WVU Parkersburg to participate in #GivingTuesday on Nov. 27

West Virginia University at Parkersburg will participate in the day-long global fundraising initiative #GivingTuesday on November 27. Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is a day of giving created to harness the collective power of individuals and communities through philanthropy.

On #GivingTuesday, WVU Parkersburg will collect funds for students and student-based programs that support all members of the WVU Parkersburg community, providing a variety of opportunities for students to learn, grow and be successful throughout their college career and beyond.

“This is our first time to participate in #GivingTuesday, and we are excited to see how engaged our community will be in supporting the important mission of the university,” said Keith Gaskin, vice president of Institutional Advancement. “Those who choose to give, at any level, will make a difference in student lives today, knowing they will have an impact on generations to come.”

Founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y – a community and cultural center in New York City − #GivingTuesday inspired millions of people to give back and support the causes they believe in. Over $300 million was raised online to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours, donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness.

Donations of any size can be made on the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation webpage http://foundation.wvup.edu/, where donors can make a contribution through the Network for Good or PayPal™.

Donations collected through #GivingTuesday will support the Annual Fund which provides scholarships, faculty and staff development, technology upgrades and learning tools, career development programs and much more.

Alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the college are all welcome and encouraged to participate.

For more information, contact WVU Parkersburg Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Keith Gaskin at lgaskin@wvup.edu or 901.238.8238.

WVU Parkersburg to host Dr. Cris Mayo for transgender awareness training on Nov. 26

West Virginia University at Parkersburg will host Dr. Cris Mayo, distinguished scholar in the field of gender studies, on Monday, Nov. 26 for two transgender awareness training sessions. Both trainings, sponsored by WVU Parkersburg’s Social Justice Committee, are free and open to the public.

Dr. Mayo will conduct a session from 12:15 – 1 p.m. and again from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in the college theater. The afternoon session will be streamed live at the Jackson County Center in room 206. The extended, evening training will be interactive and include video segments.

In addition to basic information about transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people, the training will provide strategies for assessing gender-inclusivity of living and learning spaces, recreational facilities, forms, policies, teaching methods, and curricula, as well as using inclusive pronouns and chosen names.

“We have invited Dr. Mayo to come to our campus to promote education and awareness about what it means for someone to be transgender,” said Debbie Richards, WVU Parkersburg specialist assistant to the president for policy and social justice. “Awareness programs like this help to create a more inclusive and accepting society for all.”

Dr. Mayo is director of the LGBTQ+ Center and Women’s Resource Center, and professor of women’s and gender studies at West Virginia University. Her books, “Disputing the Subject of Sex” and “LGBTQ Youth and Schools: Policies and Practices,” are both American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Award winners. In 2017, she published “Gay-Straight Alliances and Associations Among Youth” which focuses on how young people form relationships despite sexuality, gender, race, or education level, and work together to create more positive school environments.

For more information about this event, contact Debbie Richards at Debbie.Richards@wvup.edu or 304.424.8201.

WVU Parkersburg Phi Theta Kappa honor society chapter welcomes new members

West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Sigma Omega chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society welcomed 13 new members during the fall 2018 semester. A formal induction ceremony was held on Thursday, Nov. 1 in the college theater.

During the ceremony, a formal welcome was given by Dr. Chris Gilmer, WVU Parkersburg president and PTK alumni member. Dr. Gilmer was presented with the Phi Theta Kappa Alumni medallion in recognition of embodying the organization’s true spirit of leadership, service, fellowship and continual academic excellence.

Also, officers Justin Bosley, Victoria Poellot-Tauber, and Brittany Sword were installed as president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer respectively.

“Phi Theta Kappa brings together an amazing group of students that make a positive impact on our campus and community with various service projects,” said Bosley. “The honor society is a golden standard for what student excellence is, and I am blessed to be in a leadership position that allows me to make a difference.”

Inductees took the official oath of membership to uphold PTK’s four hallmarks of scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship in the presence of their friends and family. New WVU Parkersburg Sigma Omega chapter members include:

Julia L. Blair

Heather N. Carpenter

Ashley R. Cox

Deborah A. Darling

Lauryn B. Fields

Serena M. Graham

Benjamin A. Halley

Hannah N. Halley

Andrew M. Hoschar

Amy. L Hudson

Paige M. Leasure

Thomas E. Mullenix

Walter W. Westfall

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, 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. In order to be eligible for membership, currently enrolled students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and completed at least 12 credit hours of associate degree coursework.

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).

WVU Parkersburg invites national leaders for second convening of the National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students

What do civil rights pioneers and second-grade artists, college presidents, researchers, school superintendents, and poets have in common? They will all be joining students, faculty, and staff at West Virginia University at Parkersburg Nov. 8-10, as part of the second convening of the National Institutes for Historically-Underserved Students.

