May 11, 2019 – West Virginia University at Parkersburg held its spring nursing pinning ceremony on Saturday, May 11, at 1:30 p.m., in the College Activities Center. This year, a total of 23 students were honored, having completed graduation requirements for the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree at WVU Parkersburg.

The ceremony is a time-honored nursing school tradition in which faculty members present each graduate with a pin. The pinning is followed by a candle lighting and recitation of the “Florence Nightingale Pledge,” a vow of ethics and principles. Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, received the Red Cross of St. George in the 1860s for her service during the Crimean War. In return, she presented a medal of excellence to her top nursing students to acknowledge their academic merit.

“The pinning ceremony is more than just a tradition, it is a recognition of every student’s hard work and dedication to their studies and a life of service to others,” said Kathy Frum, WVU Parkersburg Nursing and Health Sciences chairperson.

The ceremony included greetings from Frum; Chad Crumbaker, Academic and Student Affairs vice president, and nursing program graduate Eric Showen. Melissa Montgomery, MHA, BSN, RN and Chief Administrative Officer at Selby General Hospital Memorial Health System, served as the guest speaker.

Spring 2019 nursing graduates include:

Haley Barber

Adam Colunga

Hannah Cox

Rachel Cunningham

Stephanie DeBerry

Alie Donohew

Aleea Gray

Crystal Green

John Harvey

Monique Hitt

Rebekah Hogsett

Taylor Hoover

Caitlyn Hudnall

Melissa Hughart

Ashley Mellinger

Megan Lamb

April Myles

Blessing Onianwa

Morganne Pauley

Katelyn Radabaugh

Eric Showen

Emilia Summers

Carleigh Walker

Visit www.wvup.edu/nursing for more information on WVU Parkersburg nursing and health science programs.

May 11, 2019 – West Virginia University at Parkersburg held its spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11 at 10:30 a.m. in the College Activities Center. The college awarded 244 certificate and associate degrees as well as 114 bachelor’s degrees to 272 students this semester.

Dr. Chris Gilmer, WVU Parkersburg president, gave the opening remarks and introductions. In his message to graduates, he encouraged them to use their education for the greater good, hoping their mentors at WVU Parkersburg helped them along life’s journey.

“The vision of this university is to be the region’s premiere college, recognized for quality education, commitment to student empowerment, workforce collaboration and community involvement,” said Gilmer. “I hope we have taught you not with our words, but with our deeds, modeling for you the behaviors of good citizenship.”

Sharon O’Neill, the state’s eldest community and technical college graduate presented the commencement address.

O’Neill, born Feb. 6, 1936 in Parkersburg, holds many life experiences as she was a single mother of five children, and witnessed many monumental events including the JFK assassination, the Civil Rights Movement and World War II. Each challenge and change O’Neill met, she conquered with a belief in herself and encouraged graduates to do the same.

“Think of what you have accomplished. Each of you have met challenges of various kinds, and you still may be facing them,” said O’Neill. “But say to yourself, ‘I conquered those challenges…I will conquer whatever I need to.’”

O’Neill received a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree with a 3.83 GPA.

Distinguished commencement guest Chad Shealy, superintendent of the Vicksburg Warren School District in Vicksburg, Miss., also gave graduates words of encouragement. Shealy is a first-generation college graduate and credits the sacrifices of past family generations for his current accomplishments.

“Higher education is always so important to all of those who made it possible for me, even though life never allowed them to obtain one for themselves,” said Shealy.

Passing on guidance to the graduates himself, Shealy also challenged them to embrace their unique purpose in life stating, “There are many graduates before you that participated in a commencement ceremony much like yours today. However, there has never been another you, and there will never be another you. That is an awesome truth to consider; that you have something to offer that no one else will be able to provide.”

Also during commencement, WVU Parkersburg recognized Andrew Walker as the Bernard P. McDonough Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year. Walker, an assistant professor of criminal justice, received his Masters of Science in Criminal Justice from Marshall University and is currently a PhD candidate in Social and Behavioral Science from West Virginia University. He is also the advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa Sigma Omega Chapter honor society and student criminal justice organization on campus.

To learn more about WVU Parkersburg and its community of graduates, visit www.wvup.edu. Fall classes are now enrolling for those interested in becoming a graduate too. Call 304-424-8310 or visit our campus for more information.

May 7, 2019 – The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors will meet Wednesday, May 8. The meeting will take place at 3:15 p.m. in the Francis and Nina Phares Board Room (room 1300A) on the main campus.

Visit  www.wvup.edu/about/board-of-governors/agendas/ to view the complete agenda.

