faculty do, and the Foundation is proud to share in your successes by providing awards that will further your work in support of educating our students,” said RJ Gimbl, President of the Fairmont State Foundation.

The following faculty members were honored at the event: Dr. Elizabeth Savage, William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence; Leisa Muto, Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Award; Dr. Denice Kirchoff, Faculty Recognition Award; Dr. Daniel Eichenbaum, Fairmont State Foundation Fellow Award; Dr. J. Robert Baker, Fairmont State Foundation Grant; Samantha Shaver, Outstanding Adjunct Award; Dr. Mark Flood, Excellence in Academic Advising Award. Dr. Crystal Smith, a member of the Faculty Development Committee, emceed the event.

The following faculty members were recognized for their promotion to Associate Professor and received Tenure: Dr. Brian Blackwood, Dr. Kristi Kiefer, Dr. Denise Lindstrom, Dr. Amanda Metcalf, Dr. Beverly Michael, Dr. Julie Reneau, Dr. Aimee Richards. The following faculty members were promoted to Full Professor: Dr. Rebecca Giorcelli, Dr. Diana Noone, Troy Snyder. The following faculty members were honored with Emeriti Status: Larry Allen, Mohamed Alshallah, Dr. Susan Goodwin, Dr. Mohamed Khalil, Gale Kirby.

Dr. Charles Shields was awarded a sabbatical for the spring 2017 semester; he will be working on a specialized certification for the Criminal Justice program through the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Leisa Muto was honored for receiving the ACBSP Region 2 Award for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Rhonda Sanford was honored for receiving the City of Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission Scholar/Artist Award.

The following faculty members were recognized with Years of Service Awards: 20 years, Kirk Morphew, Dr. Steven Roof, Dr. Charles Shields, Dr. Donald Trisel; 25 years, Dr. Phillip Berryhill, Ellen Condron, Dr. Timothy Oxley; 30 years, Dr. Harry Baxter.

Dr. Elizabeth Savage, William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence

The William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes full-time faculty at Fairmont State for outstanding achievements, unusual dedication or accomplishments in teaching. Dr. Theresa Jones, a faculty member in the School of Nursing and Allied Health Administration, presented the award to Dr. Elizabeth Savage, Professor of English. Students and colleagues submitted letters in support of her nomination.

“I also want to thank the Faculty Development Committee for the many hours of reading, class visits and discussion they spent to determine these awards. I’m thrilled to enter the illustrious company of Boram winners, among them my wise, gentle department chair, Robert Baker,” Savage said. “If I have flashes of teaching excellence, I have them because I live among and with brilliant, loving teachers whose company and example coax the best from me. But our students, many who have every disadvantage, are my most consistent, most astonishing example of how to be good and for the good in every sense of the word.”

Leisa Muto, Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Award

The Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Award honors and encourages innovative and distinctive teaching by faculty at Fairmont State. Dr. Erica Harvey presented the award to Leisa Muto, Assistant Professor in the School of Business. Muto is a CPA and holds both an MPA and a Master of Arts in Latin.

According to one of her recommenders, Harvey said, Leisa Muto “… is extremely effective in the classroom and the students LOVE her. Her infectious personality makes the class fun even for students who do not like accounting.”

Harvey read some of Muto’s own words: “As I teach, I learn. I assess nearly every class session, every assignment, every activity, every semester, in order to improve the effectiveness of my teaching and to increase student learning. After three semesters of trial and error, of redesigning the redesigns, the current version of each course seems to have finally met the requirements of the Title III grant.”

Harvey said it was a pleasure to sit in on one of Muto’s classes and to observe the level of engagement and good humor students exhibited about complex quantitative material that featured words like “common and preferred stock.” 

“Her portfolio in TaskStream was fun to peruse, containing short but compelling videos of groups of students working together on obviously engaging learning activities and a sample of a video lecture she made, as well as samples of at-home and classroom activities and lesson plan,” Harvey said. “The redesign work she described, and the results I saw in the classroom, have really inspired me as a teacher. Leisa is obviously engaged in a vibrant continuous improvement cycle and it is wonderful to hear of the great results.”

Dr. Denice Kirchoff, Faculty Recognition Award

The Faculty Recognition award is intended to honor a full-time faculty member who has engaged and inspired students to have original thinking and who has an active involvement and guidance in student projects. The award also honors the faculty for the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning. Dr. Rhonda Sanford, a faculty member in the Department of Language and Literature, presented the Faculty Recognition Award to Dr. Denice Kirchoff, Professor of Nursing. She was nominated for the award by her student, Carolyne Mamboleo.

Kirchoff came to Fairmont State in 1998, and she spent 15 years in the ASN program and the last three years in the BSN program. She has taught through lectures, discussions, clinicals, one-on-one mentoring sessions and online. She has used guest lecturers such as HIV patients and their families, dialysis nurses and sexual assault nurses. She has used YouTube and has collaborated with the Theatre Department to use actors in simulations. She has won many awards and has many publications. In 2010, she completed her Doctorate of Education at WVU.