The project started in 2016 as a collaboration between Dr. Chris Gilmer, then Vice President for Academic Affairs at Adams State University, and Dr. Donzell Lee, then Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Alcorn State University.

Gilmer, Founder of the Institutes, is now President of West Virginia University at Parkersburg, and Lee, Co-Founder of the Institutes, is Interim President of Alcorn State University. In West Virginia, the two presidents are reuniting many of the original think tank participants and adding exciting new voices to a conversation meant to help level the playing field for America’s most vulnerable students.

The think tank will include a town hall meeting at WVU Parkersburg on Friday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. in the college theater. An exhibition of the nationally-acclaimed documentary art installation “A Peace of My Mind” will be on display on campus throughout the week leading up to the think tank. On Friday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m., in the College Activities Center, the college will also celebrate the inauguration of Dr. Gilmer as president of the university. These three events are free and open to the public and will include a reading by internationally acclaimed poet Aaron Abeyta and a solo performance by Dr. Matthew Valverde, one of the most acclaimed young tenors of his generation. The WVU Parkersburg Foundation is sponsoring this convening of the National Institutes.

“‘Historically-underserved’ is not meant as a label. It is meant as a statement of empowerment, each of us accepting, even celebrating, the uniqueness of our birth and our defining characteristics while at the same time asserting that education is a right of every person willing to work hard for it. It is not simply a privilege of those to whom it comes easily,” Gilmer said. “American higher education was not built on a level playing field, and it is our commitment to help level that field.”

Among the 40 educational leaders participating in the November think tank at WVU Parkersburg are Constance Slaughter-Harvey, Esquire, a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement who desegregated the University of Mississippi School of Law; Dr. Deb Daiek, President of the National Association for Developmental Education; Kevin Christian who leads diversity efforts at the American Association of Community Colleges; Dr. Lonie Haynes, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Highmark Health; The Reverend Dr. Rosalyn Nichols, Lead Pastor of Freedom’s Chapel Christian Church; Marguerite Salazar, member of the Cabinet of the Governor of Colorado; Donna M. Harris-Aikens, Senior Director of Education Policy and Practice, National Education Association; Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, Chancellor, West Virginia Council on Technical and Community Colleges; and a number of university and college presidents. A group of student ambassadors from WVU Parkersburg will also take part in the event.

“As the first person in my family to attend college, I was a historically-underserved student. There are many first-generation students, veterans, working adult students, and others throughout our service area who need someone to advocate for their right to an education. We are in no way about special rights for anyone. We don’t absolve anyone of the responsibility to work hard and to give his or her best,” Gilmer said. “After our students have given us their best, however, it’s our job as educators to meet them wherever they are and help them attain the education they want and deserve. That’s the role the National Institutes can fill.”

For more information, contact WVU Parkersburg Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Keith Gaskin at lgaskin@wvup.edu or 901.238.8238.

WVU Parkersburg to host solo play by actress Qurrat Ann Kadwani on Nov. 14

In observance of International Education Week, West Virginia University at Parkersburg will host award-winning actress, producer, and philanthropist, Qurrat Ann Kadwani, for a performance of her solo play, “They Call Me ‘Q,’” on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the college theater. Funded in part by the Higher Education Resource Assessment, the event is free and open to the public.

“They Call Me ‘Q’” is a narrative in which Kadwani portrays 13 different characters to tell her story of moving from Bombay, India to the Bronx, New York while seeking balance between the cultural pressures of her traditional parents and social acceptance in a new city. During the play, Kadwani will portray several individuals who have shaped her life including her parents, Caucasian teachers, Puerto Rican classmates and African-American friends. The program creates an open dialogue about immigration and the universal search for identity.

“An increasing number of children in the U.S. are being raised in immigrant families and will become a significant part of our future society,” said Debbie Richards, WVU Parkersburg special assistant to the president for policy and social justice. “This theatrical performance speaks to the cultural conflicts that immigrants experience when discovering their human identity and place in society.”

Kadwani is a theatre graduate of State University of New York at Geneseo, and the founding artistic director of eyeBLINK, a multicultural non-profit committed to promoting social change through theatre, dance, and special events. Her TV appearances include “All My Children,” “As the World Turns,” “The Blacklist,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Falling Water,” and “Mr. Robot.”

Highlighted as a “Woman Who Shapes the Future” by Fox 5 NY, Kadwani won the SAPNA NYC Dream Award (2014), Maui Fringe Best Play Award (2013), Variations Theatre Groups Best Actress Award (2012), and more. She is also the first South Asian female to have a solo play produced off-Broadway. “They Call Me ‘Q’” has been performed over 200 times in 35 states.

