wvu alumni magazine 2012

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine 2 0 1 2 1

the BIG issue West Virginia UniVersity alUmni magazine

2 2 0 1 2 the BIG issue

James P. Clements, PhD President, West Virginia University

issuethe

Dear Alumni and Friends:

What we do as Mountaineers cannot be easily measured.

If there’s one word that best describes our moments, our dreams, our ideas, our impact, our innovation, and our legacy—that one word, right now, is “BIG.”

We are working in big ways, on big matters, with big results.

The evidence is in your hands.

In our “BIG” issue of the WVU Alumni Magazine, you will find the spirit of this pivotal period in our University’s story. We will look at the big ideas that launched us, sustain us, and point us to the future.

We tell this story with the University’s own heroes— the students, professors, staff, researchers, philan-thropists, inventors, friends, and family who stand for WVU and make it great.

Some share life-changing knowledge with their students. Some create the means to alleviate pain, or to understand the mysteries of DNA. Others launch generations of Rhodes Scholars, or work to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Some even imagined and designed one of WVU’s most recognized symbols of success (captured at a key moment in its evolution on the magazine’s cover)—a symbol that defines and unites us as Mountaineers like no other.

Even bigger and better things lie ahead. We enter a new era as a member of the Big 12 Conference, joining new colleagues on the playing fields, and in the research labs and classrooms.

With your Mountaineer spirit, ingenuity, and unwavering loyalty, we’re making a bold, momentous push into our hour of gold (and blue).

Our time is NOW. It has never been a better day to be a MOuNtaINeer.


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Features

3 Letter from the editor

4 the Big Picture Everything that defines WVU as a top-tier, land-grant flagship

university is right here. Take a peek at groundbreaking research,world-reaching initiatives, and other bragging points thatmake usproudMountaineers.Also,seehowWVUmeasuresupto itsnewpalsintheBig12.

On the Cover: The earliest design of what we now know as the Flying WV was scrawled on vellum in 1980.

VO L UM E 3 5 • N UMB E R O N E • 2 0 1 2

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1212 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Thereareprofessorswho teachand then thereareprofessors

whochangelivesforever.ReadheartfelttestimoniesfromstudentswhobenefitedfromthewisdomofsixiconicWVUprofessors.

20 the Big Idea MeetoneofWVU’smostinnovativestudents,KatherineBomkamp.

Inspiredbythecountry’ssoldiers,atage16sheinventedadevicethatcouldhelptheworld’smillionsofamputees.

22 Big research Wecouldn’tcall this theBIG issuewithout featuringonedoctoral

student’sBIGresearch.TinaDowstudieselephants.Yes.Elephants.AtWVU.

contents

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36

James P. Clements, PhDPresident, West Virginia University

Chris MartinVice President for University Relations

Dana CoesterExecutive Editor Scott WilkinsonExecutive Creative Director

Angela CaudillArt Director

Forrest ConroyChris SchwerDesigners

Laura SpitznogleManaging Editor

Kathy DeweeseUniversity Editor

Mark BrownMichael EllisBrian PersingerChris SchwerPhotographers

Adam GlennKaryn CummingsWeb Designer and Developer

Tara CurtisJohn BoltBecky LofsteadDiana MazzellaJake StumpMorgan CopelandBill NevinAmy QuigleyContributing Editors

EDITORIAL OFFICESWVU University Relations-DesignPO Box 6530 Morgantown, WV 26506-6530fax: (304) 293-4762e-mail: [email protected]

CHANGE OF ADDRESSWVU FoundationPO Box 1650Morgantown, WV 26507-1650fax: (304) 284-4001e-mail: [email protected]

CLASS NOTESWVU Alumni AssociationPO Box 4269Morgantown, WV 26504-4269fax: (304) 293-4733e-mail: [email protected]

ADVERTISINGLisa AmmonsPO Box 0877Morgantown, WV 26507-0877fax: (304) 293-4105e-mail: [email protected]

VISIT OUR WEBSITEalumnimag.wvu.eduRead the latest news and information about WVU and link to a variety of West Virginia-related information sources. Read stories from the current issue and an archive of issues back to 1998.For the latest WVU news go to: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine is published annually for alumni, friends, and other supporters of West Virginia University. Produced by WVU University Relations in cooperation with the WVU Alumni Association.West Virginia University Foundation, Inc. One Waterfront Place, 7th Floor Morgantown, WV 26507-1650

WVU

24

40

Features

38

24 reed Memorial: Home for Forgetful Mice From the biggest creatures to the smallest—one psychology

professor’s research of mice is leading to BIG revelations onAlzheimer’sdisease.Don’tletthemneartheelephants.

26 the Legend of the Logo Experience the symbol that unitesMountaineers as one. See

howtheFlyingWVlogoevolvedfromthemindsof itscreatorsmore than 30 years ago—and how it continues to shape thespiritofourbeloveduniversity.Inthisextendedfeature,findoutwhichcelebritieshaveworntheFlyingWVandviewfromacrosstheglobe.

36 Big Gifts, Big Hearts ThoughMikePuskarneverwenttoWVU,he’llberememberedas

aMountaineerforever.ReadabouthisBIGgiftstotheUniversityandwhyhisheartpumpedwithgenerosity.Onecouple—BenandJoStatler—hasfollowedinPuskar’sfootstepswithun-paralleleddevotiontoWVU.

38 Mountaineers in the Mountains One’sanoutdoorenthusiast.Theotherisn’t.Explorethejourneysof

twoalumniwhoclimbedtheBIGGESTmountainsintheworld.

40 Masters of Puppets Seewho’sliterallypullingstringsatWVUwiththehelpofeveryone’s

favoritelittlefurryredmonster.

41 Foundation update

42 Distinguished alumni

43 Class Chatter

contents

26


ear Readers,

In this issue of the WVU Alumni Magazine, our magazine team faced a unique challenge: “Go Big,” we said.

From a design perspective, it would have been a simple thing to go bigger in format or page count, or bigger in type—just to make a design statement. But that’s not the kind of big we’re talking about.

We are talking about the big spirit that makes a Mountaineer. And this kind of big, we discovered, has no boundaries. Big ideas, big hearts, big impact.

In this issue you will read about the far-reaching influence of WVU’s work.

In one of my favorite features, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” (p. 12), you will read first-person accounts from alumni about iconic teachers who had life-changing impacts on their lives. We hope many of you will remember these teachers and have your own memories and stories to share.

And what is bigger than the legendary flying WV? In this issue, we put on our sleuthing caps to track down the origins of our iconic logo. You think you know the story of the flying WV? Think again. We’ve got some surprises for you and an exclusive look at the original logo, shown for the first time in print.

And we celebrate the other legendary element of what makes a Mountaineer: big hearts. You’ll read about the unique ways our family of Mountaineers shows the world every day that knowledge and action have power to change lives.

Every issue we invite you to engage with our magazine and each other through online features. See p. 11 for all of the ways you can connect with us and your fellow Mountaineers.

THE MISSIONAs a land-grant institution in the 21st century, West Virginia University will deliver high-quality education, excel in discovery and innovation, model a culture of diversity and inclusion, promote health and vitality, and build pathways for the exchange of knowl-edge and opportunity between the state, the nation, and the world.

THE VISIONBy 2020, West Virginia University will attain national research prominence, thereby enhancing educational achieve-ment, global engagement, diversity, and the vitality and well-being of the people of West Virginia.

Copyright © 2012 by West Virginia University. Brief excerpts of articles in this publication may be preprinted without a request for permission if West Virginia University Alumni Magazine is acknowledged in print as the source. Contact the editor for permission to reprint entire articles.

West Virginia University Alumni Magazine is an integral part of the teaching, research, and service mission of West Virginia University. The maga-zine seeks to nurture the intellectual, social, and economic development of its readers in West Virginia and beyond. The opinions of authors expressed in articles in the magazine are not necessarily those of WVU or of the editors, however. Printed in the USA on recycled paper.

Dana Coester Executive Editor

http://alumnimag.wvu.edu

®

West Virginia University is governed by the

West Virginia University Board of Governors and the

West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

WVU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

D


Aziz Al Shammari traveled 7,000 miles to WVU on the basis of a relative’s recommendation. His transition from Saudi Arabia to West Virginia was tough but so ultimately rewarding that he has brought nine of his relatives to study here, with four more expected this year. He is one of WVU’s more than 1,300 international students who hail from 100 countries.

bit.ly/WVUInternational

WVU is home to every student. Programs such as Academic STARS offer more than coursework to help minority students meet others like them and have a base to return to in difficult times. Every year, incoming African American students get an English class, study skills, and cultural education to help ensure their four years here are successful.

bit.ly/WVUSTARS

Use these QR Codes (Quick Response Code) with a smartphone to access the full story online. For Web browsers use the bit.ly url.

1. Open www.i-nigma.mobi on your mobile phone.

2. This site will identify your handset type, download and install a QR code reader.

3. Open your reader and point your phone’s camera lens at the QR code.

Interior design student Maria Belcher created the look of WVU’s official tartan design, which now can be purchased as a scarf or blanket. The gold and blue plaid is officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans.

bit.ly/WVUTartan

Both a research tool and a means of transportation for generations of students, the Personal Rapid Transit system is iconic for those who have attended WVU since 1975. Built by Boeing back when the company made ground transportation, the PRT was created in cooperation with the federal government to explore more effective means of transportation. Since it opened, the 20-passenger cars have given more than 60 million rides.

bit.ly/WVUPRT

Snapshots of WVU include the serious, the lighthearted, the technological, the artistic. All the elements form a unique picture. Nobody else is like we are. Nobody else has all of these DNA strands in quite this order. From human identification to puppets and a long-hidden Elizabethan poem to comprehensive online education, WVU is sure to surprise you with our history and scholarly tradition.WRITTENBYDianaMazzella

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Elmo. Big Bird. Oscar the Grouch. WVU’s puppetry students have met the puppeteers behind the industry’s most successful characters. The University’s Puppetry Program is one of three nationwide where students can discover the entertainer within. Go online to see what happened when Elmo came to visit.

bit.ly/WVUElmo

WVU Plant and Soil Sciences professor Joe Morton has saved crops with his knowledge of fungus and their beneficial properties for 30 years. He’s also amassed the world’s largest collection of arbuscular endomycorrhizal fungi, an essential ingredient in plant growth on which there are no textbooks and which is worth $630 billion to the agriculture industry. His collection, funded by the National Science Foundation, has about 1,200 cultures that represent half of the 250 species of this type of fungus worldwide.

bit.ly/WVUFungi

For three years in a row, WVU has been named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine due to the University’s efforts to recruit and support veteran employees. For veteran students, WVU offers intro classes designed specifically for veterans, a student veterans group, and a veterans advocate.

bit.ly/WVUMilitary

They did it to honor our troops on Veterans Day. But the Pride of West Virginia Marching Band became an Internet hit with nearly 3 million views of their YouTube video depicting each branch of the US Armed Forces. See what all the excitement is about by going online.

bit.ly/ViralVets

Ranked 9th in the nation for Rural Medicine by the U.S. News & World Report, WVU offers services throughout the state to rural doctors and residents in need of care. The Gilbert Clinic is a labor of love between WVU doctors and residents at one of the farthest points from the University in West Virginia. Go online to see a documentary about WVU’s doctors and their patients.

bit.ly/WVUMed

One in four children in West Virginia are enriched through 4-H, a national program that WVU offers in the state. Focusing on youth development, 4-H involves youth ages 5-21 in pursuing projects that interest them, from growing their leadership skills to building robots.

bit.ly/WVU4H



If you want to solve crimes, look no further than WVU. The University is internationally recognized for its work in expanding the field of forensics. Here students can learn forensic accounting, computer forensics, criminology, and forensic and investigative science. They also benefit from WVU partnerships with the US Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

bit.ly/WVUForensics

Energy efficiency is on everyone’s mind these days as costs continue to rise. Every two years, the US Department of Energy challenges college students to design and build efficient, solar-powered homes. WVU is one of 20 teams selected for 2013.

bit.ly/WVUSolar

The Athletic Training Program in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences has a 100 percent job placement rate.

bit.ly/WVUAthleticTraining

College of Law: A $24-million renovation and 20,000-square-foot addition to the College of Law will give the prestigious building space for its new Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, classrooms, a high-tech courtroom, and clinical law programs. It will also get a more grand entrance.

Advanced Engineering Research Building: Built to house the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program, this new 74,000-square-foot building will help accommodate the significant growth in research and enrollment that the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources is experiencing. The $41-million project is estimated to be completed in 2014.

Agricultural Sciences Building: One of the University’s most ambitious projects is a new, $88-million home for Agricultural Sciences on the Evansdale campus. One and a half times the size of the existing building, the new space will accommodate agricultural programs as well as allow for more general education courses on Evansdale. The estimated completion date is 2014.

WVU has changed a lot since you were here. Now there are even bigger changes on the horizon with a nearly $160 million building plan under way. Here are five of the most extensive additions or renovations to WVU’s campus. bit.ly/WVUBuildingPlan

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WVU’s College of Law is in the top 50 schools that have the highest percentage of grads hired by the top 250 firms nationwide. Having recently received the “Go-To” law distinction from The National Law Journal, the college was also recognized as 15th nationally for Best Law Schools in the Public Interest by Prelaw Magazine.

bit.ly/WVULaw

The eyes are windows to the soul but your iris may be an important key to your identity. WVU has some of the world’s leading researchers and instructors on biometrics. They study how a person can be recognized by their fingerprints as well as through face, ear, iris, and the way you walk.

bit.ly/WVUBiometrics

Students and faculty work together in WVU’s Community Design Team to help towns across West Virginia attract visitors, businesses, and a brighter future. WVU Extension and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design send landscape architects, rural health practitioners, economists, engineers, parks and recreation experts, and public policy analysts. Go online to see videos on how the team works and how it’s succeeded.

bit.ly/WVUCDesign

Without WVU’s journalism students reaching out to tell the stories of West Virginia veterans, those important moments in our country’s history could become lost. More than 200,000 veterans call the state home; West Virginia has the largest population of veterans per capita.

bit.ly/WVUVeterans

West Virginia is sometimes higher on the list than we’d like it to be, especially when it comes to heart disease, diabetes, and other health concerns. WVU’s new School of Public Health is looking to change that with programs designed to educate students in social and behavior sciences, epidemiology, biostatistics, occupational and environmental health sciences, and health policy, management, and leadership.

bit.ly/WVUPublicHealth

White Hall: As part of a $35-million renovation project, WVU’s White Hall has been taken into the twenty-first century while keeping the best of its World War II-era roots. The 117,000-gross-square-foot building on WVU’s downtown campus opened in the spring of 2012 and houses the Department of Physics, now facing an exciting time of growth in research and students.