May 7, 2019 – Three members of West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Sigma Omega chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society were formally recognized as All-West Virginia Academic Team members during a formal ceremony held at the state capitol on April 30.

Justin Bosley, Fallyn Buffington and Brittany Sword were formally named to the 2019 All-West Virginia Academic Team during the ceremony held at the Governor’s Mansion. West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice presented each recipient with a medallion and certificate of recognition. Bosley, one of 24 state recipients chosen for the honor this year, was selected to share how Phi Theta Kappa and WVU Parkersburg directly benefited his life.

Bosley, who serves as the Sigma Omega chapter president, will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration degree with a concentration in financial management. He plans to continue his education at West Virginia University in pursuit of an MBA degree.

Buffington, the chapter public relations officer, will graduate in May with an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice. She anticipates completing her Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice in fall 2019.

Sword, the chapter secretary/treasurer, is working toward a Bachelor of Applied Science in Legal Studies and expects to complete her studies in spring 2021.

Phi Theta Kappa, two-year college presidents, and community college state associations co-sponsor All-State Academic Team recognition programs in 39 states. Each two-year college in West Virginia may nominate two students per campus to the All-USA Academic Team. West Virginia students nominated to the national team are generally named to the All-State Academic Team.

Students are selected for membership in the All-West Virginia Academic Team based on outstanding academic performance and service to the college and community.

“These honorees represent some of WVU Parkersburg’s best and brightest students,” said Marie Butler, Phi Theta Kappa Sigma Omega chapter advisor for WVU Parkersburg. “I am extremely proud of each of them.”

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,250 chapters across the United States, Canada and Germany. Membership to PTK is by invitation only and extended to students meeting specific eligibility criteria. To be eligible for membership, currently enrolled students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and completed a specific number of credit hours, depending upon their degree program.

Participating in the ceremony were (from left to right): WVU Parkersburg Sigma Omega chapter advisor Marie Butler; Honoree Justin Bosley; West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice; Honoree Brittany Sword; Honoree Fallyn Buffington; and WVU Parkersburg Sigma Omega chapter advisor Andrew Walker. (Photo by Steven Rotsch)

May 2, 2019 – The state’s oldest community and technical college graduate will be the commencement speaker for West Virginia University at Parkersburg at its 48^th annual spring ceremony on Saturday, May 11 at 10:30 a.m. in the College Activities Center.

Sharon O’Neill, 83, of Parkersburg, is the eldest community and technical college graduate since the inception of the West Virginia Community and Technical College System in 2004. She will join 265 graduates of WVU Parkersburg this semester. O’Neill will complete a Regents Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in history.

“I am one of those who has a bucket list, and coming to WVU Parkersburg was at the top of that list,” O’Neill said. “It is very important to receive as much education as you can to better yourself and provide a better life for you and your family.”

Before attending WVU Parkersburg, O’Neill worked as a Wood County Board of Education secretary and retired with 34 years of employment from the Bureau of Fiscal Service. O’Neill lives by the motto of the three C’s: Can’t, Change and Challenge. She advises that individuals cannot let bad or painful experiences stop them from being who they really are; change is to be accepted and everyone must challenge themselves to go above and beyond what is required of them to truly succeed.

“Many people have had a bad childhood and adolescence. The scars don’t go away, but like all scars, you need to accept them and go forward. You cannot let the scars stop you from being the person that you really are,” she said.

O’Neill warns of the change younger generations will experience in their lifetime. The world has evolved since she was 20 years old, and everyone needs to be adaptable to an evolving environment as she has.

Many events in American history inspired a change in her life. The attack on Pearl Harbor happened when she was just five years old. She and her step-grandmother were washing dishes after Sunday dinner. The radio was on, and all of a sudden, the attack was announced. Her startled grandmother dropped one of the cups to their Haviland china set. Her grandfather was a small town business owner. He rigged two large radios together and set them outside of his storefront. This way, any passersby would be able to stay up-to-date on the tragedy.

“Pearl Harbor happened on a Sunday, and the president’s speech happened that Tuesday. People walking by on the streets would crunch together so they could hear every bit of news while shopping,” O’Neill said.

As a grown woman, she experienced the Kennedy assassination and the Civil Rights Movement.

“I will have to say that speech, ‘I Have a Dream,’ is one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century. We should all have a dream for our children, and we should all want to judge people by the content of their character,” O’Neill said of the Civil Rights movement. “It changed my attitude, and it made me aware that we had to make a change.”

She committed to another change when she went back to college at WVU Parkersburg, as did several other students.

This semester, WVU Parkersburg plans to award 350 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degrees to 265 students, pending final grades. More than 120 students are planning to participate in the ceremony.

