Parkersburg, W.Va. (June 15, 2022) – “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” — Martin Luther King Jr., March 31, 1968.
This was the quote that permeated throughout O.P.E.N.’s 2022 Pride celebration that took place on June 15, 2022. The event featured several presentations from O.P.E.N. Taskforce members, such as Co-Chair Nancy Harris, Co-Chair Steven Smith, and student members Autumn McKenna and Coleen Nicoles. Outgoing WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Chris Gilmer also spoke at the event to tell the audience his story. The event commemorated the month’s history and influence LGBTQIA+ people have had around the world.
Two awards were also presented during O.P.E.N.’s 2022 Pride celebration. Autumn McKenna presented O.P.E.N.’s Lifetime Achievement Award to fellow member and Wellness Coordinator Pamela Santer, and Coleen Nicoles presented O.P.E.N.’s Inclusive Person of the Year to Dr. Sandra Kolankiewicz.
A slideshow presentation showcasing all of O.P.E.N.’s previous events and presentations was also displayed at the 2022 Pride celebration. Finally, Interim President-Elect Dr. Torie Jackson closed the event with some closing remarks.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (June 10, 2022) – Members of the Mid-Ohio Valley community have the chance to perform in front of and be mentored by Broadway star Tony Vincent during an in-person master class on Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., in downtown Parkersburg.
The Tony Vincent Live Master Class provides rising creative professionals exclusive access to advice, insight and training from a titan of the theatre industry. The master class allows attendees to hear the many ways to find their way in show business and Vincent’s unique journey and path to success as a creative.
From a young age, Vincent was exposed to the music of The Beatles, David Bowie, Depeche Mode and New Order. While attending university, Vincent recorded a five-song EP, which led to a recording contract with EMI records.
Vincent has produced six number one Billboard radio singles.
In 1998, Vincent took a detour into rock-based theater, joining the Broadway cast of “RENT.” He also starred in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Queen’s smash hit “We Will Rock You,” Green Day’s “American Idiot,” and was a finalist on NBC’s “The Voice.”
Today, Vincent continues to write and record, along with leading PCG Theatrical in Nashville, helping to develop young aspiring musical theater performers.
The master class with Vincent and PCG, is sponsored by the Arts Collaborative of the MOV and its member, the Parkersburg Actors Guild.
Tickets to the event are $25 and are available at facebook.com/ArtsoftheMOV. The event will be held at WVUP on Market, located at 414 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101.
For more information, contact the Arts Collaborative of the MOV by calling 304-424-8341.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (June 8, 2022) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Board of Governors will meet Tuesday, June 14, 2022. The meeting will take place at 3:15 p.m. in the Francis & Nina Phares Board Room (Room 1300). Due to COVID-19, a virtual option to attend is also available.
For further details and instructions on how to attend the meeting, please contact Brady Whipkey, WVU Parkersburg chief of staff, at brady.whipkey@wvup.edu.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (June 6, 2022) – Coplin Health Systems, Minnie Hamilton Health Systems and the Ritchie Regional Health Center, in conjunction with several partners including WVU Parkersburg, will be holding a FARMACY course to educate participants on the benefits of eating nutritious and provide them with health screens for a1C, high blood pressure, lipids and weight.
Participants of the program must be 20 to 65 years old and not previously been diagnosed with hypertension, stroke or cancer. It is preferred that participants live in a rural community, have an income at 200% or below the federal poverty rate, are racial/ethnic minorities or have a disability.
“The FARMACY is a dynamic program that addresses health from a variety of angles. We provide participants access to healthy food, vital health screenings, and education that helps improve healthy habits, including healthy eating and information about primary care,” said Sarah Barton, senior projects manager at Coplin Health.
In the weekly 30-minute course, participants will participate in food demos, learn new recipes, and gain information about health problems. The first and tenth week of the course will provide opportunities to receive free health screenings for a1C, blood pressure and weight.