Art Museum of WVU: The approximately 3,000-piece art collection at WVU will finally have a home near the Creative Arts Center in a new building that is part of a $10.6-million arts construction and renovation plan. The new museum’s estimated completion date is 2013.



*

S

Overall EnrollmentEndowment

*Research SpendingCampus Acres

Degree Programs

KansasBaylor

Kansas StateIowa State29,887

1,795294

15,029$1 billion$10,925,000735256

23,863

412200

29,462$1.25 billion$267,961,000997128

In the sixteenth century, a young Englishwoman wrote a poem in Latin to the king’s tutor. Recently the poem was discovered in WVU’s rare book room in the library. The saucy and sad poem has made worldwide news in academic circles and in places like Gawker and The Huffington Post online.

bit.ly/WVURareBook

Morgantown is more than WVU’s home among the hills. The city of 70,000 (when students are in town) has been named the 10th Best Small City for business and careers in the country by Forbes due to quality of life and a strong economy. It’s also been ranked one of eight of “America’s Top College Football Towns” by Budget Travel and Best Small City in the East by BizJournals.com.

bit.ly/WVUMorgantown

Jonathan Kimble becomes WVU’s newest mascot as the 62nd official Mountaineer for the 2012-13 school year.

bit.ly/WVUMascot

At WVU, ceramics is one of a kind. The University’s year-round ceramics study program at the world-renowned Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China is the only one of its kind offered by a US institution. It’s also 18th in the country for its Master’s in Fine Arts Program, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

bit.ly/WVUCeramics

WVU has a long history of scholars from the day Charles F.T. Brooke became a Rhodes Scholar in 1904 in the very first class of Rhodes Scholars to study in Oxford. With 24 Rhodes Scholars, 35 Goldwater Scholars, and 22 Truman Scholars, the University continues to engage students at the highest levels of learning. Students have also earned Fulbright scholarships and others that allow them to study languages abroad or even work with the US Department of Homeland Security.

bit.ly/WVUAspire

$612,823,000 $337,000,000 $250,120,000 $160,679,000

Overall EnrollmentEndowment

*Research SpendingCampus Acres

Degree Programs

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Big 12: The most obvious big news this year is that WVU is now (as of July 1) in the Big 12 Conference. With our football team coming off of an explosive Orange Bowl win, the excitement in sports is mounting. Yet WVU also competes toe-to-toe with the Big 12 in other areas, such as enrollment and the number of Rhodes Scholars in each school. Take a look at how we fare.bit.ly/WVUBigTwelve


*

S

200

128

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State24,231

214

30,753$1.208 billion$218,089,0003,500150+

Texas

Texas Christian University9,518

275182

51,112$2.8 billion$589,502,000431293

Texas Tech

West Virginia University29,617

$681,744,000 $1.270 billion $386,000,000$147,094,000 $5,306,000 $154,926,000

1,456191

32,327$434,150,719$133,360,0001,839262

West Virginia has long been known for coal and has quickly become an important player in natural gas, so it’s natural that WVU would be an energy research hub. Across the University, researchers are studying coal mining, energy efficiency, mine land reclamation, water use, engine efficiency, and carbon storage, all coordinated by the Advanced Energy Initiative.

bit.ly/WVUSaveEnergy

Tina Dow’s adviser asked her what she really wanted to study. She said, “Elephants.” She’s now earning her PhD studying the reproductive physiology of elephants through the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design. Go online to meet Dow’s elephant friends in a video.

bit.ly/WVUElephants

Margaret Lopez worked at WVU for nearly 60 years before she retired last year at the age of 88. She’s one of many workers over 50 who have served the University and the state for decades. So it’s no surprise that WVU has been named the nation’s fifth-best employer for workers aged 50 and older by the AARP.

bit.ly/WVURanked

650


*Source: National Science Foundation FY 2010 Higher Education Research and Development Survey.

Data subject to change.


You don’t have to be in college to find fast-spinning stars. Just being in high school will do. This year, five high school students in Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland sifted through data from the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia and discovered a new pulsar, the type of neutron star that could

What would you do with $10,000? The two yearly winners of WVU’s Statewide Business Plan Competition win funds and support services to start growing their businesses in college and keeping the tradition of entrepreneurship alive in West Virginia.

bit.ly/WVUBusinessPlan

In just a few short years, WVU has gained national attention for its sustainability initiatives. The University is overhauling buildings so they use less energy, reducing food waste in dining halls, and provides educational events to teach students how to manage resources wisely. There’s even a green roof on the top of Brooks Hall.

bit.ly/WVUSustain

Everyone wants to partner with China, one of the world’s emerging powers. WVU’s relationship with the country continues to flourish as the University is one of a few American partners in the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, an effort to develop efficient energy technologies. WVU also offers Chinese language immersion, a Center for Chinese Business to educate Chinese business leaders, and various study abroad courses.

bit.ly/WVUChina

detect gravitational waves, a part of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. This came out of one of WVU’s most impressive youth education programs: a youth component of the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, run in part by WVU physicists.

bit.ly/WVUPulsar

The number of students taking classes online and off-campus has increased by more than 13 percent in recent years. The largest area of growth is adult learners who have decided to go online to finish their bachelor’s degree. With more than 25 graduate degrees and certificates, two

off-campus degrees, and three undergraduate degree completion programs, WVU is helping students from across the country reach their goals.

elearn.wvu.edu/

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West Virginia University Alumni Magazine 2 0 1 2 13 West Virginia University Alumni Magazine 2 0 1 2 11

Join tHE ConVERSAtionthe big picture is just the beginning. If you want to see more of what makes up the big picture, visit alumnimag.wvu.edu. There you’ll find more stories and more reasons to be proud to be a Mountaineer. Here are a just a few:

Reconnect with alums or discuss what is going on in Mountaineer Nation.on.fb.me/WVUAlumni www.facebook.com/wvumountaineers

Do you REALLY want to see the big picture? Check out YouTube to see what Mountaineers are doing around the world.www.youtube.com/user/WestVirginiaU

Find WVU hangouts for games and discounts for many stores around the country. You will need a smartphone (with data plan) to download this mobile application.foursquare.com/westvirginiau

Facebook Youtube Foursquare

Explore beautiful multimedia pieces, spectacular features, and timely stories about the University.wvutoday.wvu.edu

The history of West Virginia University.timeline.wvu.edu

A place where we sit down with WVU alumni and talk with them about some key moments in their lives.heritageproject.wvu.edu

Timelinewvutoday Heritage

WVU Love StoriesWVU on the HillEvery Hill Tells a Story

Law School Hill isn’t just a view. It’s a symbol of all West Virginia University has done for, and means to, this state.everyhill.wvu.edu

WVU alums build influential network in the nation’s capital.onthehill.wvu.edu

Love is in the air…and at the Lair and on the PRT and in the library. Finding “true love” is a wonderful side effect of attending WVU.bit.ly/WVULove


You may have brushed past one or two when you were a student at WVU.

They may have looked diminutive behind books and papers and tasks. But

if you had a chance to speak with them you would have seen the giant souls

they bear inside. Throughout WVU, there are these souls. They have worked

long to send their students out into the world. Some have retired. Others have

not. One has passed. Yet they remain icons, giants who allow their students

to achieve more because of their mentor’s insights, influence and sacrifice.

WRITTENBYDianaMazzella

PhOTOGRAPhSBYBrianPersinger&M.g.ellis



“He was magic. And naturally,

because he would not give up

on me, I began to believe in me

again, and together we became

WVU’s 20th Rhodes Scholar.”

Robert DiClerico changed my life, and in so doing, had a substantial hand in changing the course of education policy under Ronald Reagan. In the spring of 1984 I became grievously ill, so ill that I canceled all plans for my future and began to try to fade away. I was to have applied for a Rhodes Scholarship, but I immediately went to see DiClerico and told him of my firm plans to withdraw from competition. He nodded, waved his pipe and said nothing.

That autumn during the first week of school, I passed Dr. DiClerico in the hallway. He took his pipe out of his mouth, pointed it at me and said, “I’ll be expecting the first draft of your Rhodes essay next week.” I stood open-mouthed, the doors of the elevator closing before me, and I meekly nodded in acquiescence. And so we began a process of pursuing the golden fleece and becoming friends in an extraordinary way. DiClerico advised, he argued, he was Pygmalion. He was the Earl Warwick, the kingmaker. He was magic. And naturally, because he would not give up on me, I began to believe in me again, and together we became WVU’s 20th Rhodes Scholar.

He helped me to testify before Congress as the poster child of the US Department of Education to combat Ronald Reagan’s slashing of programs like Upward Bound and the Pell Grants that allowed me to go to college. Congress went on to include more money for Upward Bound; the only educational increase in the federal budget that year.

DiClerico’s influence created my past. He guided my future. He lives in my heart and in my present. Robert DiClerico is everything that is best about professorship: advocacy, pedagogy, collegiality, integrity, opportunity, hope, and friendship.

—BARBARA HARMON-SCHAMBERGER

BA ’85, JD ’91

WVU’s 20th Rhodes Scholar

Former West Virginia Secretary of

Education and the Arts

Robert DiClerico

To read Harmon-Schamberger’s complete essay, go online to: alumnimag.wvu.edu/.To view one of his final lectures, visit: webcasts.wvu.edu/.


Professor of Political Science


James Miltenberger

“Thou shalt practice slowly” is a motto known to all of James “Doc” Miltenberger’s students. These words hang, framed, above the two pianos in his studio in the heart of the Creative Arts Center. Those of us fortunate enough to have studied with Doc have termed them the “11th Commandment.” This statement epitomizes Doc’s teaching philosophy and his genius. By going slower, he asserts, you will get there faster: words I find myself recapitulating daily.

Doc’s passion for music is magnetic; his affection for his students is unmatched. He is the person I try most to emulate when I am teaching, or sitting down at a gig.

From Doc I learned that music does not have to be “pretty” to be good; that dedication and patience reward you in spades; that one can actually make a living tickling the ivories; that there are times when a piano studio is a great place to have a therapy session; and most importantly, while music exists on the page, it does not live there.

Some days, when I sit at the piano, I believe I achieve one-tenth the artistry that Doc attains at the instrument. On those days, I feel accomplished.

—MATTHEW SMEDAl

Master of Music ’03,

Musical Director


“I learned that while

music exists on the page,

it does not live there.”

Professor of Music


Carolyn Atkins

During my second year at WVU, I took Dr. Carolyn Atkins’ Effective Public Speaking course. Since that time, I have frequently used what she taught me to compose and give speeches as a WVU student and to communicate with patients and their families as a physician. Because of Dr. Atkins, I understand the elements of a well-rounded speech, recognize the importance of analyzing my audience, and possess the confidence to deliver meaningful messages. This was especially useful when I was asked to speak at a conference in San Giovanni, Italy, during my last medical school elective course, and now when I communicate joyful news of a healthy baby or convey difficult news about a debilitating illness to my patients.

Dr. Atkins has an engaging, energetic, and contagious passion for teaching and speech. A three-time graduate of WVU and a Morgantown native, she has made a name for herself guiding the Student Athletes Speak Out course and writing down those stories in her book Great Unexpectations: Lessons from the Hearts of College Athletes. Through her tenured career, she remains eager to teach, willing to give back, and always puts her students’ best interests first. I was one of about 200 students in her class, but we’re still in touch years later. My time with her has made me a better physician and a better person.

—lISA COSTEllO

is a three time graduate of WVU

(MD ’11, MPH ’11, and Biology,

BS ’07) and is a first-year Internal

Medicine and Pediatrics resident

at WVU.


“She remains eager to teach, willing to give

back and always puts her students’ best

interests first. My time with her has made

me a better physician and a better person.”

Professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology


Wils Cooley

I first met Wils Cooley in an electrical engineering class of more than 150 students. One day, he called me into his office, and I was terrified. I didn’t need to be frightened. He was so invested in each student that he wanted to know why my pop quiz grades were low. After that, I didn’t want to disappoint him. He obviously cared so much and took poor grades personally, which spurred me on to really dedicate myself to the material and embrace the intricacies of electrical engineering, the foundation of my education. He sought the best in each of his students, not allowing any of us to settle.

Someone tipped me off that if I wanted to try to study abroad as an engineering student, I should talk to Dr. Cooley, a student of the world whose passion for experiencing other cultures is contagious. He was a great ally in helping me through the study abroad process, which can be difficult for an engineering major working through required lab courses. He influenced my life in a major way when he ensured that I didn’t back away from the opportunity to study abroad and when he checked on me while I was abroad to make sure I was adequately overcoming cultural boundaries and making the most of my experience.

—SARAH SOlIMAN

BS in Engineering and

BS in Biometric Systems ’07,

Biometrics Technician Overseas

“He sought the

best in each of his

students, not allowing

any of us to settle.”

Professor Emeritus of Engineering



Judith Stitzel

As a first-generation college student and granddaughter of coal miners, I owe a debt to many of my WVU professors. However, Judith was most instrumental in opening my eyes to life’s possibilities, giving me the best piece of advice that I ever received.

When I first met Judith in 1973 as a student in two of the earliest women’s literature courses it was a time when much was in flux regarding women’s roles. She encouraged her students to examine their lives through journal keeping and reading the great feminist writers.

When I told her at age 19 that my store-bought diary pages were too small for all that I wanted to say, she told me quite simply to “get bigger paper.” My life and the lives of countless other students expanded because Judith urged us to realize that we could “get bigger paper,” literally and figuratively, to express ourselves fully. Judith’s influence continues to be felt internationally among her former students, in the field of women’s studies and in her own discipline of literature.

To her, I am forever grateful. Judith is a lifelong friend. And she is the reason that the WVU Center for Women’s Studies is in my estate plans.

—SUSAN KEllEy

BA History ’74,

MS Management ’85,

former Vice President for

Institutional Advancement at Valencia

Community College

“Judith was most instrumental in

opening my eyes to life’s possibilities.”

