Parkersburg, W.Va. (Nov. 7, 2022) – The Poorhouse Rag, WVU Parkersburg’s literary magazine, is opening a special call for writers, spoken word artists and visual artists affiliated with the college to submit works addressing pandemic-specific issues, including themes of overcoming and moving toward to normalcy.

Originally published each fall, the Fine Arts Committee has shifted the release of the publication to the spring to celebrate the culmination of student work at the end of the academic year. Works submitted to The Poorhouse Rag last winter and spring will be featured in the 2023 edition.

“Dr. Held brought to The Fine Arts Committee an observation of students needing an outlet to connect with one another, which she noticed during a student’s speech in her communication course. The Fine Arts Committee agreed that adding this layer to the magazine was important to our campus community, as any creative endeavor has proven cathartic during these times,” said WVU Parkersburg Assistant Professor Danielle Kelly.

Submissions are open until Jan. 9, 2023. Entrants should submit their work to thepoorhouserag@wvup.edu, include the submission genre in the subject line, a statement of their WVU Parkersburg affiliation in the body of the email and a brief third-person bio.

All writing and artwork will be considered for prizes in their respective genre alongside the President’s Prize and the Foundation Prize. The Foundation Prize winner’s work will serve as the issue’s cover. The Spring 2023 edition of The Poorhouse Rag and Poorhouse Week will be held April 17-23, 2023, where a campus-wide reading and launch will take place.

For more information and the guidelines, visit wvup.edu/poorhouserag or contact Danielle Kelly at danielle.kelly@wvup.edu or Associate Professor Dr. Lauri Reidmiller at lauri.reidmiller@wvup.edu.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Nov. 1, 2022) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg has been named one of today’s best schools for online higher education in Child Development by EduMed.org, ranking No. 4 in the nation. Similarly, online programs in the medical field earned top honors for their overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success.

“These programs are awesome and produce the best possible employees to serve our communities,” said Dr. David Lancaster, WVU Parkersburg interim vice president for Academic Affairs. “It is an honor and pleasure for me to be involved with these outstanding programs in my current role. It is a great day to be WVU Parkersburg Proud!”

WVU Parkersburg offers a highly flexible and accommodating online program for those interested in pursuing a degree in Child Development. Through a career ladder approach, students can move seamlessly from a one-year certificate to a two-year associate degree, then on to a four-year bachelor’s degree without losing any credits along the way. All students admitted to the program receive in-state tuition rates regardless of geographical location.

Not to mention, the Associate of Applied Science in Child Development program accepts transfer credits from the WV Infant and Toddler (WVIT), EDGE Credit, Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist (ACDS) and Child Development Associate (CDA). WVU Parkersburg also offers a 2 + 2 option for their Child Development program.

WVU Parkersburg’s CST-AAS in Surgical Technology and RN-BSN online programs also received top honors nationwide.

The CST-AAS in Surgical Technology program is designed for Certified Surgical Technologists interested in obtaining their associate degree. All classes are offered online to provide maximum flexibility and can be completed in 12 months for full-time students.

The RN-BSN program is for Registered Nurses, prepares students for advancement in professional nursing practice and provides a knowledge base for career mobility and graduate study. Courses are taught online to fit the nurses’ academic work into their professional and personal calendars.

“Our rankings showcase the schools giving future nurses and allied health professionals the best chance to succeed from day one in the classroom to day one on the job,” said Wes Harris, EduMed.org outreach coordinator. “This starts with low-tuition cost but also includes academic counseling, career placement and other key resources that students need to graduate and get hired.”

EduMed.org researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. EduMed.org then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each discipline. Primary data points include:

Academic counseling services

Career placement services

Student-to-faculty ratio

Tuition

Percent of students receiving school-based financial aid

Amount of school-based aid per student

For full rankings, visit https://www.edumed.org/online-schools/child-development-degrees/ – 4-year-schools

To learn about becoming a WVU Parkersburg student, visit wvup.edu/future-students or call 304-424-8310.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Oct. 25, 2022) – WVU Parkersburg’s Professional Studies Division is hosting a Fall Speaker Series where prominent local leaders share their success stories. The series of presentations will take place on the last Wednesday of each month, from now until November, with this month’s speaker being Steven D. Patterson, West Virginia Fusion Center (WVFC) deputy director.

