Student Spotlight: Brady McMullen receives Organic Chemistry Award  

Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 9, 2024) — Brady McMullen, WVU Parkersburg student, was awarded the American Chemical Society Sophomore Organic Chemistry Award during a ceremony at Marietta College on Thursday, April 23.

The ACS Organic Chemistry Award honors students who display a significant aptitude for organic chemistry and encourages them to further their interest in the field.

“Being a disciplined, hardworking, responsible and dedicated student, Brady has become the top student in his organic chemistry class,” said Nelum Karunathilake, assistant professor of chemistry. “Because of his commitments and performances, Brady was undoubtedly nominated for the Sophomore Organic Chemistry Award.”

McMullen has a passion for chemistry and believes it will be useful as he pursues a career as a pharmacist in the future.

“I am passionate about chemistry because it provides a fundamental understanding of the building blocks of matter and how they interact. The knowledge is crucial in pharmacy because it forms the basis of understanding how drugs work within the body,” McMullen said. “Chemistry allows me to comprehend the intricate molecular structures of pharmaceuticals and their interactions with biological systems. By mastering organic chemistry, I have gained insights into the synthesis, mechanisms and properties of various drug compounds, which will be valuable as I pursue a career in pharmacy.”

McMullen said chemistry has expanded his fascination of the pharmaceutical field.

“Organic chemistry has significantly influenced my interest in pharmacy by deepening my understanding of drug design, synthesis and mechanisms of action. This course has provided me with essential knowledge about the structure-function relationships of organic molecules, which are the basis of pharmaceutical compounds. Learning about reaction mechanisms and synthetic methods have enhanced my appreciation for the complexity of drug development in the importance of producing effective medications,” McMullen said.

McMullen has already been accepted into the pharmacy program at WVU for the Fall 2024 semester. After graduating from pharmacy school, he plans to be the pharmacist in his aunt and uncle’s pharmacy, Cox Family Pharmacy.

Teens can become detectives through WVU Parkersburg’s CSI Academy   

 Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 7, 2024) — This summer, teens who are interested in forensic science can step into the shoes of law enforcement officers and criminal investigators during WVU Parkersburg’s Teen CSI Academy.

The college’s Criminal Justice professors and leading area experts will guide students through hands-on experience in crime scene reconstruction, evidence processing, criminal profiling, preparing case trials and more during this summer program.

“The Teen CSI Academy allows teens to learn more about the reality of crime scene investigations and the criminal justice field. It also gives them a preview of college-level criminal justice courses,” said Andrew Walker, Teen CSI Academy instructor and associate professor of Criminal Justice. “The academy provides many unique hands-on learning opportunities and a variety of guest speakers to gain insights into criminal justice professions.

Academy activities will include:

• Crime scene photography and documentation
  • Fingerprint identification
  • Identifying blood evidence
  • Collecting trace evidence and footwear impressions
  • Criminal profiling techniques
  • The court process and testifying in court

The academy will take place Monday, June 10 through Thursday, June 13, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $150 per student with lunch provided.

The academy is limited to the first 20 participants. The deadline to register is May 27, 2024. Applications may be downloaded at wvup.edu/teen-csi.

For more information, please contact wed@wvup.edu or 304-424-8383.

Phi Theta Kappa sponsors Adopt-a-Highway clean-up event  

Parkersburg, W.Va. (May 3, 2024) — WVU Parkersburg’s Phi Theta Kappa Sigma Omega chapter sponsored an Adopt-a-Highway clean-up on Saturday, April 27.

“Seventeen volunteers came out to pick-up litter from the edge of the roadways around campus, including Nicolette Road, Swisher Lane, Woodberry Lane and Campus Drive,” said PTK Advisor Marie Butler. “We had a very successful event with a total of eight large bags of trash picked up in two hours’ time.”

Volunteers included:

Gracie Spiker; Ayden Yost; Dharma Thomas; Khylan Nicole Plants; Colton Richards; Christina Allen; Hannah Allen; Anna Grace Allen; Logan Allen; Che’ Venoy, PTK chapter officer; Anastasia Nicholas, PTK chapter officer; Taylor Anderson, PTK chapter officer; Jared Smith, PTK alumni; Liberty Smith; Gunner Smith; Andrew Walker, PTK advisor; And Marie Butler, PTK advisor.