Professor Emerita of English/Founder of Women’s Studies Program



“George taught us

all to be persistent,

dedicated, passionate

and to seek the truth.” 1932–2012

George Esper

George Esper was a legend to his Associated Press colleagues and his students. There is no doubt that he has been the most influential and supportive figure in my professional life. During my undergraduate years he served as my unofficial writing coach and drafted countless recommendation letters.

When I transitioned from writing to documentary filmmaking, George picked up the phone and called all of his production company contacts. George took such an interest in my storytelling efforts that he agreed one day to share his stories for a documentary. Tales of an AP Journalist chronicles George’s life from childhood to his time covering the Vietnam War to his time teaching at WVU. Through this process I learned even more about George: his fears, regrets, and sorrows. This project strengthened our relationship, and we would sit together to watch the new edits.

There will never be another person like George. He was brave, intelligent, humble, intuitive, and cared for others. The network of people who admired him is spread across the globe. His influence still continues through the students he taught at WVU. I’m sure they are as thankful as I am to have experienced life with this amazing person. George taught us all to be persistent, dedicated, passionate, and to seek the truth. If you didn’t know George Esper, you really missed out.

—ElAINE MCMIllION

BS Journalism ’09,

Documentary filmmaker who is

creating a film on Esper’s life .


Ogden Newspapers Visiting Professor of Journalism


WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITy Heritage Project

Ourstory is the collection of every voice and every memory. Now and for generations to come, Mountaineers can share and witness the story of WVU, told year by year, story by story, memory by memory, person by person. That story begins with you.

Share your story at

http://heritageproject.wvu.edu/.

OurstoryBehind every great place is a great story.

And a great story is worth exploring. WVU has made it easier for you to experience its history through an interactive timeline.

Want to know what inspired the University’s founders?

How did the University cope during war and hardship?

How did we band together in loss and victory?

you’ll find answers at alumnimag.wvu.edu/.

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We have ideas every day. But most of them don’t change lives. At WVU,

great ideas can lead to innovations that save lives, cure disease, stop

pain. Katherine Bomkamp is a young woman whose compassion led

to a big idea that may ease suffering and change the world.

BIG IDEAK a t h e r i n e B o m k a m p20, WVU political science sophomore

Creator of the pain-free socket


PhOTOGRAPhBYM.g.ellis


BIG IMPACT


BIG IDEA

What the system does: Following amputation, the patient can sometimes experience phantom pain in which the severed nerve endings send pain signals to the brain. the pain-free socket sends heat to the amputee’s limb, which stimulates the severed nerve endings and causes the brain to focus on the heat instead of the pain signals.

the prosthetic socket is mounted on a housing unit that holds a battery and electronics system that controls the temperature changes. the temperature then changes in the heating element located beneath the socket. the temperature can be modified by remote control.

Katherine Bomkamp, the daughter of a US Air Force veteran, had grown up seeing amputees at the grocery store and on the Air Force bases she called

home. When she visited Walter Reed Medical Center,

she saw amputees again, and it hit her in one profound moment.

“This could be my dad,” she thought. “This could be my friend.”

So she took a gamble at her 10th-grade science fair and began a years-long journey to create the Pain-Free Socket, a prosthetic device that she one day wants to make commercially available to ease phantom pain—that feeling of pain from a non-existent limb.

Now, one of her friends is an amputee after an improvised explosive device did its work on the battlefield.

“It’s definitely a constant reminder of why I’m doing what I’m doing,” she said.

She’s been motivated by this suffering as she’s formed a company—Katherine Bomkamp International—seeks a patent and oversees the device’s development, all while attending college.

The Waldorf, Maryland, native is a political science major without a science background. But she’s picked up what she needed along the way to develop, test, and patent her idea.

“I definitely feel like it’s come a long way in the five years I’ve been working on development, and I

“If I’m not going to

do it, then who will?”

think right now the product is really at a crossroads,” Bomkamp said.

She has navigated the worlds of science, technology, business, and government to create the Pain-Free Socket that is ever closer to becoming a commercial product. The device has completed the third generation of prototyping and will be entering a testing phase in the near future.

“I was truly inspired by the things these young soldiers were going through,” she said.

Bomkamp often heard from people she told about her invention that she was too young to pursue it.

“If I’m not going to do it, then who will?” she said. “That’s what really kept me going, and I think that anyone has the capacity to do this.”

Bomkamp in the newsKatherine Bomkamp has become the youngest

person ever to present to the Royal Society of Medicine’s Medical Innovations Summit in London, and was named one of Glamour magazine’s 21 Amazing Young Women. Campus Compact named her a Newman Civic Fellow, an opportunity that allows her to network with 161 other student leaders across the country to initiate service and change.

Bomkamp and her Pain-Free Socket have been featured in media across the world, including The New York Times, BBC Newshour, CNN, the Congressional Record, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and Seth Godin’s book Stop Stealing Dreams. Read more at http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/_Katherine_bomkamp.



bit.ly/love4elephants

Check out a video produced by WVUToday, where Dow visits the Pittsburgh Zoo to catch up with her elephant friends—the first ones she saw as a child and that now nurture her research.


BIG RESEARCHWRITTENBYJakestuMP/PhOTOGRAPhSBYscOttlituchy

BIG IMPACT


The story of Tina Dow’s love for elephants began in another story, tucked away in the pages of her first Little Golden Book—The Saggy Baggy Elephant.

Never could she predict that someday she’d work with the same creatures that fascinated her as a girl growing up in Cumberland, Maryland.

Ultimately, it was the mighty elephant that steered her onto the path to a PhD at West Virginia University.

Dow first earned a bachelor’s degree in animal and nutritional sciences at WVU in 2002. After graduating, she lacked direction.

So she enrolled in courses at the University of Connecticut and took an internship at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.

Clarity would appear in the form of the largest living land animals on Earth today. As soon as she walked into the elephant barn at the zoo, she knew what she wanted to do with her life. Her interest in elephants morphed into a passion.

The trumpet of the elephants (actually, elephants do not “trump,” according to Dow) came calling, and she didn’t have to venture to an exotic location to live out that dream of researching elephants.

She just returned to WVU. Under the tutelage of Robert Dailey, professor of animal

and nutritional sciences, Dow carved her own niche as a doctoral student.

“He said to me, ‘So, Tina, you want to start a PhD. What do you want to do?’” Dow recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t know. What kind of projects do we have going on here that I could get involved in?’ He said, ‘No, no, no. What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘I want to study elephants.’”

Dow would study reproductive physiology and research the causes of infertility in elephants. In March (2012), Dow successfully defended her dissertation.

“I got the opportunity to marry the two things I love most—study elephants and reproductive physiology,” Dow said. “Not many get the opportunity to study what they like for a PhD.”

With her husband, Andy, she also founded Wildlife Research and Conservation—http://wildliferesearch.org—an organization that promotes wildlife conservation through education and research.

She attributes her successes in wildlife to her time at WVU. “One thing I always found about WVU was that there

are so many opportunities,” Dow said. “There are so many curriculums and such a diverse staff that’s always willing to help. WVU makes you think outside the box or as if there is no box. You don’t see that everywhere.”

Student puts the biggest mammals on earth under a research microscope

“ WVU makes you think

outside the box or as if

there is no box. You don’t

see that everywhere.”



In the wintry city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Miranda Reed met with veterans in the winter of their lives.

WomenSTeM

A YEAR OFIN


PhOTOGRAPhSBYMarkBrOwn

She would test their memory to gauge how much of themselves they had retained against the steady march of Alzheimer’s disease.

The men were fine, they would say. They could manage. They didn’t forget too much.

But then Reed would turn to their wives and hear the real story. The patients were fine because keys were hidden, Post-It notes were in place and pills were lined up.

With a freshly printed PhD, Reed began to see in her postdoctoral work at the Veterans Affairs health care system how much time Alzheimer’s took from caregivers, the inevitable decline in patients and the fear of an illness that can strike at even the most healthy.

“I think the fact that so many of the cases are unexplained

and there’s no known risk factor for so many of the cases that that’s really scary to people; even if you try to be really good and you try to do everything you can, knowing it’s still a possibility is terrifying,” Reed said.

Reed, now an assistant professor at West Virginia University in the Department of Psychology, has taken that experience to heart. She is doing everything she can to prevent the illness in herself and anyone she knows through recommending exercise and a healthy diet: things that have proven themselves in studies to decrease the risk of memory loss.

But she also wants to influence the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s for everyone by mapping how the disease behaves in mice.


BIG IMPACT


Reed MemorialIf you pass by Reed’s office door down a hallway in

the Life Sciences Building, you’ll see a simple printed sign that says, “Reed Memorial: Home for Forgetful Mice.” Down a side hallway is her behavioral science lab where the forgetful mice show off their memorization skills until they begin to miss a step here and a step there and eventually can’t remember any of their tasks.

The mice in Reed’s lab have a gene that makes them likely to develop Alzheimer’s. But Reed isn’t only looking at the memory illness, she’s looking at how it behaves with another prevalent illness: diabetes. Both are common in those beyond their sixties. And if a patient has both, then Alzheimer’s medications may be more effective if they were designed for the twin illnesses of age.

Reed is just as interested in developing preventative techniques. Yet she knows that this doesn’t always have the desired effect. Her own parents don’t always listen to her advice.

“My dad still won’t exercise,” she said.

The need for Reed’s work has rarely been as pressing. As Baby Boomers age, the number of those with the disease is expected to triple or quadruple, increasing suffering and the costs of care and treatment. As the incidence of diabetes increases, too, she says it could be that the estimates for Alzheimer’s occurrence won’t be high enough.

But decades ago the blonde scientist with the hearty laugh wasn’t thinking about how she would cure anything. Reed grew up in Caddo, Alabama, a small town outside of Decatur where you played sports or applied yourself in school to keep busy.

“I grew up in a really, really small town,” she said. “It was a dry county. There was no movie theater, no bowling alley, most people had farm area.”

No one in her family had chosen a science career, and she was the first to graduate college. But her high school had advanced placement classes, and she liked the science fairs.

“I don’t know why I liked it so much,” she says of science. “My parents tended to read a lot of books that were mystery-based like the ones about Kay Scarpetta, a forensic psychologist.”

Her idea then of a scientist was less of psychologists going into schools and hospitals to gather behavioral data than it was of chemists at benches with beakers and flames.

“Science is not as beaker-filled as I thought it was when I was younger,” she said.

She found herself always wondering about diseases, how they developed, why treatments worked, why they didn’t.

“You have a question,” she said. “You can come up with several hypotheses, and no matter how good you research those, it almost never works out the same as you would have predicted. But it almost always

leads you into something new.”She knows of women who didn’t choose the path she

did because of the perceived choice between family and career. She didn’t see it that way. If she chooses to have children, she knows she’ll handle both home and work. But she does remember a time when she didn’t know about assistantships that paid for graduate school and might have been deterred because of the cost.Knowing that she could find a way to finance her education made the difference between getting here and not. It also helped that nobody ever told her she couldn’t become a scientist.

“I was very lucky in having mentors who really made everything seem possible, that I could do both, that I could pursue this area and make it. I was very lucky.”

A Year of Women in STEMMelissa latimer was always

asking why. “Why, why, why?” was the constant refrain she put to her mother as a child. She thought there was always something going on behind the scenes that was dif-ferent from the official story. And she was right. Now a sociology professor

at WVU who stud-ies inequality among groups, she is leading the ADVANCE Center, a National Science Foundation-funded program that intends to increase the number

of women on the faculty at WVU and the number of women going into the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Read her story online next month as part of the Alumni Magazine’s year of Women

in STEM.

“I think the fact that so many of the cases are

unexplained and there’s no known risk factor

for so many of them is really scary to people.”



the Legend of

So...you think you know

West Virginia University’s logo?

WRITTENBYJakestuMP/ILLUSTRATIONSBYchrisschwer



SoMETIMES IT TAkES BAd To MAkE GoodLook no further than the late-1970s if you’re seeking a forgettable

era of Mountaineer football.After wrapping up five years with a winning record as Mountaineer

head coach, Bobby Bowden left the helm in 1975 for a warmer climate at Florida State. There, he’d go on to establish a legendary 34-year

career leading the Seminoles to two national championships.

With Bowden gone, so were the WVU victories. Following Bowden’s depar ture , the Mountaineers slogged through four consecutive losing seasons (1976-79).

The Mountaineers could not even lose with style, so to speak, in those darkened days.

The distinct gold-and-blue color scheme and Flying WV logo we’ve come to adore did not exist at that point. Instead, football players bore a bronzesque gold helmet emblazoned with a blue outline of the state of West Virginia and the letters “WVU” inside an oval.

Blah. The gold of the helmet did not reflect the gold utilized in our

colors today. Think of a darker, Notre Dame-like gold, only uglier. The helmets also came in a white version.

By 1980, it was time for an extreme makeover: Mountaineer edition.Leading this new revolution would be Don Nehlen, a former Bowling

Green quarterback who later coached at his alma mater and served a two-year stint as quarterbacks coach at the University of Michigan.

“I wanted a distinct helmet.

I wanted everybody to know that when

West Virginia University hit the field,

they’d know who we were.”

the Idea

Former football coach Don Nehlen’s son scrawled it on construction paper with crayon?

No, that’s not right.

Well, then, it actually originated when one of the ball boys saw clouds in the sky forming a W and V together during a scrimmage?

Wait. That’s not it, either.

The truth shall set you free, like a Mountaineer.

How many tall tales and legends have you heard about the origin of the Flying WV, one of the most recognized university and sports logos in the world?

What’s the true story?

Everyone involved—from the coach, an artist, an equipment manager, and a sports information director—has a different variation of the story.

But don’t worry. Through hardnosed, investigative (ahem) journalism, the real story will be pieced together right here.



LEAVE IT To A STRANGER To CoME To ToWN ANd SoLVE THE PRoBLEM

While Nehlen, Kerin and Parsons can’t agree on the particulars behind the design of the logo, they acknowledged the involvement of one man, and he hails from Kansas City.

John Boyd Martin grew up in the small Midwest town of Ottawa, Kansas, and had no real ties to WVU—other than the fact that his brother, Dick Martin, served as WVU’s athletic director at the time.

A renowned portrait artist, graphic designer and illustrator, Martin had designed publication covers for multiple World Series, MLB All-Star games, and an NBA All-Star game. He’d done work for several professional sports teams including the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets.