Patterson began his time with the WVFC as a volunteer Fusion Liaison Officer in 2014. He was hired as an intelligence analyst in 2016 and named deputy director in 2018. Now, Patterson oversees the day-to-day operations of the WVFC. He also acts as the WVFC’s privacy and security officer, oversees the WVFC Forensic Accounting Unit and is a member of the WV Department of Homeland Security Special Investigations Unit.

Patterson has over 20 years of experience in internal auditing, forensic accounting and fraud investigation. He oversees multiple comprehensive fraud investigations and special inquiries, including executive, employee and vendor fraud, maximizing recovery efforts while working with internal process owners and outside law enforcement agencies.

Patterson received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration from Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, W.Va. He is currently a master’s candidate at the Naval Post Graduate School Center for Homeland Security and Defense. He has instructed at the university level and continues to present and train locally, nationally and internationally about interviewing fraud investigation, investigative reasoning and topics related to Homeland Security.

“It is an intentional effort, on the part of the Division of Professional Studies, to provide the community with the opportunity to enjoy a vibrant, intellectually stimulating event and engage with a respected local professional,” said WVU Parkersburg Assistant Professor Andrew Walker.

The next Fall Speaker Series will be presented tomorrow, from 12:15 to 1 p.m., in the College Theater. All community members are welcome to attend the event free of cost.

For more information, visit wvup.edu/fallspeakerseries.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Oct. 19, 2022) – Last month, students in the WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice Family Violence course had the opportunity to visit the Children’s Listening Place in Parkersburg, W.Va., to learn more about advocacy and support for child victims in the area.

The Children’s Listening Place is a safe, child-friendly environment where child protection, criminal justice and child treatment professionals work together to investigate abuse in Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Wirt and Wood counties. The students toured the facility and met with staff, some of who are WVU Parkersburg alumni, and observed a mock forensic interview.

“To me, the experience was really eye-opening as to how they get information from the children,” WVU Parkersburg student Jamie Enoch said. “It was a great learning experience.”

“Hands-on activities like these are common in the Criminal Justice program,” Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Andrew Walker said. “They give our students opportunities to actively apply what they learn in class and build connections to the community and system they plan to work in once they graduate.”

For more information on WVU Parkersburg’s Criminal Justice program, visit wvup.edu/criminal-justice.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Oct. 6, 2022) – First observed in October 1981, Domestic Violence Awareness Month connects survivors, advocates and service providers in a collective effort to raise awareness about, and end, the crime of abuse. Also advocating is the WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice student organization as they will host the local Domestic Violence Clothesline Project to bring to light the stories of victims and survivors in the region.

The local Domestic Violence Clothesline Project will be on display Oct. 10-14, from 12:15-1 p.m., in the Criminal Justice Courtroom on the main campus.

Started in 1990, the Clothesline Project is an artistic display of t-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic violence, or created in honor of someone who has experienced violence and hung on a clothesline to serve as a testimony of the problem. Each t-shirt reflects the experience of the creator, and the color of each shirt identifies a particular instance of violence:

White – Those who have died as a result of violence.

Yellow – Survivors of physical assault, and or, domestic violence.

Red, pink and orange – Survivors of rape or sexual assault.

Blue and green – Survivors of incest or childhood sexual abuse.

Purple and lavender – Those who have been attacked because of their sexual orientation.

Brown and gray – Survivors of emotional, spiritual or verbal abuse.

Black – Those who have been attacked or assaulted because of a disability.

“Each year, 12 million people suffer from intimate partner violence,” said Andrew Walker, WVU Parkersburg assistant professor and Criminal Justice student organization advisor. “Domestic Violence Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to remember victims and celebrate survivors of domestic violence. Hosting the Clothesline Project on campus brings the stories of victims and survivors to life and reminds us these are not faceless statistics.”

The WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice student organization will also be collecting items including kitchen-sized trash bags, toilet paper, and paper towels for the Parkersburg Family Crisis Intervention Center, a domestic violence safe haven, which services Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties. Donations may be dropped off at the WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice Courtroom or the Division of Professional Studies office (room 1018).

For more information about the project or to donate, please contact Andrew Walker at wwalker1@wvup.edu or 304-424-8429.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (September 29, 2022) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Fine Arts Committee and Art Club are hosting the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery clean up. The event will take place on Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the cemetery on the main campus.

This event is open to students, staff, and faculty members from WVU Parkersburg and to the public. Participants will meet at the Poorhouse Cemetery on campus to pick up trash, straighten existing crosses, and spruce up veteran graves to prepare for Veteran’s Day. The committee recommends that participants bring tools for cutting back branches, gloves, and old shoes.