For more information, contact Debbie Richards at Debbie.Richards@wvup.edu or 304.424.8201.

 

WVU Parkersburg and Artsbridge present “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” featuring Parkersburg native and conductor Luke Frazier

West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Artsbridge will host “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the College Activities Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Broadway stars Mary Michael Patterson (“Phantom of the Opera,”) Cary Tedder (“A Bronx Tale,”) Hilary Morrow (“Birdland Jazz Club”) and Sam Hamashima (“Comfort Women: A New Musical”) will perform songs from Broadway, the Great American Songbook, and more under conductor Luke Frazier leading the American Pops Orchestra.

Frazier, named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by Washingtonian Magazine, is a Parkersburg South High School and West Virginia University graduate. He was the first-ever student selected for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s (WVSO) Andrew and Amy Vaughan Student Symphonic Fellowship. The program develops and encourages West Virginia high school students interested in pursuing a career as professional musicians, educators, composers or conductor by allowing fellows to sit alongside WVSO musicians in rehearsals, attend concerts, and meet and interact with guest artists.

“Luke is a product of our Wood County music program,” said Dr. H.G. Young, WVU Parkersburg Humanities, Fine Arts, and Social Sciences professor. “This event is a result of a young man giving back to the place that nurtured his talents and his advocating for music education.”

Founded in 2015 by Frazier, the American Pops Orchestra is comprised of musicians from Washington, D.C. and New York City that use innovative musical concepts to breathe new life into classic tunes. Frazier leads the organization to provide free public concerts as part of a mission to share the joy of music will all members of the community.

The company will tour schools in the Mid-Ohio Valley for a week, visiting Wood, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, and Doddridge counties in West Virginia, then Belpre and Little Hocking schools in Ohio. The tour is sponsored by Artsbridge.

Only 500, free tickets to the event will be available in the WVU Parkersburg Business Office until Monday, Nov. 5. Any remaining tickets will be distributed at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, contact Dr. H.G. Young at HG.Young@wvup.edu or 304.424.8248.

      

Luke Frazier                             Mary Michael Patterson         Cary Tedder

   

Hilary Morrow                         Sam Hamashima

WVU Parkersburg radio station WPKM 96.3 The Beet to celebrate College Radio Day

WPKM is the first and only community college radio station in West Virginia

WPKM 96.3 FM The Beet, the college radio station for West Virginia University at Parkersburg, will unite with other college radio stations across the world on Friday, Oct. 5 to celebrate College Radio Day. The event aims to raise greater awareness of the many college radio stations that operate around the world and encourages people to tune in to a college radio station in support of them on this day.

“We are excited to participate in this movement which recognizes that college radio is a unique medium that empowers students to be a voice on campus and in their community,” said Dr. Torie Jackson, chairperson and associate professor of the Humanities, Fine Arts and Social Sciences division, WVU Parkersburg. “We encourage everyone to tune in to WPKM on Oct. 5 to support their local student-run college radio station and to celebrate College Radio Day with us.”

In celebration of College Radio Day, WPKM will offer special content and activities throughout the week of Oct. 1, including college-themed radio shows, music trivia and karaoke.

WPKM provides the community with entertaining and educational radio through a wide array of music, news and talk radio. The station’s weekly show list includes:

  • “The Breakroom Show with James,” a sports and pop-culture show with a comedic spin, airs every Monday and Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m.
  • “Drive Time with Ky and Ty,” a variety show playing the deep cuts and not just the top 40 songs, airs every Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon.
  • “The Psychic Mothman,” featuring college/indie and classic rock, airs every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m.
  • “The Madhouse,” spinning alternative and heavy metal songs, airs every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 9 p.m.
  • “The Strip,” offering a variety of hard rock and punk music, airs every Monday from 3 to 6 p.m.
  • “Random Insanity,” covering all things random and fiction, airs every Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. and Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
  • “Nostalgia,” featuring classic hits and interesting news articles, airs every Friday from 5 to 6 p.m.
  • “Renegade Radio with Professor Crites,” featuring hard rock, punk rock and heavy metal, airs every Friday from 9 p.m. to midnight.
  • “The Great Echo,” offering a deep dive into cinema scores and classic films, airs every Saturday from 9 to 11 p.m.

WPKM can be experienced on traditional radio in most of Wood and Washington counties by turning the radio dial to 96.3 FM. Anyone, anywhere can listen online, through the TuneIn Radio app or live streaming at wpkmradio.com.

For more information or to make a donation to WPKM, visit www.wpkmradio.com.