Recruiting the artful talent of Martin was a no-brainer. Nehlen said that once he and Kerin drew a rough sketch of the

Flying WV logo, they sent it to Martin to “clean it up.” Again, conflicting stories arise. According to Kerin and Parsons, they sent Martin those “god-

awful” sketches drawn by the sports decal company. “He (Martin) tells us, ‘Those look like crap,’” Kerin said.They asked Martin to produce his own sketches for the new

logo. After a few days of scribbling with a pencil, Martin nailed it. What we now know and love as the Flying WV was born on a

sheet of wax paper.Martin’s main inspiration? Mountains. Yes. West Virginia has

mountains. WVU’s mascot is a mountaineer. Such an obvious fit.“The first thing I did was play around with the initials,” Martin

said. “When you put a W and a V together, you had mountains. They may call it the Flying WV but to me, it depicts mountains.”

As a graphic designer, Martin knew that successful corporations have “honest, simple” logos. Case in point: the Nike swoosh, the McDonald’s arches, and the Apple apple.

The WVU logo would be simple. It would be a W and a V. Anything beyond that would’ve been overkill.

“You could’ve incorporated the ‘U’ in some way, but, to me, that would complicate it, especially for a helmet design,” Martin said. “You could’ve added the face of a mountaineer. But that would just complicate it, also. A ‘WV’ is more adaptable and direct.”

Mountaineer football officials knew they had a winner once they saw Martin’s design.

“Everyone agreed it was distinctive and would be our new helmet decal,” Kerin said. “We sent it back to Martin and told him we liked that one. Then he sent back a camera-ready negative and a bill for $200.”

The emblem soon made its first appearance on the cover of the 1980 media guide. It was game time.

He was now charged with rebuilding the WVU football program.When he arrived in Morgantown in December 1979, he dove

headfirst into the game film.But there was one glaring problem. He couldn’t tell which team

was WVU. “I had trouble figuring out which team West Virginia was,”

Nehlen said. “The uniform was white. The helmet was white, and had the state of West Virginia on it. You really couldn’t tell that unless you held one in your hand.

“I thought the colors were supposed to be blue and gold. I wanted a distinct helmet. I wanted everybody to know that when West Virginia University hit the field, they’d know who we were.”

Nehlen shared his vision with the equipment manager, Mike Kerin. The coach was seeing dark blue and gold. After all, Nehlen had just come from Michigan, whose colors and logos bear a slight resemblance to WVU’s.

He told Kerin, “I want a dark, blue helmet, and I want a WV on both sides.”

THE CoNFUSIoNAt this stage of the game, the story gets murky.Nehlen claims he and Kerin sat down and drew designs for the

new logo. But no one else—Kerin included—recalls that ever happening.

Kerin asserts that he and Nehlen never drew any sketches. They were no van Goh and Monet.“I can’t draw a stick man,” Kerin readily admits. “I’ve had to

diffuse some of the tales from over the years. People come up to me and say, ‘You developed the logo.’ No, I didn’t. I didn’t design it.”

The concept around a football logo designated to stand out and unite did emanate from Nehlen, Kerin said.

This is how he remembers it: While they discussed the idea, putting it to paper would pose a greater challenge.

Kerin wound up at a sporting goods trade show in Chicago seeking ways to bring the new logo—whatever it would be—to life. There he met with a decal company and asked for ideas.

The company furnished a few designs. They were all duds. Back in Morgantown, Kerin shared the company’s sketches with

Mike Parsons, then sports information director and now deputy director of athletics at WVU. None of the designs struck a fancy with any of the football officials.

From Parsons’ end, he was scrambling to put together the 1980 football media guide. Before his office could print one, they needed the new logo.

“We couldn’t use pictures from the ’79 season on the cover of our publications because the uniforms were going to be different,” Parsons said. “The media guide came out in the summertime. I thought, ‘How do I handle the cover of the media guide? How can I depict the future?’”

Parsons, by the way, could not confirm Nehlen’s version of the story, either.

The design had to come from someone or something, right?

CHECK OUT A 360° INTERACTIVE OF THE HELMET THAT INSPIRED WVU'S NEW LOOK ATalumnimag.wvu.edu

“ When you put a W and a V

together, you had mountains.

They may call it the Flying WV, but

to me, it depicts mountains.”



What could have been. The artist’s original sketches and comments.


FLYING WV: PREPARE FoR TAkEoFF The date of September 6, 1980, marked many firsts for the WVU

football program, and the University as a whole. As WVU prepared to host the Cincinnati Bearcats in a

season opener, it would be Coach Nehlen’s first game leading the Mountaineers.

Not only did the game introduce a new coach, but a new stadium. Beforehand, the original 38,000-seat Mountaineer Field had

been situated on WVU’s Downtown campus, around the current Life Sciences Building. Because of downtown expansion, officials decided to build a new, bigger stadium near the College of Law and Ruby Memorial Hospital. The “new” Mountaineer Field would cost $22 million and accommodate 50,000 fans.

That fall day also introduced the Flying WV and the football team’s new helmets and uniforms to the masses.

The game remains one of the most memorable in Mountaineer history—not due to the game itself (WVU romped Cincinnati 41-27)—but because of the pageantry surrounding it.

To a thunderous applause, John Denver treated fans to a performance of “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

Nehlen’s Mountaineer coaching debut foreshadowed the upcoming years of his reign, which he believed played a part in the Flying WV’s allure.

“Had we lost like crazy, maybe the logo wouldn’t have caught on so much,” Nehlen said.

Within a couple of years, the emblem appeared on hats, mugs, shirts, posters, among other items.

the Creation

“That ‘WV’ became the link between the football team and our fan base,” Nehlen said. “They all wanted it. Now it’s on every daggone thing imaginable.”

Sports Illustrated named it a top logo in college sports in one 1980s issue. In 2001, the magazine ranked the WVU football helmet sixth on a top 10 list of helmets.

No one fathomed that Martin’s design would ultimately turn up in nationally televised events, on the heads of Hollywood celebrities and the backs of cars from coast to coast.

In 1980, brand recognition and corporate identity were not at the top of the University’s list. Martin didn’t see huge dollar signs in his design, either.

“As far as identity, it has become truly one of the greatest identifiable logos in the country,” Martin said. “I didn’t realize something like that would take off.”

Martin visited Morgantown a few years after designing the logo and was floored by what he saw.

“The logo was everywhere,” he said. “They took this thing and went crazy. Not only was it in the middle of the football field, but it was on newspaper bins. I went into a store and it was on everything. I even saw it in the grass in front of someone’s house on their lawn.”

Martin has encountered his design outside of West Virginia. Every time he sees someone donning the logo, he jokes that they “have great taste.”

“I’m quite honored by it all,” Martin said. “It’s an awesome feeling knowing you were able to make that kind of



contribution to an institution of that magnitude. Every time I watch a WVU game, I reflect back on something very special.”

In its first year, 1980, the logo appeared only with the Mountaineer football team. Acknowledging the rising popularity of the Flying WV, other athletic teams began to adopt it in the following years.

Academics and administrators at the University, however, expressed lukewarm feelings toward the new emblem. Some complained the logo was missing the ‘U’ in ‘WVU,’ therefore, they argued that it did not fully represent the University.

But that stance would not last. WVU adopted it as the University’s official logo in 1985. A WVU Alumni Magazine article that year read, “The Flying WV captured the fancy of West Virginians with amazing speed after it was introduced in 1980.”

The story credited four consecutive bowl appearances to the emblem becoming a household fixture.

“If we turned out to be a lousy football team, I don’t think the logo would be on any cars,” Nehlen said.

No one predicted that a $200 investment for a helmet logo would ultimately turn into an internationally recognized symbol.

The Flying WV was first used on products in commerce in the same year of its birth. In 1980, products bearing the logo included electric lamps, decals, and T-shirts, said Marsha Malone, director of Trademark Licensing at WVU.

Today, the emblem is not only on just those products. It’s on grave markers, toasters, fishing rods, golf carts, and waffle

makers. There were even talks of making a Mountaineer Cola in the mid-1980s.

Some diehard Mountaineer fans have it tattooed on their skin.Big-name celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck,

Jennifer Garner, Brad Paisley, and Randy Moss have been spotted in WVU gear.

Fashion statement or badge of mountaineer pride?

Whatever the reason, big-name celebrities have donned the Flying WV. and whenever this occurs, the mountaineer nation goes bonkers by lighting up online blogs, message boards, and social media sites.

in 2011, actor leonardo DiCaprio popped up all over the globe sporting a WVU cap. He was spotted wearing it in london, at a World Cup soccer event in south africa, at the nBa Finals, and at target.

DiCaprio has not lived in West Virginia or attended WVU. maybe he just has great taste.

meanwhile, West Virginia natives Jennifer garner, Brad Paisley, and randy moss frequently wear WVU gear.

Here are a few examples of the Flying WV worn by the stars.

-list ’EErs

John Martin’s original artwork in progression to finished logo.

Photo by Doug Paisley


the Influence

“ Seeing the Flying WV is a little

bit like coming home. It makes

you think about home and all

the good feelings that go along

with being there.”



“ It’s a symbol of a state’s pride in its school and a

school’s pride in its students and graduates.”

The logo’s presence may be widespread, but the heart and soul of the emblem remains embedded at WVU.

WVU is one of the top royalty producing colleges in the country thanks to the sale of officially licensed WVU gear—much of which includes the Flying WV.

Trademark royalties are used to assist with funding WVU athletic scholarships, cover the costs associated with administering the trademark licensing program, and to help fund other University marketing initiatives, Malone said.

“The Flying WV contributes directly, in a financial way, to the well-being of the University through its use on licensed products,” Malone added. “Of course, it also contributes in many other ways. It’s a symbol of a state’s pride in its school and a school’s pride in its students and graduates.

“Seeing the Flying WV is like coming home.”WVU authorizes a large variety of products available in the marketplace.

Through its licensing agent, the Collegiate Licensing Company, WVU has more than 500 licensees authorized to produce merchandise bearing WVU trademarks. Prominent companies include Nike, Perry Ellis, Tommy Hilfiger, Upper Deck, and Victoria’s Secret.

All of this for $200.That’s the evolution of the logo, and as far as its innovators are concerned,

it shall evolve no more. “There have been three coaches since me (Rich Rodriguez, Bill Stewart,

and Dana Holgorsen) and they’ve kept the logo and helmet,” Nehlen said. “I told Rich when he took over, ‘Don’t mess with that helmet. That’s the thing that sets us apart.’”



All Aroundthe World

Our beloved Flying WV has been spotted just about everywhere—except maybe Jupiter.

From the deserts of iraq to the great Wall of China, that familiar gold-and-blue WVU logo has popped up in quite the exotic locations.

true mountaineers leave the stamp of WVU all around the world.

Where have you seen it?

send us your pictures of the Flying WV to [email protected]. then visit alumni.wvu.edu to see the gallery of all photos submitted.

WRITTENBYJakestuMP/PhOTOGRAPhSsuBMitteD



One of the most recognizable logos in college sports is also delectable.

at any given WVU event, you may have taken a bite out of a shortbread cookie shaped like the Flying WV logo.

in 2011, WVU Dining services baked 62,400 (or 5,200 dozen) Flying WV cookies—enough to give the Cookie monster a tummy ache.

and if you thought the creation of the WVU logo was confusing, the inception of the Flying WV cookie is just as mysterious.

sometime in the late-80s or early-90s, the first Flying WV cookies appeared, said Kathy Curtin, assistant director for residential dining at WVU.

she said the late nancy ruckle, a head baker at WVU, came up with the recipe, which remains a tightly-sealed secret on campus. ruckle died in 2002.

no one’s moving their lips in WVU’s kitchens, unless they’re chowing down on one of the sugary treats.

“it’s a secret,” said Vickie Van Pelt, bakery supervisor, when asked of the cookie’s recipe. “We don’t give that out.”

Whatever’s in it must be working. Or perhaps it’s just the design that lures every sweet tooth to the snack.

“Demand for the cookies grows every year,” Van Pelt said. “it’s one of the first things you learn if you work here.”

Only one company—little Falls Forge of Fairmont—is licensed to manufacture Flying WV cookie cutters, Curtin said, and all Flying WV cookies are made by the University.

in fact, Dining services goes through about six of the cookie cutters a year. they make so many cookies that the edges of the cutters wear.

Van Pelt did reveal the process involved in making the cookies: make the dough, chill it for an hour, roll the dough, stamp it with a cookie cutter and place on a tray, place into a cooler for 30 minutes,

bake for eight to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, let cool and ice with a powdered sugar-based icing.

if you can find out the ingredients, you’ve struck gold-and-blue.

tHe Way tHe COOKie CrUmBles



Growing up as a child of the 1950s in western Monongalia County, Ben Statler recalls tales of his grandparents helping neighbors, friends and relatives through seasons of war and economic distress.

Statler’s grandparents ran Owens’ General Store in Daybrook, an unincorporated town 20 miles from Morgantown, where they’d open running tabs for folks fallen on hard times.

“They sold items like bologna, bread, canned goods, and feed for cattle,” said Statler, now 60. “Sometimes, the customers couldn’t pay. They had kids to feed but would be struggling financially. If someone got behind on the payment schedule, my grandparents would say, ‘Forget about it.’ Still, my grandparents weren’t rich people.”

During his youth, Statler would meet his lifelong love and future wife, Jo.

Instilled in her was also a desire to help others. Decades later, it shows. In January (2012), the Statlers pledged the largest

single gift ever to West Virginia University. The couple contributed $34 million to the engineering and mineral resources college, which has been renamed the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources in his honor.

“With our unique, blessed state of resources, we should be the engineering and energy school of the country,” Statler said of the college. “We’re endowing professorships and providing scholarships to bring the most qualified students to the college.”

It was the ultimate way to give back. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from WVU in 1973 before a successful career in the mining and investment fields. She worked for WVU’s School of Dentistry and has been a strong supporter of the University through the years.

“We do everything together,” Statler said. “Everything has been Ben and Jo. Our families knew each other, we went to 4-H together and we’ve been married for 42 years. Now we give back together.”

The Statlers owe their philanthropic values to their nurturing in big family-like environments. They grew up in a rural area and not far removed from World War II.

“Our families and people in the community, blood relatives or not, were one big happy group,” Statler said. “If someone got off track, you’d steer them back onto the right direction. It was engrained in you.”