At this commencement, WVU Parkersburg will also announce the Bernard P. McDonough Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year, and award emeritus status to past faculty and staff. Nominations for the Bernard P. McDonough Outstanding Faculty Member are from the campus community and submitted based on an individual’s contribution in service to the students, institution, community, and for professional activities and personal growth.

Spring 2019 emeritus award recipients include:

• Pam Braden, professor of marketing and management, following 39 years of service;

• Dina Braniff, program assistant II, following 29 years of service;

• Julie Heller, associate professor in nursing and health sciences, following 15 years of service;

• Jeffrey Scott, financial aid counselor, following 40 years of service;

• Jim Haines, press operator II, following 40 years of service;

• John Gorrell, WVU Parkersburg Jackson County Center dean, following 22 years of service;

• Pamela Clevenger, administrative associate, following 27 years of service; and

• Rebecca Scarberry, program assistant II, following 17 years of service.

Annually, the college awards an outstanding alumnus. This year, a young alumnus will also be recognized.

Alumni of the Year, James E. “Jimmy” Colombo, is the former mayor of Parkersburg, current Wood County Commissioner and landmark restaurant owner. He attended WVU Parkersburg until 1964 when he transferred to Marietta College to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was appointed by then Governor Joe Manchin to the West Virginia Parole Board in 2010. Colombo is a long-time supporter of and benefactor to WVU Parkersburg, including his establishment of the James B. and Anna M. Colombo scholarship fund.

Young Alumni of the Year, Jonathan Kirk Heath, is a 2013 magna cum laude graduate of WVU Parkersburg with a Board of Governors Associate of Arts and Regents Bachelor of Arts degrees. Kirk also graduated from the West Virginia University College of Law with a Doctor of Jurisprudence concentrating in international law. He currently serves as a magistrate with the 31st Judicial District in the Commonwealth of Virginia and will receive a graduate certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University this spring.

College is not just for adults. Children ages eight to 12 can attend West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s inaugural Kid’s College program this summer. Children can attend one or three weeks of fun, educational classes, from June 13 – 16, June 20 – 23 and June 27 – 30, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily.

Children can choose four classes per week; topics range from arts & crafts and welding to archeology and media arts. Lunch will be provided.

The complete list of classes includes:

• Arts & Crafts
• Media Studies
• General Programming
• Welding
• Beginning Drawing
• CoBot
• Chemistry
• Farm Technology
• Bookmaking
• Photography
• Archeology
• Music Technology
• Chemistry
• Intro to Making
• Geology
• Journaling
• Space and Rocketry
• Bird-O-Rama
• Geology

Class sizes are limited and granted on a first-come, first-serve basis (with payment). The Kid’s College registration fee is $150 per week.

Visit the Kids’ College page to complete an application. For more information, contact WVU Parkersburg’s Workforce and Economic Development Division at wed@wvup.edu or (304) 424-8383.

Students in West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s welding program recently had an opportunity to use their hands-on instruction and experience to help create a decorative exterior wall for an outdoor classroom project with the Parkersburg Art Center. The outdoor learning space will be used for art programs and serve as an event venue when it opens later this spring.

The wall, comprised of 8-by-5 feet steel panels, features a giant Brachiosaurus, nicknamed “PACCYosaurus,” who will preside over the outdoor classroom space where children and creativity will be nurtured. Parkersburg Art Center artistic director, Abby Hayhurst, created the design for the wall, which was then graphed onto the metal panels by Parkersburg Art Center staff.

The college’s welding program students – under the supervision of welding instructor Joe Hunt – used plasma cutters to make the design on each of the panels at WVU Parkersburg’s Applied Technology Center.

“We are honored to partner with the Parkersburg Art Center on this project,” said Joe Hunt, assistant professor of welding, WVU Parkersburg. “In addition to being a great hands-on learning opportunity for students in our welding program, we are excited to contribute to this one-of-a-kind space that will be a wonderful asset to downtown Parkersburg and our entire community.”

Following the installation of the panels by Phoenix Associates, Inc., the welding students will buff the wall as part of the final step in the wall project.

“Joe Hunt and his students have been so very helpful,” said Jessie Siefert, managing director, Parkersburg Art Center. “Joe understood what we wanted to do and guided us throughout the process. He helped us understand the properties of this metal, how it will wear, the stress it can withstand, and how it can be shaped into the image we want. I am very thankful that we made this connection. I am so excited for the students who helped carve these panels to see the final project installed.”

The Parkersburg Art Center will use the outdoor classroom for its annual summer camp, Camp Creativity, and throughout the year by the ArtStart Preschool Program.