WVU Parkersburg and the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley to host “Grow Your Business Online: A Google Workshop” to help small businesses succeed on the web

West Virginia University at Parkersburg and the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley are helping small businesses grow their presence online with a Grow Your Business Online workshop, featuring lessons in Google Search, Maps, reaching customers online through Google, and helping them improve their business website. The workshop will be hosted on Oct. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in WVU Parkersburg’s Workforce and Economic Development building.

Google trainer, Drew Tonsmeire, will serve as the workshop speaker. With more than 23 years’ experience, Tonsmiere is an expert in strategic marketing and business management. In addition, Tonsmeire is a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) coach and was president and CEO of the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce.

“Our goal is to help small businesses develop strategies that will help get them online and succeed thereafter,” said Michele Wilson, WVU Parkersburg Workforce and Economic Development Director. “When small businesses flourish, our communities do as well.”

Businesses that are online grow 40 percent faster than those who are not. The Grow Your Business Online program is designed by Google to empower local businesses by getting them on Google Search and Maps.

Visit www.movchamber.org for more information or to register. There is a $15 registration fee, and attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop.

 

WVU Parkersburg CIT students gain work experience through Learn and Earn program

West Virginia University at Parkersburg offers students the opportunity to gain work experience while completing their Computer & Information Technology (CIT) associate degree through a state-funded program called Learn and Earn.

The Learn and Earn program is sponsored by the West Virginia Community and Technical College System, and is part of the Workforce Development Initiative Program. It is an opportunity to create partnerships between industry and community and technical colleges by allowing students hands-on learning experience, and employers to train ideal future employees.

During their second year of the CIT associate degree program, selected students are given flexible work rotations at The Chemours Company, Woodcraft Supply or iTech Solutions performing work such as infrastructure upgrades, technology support and troubleshooting. Students may work up to 1,200 hours at these partner companies, and receive wages during the internship period. Learn and Earn also provides a year-long interview process in which the company evaluates students as potential hires after graduation.

For the 2018-2019 academic year, four students enrolled in the CIT program were selected to work at The Chemours Company, Woodcraft Supply and iTech Solutions while completing their studies through the Learn and Earn program:

 

The Chemours Company

  • Zoë Bookman, of Mineral Wells, W.Va.
  • Lawrence Price, of Gay, W.Va.

Woodcraft Supply

  • Dustin Gibson, of Washington, W.Va.

iTech Solutions

  • Richard Mace, of Sand Ridge, W.Va.

 

“The Learn and Earn program is of great value to the institution, our students and regional companies,” said Dr. Jared Gump, WVU Parkersburg Science, Technology, Engineering and Math division chair and associate professor. “Students gain valuable on-the-job knowledge, and our community partners give us feedback about our programs and how to improve our curriculum with an industrial perspective.”

WVU Parkersburg’s CIT program prepares students for careers in networking, computer technology, cybersecurity and other related fields. Along with general education requirements, students take courses preparing them for Cisco, Microsoft, Linux certifications and more. Students who complete an Associate of Applied Science in Computer & Information Technology can then continue on into a Bachelor of Applied Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity & Network Administration. The college also offers a career pathway leading from an Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science into a Bachelor of Applied Technology with a Software Engineering concentration.

To learn more, contact WVU Parkersburg’s Center for Student Services at admissions@wvup.edu or 304-424-8310.

Zoë Bookman | Mineral Wells, WVLawrence Price | Gay, WV
Dustin Gibson | Washington, WVRichard Mace | Sand Ridge, WV

 

WVU Parkersburg to host transgender singer and songwriter on Oct. 11 in observance of Coming Out Day

In observance of the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day, West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Social Justice Committee will host Namoli Brennet, transgender singer/songwriter, for her program, “We Belong” on Thursday, Oct. 11 at noon in the college theater. Funded, in part, by the Higher Education Resource Assessment (HERA), the event is free and open to the public.

In reflection of her own coming out, Brennet will relate her story of becoming a musician, living with anxiety, discovering herself and starting a public transition from male to female. Brennet uses her musical talents, humor, and compassion to help audiences leave with a clearer understanding of self-worth no matter who they are or what they choose.

“National Coming Out Day is a time for us to honor those who have come out not only as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ), but also as straight allies for equality,” said Debbie Richards, WVU Parkersburg special assistant to the president for policy and social justice. “We hope this program will promote a respectful and inclusive environment where every campus member will feel safe about living truthfully and openly.”

Brennet is a four-time Outmusic award nominee and was recently named in the inaugural Trans 100 list. She was also the recipient of the Tucson Folk Festival Songwriting Award and finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. Brennet’s music has been featured on NPR, PBS and in films including the Emmy-award winning documentary, “Out in the Silence,” which details the struggle of a gay teen growing up in rural Pennsylvania.

For more information about this event, contact Debbie Richards at Debbie.Richards@wvup.edu or 304.424.8201.

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