Speaking modestly, Statler acknowledges he’s more fortunate today than most folks.

He helped raise sheep and calves until his father purchased a bigger farm near Blacksville. Statler would then help the family tend to 300 cattle and make 10,000 bales of hay each summer.

A month before graduating from high school, Statler took a job as an underground miner at Consolidation Coal.

Statler’s father worked as a welder there and served as an influence in his future mining career.

“I liked it so well I went to see the dean of the mining school and he gave me a scholarship,” said Statler, a first-generation college student and third-generation miner.

He climbed the ladder at Consolidation while earning his degree. During his freshman year at WVU, he married Jo. They’d dated since age 14.

“We lived in a 10-by-50 mobile home at the top of Stewart Street,” he said. “Before we had our son, we moved into a double-wide mobile home on Collins Ferry Road. We were fortunate.”

By the time he graduated, he was superintendent of the mine.

“In life, you work hard and you get rewarded for it,” Statler said.

Statler stayed at Consol until 1999, when he retired as its senior vice president of mining. He then formed his own mining consulting company and is now co-founder and CEO of Gulf Coast Capital Partners, LLC, a private investment firm.

The Statlers attribute their successes not only to an honest upbringing, but to the land-grant institution that served them.

“WVU prepared me to think in a logical fashion,” Statler said. “Getting an engineering degree, you have to solve everything to the nth degree. The problem has to be solved and you have to understand everything that makes it happen.”

The Statlers have contributed to countless causes and charities, especially at WVU.

In 2007, they committed $25 million to WVU. Their donations over the years have supported initiatives including the breast cancer program at WVU’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center; the new Erickson Alumni Center building; the Basketball Practice Facility and other Athletics capital improvements, including the Coliseum scoreboards. The direct impact of their lifetime of support to WVU is nearly $60 million.

A portion of their contributions was used to purchase “Bonnie’s Bus,” a mobile digital mammography unit in memory of Jo Statler’s mother, who died of breast cancer.

“When Jo’s mother developed cancer in the 1970s, there were no mammograms or research on the topic,” Statler said. “We hope this helps other folks in West Virginia and saves lives.”

For the Statlers, the WVU community is just like those close-knit friends, neighbors, and relatives from western Monongalia County in the 1950s.

“There’s a sense of community and people pulling together for one another at WVU,” Staler said. “We all have the same goals, whether academically or in athletics. We’re a tight family. We have a lot of pride and we want to be winners.”

BIG GIFTS, BIG HEARTShuMBleBeginnings

“Our families and people

in the community, blood

relatives or not, were

one big happy group,”

Statler said. “If someone

got off track, you’d steer

them back onto the

right direction. It was

engrained in you.”

Ben and Jo Statler



The Mountaineer community lost its own Warren Buffet or Bill Gates.

And though Milan “Mike” Puskar did not attend WVU or even grow up in West Virginia, gold and blue rushed through his veins.

Big gifts alone do not initiate meaningful change. It takes a big heart, too, to incite, influence, and inspire.

No one had a bigger heart than Puskar, whose contributions to WVU will live on through eternity.

A son of Serbian immigrants, Puskar grew up in a town of 8,000 people in Hubbard, Ohio. There, he’d work at his parents’ tavern after school every day. He’d go on to earn his degree at Youngstown State University.

So how exactly did Puskar fall in love with WVU?

Friends cite his initial adoration for Mountaineer sports to a lifelong unwavering relationship with the University.

After graduating from college in 1961, Puskar and an Army buddy, Don Panoz, launched a pharmaceutical company in the basement of Puskar’s rented apartment in White Sulphur Springs.

Puksar’s love for WVU sports caused him to move the fledgling company to Morgantown, said Doug Leech, founder and chairman of Centra Bank and a longtime friend.

Once settled in Morgantown, the company, known as Mylan, emerged as one of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the country. Puskar’s basement-born business ballooned to a Fortune 500 company with a workforce of 18,000-plus.

Puskar would not keep his fruits of labor to himself.

In 2003, he gave, at the time, the single largest gift to WVU—$20 million. Over the years, his contributions to the University came in the form of scholarships for students, funds for athletics, support for cancer research, and many other endeavors.

He is the namesake of Milan Puskar Stadium at Mountaineer Field.

While his stamp is left on perhaps WVU’s most popular venue, his love for Mountaineer sports served as the catalyst for everything else the University had to offer. Not only was Puskar attracted to the University’s athletic flair, but its academic grit and its devoted community of students, researchers and faculty.

“Over time, Mike’s relationship with WVU broadened with the recruiting of hundreds of WVU grads—chemists, pharmacists, business majors, etc.,” Leech said. “Because so much of the talent that enabled Mylan to succeed came from the University, I believe he wanted to say, ‘Thank you.’”

In 1986, Leech served as president of the United Way, which implemented a “loaned

FOreveraMOuntaineer executive” program that year. That meant local companies loaned mid-level executives for a period of six months to the United Way to broaden its reach.

Leech called Puskar to see if he’d loan the United Way an employee. That was their first encounter.

“It was one of the toughest asks that I have made,” Leech recalled. “You see, Mike was constantly being solicited for donations. He grilled me with a line of questions that really caused me to think, and to test my commitment to the program. While he gave me what I had asked for, what he really gave me was a valuable lesson. Mike was such a teacher in everything he did.”

Puskar served as his company’s chairman from 1993 to 2009 before retiring. The company was worth an estimated $3.5 billion at the time.

Of course, he shared some of his wealth with his favorite university. But the impact of his contributions runs deeper.

Perhaps he is this generation’s godfather of giving at WVU.

“He set the bar at such a high standard through the example of giving he provided,”

said Leech, chairman of WVU’s Board of Governors from 2004-06. “This example, no doubt, has and will continue to cause others to think deeply about what WVU has meant to them. And, in turn, I believe it will inspire future gifts to the University. The hundreds of scholarships he has made possible to

date will continue to grow on forever, helping countless needy students achieve in life in a way that otherwise would not have been possible.”

In spite of his success, Puskar’s humility and kindness impressed everyone. Regardless of a person’s status—whether a janitor, server, physician, or business executive—he treated everyone the same, Leech said.

He also wasn’t shy about giving the spotlight to those who helped shape his success—the very people who worked for him.

“He never talked of what he did at Mylan,” Leech said, “it was always what the people of Mylan did.”

Then there were some whose faith in Puskar led him to entrepreneurial triumph. Two men, in particular, went to bat for Puskar when he was struggling with the company, Leech said, and Puskar never forgot what that meant to him.

Laurence DeLynn, a longtime member of Mylan’s Board of Directors, agreed to become director of Mylan when the company faced bankruptcy in its early years. DeLynn made a significant investment to help save the company and cast a swing vote on a divided board to make Puskar the president, Leech said.

Then there was Roy McKnight, a former

chairman and CEO of the company. McKnight persuaded Puskar to return from a job in Ireland to run the company with him. Once Puskar returned, the company turned a profit and never looked at a loss again in its storied history, becoming one of the top 10 growth companies on the New York Stock Exchange in the 1980s.

“I don’t think Mike ever forgot what that meant, that these men who put their faith in him to turn around a nearly-bankrupt Mylan could have resulted in, at the time, the jobs that were saved and the lives that were impacted,” Leech said. “This faith, over time, grew and resulted in a global corporation operating in more than 170 countries and the employment of nearly 20,000 employees around the world.

“And so, Mike put his faith in countless others, convincing them, believing in them, that they could succeed at their own dreams. I am one of those very fortunate people.”

Puskar died last October at age 77 after battling cancer. He was honored at the stadium bearing his name before the Mountaineers’ game against Louisiana State University a couple of weeks earlier.

The Mountaineer community still mourns his passing.

“He was just a tremendous person—generous, humble and very kind,” said WVU President Jim Clements. “We will miss his presence at ballgames and in our community, but his mark will be permanently left behind in our hearts and on our campus.”

WVU Foundation President and CEO R. Wayne King said, “He embodied the true meaning of generosity by transforming and enriching lives through his philanthropy. From academics to athletics, Mike’s love for WVU was evident in the depth and breadth of his support. His legacy of giving to WVU and the Morgantown community will live on for decades to come.”

Milan “Mike” Puskar

“We will miss his

presence at ballgames

and in our community,

but his mark will

be permanently left

behind in our hearts

and on our campus.”

www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?story=19401.To see WVU’s video tribute to Puskar, go to



MOuntaineersinthe

MOuntains

KilimanjaroBetsy dorsey never considered herself a mountain climber.

yet in October 2011, she found herself with 13 other women clawing their way up mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in africa.

Beforehand, the stay-at-home mother of five children—ages ranging from 5 to 16—had no desire or reason to embark on such a journey.

that is, until an all-female team representing the american Foundation Children with aiDs asked her to replace a member who couldn’t make the trip.

With no real experience climbing mountains, Dorsey’s logical response was “yes.”

“i smiled and shook my head,” said Dorsey, who graduated from WVU in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in education. “this was not on my bucket list. it fell into my lap, but it seemed like it was meant to be.”

Dorsey, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, volunteers at the aFCa warehouse in lebanon, Pennsylvania. the aFCa is a nonprofit organization that helps children and pregnant women with HiV and aiDs in sub-saharan africa. the warehouse stores donated medical supplies that are shipped to the country.

Women involved with the organization planned to climb mount Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for african children with HiV or aiDs.

Because Dorsey was a last-minute addition to the team, she needed to morph into mountain mastering shape. “i spent the summer doing a lot of cycling, lap swimming, and running stairs to get into condition,” she said. each member of the team raised at least $5,000 for the climb.

Dorsey and some of the other climbers jokingly had doubts about 14 women coexisting peacefully on a 12-day trip.

“it could’ve easily been a stressful environment and gotten ugly,” Dorsey said. “But we got along beautifully. in the end, we knew we were there for the kids.”

Dorsey admits she felt like a kid herself upon arriving in africa.

“i had my face pressed against the window,” she said. “i envisioned a flat, brown, dry country but tanzania was a gorgeous, lush, green area with thriving crops of bananas and coffee. We stayed at a family farm with little cabins. it was really cute.”

On tap was a five-day ascent up the mountain. the women were accompanied by porters and guides leading the way. they’d climb about a thousand feet a day.

“at first, we had to go very slowly so our bodies would acclimate to the elevation,” Dorsey said.

the intensity would pick up.

Dorsey called it a “four seasons climb” because they experienced all four seasons during the climb. “you start off in a tropical forest,” she said. “at the top, you’re in layers because it’s an arctic condition.” it got so cold that the batteries in their headlamps and cameras would freeze.

Of the 14 women, seven made it. some had to stop because of migraines, illness, and low oxygen levels.

Dorsey completed the climb. mount Kilimanjaro sits at 19,341 feet above sea level.

“you have mental images of getting to the top and frolicking, but there was none of that,” she said. “We were a sorry-looking bunch. We sat there and had an apple juice box and piece of candy. nobody talked. most of us wanted to take pictures and get the hell out of there.”

the women also got to visit with local children.

“We brought them school supplies—crayons, pencils, and rulers,” Dorsey said. “they looked at you like you gave them a $100 bill.”

Dorsey hopes to return to tanzania. But next time, there will be no mountain climbing.

“Been there, done that,” she said.

http://portal.sliderocket.com/BCCTL/KilimanjaroPromoVideo (slideshow) www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com www.afcaids.org

“We were a sorry-looking

bunch. We sat there and

had an apple juice box and

piece of candy. Nobody

talked. Most of us wanted

to take pictures and get

the hell out of there.”• Schoolteacher for seven years • Warehouse manager for AFCA • Bachelor’s degree in education, 1990

WRITTENBYJakestuMP/PhOTOGRAPhSsuBMitteD



• Lives in Lake Tahoe, California

• Kayaked in China for three months

• Won the bronze medal in the North American Championship between the United States and Canada

• Won the silver medal in the Extreme Kayak World Championships Kayakcross

• Is the head coach for the World Class Kayak Academy

• Works as climbing and kayaking guide in California

“If one person can’t make it, the group has to turn around. . .”

Mt. McKinley: Summit to Sea

http://summit2sea.blogspot.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOhw5Ah1aMU

For Jesse Shimrock, climbing mount mcKinley wasn’t a big enough challenge.

He had to kayak its rivers to sea, too.

if he were to accomplish this, he would be the first.

a lifelong wrestler and kayaker, shimrock completed an expedition that makes your muscles scream just thinking about it.

He climbed mount mcKinley, the highest peak in north america, and then paddled through three rivers in what he called a “summit to sea” expedition.

after 18 days of climbing and 11 days of paddling, he completed a mission many deemed impossible.

“Once we got on the mountain, i prayed for good weather,” said shimrock, who graduated from WVU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. “mcKinley is notorious for having the worst weather of any mountain in the world—the coldest temperatures, the biggest storms.”

luckily for shimrock and his crew of 10 climbers, no storms awaited. But they would encounter temperatures not suitable for sunbathing.

air gets colder and thinner with elevation. located in alaska, mount mcKinley sits more than 20,000 feet above sea level.

as shimrock approached the crest, he estimated the temperatures were 50 degrees below zero. He got frostbite on his nose.

“it’s physically excruciating to summit that mountain in those conditions,” he said.

shimrock lugged about 100 pounds with him up the mountain—50 pounds on his back and 50 pounds on a small sled.

it took shimrock 14 hours of climbing on the final day to reach the top. He carried with him his grandmother’s ashes.

But shimrock didn’t have much time to celebrate. His goal was only half complete.

it was time for him to descend mount mcKinley and paddle three rivers—the tokisitna, Chulitna, and susitna—that flow toward the Cook inlet.

shimrock would ride these waters in no ordinary boat. He would ride them on an inflatable kayak.

along the 200 miles of water, only one town served as an “opportunity to bail out.”

after a month in the alaskan outdoors, which led to shimrock shedding 20 pounds, the tucker County native felt nothing but relief upon completing the journey.

“i felt huge relief at the end,” shimrock said. “the whole time, you never knew what could happen. What if the boat got punctured? What if a big storm came through? at the end, a bunch of what-ifs were thrown out the window. i was happy to eat normal food and drink cold beer again.”

For this mountaineer, there are more big outdoor adventures to conquer.

He has his sights set on mount everest, the highest mountain on earth. el Capitan, a vertical rock formation in yosemite national Park, is also on his radar.