In addition to learning about eating healthy, course participants will receive a large portion of fresh fruits and vegetables and heart-healthy food that can be used at home to jumpstart their behavioral changes recommended in the program.
Courses will be taught during the following times:
• Elizabeth Baptist Church
• June 21 – August 30: Tuesdays, 1 or 2 pm
• Jackson County Jr. Fairgrounds
• June 22 – August 24: Wednesdays, 9 or 11 am
• Minnie Hamilton Hospital (Grantsville)
• July 15 – September 16: Fridays, 10 or 11 am
• Ritchie Regional Health Center (Harrisville)
• July 12 – Sept 13: Tuesdays, 3 or 4 pm
• Parkersburg Senior Center – Market Street Location (Parkersburg)
• June 21-August 30: Tuesdays, 9 or 10 am
“Achieving and maintaining good health requires active participation in multiple healthy habits, and we want to support participants wherever they are in the process of reaching their goals,” Barton said.
Those interested in participating can fill out the referral form here. For more information, contact Sarah Burton at 304.679.6680 or at sarahb@coplinhealth.com.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 31, 2022) – The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Veterans Corps hosted a Memorial Day Celebration May 27 on campus. The ceremony can be rewatched on WVU Parkersburg’s Facebook page.
“[On Memorial Day], we mourn as we try to continue to heal. We go forth and honor our brothers and sisters in arms by living a life worth their sacrifice, because their cost is truly greater than I,” said Jared Smith, WVU Parkersburg Veteran Corps student president. “We say their name, so we may not forget the cost of a free nation and a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from this Earth. May we honor their sacrifice and celebrate their legacy.”
The ceremony honored the 7% of Americans that have served in the United States Armed Forces, but no longer walk among us with a reading of General John A. Logan’s Memorial Day Order, a poem and personal messages for the Veterans Corps.
2021 National MCL Marine of the Year, Scott Kirby, was the keynote speaker for the Memorial Day Ceremony.
“Memorial Day is completely different from Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day,” Kirby said. Armed Forces Day is a day to celebrate those who are currently wearing the uniform. Veterans Day is a day to celebrate those who have served and have hung up their uniform. Memorial Day is a day we honor and remember those who never made it back to hang up their uniform.”
Kirby shared the three monuments in the Mid-Ohio Valley where people can go to honor Veterans: in Parkersburg at City Park, in Vienna at Spencer’s Landing and in Marietta at Harmar Village.
For more information or to become a WVU Parkersburg Veterans Corps member, please contact Darren Shearlock at darren.shearlock@wvup.edu or 304-424-8000 ext. 337.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 25, 2022) – The first graduating class of the Constellium Skilled Trades Scholarship Program received associate degrees and will enter a five-year employment agreement with Constellium. In 2020, WVU Parkersburg and Constellium partnered to provide financial assistance to area high school students for the opportunity to earn a college degree and gain employment in a skilled trades job.
“After a two-year journey, our first class of the Skilled Trade Scholarship Program will begin working at Constellium on June 6,” Constellium CEO Buddy Stemple said. “Congratulations to each graduate, and we look forward to them joining the Constellium team. I want to thank WVU Parkersburg for their tremendous partnership in this critical program for our business.”
Constellium held a small celebration for the first graduating class of the Skilled Trades Scholarship program. From left to right: Joshua Isaac Scritchfield, Gavin Blankenship, Zack Benson, James Andrew Coon, Chase Casto, Kenley Drew Hickman, Trevor Hunt, James Riley Lemaster and Wyatt Cottrill.
Gavin Blankenship, AAS, Reliability and Maintenance Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
Chase Casto, AAS, Electrical Reliability and Maintenance, CAS, Electricity and Instrumentation, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
James Andrew Coon, AAS, Reliability and Maintenance Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
Wyatt Cottrill, AAS, Reliability and Maintenance Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
Kenley Drew Hickman, AAS, Electrical Reliability and Maintenance, CAS, Electricity and Instrumentation Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
Trevor Hunt, AAS, Electrical Reliability and Maintenance, CAS, Electricity and Instrumentation Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
James Riley Lemaster, AAS, Reliability and Maintenance Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance;
Joshua Isaac Scritchfield, AAS, Electrical Reliability and Maintenance, CAS, Electricity and Instrumentation Technology, CAS, Industrial Maintenance.