PTK is an invitation only honor society on campus. In order to be eligible, students must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and completed at least 12 credit hours of associate degree work. However, the event is open to all members of the campus community to take a few hours to give back to the surrounding community. The Adopt-a-Highway clean-up event also fulfills required community service hours for the WV Invests and Elementary Education and Nursing programs.

For more information on becoming a member, contact advisors Marie Butler at mbutler1@wvup.edu or Professor Andrew Walker at wwalker1@wvup.edu.

WVU Parkersburg’s BOG discusses HLC report  

 Parkersburg, W.Va. (April 25, 2024) — WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Torie Jackson announces positive results from the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) visit in March.

The HLC is one of seven regional accreditors in the United States, with the purpose of accrediting degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions.

In March, the HLC visited the WVU Parkersburg Campus to evaluate the college on its alignment with the institution’s mission, which is central to accreditation and assurance of academic quality.

Jackson said the final report has yet to be approved by the HLC Institutional Actions Council. The council will meet toward the end of the month to review.

“Pending that final approval, it is with great pride that I tell you we met all criteria for accreditation with no concerns provided. It is a phenomenal report that truly embodies what we do at WVU Parkersburg to provide the best possible student learning environment,” Jackson said.

During the President’s report, Jackson read a few of the comments included in the summary.

“WVUP is a student-and-community focused institution with a strong sense of its mission to provide access to education that enables personal and professional success. The visiting team identified a number of current institutional strengths that position WVUP very well within the current context of higher education. A strong team and leadership have proactively sought opportunity and partnerships throughout the surrounding community that have expanded WVUP’s ability to provide the facilities and technology that support effective teaching and learning across all of its programs. Within the context, a culture of individualized student support and caring is evident that continues to find ways to improve student access to educational opportunity.”

Jackson introduced Nichole Dellinger and Jessica Tripett, campus community members who embody the characteristics of WVU Parkersburg.

Dellinger is a student in the Criminal Justice program who also works in the WVU Parkersburg Center for Student Services. She was recently named a 2024 New Century Transfer Scholar and received a $2,250  scholarship.

“Dellinger is a dedicated student and has led out Criminal Justice Student Organization through engaging students, hosting event and activities for the group, and operating successful fundraisers. Without her, according to CJ faculty Andrew Walker, we would not have been able to take students to our annual Academy of Criminal Justice Services conference for the past two years or host our CJ Educators Conference here at WVUP,” Jackson said.

Tripett is an adjunct faculty member who has spent 14 years in WVU Parkersburg classrooms. She has serviced the WV Supreme Court of Appeals as a juvenile probation officer for the Fourth Judicial Circuit for over 15 years, leads the county juvenile drug court program and is the President of the WV Association of Probation Officers.

“Jessica’s courses mainly focus on her expertise and experience in community corrections and substance use. She is currently teaching Drugs in America, a spring course, and in the fall, she typically taught Community Corrections,” Jackson said. “She’s also covered Juvenile Delinquency, CJ Ethics, Intro to CJ and Criminology. She is always willing to take on a course or assist the program, and is usually the first to submit attendance and grades.”

Jackson presented a resolution to the Board of Governors for an across-the-board pay increase for full-time staff and faculty in the 2025 Fiscal Year. The total cost of the increase is $368,060, which is equal to $2,500 per full-time employee.

Jackson said the new employee evaluation system could allow for performance-based wage increases in the future. Jackson said that performance-based wage increases have not been in practice for a long time, and will only exist through a good evaluation system that is conducted properly.

Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Alice Harris said the pay increase helps to reset and take care of some of the inequities in the pay scale from the past.

The board unanimously approved the resolution.

In other news:

• The board unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2024 – 2025 Budget.

The next meeting will take place on June 18, 2024.

West Virginia University Parkersburg’s Board of Governors will meet Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The meeting will take place at 3:15 p.m. in the Francis and Nina Phares Board Room (Room 1300A) on the main campus.

Visit the Board of Governors agenda page to view the complete agenda.

Phi Theta Kappa inducts new members

 Parkersburg, W.Va.  (April 15, 2024) — The Sigma Omega Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa inducted new members during a formal ceremony on Saturday, April 6, 2024 in the WVU Parkersburg Theater.