Sanford read the following quote from Kirchoff about her teaching philosophy: “As with the use of a nurse’s stethoscope, a nurse must likewise listen to each patient, assess and then determine what care is best suited for them. With the student, the process is much the same. As noted above, each student is unique, and it is incumbent upon me to listen to their concerns and then make the appropriate diagnosis. Much like a patient, each student presents with their own set of needs, many of which may not be directly related to their course work. In arriving at the correct educational diagnosis, I must therefore take into account all of their needs and determine what approach will best be suited toward helping them achieve academic success.”

Dr. Daniel Eichenbaum, Fairmont State Foundation Fellow Award

Dr. Brian Blackwood, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Faculty Development Committee, presented the Fairmont State Foundation Fellowship ($1,500) to Dr. Daniel Eichenbaum, Assistant Professor of Music. Eichenbaum’s proposal was for the West Fork New Music Festival, the only festival that focuses on music written in West Virginia, Ohio and Virginia.

 “The best classes in which I have participated as teacher or student were the ones where every member felt a strong sense of community. This sense of community, a connectedness among the participating composers and performers, is what the West Fork New Music Festival is meant to foster. I accept this award on behalf of the entire new music community in West Virginia and surrounding states,” Eichenbaum said.

Dr. J. Robert Baker, Fairmont State Foundation Grant

Blackwood presented the Fairmont State Foundation Grant ($1,000) to Dr. J. Robert Baker, Chair of the Department of Language and Literature, Senior Professor of English and Director of the Honors Program. His proposal was for the fall 2016 Kestrel Celebration. Kestrel is West Virginia’s only multi-genre literary and art journal, housed at FSU. The grant will help support a two-day celebration that will include readings, roundtable discussions and workshops for FSU and the surrounding community.

Savage read a statement on behalf of Baker, who could not attend the awards ceremony: “I would like to thank the Faculty Development Committee and the Foundation for this felicitous grant. It is a generous support that will help us bring writers and artists to campus and to Fairmont for readings and displays that will enhance the cultural life of our campus and local community. I also thank our colleagues Donna Long and Elizabeth Savage, along with our former colleague, Suzanne Heagy, for the admirable editorial work they have done over the last eight years as the editors of Kestrel. The journal has been a labor of love for all of us, but for them there has been much heavy lifting for which they deserve our gratitude.”

Samantha Shaver, Outstanding Adjunct Award

The Faculty Development Committee presented the Outstanding Adjunct Award to honor excellence in teaching and to encourage adjunct faculty's continuing efforts to excel. The award is given to faculty members who have demonstrated a sustained, energetic and successful commitment to teaching. Leisa Muto presented the award to Samantha Shaver, an adjunct in the Department of Language and Literature.

This year’s recipient has more than six years of experience teaching and tutoring in the field of English composition and literature. “She takes great care in preparing her courses, constantly reflecting on past experiences as both a student and a teacher in order to deliver engaging courses that provide constructive feedback. She creates a learning environment in which improvement is celebrated and each student is given individualized, unwavering support,” Muto said.

Shaver thanked the Faculty Development Committee for the honor and her family for their support.

“I also want to thank my Chair, Dr. Robert Baker, for nominating me for the award. It means a great deal to know that you have confidence in me and in the work I’m doing, because this work means a great deal to me. I also want to thank my colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Savage, who wrote a letter of support for me, and also to thank all my colleagues in the Department of Language and Literature,” Shaver said. “Most importantly, I want to thank my students, who are the reason I’m here today; they inspire and motivate me, and I want to provide them with the best experience I can to help them reach their goals.” 

Dr. Mark Flood, Excellence in Academic Advising Award

The Award for Excellence in Academic Advising is presented to honor the demonstrated excellence and commitment that academic advisors play in the education, personal development, and success of their advisees. This year’s award winner is Dr. Mark Flood, Professor of Biology and Forensic Science and Coordinator of the Forensic Science Program. Two of his advisees, Brittany Sheppard and Kristen Akers, nominated Flood for the award.

“Although I often use this opportunity to mention that advising students goes far beyond mere course registration, the fact remains that advising for registration purposes is a critical part of advising students. However, developing a course schedule is many times more complicated than just following a model schedule. Students often change majors, have minors, are part of the Honors program, plan to pursue master’s degrees, need to maintain PROMISE or scholarship eligibility, need assistance calculating potential GPAs, need substitutions or waivers. They need assistance with incorporating internship and research opportunities into their educational experiences and guidance about how to handle the course load along with other responsibilities in life,” said Pam Stephens, Coordinator of Academic Advising and the RBA Program, who presented the award.

“The nominations for Dr. Flood each highlight his ability to consider all of the factors above when advising students. Not only did Dr. Flood ensure that all requirements were met, that courses taken were needed, and in an order that would benefit students in the long run, but what comes across most clearly is that Dr. Flood is extremely encouraging, motivating, understanding, and future-oriented. He teaches his advisees what they will need to know to succeed and instills in them the confidence that they will be able to achieve their dreams. The students being advised by Dr. Flood are not just checking off requirements to get a degree, they are planning their education here as a foundation for their future endeavors.”