MASTERS oF PUPPETSThe next Kevin Clash may come from WVU.

Don’t know who Kevin Clash is?

How about a furry little red monster named Elmo?

Clash is the squeaky voice behind the lovable Sesame Street character.

The duo came to Morgantown in 2011 to give WVU puppetry students a pep talk.

WVU offers one of only three puppetry design programs in the United States.

Theatre professor Joann Siegrist’s connections to famous puppeteers offer students a chance to learn from the big names in puppetry.

No strings attached.


bit.ly/WVUElmo

Elmo’s World comes to WVU:


Family Legacy Helps Future Physicians

The Irvin Stewart Society, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, comprised of individuals who have included gift provisions in their wills or revocable trusts, created income-producing gifts, designated retirement account funds, donated life insurance or created real estate remainder gifts to benefit West Virginia University, Potomac State College of WVU, the Mountaineer Athletic Club, West Virginia 4-H, or WVU Institute of Technology in the future.

A listing of all members can be found at www.wvuf.org: select “DonorRecognition” and “Irvin Stewart Society.”

We’re proud to add these newest members who have joined since July 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011:

Ellen Archibald, JD ’89Charleston, WV

Annabelle M. Cruise ’58 Huntington, WV

D. J. CruiseHuntington, WV

Carol Duranti Morgantown, WV

R. P. Duranti, JD ’70, ’73 Morgantown, WV

Jamie Hart French ’92, ’94 Arlington, VA

Richard V. French ’88, ’89 Arlington, VA

Gregory l. Herrick ’70 Parkersburg, WV

Sheila G. Herrick ’74 Parkersburg, WV

Margaux Kaynard Atlanta, GA

Matthew Kaynard Atlanta, GA

Donna Quinn light Wheeling, WV

Harry P. light Wheeling, WV

Patricia Fewell McGill ’78 Charleston, WV

Miriam W. Miller ’65 Morgantown, WV

Robert W. Miller Morgantown, WV

Becky Newhard Montgomery, PA

D. Steven Ostendorf, MD ’66 Morgantown, WV

Nelly T. Pangilinan Wheeling, WV

Clay C. Pytlik Morgantown, WV

Edward C. Pytlik, EdD Morgantown, WV

Amy-Ann Schuster Richardson ’92

Fairmont, WV

Elizabeth l. “Betsy” Ross ’63, ’68

New york, Ny

Cathy Russell Morgantown, WV

Catherine Samuel ’68, ’70 Morgantown, WV

David Samuel, PhD ’79 Morgantown, WV

Debrah B. Shaver ’85 Chevy Chase, MD

Robert G. Shaver ’84 Chevy Chase, MD

Douglas R. Van Scoy ’66, ’68 Sullivans Island, SC

Beverly A. Walker Seneca, SC

William D. Walker ’71 Seneca, SC

In MemoriamJames H. Agee ’49Erna M. AtkinsonW. Kenneth Bragg ’50Doris G. Brown ’48Howard l. Foglesong ’55Anthony E. licata, PE ’70Allan S. May ’39Eileen McHenry ’37, ’39Evelyn RothrockFrances SeelingerClara S. Simon ’54

Thinking of making a gift to benefit WVU, Potomac State College of WVU, the Mountaineer Athletic Club, or West Virginia 4-H in your will, living trust, IRA, or other manner? If so, the proper wording is very important in getting your gift to work out the way you intended.

Please be sure to include the legal name, “West Virginia University Foundation, Inc.” and add the Foundation’s tax identification number: 55-6017181.

To direct your gift to a specific college, school, or unit, the wording must be “to the West Virginia University Foundation, Inc. for the benefit of . . .”

For sample bequest language, contact the Foundation by telephone (800-847-3856) or e-mail ([email protected]), or visit our website at www.wvuf.org.

The West Virginia University Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1954 to generate, administer, invest, and disburse contributed funds and properties in support of West Virginia University and its nonprofit affiliates.

The Foundation is governed by the Board of Directors, elected by its members. All serve without compensation. The Foundation’s operating budget is financed entirely with private resources; no University or state funds are used. The Foundation provides the central development and endowment management functions for the University at no cost to the University.

If you would like information on making a contribution, please contact the Foundation by telephone (800-847-3856) or e-mail ([email protected]), or visit our website at www.wvuf.org.

“WE ALL KNOW THAT WE OWE A LOT TO OUR PARENTS,” said Bill Carrico ’59. “Being an only child, my parents were very influential in my life.”

Bill grew up in Wheeling and heard many things about WVU during those formative years. His dad, T. Clinton Carrico, played on WVU’s 1927 and 1928 football teams. Bill’s parents were high school sweethearts, and his mother, Margaret, was proud to attend the football games in which her future husband played. Clint came to Morgantown for his fraternity reunions until later in life. For many years, Clint was the director of safety and welfare at Wheeling Steel and also belonged to many civic organizations.

His example instilled in Bill an awareness of the benefits of public service that have carried through in his own 22-year career in the US Navy and in managing city parks and recreation programs for 28 years in two Florida cities.

“My dad always spoke highly of WVU, and he even encouraged many to attend,” said Bill. “Most of my cousins are WVU graduates too.”

Through their estate plans, Bill’s parents provided for his future. In turn, Bill decided to use some of those funds for a gift arrangement that assures retirement income for his wife Judy and himself, with the bonus of medical scholarships named for his parents at a future time.

“My mother specified in her will that trust funds I didn’t need would go to the WVU School of Medicine. I had the option to use them to set up this kind of gift with the WVU Foundation that pays lifetime income to us first and then converts to a scholarship,” Bill said. “It was very easy to work with the Foundation staff to set up everything. They did what was promised, and Judy and I are happy with the results.”

While Bill has retired (a couple times, actually), Judy still loves her teaching position and hasn’t made such plans. She received Disney’s Teacherterrific Award, which shows her love of and commitment to teaching advanced placement classes.

“Just like Bill’s parents, we want to help increase the number of physicians who can help West Virginians,” said Judy, a Long Island, New York, native. “Our partnership with the WVU Foundation really made that work.”

Bill and Judy Carrico



chuckhOwley spent 15 years in the NFL after completing a stellar athletic career at West Virginia University in the 1950s that is not likely to ever be duplicated.

As a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, he won a Super Bowl and earned individual and team and accolades that indicate the pinnacle of professional success. A letter-winner in five sports at WVU, he’s also known bitter defeats and disappointments, on the playing field and in business.

But being named to WVU’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni reduced Howley to tears.

His fellow inductees Bob McNabb and Don Brodie also spoke from the heart about their experiences at WVU and what the University has meant to them personally and professionally.

Comments and reflections from each are featured in a video that contains interviews and highlights from Febuary 25 ceremony.

Frequently interrupting his speech to try to hold back his emotions, Howley joked, “You know? It’s really easy to play football.”

He later added, “What did WVU provide me? It provided me with a lot of the leadership and perseverance that one needs to achieve the ultimate goal—and that’s to win.”

DOnBrODie, who established a family-owned business, Purolite, in 1981 and took it global, recalled an unannounced visit to his home from John Schnable, former associate dean at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Brodie said Schnable was the catalyst for his re-connection to the University.

Since that meeting, Brodie and his wife Linda have estab-lished several programs, including the Brodie Discovery and

Innovation Fund for students and faculty at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. The Brodies’ gift enriches research endeavors of students and faculty in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry.

“For myself and my family, my wife Linda, we’ve always believed in education,” he said. “There are a lot of worthy causes out there but you know what a good education cures so many ills in today’s world. Linda and I have had such good fortune in our life that we want to share it and give back to others. Part of it is giving to the University and part of it is giving to society. My wish is to continue with active participation at WVU so that we can carry on this cycle.”

BOBMcnaBB recalled the many friends he met at the University and the variety of people who have helped him succeed throughout his life, from Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden, who became a lifelong friend, to a librarian, whom he said, frequently woke him up after late-night study sessions in Wise Library’s stacks. Former WVU President David Hardesty and wife Susan Brown Hardesty are also lifelong friends he met while at the University.

“I’ve been CEO of three companies,” McNabb said. “I’ve traveled all around the world. I’ve been published, interviewed in multiple countries, and I’ve always had a philosophy about life and business as a leader. I believe people want two things in life: they want to win and they want to be loved.

“West Virginia University taught me how to win and I was loved through the process. (WVU) loved Bob McNabb.”

bit.ly/wvuDistinguishedalumni2012

GolD and BluE at the Core of 2012 DISTIngUISheD AlUmnI

WRITTENBYDanshrensky

(left to right) Bob McNabb, Chuck Howley and Don Brodie



CLASSChATTeR1940Lena F. Cannon, BS, ’40 MS, Auburn, AL, received a shout-out from PBS’s CEO and president, Paula Kerger, at the United Nation’s 17th annual International Quality of Life Awards banquet in New York City. Lena had the longest- running home show in history on public television.

1946Joseph M. Brown, BS, ’47 BS, Starkville, MS, completed the book Photons and the Elementary Particles, which is a sequel to his Grand Unified Theory of Physics.

1951Bob Keith, BS, Bridgeport, WV, moved back to West Virginia and remarried. He spent 22 years in the aerospace industry, followed by 30 years in furniture manufacturing management. He also ran a successful industrial controls business for 10 years.

1957 George G. Bilderback, BS, Dublin, OH, and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010 with a visit to the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs.

1959Byron Bland, MA, Seneca Rocks, WV, has been retired from Pendleton County schools for 23 years.

1962David F. Barbe, BS, ’64 MS, Clarksville, MD, is direc-tor of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute of the University of Maryland. . .H. John Rogers, BA, New Martinsville, WV, presented a paper, “Joseph A. Yablonski: Union Insider, Rebel Candidate, Murder Victim” at the 37th meeting of the International Psychohistorical Association at Fordham University in New York City.

1963Guy O. Farmer, BA, Jacksonville, FL, was recognized as one of 12 GrayRobinson attorneys ranked in The Chambers USA 2011 publication.

1964Julia K. Rush, BA, ’71 MA, Hundred, WV, retired in 2004 after teaching 40 years in Wetzel County schools. She remains an active volunteer in Christian service.

1966Don C. Chafin, BS, is president and treasurer of Chafin Land, a 55-year-old corporation leasing and conducting exploration of coal mining and natural gas drilling.

1967Charles J. Ezell, BA, ’69 MS, Monument, CO, and his wife, Cathy, ’73 BS, celebrated their 39th wedding anni-versary in 2010. The couple has two children. . .James C. Sypult, BS, ’71 MS, Fayetteville, NC, retired after 45 years of coaching football at numerous schools including Methodist University, Bologna Towers—Italy, Davidson College, and Middle Tennessee, among others. He was captain of the WVU football team in 1966.

1968Alan E. Tucker, BS, Buckhannon, WV, was named the 2010 Citizen of the Year by the Buckhannon Chamber of Commerce.

1969Thomas E. Watson, MS, Staunton, VA, is president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

1970Ronald A. Pobolish, BS, ’83 MA, Moundsville, WV, is a pharmacist for Omnicare Inc.

1971Joseph P. Burmer Jr., BS, Little River, SC, retired from Frye Roofing Inc. His wife, Debbie, ’71 BS, retired from Tazewell County, VA, schools. . . .Karel R. Schubert, BS,

Morgantown, WV, is executive director of the Bioscience Association of West Virginia.

1972Daniel P. Lutz Jr., BS, Charles Town, WV, authored a his-toric play, A Comic Opera War, about the 1923 trial of four miners in Jefferson County, WV, arrested after the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. During September 2010, six performances involving other WVU alumni were staged in the Charles Town courtroom where the trials were held.

1973 Cathy K. Ezell, BS, Monument, CO, welcomed her first grandchild, Daniel Joseph Ezell. She and her husband, Charles, ’67 BA, ’69 MS, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2011.

1974Michael Bennett, BS, Candler, NC, worked 35 years in the newspaper business. He is getting ready to launch a new website that will include social networking. . .Edward L. Cunningham, BS, ’76 MS, Rockford, IL, is employed by Environmental Consultants, Inc. in Stroughton, WI. . . Ronald L. Cutright, BS, ’77 MS, ’97 BS, Morgantown, WV, retired after 34 years of service with the Depart-ments of Defense and Energy. His domestic assignments included NY, TX, PA, WV, and Washington, D.C., as well as foreign assignments in the Far East, Middle East, and Europe. . .Michael D. Flowers, BS, Bethel Park, PA, is CEO/president of American Bridge Company. The company is best known in WV for the New River Gorge Bridge. He most recently was director of the new span of the Oakland Bay Bridge (a $1.6 billion contract). . . Randolph J. Zellis, MS, Garnet Valley, PA, is AVP of risk control at Harleysville Insurance.

1975Sandra E. Czernek, BS, ’76 MA, Wheeling, WV, was named Professor of the Year at West Liberty University where she teaches history. . .Paul M. Marks, BS, Glaston-bury, CT, left the aviation beat at The Hartford Courant after 30 adventurous years in daily newspaper journalism. He is now happily pursing corporate communications and learning a lot.

1977Gary M. Brain, MA, ’86 PhD, Uniontown, PA, retired after 43 years of service to the Laurel Highlands School District. He is currently serving as superintendent, after holding various positions, including teacher, coach, prin-cipal, business manager, and curriculum director.

1978Cynthia L. Booth, BS, Spencerport, NY, returned to higher education in 2011 after an absence of 13 years. She is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Health Science teaching healthcare administration. . . James H. Cook, MS, ’93 MA, Mount Horeb, WI, was appointed apprenticeship director at Madison College . . .Lynne Hartung Helmick, BS, Williamsburg, VA, is the deputy executive director for three health professional boards at the Virginia Department of Health Professions, including the boards of physical therapy, long term care administrators, and funeral directors and embalmers. . . Sarah E. Hunter, BS, Mechanicsville, VA, is the proud parent of Heather, who received a bachelor’s degree in social work in 2010, and Dustin, who received a scholar-ship to LSU in music performance. . .Valerie G. Nieman, BS, Greensboro, NC, wrote her third novel, Blood Clay, published in 2010. . .John W. Roberts, EdD, Brooklyn, NY, retired after a 30-year career with the New York City Dept. of Education as chair of the Health and Physical Education Dept. at Edward R. Murrow High School, a nationally recognized school of excellence. He also served as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College in the School of Health Sciences.