Poor farms were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Farms declined after the Social Security Act took effect in 1935. By 1950, poor farms had almost completely disappeared. A poorhouse could serve as a hospital, nursing home, orphanage, halfway home, or temporary prison.

“Residents were expected to work the fields, tend the livestock, clean, cook and help maintain the property to the extent that their health or physical abilities would allow. In return, they were given food, clothing, shelter, and medical care,” said Dr. Lauri Reidmiller, associate professor and advisor of the Art Club.

The Poor Farm Cemetery honors over 1,000 residents, including veterans, ex-slaves, infants, and other residents from the Wood County Poorhouse.

“The chance to take part in the project gives my students an interesting peek into our local history. Most students who attend WVU Parkersburg are not aware of the significance of the graveyard. Learning about historical events is not so abstract when they are tied to a specific person or family from our own community,” Reidmiller said.

The Fine Arts Committee and Art Club’s mission is to not only promote the arts and provide opportunities to explore the arts but also to promote community service. The Fine Art Committee publishes The Poorhouse Rag, the college’s annual literary magazine. Named after the Poorhouse Cemetery, the magazine publishes prose, poetry, children’s literature, and artwork addressing themes of social justice. WVU Parkersburg also observes Poorhouse Week, remembering the Poorhouse of Wood County which once stood on college grounds.

Another Poor Farm Cemetery cleanup will take place in the Spring. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Dr. Lauri Reidmiller at lreidmil@wvup.edu.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Sept. 26, 2022) – WVU Parkersburg’s Art Club will be selling decorated pumpkins outside of the multi-purpose room on the main campus. The event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Every pumpkin is hand-crafted and made with love by the members of the Art Club,” SGA President and Art Club member L.V. Hissem said. The club is selling the pumpkins for $5 each.

The goal of the fundraiser is to help fund an educational trip to New York City.  The club will visit the Metropolitan Art Museum, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and other cultural events to expand their artistic experience and education.

The art club is an inclusive campus organization that all students are welcome to join. The club meets on Thursdays in the Room 3305 from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Art Club Advisor Dr. Lauri Reidmiller at lreidmil@wvup.edu.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (September 26, 2022) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Phi Theta Kappa Sigma Omega chapter sponsored an Adopt a Highway cleanup Saturday, September 24 during the statewide fall clean up event.
“Fourteen volunteers braved the weather and came out to pick up litter from the edge of the roadways around campus, including Nicolette Road, Swisher Lane, Woodberry Lane and Campus Drive,” said Marie Butler, PTK Advisor.
PTK is an invitation only honor society on campus. To be eligible, students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and completed at least 12 credit hours of associate degree work.
“I was so pleased Dr. Uta Hempel was able to join us again for this event. She is vital in pointing out poisonous plants for us to avoid as well as providing us the names of the wildflowers we see along the way. It enhances our service project,” Butler said.
The event was open to all members of the campus community. The Adopt a Highway cleanup event also fills required community service hours for the WV Invests, Ascend, Elementary Education and Nursing programs.
For more information about PTK, contact advisors Marie Butler at mbutler1@wvup.edu or Andrew Walker at wwalker1@wvup.edu.

Parkersburg, W.Va. (Sept. 22, 2022) – WVU Parkersburg’s Professional Studies Division is hosting a Fall Speaker Series where prominent local leaders share their success stories. The series of presentations will take place from August to November on the last Wednesday of each month. This month’s speakers are accounting professionals from McDonough, Eddy, Poling & Baylous A.C. (MEPB) Accounting & Financial Services.

Benjamin M. Poling is the current president and managing shareholder of MEPB. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration and a Regents Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University at Parkersburg. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Additionally, he is accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Rachel V. Poling joined MEPB in 2017. She holds a Regents Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Business Administration from West Virginia University at Parkersburg and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Charleston. She is currently working towards obtaining her CPA license.  Mrs. Poling is a member of the West Virginia Society of Public Accountants (WVSCPA), an Intuit QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and the president of the Parkersburg Chapter of the WVSCPA Board of Directors.

“It is an intentional effort, on the part of the Division of Professional Studies, to provide the community with the opportunity to enjoy a vibrant, intellectually stimulating event and engage with a respected local professional,” Assistant Professor Andrew Walker said.

The Fall Speaker Series will be presented on Sept. 28, from 12:15 to 1 p.m., in the College Theater. All community members are welcome to attend the event free of cost.

For more information, visit wvup.edu/fallspeakerseries.