“Through this experience with the Constellium Skilled Trades Scholarship Program, I’ve gained a job and a life full of success,” said Coon.
Graduate James Coon receives an Esab Sentinel A50 welding helmet to begin his welding track career at Constellium.
“We are thankful for this partnership which supports and encourages students to participate in the skilled trades,” Michele Wilson, WVU Parkersburg Workforce and Economic Development dean, said. “Today’s high school students are the workers of the future, and the Constellium Skilled Trade Scholarship Program is a wonderful opportunity to train students to fill a job demand and provide them with high-paying jobs after graduation.”
To learn more about the scholarship program and how WVU Parkersburg and Constellium are building the skilled trades workforce, contact Wilson at michele.wilson@wvup.edu.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 16, 2022) – WVU Parkersburg’s Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an international honor society in education, has partnered with Fairplain Elementary School in Jackson County to provide sensory paths for youth.
Sensory paths are a series of guided movements for children to follow, helping develop motor skills. According to Stephanie Stopiak, WVU Parkersburg Education instructor, sensory paths can also help students develop coordination skills and increase focus and attention.
“At Fairplain, KDP students completed five pathways, including a meditation maze, agility tires, snake, alphabet butterfly and color block road,” Stopiak said. “All of these seem like fun activities to children, and they are, but they also serve as brain breaks. The children can use these to self-regulate their focus and become more aware of their feelings.”
WVU Parkersburg KDP members painted five sensory paths, including a Step and Say Butterfly. Students can practice their ABCs or spelling by stepping on letters and saying them out loud.
Alexandra Tennant, KDP member, presented the project and was a clinical teacher of record at Fairplain during the Spring 2022 semester.
“Thanks to the members of KPD, we were able to bring color and new interactions to the students at Fairplain” Tennant said. “The students love the pathways and always ask to take a break to play on them, improving their motor skills and giving them a chance to be more active throughout the school day.”
Other members of KDP who painted pathways include:
Chase Baker
Valerie Bircher
Jahlea Bumpus
Maggy Criser
Mikayla Dawson
Allison Ezell
Leah Harvey
Brooke Hatcher
Anna Kimble
Gracie Gill
Alexandra Miller
Victoria Shepherd
KDP is America’s largest educational honor society. WVU Parkersburg members from left to right are: Valerie Bircher, Chase Baker, Anna Kimble, Leah Harvey, Maggy Criser, Victoria Shepherd, Jahlea Bumpus and Allison Ezell.
The project was funded by the SNAP-Ed grant, which aims to educate families on healthy choices and promotes active lifestyles. The WVU Parkersburg KDP organization plans to partner with other schools this summer.
For more information on the WVU Parkersburg Elementary Education program, please visit wvup.edu/education.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 7, 2022) – WVU Parkersburg held its 51st annual spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7, at 2 p.m., in its College Activities Center. Dr. E. Gordon Gee, West Virginia University president, served as the keynote speaker.
Gee reminded the spring class of 2022 that while success in life is important, failure creates an opportunity for self-growth.
“The possibility of failure is not a reason to resist change. Failure is, in fact, an inevitable and even mandatory detour on the road to any worthwhile goal,” Gee said. “If one is not failing, one is not learning. Your own journey…can lead a positive change if you commit to your unique purpose and make your choices serve that purpose.”
Dr. E. Gordon Gee, WVU president, is presented with an honorary degree from WVU Parkersburg. (Left to right: Joe Oliverio, WVU Parkersburg Board of Governors vice chair; Dr. E. Gordon Gee, WVU president; Dr. Chris Gilmer, WVU Parkersburg president)
Gee has been a leader in higher education for more than 30 years. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States. Born in Vernal, Utah, Gee graduated from the University of Utah with an honors degree in History and earned his Juris Doctor and Doctorate in Education from Columbia University.
WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Chris Gilmer also had words of encouragement for the graduating class, congratulating them on their accomplishments, which have been built on the sacrifice of family members who have come before them.
“Graduates hear this from me if you hear nothing else I say. You too are the accumulation of the dreams of generations,” Gilmer said. “While you have worked hard and should be duly proud of your accomplishments, no one comes to a moment like this alone. It is a milestone no one can ever take away from you – you have earned it, but you have earned it on the shoulders of generations of people you never even met.”
This is the last commencement Gilmer will preside over as WVU Parkersburg president. He will be assuming the interim campus presidency at WVU Potomac State College. Gilmer will be remembered as a student-focused leader, rebuilding strong relationships with area businesses, industries, nonprofits and schools.
Over 180 graduates crossed the stage, with a total of 350 students earning certificate, associate and bachelor’s degrees, pending final grades. The college also presented recognition awards to exceptional members of the campus and surrounding community, including:
Philanthropist of the Year: The Erickson Foundation, Laurie Erickson and Kathy Eddy
The Generations Award from the National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students: Dr. Donzell Lee and Family
The Governor of West Virginia’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteerism: Kiki Angelos
Alumni of the Year: Christie Willis
Business Partner of the Year: The Blennerhassett Hotel, Wayne Waldeck and Lee Rector
Innovator of the Year: The Ross Foundation, Tres and Melissa Ross
Nonprofit Partner of the Year: The United Way, Stacy DeCicco and Justin Raber
Also, during commencement, WVU Parkersburg recognized Christie Calvert, Child Development program coordinator, as the Bernard P. McDonough Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year. She has doubled program enrollment and received multiple rankings from Intelligent.com as having one of the nation’s best online Child Development degree programs.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 5, 2022) – This is a reminder that the WVU Parkersburg Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony may be streamed live at wvup.edu/youtube. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 7, at 2 p.m., EST.
Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 3, 2022) – The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors has announced the appointment of Dr. Torie Jackson to serve as interim president of WVU Parkersburg, based on the recently announced resignation of current president, Dr. Chris Gilmer, to assume a similar role at West Virginia University Potomac State College. The announcement was made by Steven Hardman, Chair of the Board, at the Board’s Tuesday, May 3, meeting. The transition is scheduled to occur July 1, 2022.
Dr. Jackson has served WVU Parkersburg in a variety of leadership roles since 2004 and is an alumna of the institution. Currently, she serves as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement, President and CEO of the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, and as an Associate Professor of Communication. In Jackson’s current role, she is second in charge at the college and assumes the day-to-day managerial role as designated by Dr. Gilmer in his absence.
“This is a period of amazing growth in new programs and partnerships at WVU Parkersburg, and we are confident that Dr. Jackson is the right person to keep the positive momentum moving forward. She is a valued member of Dr. Gilmer’s leadership team and is the person most closely involved in his major leadership decisions and in planning and implementing the exciting direction the college is going. She has also taken the leadership role in rebranding and marketing WVU Parkersburg with great success,” Hardman said.
“Dr. Gilmer’s strong positive presence at WVU Parkersburg and in the community will be missed, and we believe Dr. Jackson will continue that positivity, in close consultation with the Board, during this period of interim leadership. The Board believes appointing a strong internal candidate with a lifetime of deep roots in this community and at WVU Parkersburg will serve the institution well during transition, and Dr. Jackson has the confidence of the Board,” Hardman added.
According to Hardman, Dr. Jackson’s interim appointment must now be approved by the West Virginia Community and Technical College System, and further details of her contract will not be made public at this time pending state approval. The interim candidate will be allowed to be a candidate for the permanent presidency of WVU Parkersburg, and the process for hiring a permanent president will be announced by the Board at a later date.
Regarding the opportunity to lead her alma mater, Jackson said: “I am both honored and humbled to be chosen to lead the institution that built me. With a true love for WVU Parkersburg, we will move forward with a focus on student success and continue to establish this college as a true community partner. We are a place where big dreams are welcomed and accomplished, and we will continue to be WVU Parkersburg Proud.”