Singing “Country roadS” at the end of games, cheerleading, and winning the Fiesta Bowl are just a few of nesha Sanghavi’s happy moments at WVu. However, the 25-year-old also remembers having to cut sleeves and tie knots out of the gold and blue t-shirts that fans wore to make them look feminine.

Sanghavi traveled as a cheerleader for three of her four years at WVu and was amazed by the number of fans. She was also amazed that many girls, like herself, were altering t-shirts to look feminine. Eventually she started making patches that represented WVu and sewing them on her own shirts that were more form fitting and comfortable for her.

after earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in economics in 2008, Sanghavi moved to Pittsburgh to start work-ing in finance. But because more and more friends and extended acquaintances were asking for her homemade WVu gear, she wanted to make it a full-time job. Making her decision, she applied and attended Parsons the new School For design.

WVu inspired her to take a risk and do something she loved. Sanghavi believes in WVu and its alumni and dedicates her work to the university; it was and is her inspiration. “it all came from attending WVu. i don’t think i would have gotten the same ideas if i had gone anywhere else,” she says.

Sanghavi decided it was best to move back to her hometown of Charleston where university girls apparel could take off. Her business was incorporated in 2008, but it wasn’t until two years later that everything came together. in 2010, nesha released her first collection that was made with her own brand.

to date, Sanghavi is licensed to sell ap-parel for five universities, including WVu and Marshall. By 2013, she plans to carry products for more than 15 colleges and universities. and her ultimate goal is to produce apparel for every major university in the united States.

university girls apparel can be purchased online at www.ugapparel.com and in stores throughout West Virginia, including adams Hallmarks, the Book Exchange, and Moun-taineer World, among others. Her line will also be available in Kentucky and Virginia starting this coming fall.

The RighT FiT

Nesha Sanghavi

by alicia ann Elkin



CLASSChATTeR1979William B. Schneck, MS, Danville, PA, retired in 2009 after 30 years of service with the State of Pennsylvania with the Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services. Life is good!

1980Jack B. Aylor, BS, Morgantown, WV, is director of devel-opment for the WVU College of Human Resources and Education.

1981Charles H. Anziulewicz, BS, Charleston, WV, is an HIV prevention specialist for the West Virginia Bureau for Public Radio, and the Saturday morning announcer at West Virginia Public Radio. . .Albert N. Baird, BS, Fort Mill, SC, wrote his first book, North Carolina’s Ocean Fishing Piers, published by History Press. He’s working on a sec-ond book. . .James M. Bright, BS, Charleston, WV, runs a home inspection business. . .Joseph L. Ludovici, BA, Chester, WV, is an attorney with Aronson, Fineman & Davis Co., LPA. He was selected to serve a three-year term as District 13 Representative on the Board of Governors of the Ohio State Bar Association.

1982Mary K. Bartron, BS, Morgantown, WV, is an honored member of Biltmore’s Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals in 2011 and 2012. . .Jeffrey R. Breslin, BS, Margate, FL, has played golf (poorly) in all 50 states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. During the last nine years, he also visited all 30 MLB ballparks. . . A. Scott Pack, BS, Bristol, VA, serves on the visiting commit-tee of the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. . .David B. Torrey, BA, Pittsburgh, PA, was elected to the National Academy of Social Insur-ance in 2010.

1983Gerald Bennett, BS, Cary, NC, is a program manager of a large ($12–$15M) information systems development effort for a Wall Street securities firm. . .Malcolm W.

Thompson, BS, Roanoke, VA, is plant manager of Ronile, Inc., working in a manufacturing facility in Rocky Mount, VA.

1984David W. Fleming, BA, ’86 MA, Edwardsburg, MI, is VP of instruction and chief academic officer at Southwestern Michigan College. . .James B. Ogundele, BS, ’87 MS, Painted Post, NY, received the Corning MTE’s People Development Awards. . .Peter A. Reid, MS, is a project manager for a beach rehabilitation project that includes six beaches southwest of Jamaica, including locations in Negril and Montego Bay. Two artificial reefs with 350 units each were installed to assist with the resuscitation of the fishing industry that has been devastated due to over-fishing. The reefs will also serve as dive sites and attractions to tourists. . .Brent W. Vanscoik, BS, Chambersburg, PA, is director of materials at JLG Industries, reporting to the senior VP of operations.

1985Karen C. Gerbo, BA, Morgantown, WV, is governor of the West Virginia Chapter of the American College of Physicians, the nation’s largest medical specialty organization.

1986Herbert L. Cork, BS, Colorado Springs, CO, retired from the US Air Force as a Lt. Col. after 24 years of military service. He still enjoys following WVU football. . .David B. Palumbo, MA, ’89 EdD, Georgetown, Texas, joined One Hen Inc. as vice chairman.

1987Mary M. Boyle, BS, Bridgeport, WV, works for Westfield Insurance as their middle market field manager. He supports Westfield appointed independent insurance agencies in their pursuit and maintenance of large commercial insur-ance accounts. . .Jeffrey S. Coe, MS, Smyrna, GA, ran in the Inaugural Fort Benning Soldier Marathon. . .David M. Schneeweis, BS, Englewood, CO, joined Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions as regional sales VP for the

Western Region. . .Jason A. Yianilos, BS, Arlington, VA, opened his own business after working more than 20 years in radio. Jay Thomas Promotions works with independent country artists to promote their music to country radio stations.

1988John L. Berisford, MS, Ridgefield, CT, is executive VP of human resources at McGraw-Hill Companies. . .William S. Biddle, BS, Wilson, NC, was promoted to major with the Wilson Police Department in 2011. He is in charge of the Field Operations Division. . .Lovetta O. Ford, BS, ’91 MS, Pittsburgh, PA, began service as associate director for VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in 2011. . .Kenneth P. Mulkey, BS, Midlothian, VA, is owner of Bookkeep-ing Express. . .Joseph A. Murphy, BS, Delmar, NY, a commercial litigation attorney, joined the Law Firm of Hiscock & Barclay, LLP as an associate in the firm’s Albany office. . .Jon B. Swerens, BS, Ft. Wayne, IN, is director of communications for the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

1989Donald P. Jeffers, BS, Bridgeport, WV, is a senior territory business manager with Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceu-ticals. . .Jami W. Parsons, BS, Lake Forest, CA, works in Laguna Beach as an elementary school counselor, and in January 2010 was one of seven finalists for the American School Counselor Association Counselor of the Year award in Washington, D.C. She is an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University’s graduate program in counseling education.

1991Eric T. Lanshe, BS, Phoenixville, PA, provides investment education (investing in the current economy), including hosting webinars and other educational forums. . .Kara C. Raynor, BA, Belmont, MA, is director of leadership activities at Massachusetts General Hospital, manag-ing the President’s Council and the Global Health Advisory Board.

Florida residents Ken ’65 and Annie Tissue ’65, ’66 Mrozinski appreciate that.

Currently, 70% of WVU students receive some amount of financial aid.

Through their estates, the Mrozinskis have endowed the Mrozinski Theatre Scholarship. “We want to help promising performers at such an important time in their lives,” said Annie, a theatre grad herself.

Ken, a communications alum, agreed. “Students deserve that extra encourage-ment that earning a scholarship gives them.”

SCHOlARSHIPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

WVU FoUndation800-847-3856 • www.wvuf.org

Ken and Annie Tissue Mrozinski



1992 Lauralyn K. Burke, MS, Tallahassee, FL, received a doctorate of public health with a concentration in epi-demiology in 2010 from Florida A&M University. Her dissertation was titled, “Time-Series Analysis of Hospital Discharges Resulting from the 2001 Bioterrorist Anthrax Attacks in Florida.” She is a faculty member of the Divi-sion of Health Informatics and Information Management at Florida A&M University.

1993Denise H. Conroy-Galley, BA, Lenoir City, TN, joined HGTV in Knoxville as senior VP of marketing. . .Kimberly M. Klaus, BS, Philippi, WV, is interim dean of enrollment management at Alderson-Broaddus College.

1994Brian L. Borga, BS, Manassas, VA, starred in the cult movies, Human Centipede and Human Centipede 2. . . Kenneth H. Brown, BA, ’96 MS, Princeton, WV, has been a social worker for Southside K-8 School located in War since 2011. . .David S. Goldberg, BA, Boerne, TX, is administrator at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. . . Nancy S. Pilon, BS, ’95 MA, Ivoryton, CT, earned a doctorate from the University of Kansas in sport manage-ment in 2008. She is executive director of the Incarnation Center, the nation’s oldest coed camp and conference facility. . . Matthew P. Tabeek, BS, Tamarac, FL, is editor at CBSSports.com in Fort Lauderdale. Prior to joining CBS, he worked in newspapers for more than a decade, including The Fayetteville Observer (NC), The Winchester Star (VA), and The Journal in Martinsburg, WV.

1995Carolyn A. Gerrits, BS, Baltimore, MD, is the marketing manager for URS Corporation. . .David J. Maher, BS, San Diego, CA, is director, West Region Sales for Amylin Pharmaceuticals. He previously led the commercial opera-tions department for the San Diego-based company where he has lived with his family since 2010. Amylin’s products focus on treating patients with diabetes.

1996 Beverly J. Harris, EdD, Montgomery, WV, is president of Bridgemont Community and Technical College. . .Salene R. Kraemer, BA, ’97 MBA, Pittsburgh, PA, is an attorney with Burns White, LLC in the business practices group, focusing on corporate transactions, corporate restructur-ing, and all aspects of bankruptcy. . .Chad I. Michaelson, BA, Pittsburgh, PA, is chair of the Meyer, Unkovic & Scott Sustainable Development Group.

1998Frank J. Decarlo, MBA, JD, Pittsburgh, PA, is general counsel for Liberty Tire Recycling, the largest tire recycling organization in the country. . .Stacy M. Moffa Deel, BS, Charleston, WV, is director of account operations for the Arnold Agency where she is responsible for management of the systems and procedures in the agency. . .Jeffrey A. Gacad, BS, Huntington Beach, CA, is a mammologist at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, where he works with California sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters. . .Ian S. Singer, BS, Toms River, NJ, is marketing director for Creative Marketing Alliance, an award-winning advertis-ing agency in Princeton, NJ.

1999Amanda E. Jones, BA, Everett, MA, is pursuing a law degree from Suffolk University. She expects to graduate in 2012.

2000Andrea S. Clements, BS, Charleston, SC, is excited that her 15-year-old stepdaughter is considering a career in journalism and WVU is among her choices. . .Cari J. Kamm, BS, Canvas, WV, wrote, Fake Perfect Me. . .Todd C. Varney, BS, Winchester, VA, is branch sales manager with Bankers Life and Casualty in Hagerstown, MD.

Moore, BS, Fairmont, WV, a former Mountaineer Mascot (2000–2002), graduated from Ohio State University in 2006 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. . .Healy E. Nardone, BRBA, Wheeling, WV, is a former Bush White House press representative and Energy press secretary. She and her husband, Dr. Emil Nardone II, reside in Wheeling.

2003Natalie J. Bubb, BS, Pittsburgh, PA, married in 2009 and is enrolled in the WVU IMC master’s program (started fall 2010). . .Adam D. Cantley, BA, MA, of Newark, DE, is the 43rd National President of Kappa Kappa Psi. He completed his second master’s degree at Oklahoma State University in college student development and educational leadership in 2008. . . Sarah E. “Ceci” Dadisman, BM, West Palm Beach, FL, is director of marketing and public relations at Palm Beach Opera. . .Jonah A. Jabbour, BS, Virginia Beach, VA, is a national media liaison with Op-eration Blessing, an international humanitarian organiza-tion. . .Dustin A. Koufman, BA, Winston Salem, NC, received his certified financial planner certification while working with Holden & Mickey Inc. . .Matthew S. Ma-saschi, BS, Baltimore, MD, US Coast Guard Reserve pet-ty officer 3rd class, is a public affairs specialist and was de-ployed to the Gulf of Mexico for two months in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While assigned to the Unified Area Command in New Orleans, he served as a media liaison and photographer and processed imagery from the field. . .Timothy J. O’Rorke, BRBA, Colonia, NJ, accepted a position at Princeton University in urban education. . .Melanie C. Smith, BS, Harrisonburg, VA, was the weekend anchor for WHSV and now is the main anchor for the station; she hosts the 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. news. . .Sarah E. Thomas, BS, ’05 MS, Wakefield, MA, began her career at Topaz Partners, a mid-sized technology PR agency just outside of Boston, in 2005 as an entry-level contract worker. She is now the account director of the largest account at the agency—a multibillion dollar semi-conductor company.

2004Eric W. Nieman, BS, Morgantown, WV, is a registrant on the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists. He became certified as a registered microbiologist in pharma-ceutical and medical device microbiology. . .Heather A. Richardson, BS, ’11 MBA/MPA, was hired by WVU SOJ alumna Ann Green to join her public affairs/community relations agency as a senior consultant based remotely in Morgantown. She has been working on crisis com-munication and community outreach plans for Arch Coal, Inc. . .Matthew C. Stanmyre, BS, Montclair, NJ, won an Associated Press Sports Editors first-place award for breaking news in the over 175,000 circulation category. The APSE contest is the most prestigious contest for sports writers, short of winning a Pulitzer Prize.

2005Matthew T. Apesos, BA, Atlanta, GA, is pursuing an MBA at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School . . .Donald T. Corbett, BS, BS, Chantilly, VA, works for Jacobs Engineering with the Airframe Integrated Product Team at the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program Office in Crystal City, VA. He previously spent five years with L-3 Communications working with their Air Vehicle Engi-neering and Department of Homeland Security Division. He is married to fellow alum Amie, ’05 BSN. . .Robert E. Hazelwood, BS, Covington, KY, is a senior financial analyst with PNC Equipment Finance in Cincinnati, OH. . .Steven R. Jakobi, PhD, Alfred Station, NY, was selected to participate in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Examination in environmental science in 2011. . .Stephanie L. Stroud, BS, Cranberry Township, PA, is a sales coordinator at SAE International near Pittsburgh. She works in the magazines and e-media department. . .Douglas H. Taylor, BA, North

aFtEr graduating FroM WVu in 1991 with a degree in English, H. Page Skelton moved to Chapel Hill, north Carolina, and worked a “9-to-5 job” for a telecommunica-tions company.