“The ArtStart Preschool teachers are the most excited about this project,” said Siefert. “We have a wonderful indoor activity space, but children need to get outside, breathe fresh air, run, shout, dig in the dirt, and plant a garden. These are all great things, but they get a little messy.”

A grand opening for the outdoor classroom is being planned for late spring.

West Virginia University at Parkersburg will recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) by hosting the local Clothesline Project, as well as inviting campus members to participate in the Wailing Window Project and Denim Day during the week of April 22.

The Clothesline Project, supported by the WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice Organization, aims to raise awareness and advocate against violence, and bring to light the stories of victims and survivors in the region. The project will be on display for students April 22 – 25 from 12:15 – 1:00 p.m. and for the public on Tuesday, April 23, from 4 – 6 p.m. in the Criminal Justice Simulation Lab (room 0404) on main campus.

“The Clothesline Project not only brings awareness to domestic violence, but it brings a personal connection to the subject,” said Andrew Walker, WVU Parkersburg assistant professor and criminal justice student organization advisor. “Nearly half of domestic violence incidents go unreported; the victims sharing their stories through the project are more than statistics, they are advocates for change.”

The student organization will also be collecting paper towels, toilet paper and trash bags for the Parkersburg Family Crisis Intervention Center. Donations may be dropped off in room 0404 or the Business, Accounting and Public Service Division office (room 1018).

Individuals may also recognize SAAM by participating in the Wailing Window Project sponsored by the WVU Parkersburg Social Justice Committee. From April 22 – 26, survivors of sexual assault and individuals wanting to show their support may anonymously write and color messages of pain, recovery and/or hope on paper butterflies located in the hallway by the tutoring center. The butterflies will be placed on the Wailing Window for display.

Additionally, WVU Parkersburg students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in Denim Day on Wednesday, April 24. Denim Day was developed by Peace Over Violence in response to a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against the destructive attitudes about sexual harassment, abuse, assault and rape.

For more information about the Clothesline Project or to donate, please contact Andrew Walker at wwalker1@wvup.edu or (304) 424-8429. To learn more about the Wailing Window Project and Denim Day, contact WVU Parkersburg Social Justice Committee co-chair Debbie Richards at Debbie.Richards@wvup.edu or (304) 424-8201.

West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Sigma Omega chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society recognized new and provisional members as well as West Virginia PROMISE scholars during the spring 2019 semester. A formal induction ceremony was held on Thursday, April 11, in the college theater.

Inductees took the official oath of membership to uphold PTK’s four hallmarks of scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship, and PROMISE scholars were recognized with certificates of outstanding academic excellence.

New PTK members:

Amber S. Bailey

Casey A. Bennett

Allison J. Ezell*

Terrence M. Francisco

Seth T. Kerby*

Michael Love

Sammantha E. Oglesby

Willio Rene

Mariah H. Stansberry

Haighley C. Summers

Toby D. Wagoner

Savannah L. Wright

Provisional PTK members:

Zoë J. Bookman*

Bryanna F. Monroe*

PROMISE scholars:

Shasta A. Kerns

Megan M. Stoffel

* denotes members also being recognized for their accomplishment as a PROMISE scholar.

The PTK Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in higher education with over 1,200 chapters across the United States, Canada and Germany. Membership to PTK is by invitation only and extended to students meeting specific eligibility criteria. To be eligible for membership, a student must complete a specific set of minimum course hours depending on their declared major and have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students must also maintain a high academic standing throughout their enrollment in the two-year college.

For more information about WVU Parkersburg’s Sigma Omega chapter, contact advisors Marie Butler (Marie.Butler@wvup.edu), Andrew Rochus (arochus1@wvup.edu) or Andrew Walker (wwalker1@wvup.edu).

West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s student environmental group, the Ecohawks, will host an Earth Day celebration on Monday, April 22, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the College Activities Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The Ecohawks will teach local elementary school children the benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling. There will also be reading and coloring stations, tree and vegetable seedling giveaways, educational games and a Smokey Bear meet-and-greet.

“We have an obligation to take care of the world we share,” said Ecohawks advisor Valerie Keinath. “The WVU Parkersburg Ecohawks hope to inspire and encourage others to find beauty in nature and become more conscious about their environmental impact as to preserve that beauty.”

Other individuals, groups and organizations providing environmental resources and materials include: Friends of the Lower Muskingum, Keep Wayne Wild, C8 specialist and author Callie Lyons, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, pollinator garden specialist Rebecca Phillips, Raccoon Creek Conservation group (AmeriCorps) and the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

Guests will also have the chance to view screenings of “The Toxic Tour” presented by Lyons and “The Sequel” presented by the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action Group.

For more information, contact Valerie Keinath at vkeinart@wvup.edu or (304) 424-8327.