Prior to her current leadership roles, Jackson served as Dean of Public Affairs and Experiential Learning; Chair of the Division of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Social Sciences; and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at WVU Parkersburg. She has been elected by her peers to serve as Chair of the Faculty Senate and as the faculty member of the Board of Governors. Active in the community outside of WVU Parkersburg, she is President of the Ritchie County Board of Education, an Executive Committee Member of the West Virginia School Board Association, a Legislative Steering Committee Member of the West Virginia School Board Association, Past President of the Creed Collins Elementary School Parent Teachers Organization, a member of the West Virginia Press Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, and an active leader and volunteer in church and civic activities.
A first-generation college student, Jackson holds an earned doctoral degree in higher education administration (Ed.D.) from West Virginia University, a master’s degree in organizational communication from West Virginia University, and bachelor’s and associate degrees in journalism. Her first college degree was an associate degree in journalism from WVU Parkersburg. Additionally, she holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Leadership from Salem International University and is licensed to serve as a school principal, district supervisor, or district superintendent. Her most recent educational credential is a Certificate of Current Affairs Fundraising in Crisis Leadership from the prestigious Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy.
Prior to her career in higher education, Jackson worked her way through college as a newspaper reporter and editor in the Mid-Ohio Valley. She was recently selected by WV Executive magazine as one of West Virginia’s Young Guns Class of 2021 members and has been recognized by her peers with the Bernard P. McDonough Faculty of the Year Award at WVU Parkersburg in 2015 and as Employee of the Year at WVU Parkersburg in 2014. Under Dr. Jackson’s leadership, the marketing division at WVU Parkersburg has won 23 national marketing awards in the past three years, the most of any college or university in West Virginia.
She is married to Todd Jackson, a deputy sheriff in Ritchie County, and they reside in Ritchie County with their three sons, Creed, Heath, and Ruger.
;}.d{fill:%23fff;}.e{fill:%23eff4f9;}%3c/style%3e%3cclipPath%20id='a'%3e%3cpath%20class='a'%20d='M%200%200%20H%2017.555%20v%2017.555%20H%200%20Z'%20id='svg_1'%20transform=''/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg%20class='currentLayer'%20style=''%3e%3ctitle%3eLayer%201%3c/title%3e%3cg%20id='svg_2'%20class='selected'%20transform=''%3e%3cg%20id='svg_3'%20transform=''%3e%3cg%20class='c'%20id='svg_4'%20transform=''%3e%3cg%20id='svg_5'%20transform=''%3e%3cpath%20class='d'%20d='M%2017.556%208.77842%20a%208.778%208.778%200%200%200%20-8.778%20-8.778%20a%208.778%208.778%200%200%200%20-8.778%208.778%20a%208.745%208.745%200%200%200%202.26%205.879%20v%201.442%20c%200%200.8%200.492%201.457%201.1%201.457%20h%205.83%20a%200.843%200.843%200%200%200%200.183%20-0.02%20a%208.778%208.778%200%200%200%208.184%20-8.757'%20id='svg_6'%20transform=''/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%20id='svg_7'%20transform=''%3e%3cpath%20class='e'%20d='M%203.16148%208.921%20a%209.292%209.292%200%200%201%206.38%20-8.888%20c%20-0.252%20-0.022%20-0.506%20-0.033%20-0.763%20-0.033%20a%208.774%208.774%200%200%200%20-8.778%208.778%20A%209.508%209.508%200%200%200%202.22447%2014.7003%20c%200.005%200%200%200.009%200%200.01%20c%20-0.311%200.352%20-1.924%202.849%200.021%202.849%20h%202.25%20c%20-1.23%20-0.022%201.263%20-2.107%200.269%20-3.494%20a%208.225%208.225%200%200%201%20-1.6%20-5.141'%20id='svg_8'%20transform=''/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