But his real passion was for cooking. after regular work hours, he experi-

mented with the base for his signature spicy sauce recipe. glasses of sauce lined his kitchen table, each containing slight varia-tions of the recipe. Looking for a hot sauce that did more than burn your taste buds, he wanted a “yin with yang” that was sweet and spicy.

after a few months and a few bad batches, he got it right. Skelton discovered his wife Caroline, also a ’91 grad of WVu, eating his sauce creation with cheese and crackers exclaiming not to change a thing. With her seal of approval, he started mak-ing more for friends and family. “Caroline said we should just make a go of it,” said Skelton. “Follow our dreams.”

during a backyard cookout, a friend yelled, “Hey man, pass me that Cackalacky sauce.” Skelton described the moment as the heavens opening up, light shining down, and he knew that was what he needed to call his creation. and so, he named his hot sauce after an old nickname for the Caroli-nas—Cackalacky.

Cackalacky Spice Sauce is now sold in fresh markets in 22 states and in Costco stores in the Carolinas. the Supermarket guru said the sauce is “a hit!” More posi-tive reviews and features have been in the Washington Post, Fine Living network, the History Channel, Southern Living, Savor n.C. Magazine, and on tony danza, Comedy Central, as well as by the Food network’s rachel ray and Bobby Flay.

Skelton notes that his education and ex-perience at WVu helped to prepare him for the business world. He loved Mountaineer tailgates and was the annotator, or secre-tary, for the Mu Mu chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. “the leadership experience i was exposed to was invaluable,” said Skelton. “WVu trained me to be open to opportunities.”

To buy Cackalacky hot sauce, visit the “Cack-a-log” at cackalacky.com.

SauCy!by alicia ann Elkin

2001Laura B. Garcia, MA, Walker, WV, is an associate professor in communication studies at Washington State Community College in Marietta, OH. . .Frank J. Morris, BS, Morgantown, WV, is a special agent with the US Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security. He was recognized in 2011 by Neil H. MacBride, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, for his outstanding efforts in a document fraud investigation.

2002Brandy J. Butcher, BS, ’03 MS, Hedgesville, WV, is the only person in the state of West Virginia who is a National Board Certified Teacher in Health Education. . .Scott W.



CLASSChATTeR

Do you want to stay up to date on the latest news on your classmates and fellow alumni?

Join the Mountaineer Connection—www.mountaineerconnection.com—where you can post and read the latest Class Notes.

E-mail at: [email protected] or if you don’t have access to a computer/Internet, you can still send them to the WVu alumni association, PO Box 4029, Morgantown, WV 26504-4269.

Name _______________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________________ State ______Zip __________

Class Year(s) __________________________Degree(s) _________________________________

News _______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Due to the number of notes we receive, your Class Note may/may not appear in the magazine. All notes will be posted online via the Mountaineer Connection.

Las Vegas, NV, has been teaching for six years. He and his wife, Jeanette, have a son, Douglas III, and are expecting another child in August 2012. . .Michael L. Thackery, BS, Parkersburg, WV, a Navy seaman, completed US Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL. . .Vennessa L. Walker, MS, ’08 PhD, Harpers Ferry, WV, was recognized at the 17th Annual Compact for Faculty Diversity’s Institute on Teaching the Mentoring for completing a doctorate in the previous year. . .Andrew R. Worob, BS, New York, NY, is publisher of PR at Sunrise (worob.com), a PR and social media blog launched in 2010 which was ranked as a top 20 PR blog by eReleases.

2006James V. Alford, BS, Luling, LA, is a process engineer for Monsanto Company. . .Michael R. Lorello, BS, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad in 2006, 2007, and 2008. . .Matthew P. Moran, BA, New York, NY, is an AVP of sales covering the west coast. He thanks WVU for making it possible. . .Deanna M. Murlin, BS, Avon, Ohio, is a product manager for Downstream Fuel Addi-tives at the Lubrizol Corporation. . .Ryan W. Palatini, BS, Hoboken, NJ, is a senior account executive for a pharma-ceutical advertising agency in New York City.

2007Richard S. Adams, JD, joined the law firm of Spilman Thomas and Battle, PLLC, as an associate. . .Andrew Epperley, BS, and his wife Becca, live in Richardson, TX, with their dog Rigby. He is a project manager for Wieck Media where he oversees the development of online news-rooms. He also runs a successful blog called WVHooligan.com, covering Major League Soccer (the top flight soccer league in the US) and writes for bigdsoccer.com . . .Lindsay Hauer, BS, Ashburn, VA, is an analyst with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Her fiancé, Ryan Costello, ’05 BA, is a crime scene inves-tigator with the Montgomery County Police Department . . .Brittany L. Keener, PhD, Eagle River, AK, received Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist certifica-tion in 2011. . .Kevin P. Kinkead, BS, Philadelphia, PA, writes Web articles for Philadelphiaunion.com. . .Krystina Mistyhn, BS, Glenville, WV, has been coaching volleyball, girls’ basketball, and softball for four years. Her middle school volleyball teams are two years undefeated, and she hopes to bring her softball team to the state championship game. . .Angela R. Moscaritolo, BS, Astoria, NY, is a senior reporter for SC Magazine, a leading business-to-business publication for IT security professionals. She has covered everything from federal government cyber-security issues to the takedown of massive cybercriminal operations. She credits her education at WVU’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism for giving her the knowl-edge and experience needed to land the position. . .Breanne M. Pearl, BS, Baltimore, MD, married fellow Journalism alum Matthew Pearl, BS. The couple met in the journal-ism library. . .Ross T. Schweitzer, BS, ’09 MS, Wexford, PA, works for Devon Energy in Oklahoma City. He and fellow alum, Casey Houchins, ’07 BS, are engaged to be married. . .Rosemary M. Thomas, EdD, Salisbury, MD, is a member of the American Cancer Society’s South Atlantic Division Board of Directors and has been appointed to the Nationwide Leadership Training Team. She is VP of advancement at Salisbury University and executive direc-tor of the Salisbury University Foundation, Inc. . .Jason B. Whittier, BA, Pigeon, MI, is coproducer and screenwriter of an independent film entitled, Waterfront Nightmare.

2008 Benjamin F. Baugh, BS, Bellingham, WA, completed his master’s degree in geology at Western Washington University in 2010. . .Benjamin Criss, BS, Weirton, WV, is attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. . .David G. Lorenzi, EdD, Latrobe, PA, is an assistant professor in the Department

of Health and Physical Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also is director of Special Needs Activity Program. He has received awards from the Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Rec-reation, and Dance for his service. . .Noelle Pina, MS, Mashpee, MA, married in 2010 and teaches at Bristol Community College, along with her work at the Chamber . . .Krista R. Snodgrass, MS, Charleston, WV, is a public relations specialist with the West Virginia DNR. . .Cody A. Sustakoski, BS, Morgantown, WV, is AVP for BB&T.

2009Samantha M. Bialek, BS, Baltimore, MD, works for WebbMason, a growing print and publishing company with more than 10 locations nationwide. She works at the headquarters with more than 200 employees. . .Ytalo Fabrizio Biancato, BS, lives in Lima, Peru, and works with a FIFA agent. . .Karen N. Snyder Duke, BS, New York, NY, is an editorial assistant at Parent Magazine, where she assists Ed2010 founder Chandra Turner and two other senior editors. She also edits portions of the magazine. . . Allison C. Echols, BS, Gap Mills, WV, received the 2011

Graduate Student Teaching Award by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. . .Tricia M. Fulks, BS, Shepherdstown, WV, is editor of The Shepherdstown Chronicle and is pursuing a master’s degree in interactive journalism at American University. . .Cassandra E. Harper, BS, Goose Creek, SC, is studying to be a nuclear machinist mate at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. . . Richard M. Johnson, BA, Ruffs Dale, PA, Marine Corps lance cpl., is a member of the 3rd Battalion 35th Marines, deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Endur-ing Freedom. . .Marli D. Riggs, BS, Alexandria, VA, is associate editor with Employee Benefit Adviser magazine, a monthly publication for insurance advisers and brokers . . .Robert K. Titterington, BS, Scott Dale, PA, works at Georgia Tech and received a promotion as a sales/market-ing manager at Rutgers University.

2010Christina Amato, BS, Monmouth Junction, NJ, passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate accreditation exam. . .Ed-ward Brown, DMA, Morgantown, WV, was recognized



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Visit be.wvu.edu/online-mba or call (304) 293-7811to apply or for more information.



CLASSChATTeR

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Maybe you’ve heard aboutlife at The Village at Heritage Point, but you’venever seen it for yourself.Why wait any longer? Hereyou’ll find friendly neighborsenjoying beautiful, private apartments withattentive, professional staff caring for details likemaintenance, housekeeping, lawn care, snowremoval and personal transportation. The Villageoffers an excellent Morgantown location andlovely campus amenities with superb quality finedining. Enjoy a rich variety of activities includingsporting and cultural events or volunteering.

Making The Village at Heritage Point your homehelps secure the futurewith priority access toresidential care at TheSuites at Heritage Point, ifever needed.

at the 17th annual Compact for Faculty Diversity’s Institute on Teaching the Mentoring for completing a doctorate in the previous year. . .Mark T. Donohue, BS, Ashburn, VA, is an account executive at Y&R Advertising working with their Campbell Soup account. . .Paul Espinosa Jr., BS, Charles Town, WV, is as a news reporter and anchor for WHAG-TV25 in Hagerstown, MD. . .Lindsay Floyd, BS, Derwood, MD, passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate accreditation exam. . .Laura Grunert, BS, Coraopolis, PA, passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate accreditation exam. . . Zach-ary Halsey, BS, Pineville, WV, is attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg . . .Stephanie Johnson, BS, Lewisburg, WV, passed the Lead-ership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate accreditation exam. . . Kyle A. Knowlton, BA, Sistersville, WV, completed US Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL. . .Brandon Morris, BS, Milton, WV, is attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. . .Stephen Naymick, BA, Hanover, PA, is attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. . . Andrew Orwig, BS, York, PA, completed US Navy basic training at Recruit Train-ing Command in Great Lakes, IL. . .Colton Prudnick, BS, and his wife, Rebecca Street Prudnick, BS, Charleston, WV, are attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. . .Trevor Retton, BS, Fairmont, WV, enlisted in the US Navy under the Delayed Entry Program. . . Adam Sadowski, BA, Beckley, WV, is attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. . .Galen Smith, BA, is a member of the 3rd Battalion 35th Marines, recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. . .Benjamin Welton, Navy seaman, BA, Morgantown, WV, completed US Navy basic training at Recruit Training Com-mand in Great Lakes, IL. . .Morgan Young, BS, Upper Marlboro, MD, is a reporter with Public Opinion in Chambersburg, PA. She is participating in the Maynard Institute Multimedia Editing Fellowship in Reno, NV.

2011 Laura Fahner, BS, Morgantown, WV, is a marketing assistant at the Waterfront Place Hotel.

MarriagesShaunda N. Bowers, ’06 BS, ’08 MS, married her college sweetheart, Williamsport, MD, July 4, 2010. . .Jeffrey R. Gamble, ’79 BS, to Cathy J. Smith, Coraopolis, PA, July 4, 2010. . .Amanda Catherine Shane, ’06 BS, to Brandyn Heath Fisher, ’05 BA, ’07 MS, ’09 MA, Rockville, MD, October 21, 2011. . .Jamey L. McCombs, ’07 BS, to Christopher Underwood, ’04 BS, Charlotte, NC, June 11, 2011. . .Healy E. Nardone, ’02 BRBA, to Emil Nardone II, ’79 MA, Wheeling, WV. . .Arlan W. Shingleton, ’95 BS, married Veronica M. Butcher, Raleigh, NC, October 1, 2010.

Births/Adoptions Thaddeus John David to Gregory G. Bolt, ’11 MS, and Heidi, Redmond, OR. . .Lila Ehman to Allison J. Brunner, ’98 BA, Galloway, OH. . .Anthony John to Mary K. Dell’Aquila, ’97 BA, Wilmington, DE. . .Isabella Grace to Alicia C. Duncan, ’08 BS MS, Greg, Bealeton, VA. . .Olivia Glenn to Todd Frymyer, ’01 BS, and Renee Burger Frymyer, ’99 BS, ’02 JD, Charleston, WV. . .Jemma to Jonah A. Jabbour, ’03 BS, and Julie, Virginia Beach, VA. . .Brianna Lyn to Chris Nuechterlein, ’04 BA, and Jennifer DeFlorentis Nuechterlein, ’04 BA, Flemington, NJ. . .Lauren to Kara C. Raynor, ’91 BA, and Bill, Belmont, MA. . .Lauren Elizabeth to Brenden, ’00 BS, and Jill E. Rickards, ’00 BS, Medford, NJ. . .Natalie Grace to Todd C. Varney, ’00 BS, Winchester, VA.

DeathsJames H. Agee, ’49 BA, Marina Del Rey, CA, December 27, 2011. Jackie Aglinsky, Brunswick, OH, May 8, 2011. Anthony J. Barberio, ’82 MS, Clarksburg, WV, April 12, 2011. Christopher Belfoure, ’10 BA, Ivoryton, CT, July 3, 2011. James Anthony Calemine, ’76 BS, Keyser, WV, December 25, 2011. Michael P. Cipoletti, ’85 BS, Wellsburg, WV, January 11, 2011. Goodloe J. Dadisman, ’50 BS, Belleville, PA, September 22, 2011. George J. Esper, ’53 BS, Braintree, MA, February 3, 2012. Patricia A. Foy, ’85 BS, Morgantown, WV, June 21, 2011. Stanley E. Friedman, ’49 BS, Shaker Heights, OH, December 16, 2010. Joseph P. “Bud” Hehle, ’53 BS, ’54 MA, Hampton, VA, April 4, 2011. Edith M. Hillis, ’50 BS, Jamul, CA. David Z. Morgan, ’48 BA, ’50 MD, Morgantown, WV, November 11, 2010. Wade H. Pugh III, ’78 MA, Silver Spring, MD, April 27, 2011. William J. Stenger Sr., ’50 BS, ’51 MS, ’53 PhD, Wilmington, NC, February 8, 2011. Mary P. Steptoe, ’67 BA, ’70 MA, Bridgeport, WV, March 19, 2011. Ethel J. Swing, ’35 BA, Culpeper, VA. Sandra K. Will, O’Fallon, IL, November 10, 2010.



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