The Sigma Omega Chapter would like to welcome its newest members who accepted their invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa during the Spring 2024 enrollment period:

Anthony Beckett; Samantha Bragg; Andrew Bonnell; Tyler Copanic; Brianna Dalton; Joshua Hixon; Ethan Joy; Rebecca Kalb; Cassandra Lott; Christina Lunmeyer; Alexis McMillion; Addison Parks; Adam Rector; Michael Riblett; and Ariel Smith.

Witnessed by friends and family members, these students took the official oath of membership with the Sigma Omega Chapter President Anastasia Nicholas to uphold Phi Theta Kappa’s four Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship.

“I want to thank each of you for attending today in celebration of these students. They have worked diligently to achieve academically and it’s only fitting for us to formally recognize them,” said Andrew Walker, professor and PTK advisor, during the ceremony. “We look forward to working with our newest members as they continue to grow in scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship; the four hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa.”

Dr. HG Young, professor and honorary PTK member, was the guest speaker during the ceremony.

Membership to Phi Theta Kappa is by invitation only. Eligible students must be currently enrolled at WVU Parkersburg with a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and have completed at least 12 credit hours leading to an associate degree. Students meeting these requirements who have previously earned an associate degree and are currently enrolled as students pursuing an additional, declared associate degree are also considered eligible for membership.

For more information on becoming a member, contact advisors Marie Butler at mbutler1@wvup.edu or Professor Andrew Walker at wwalker1@wvup.edu.

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa has a presence on almost 1,300 community college campuses in 11 nations. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) recognized Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges in 1929. More than 3.8 million students have been inducted since 1918, with approximately 250,000 active members in the nation’s community colleges, making Phi Theta Kappa a true catalyst among members and colleges.

About WVU Parkersburg

West Virginia University at Parkersburg, established in 1961, is a life-changing institution for the students and communities it serves. The college offers over 50 degree programs, workforce development, short-term career training programs and community education classes. WVU Parkersburg is also the only community and technical college in West Virginia to offer bachelor’s degrees, and it is home to WPKM 96.3 FM, the first community college radio station in the state.

WVU Parkersburg’s BOG approves Staff Compensation Structure Update

Parkersburg, W.Va. (March 20, 2024) — WVU Parkersburg administration introduced a policy change to the Board of Governors that would update the Staff Compensation Structure, allowing the college to recruit more staff candidates.

A resolution was passed during the September 2023 BOG meeting to update the Faculty Compensation Structure. During the September meeting, WVU Parkersburg Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Alice Harris commented that it was time to update the Staff Compensation Structure in the future. It has not been revised since 2017.

“What’s been happening over the last two or three years is that we’re offering entry-level rates that aren’t competitive with what somebody can earn at McDonald’s or some other place,” said Harris. “Of course, money is important for people and having a pay scale that allows us to attract quality applicants is also important for us. So, we’re taking on the task of trying to increase that scale to make it more reflective of what is currently happening.”

From the 2017 compensation structure, administrations added the governor-mandated pay raises for state employees to come up with the new compensation structure. A basic entry level position at WVU Parkersburg would start at $9.85 an hour on the old compensation structure, where the increase would have a basic entry level position starting at $12.97 per hour. Harris said this would account for an average of a 4.5% increase in wages over the past seven years.

Existing staff who do not meet the minimum of the proposed staff compensation structure will be brought up to the minimum of the new scale. Staff who have five or more years of service at the end of the fiscal year, will receive a wage increase of up to the 25 percentile of the new scale or $5,000 annually, whichever is less.

WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Torie Jackson said the update to the new compensation structure will approximately affect 30 current employees.

Harris said the cost of bringing staff in compliance with the new compensation structure is approximately $230,000.

Cody Irick, BOG staff representative, said that this update to the compensation structure is very well received and very much appreciated by staff.

The board approved the resolution to update the staff compensation structure unanimously. It will go into effect immediately.

During the President’s Report, President Dr. Torie Jackson discussed the visit from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and WVU Parkersburg’s next steps as a college.

Jackson said HLC has not yet provided an official report of its visit, but WVU Parkersburg received good remarks during the exit meeting with HLC. Jackson said that WVU Parkersburg was described as a campus with teamwork and optimism. She also said that the HLC team were “envious of some of our processes and financial stability.”

“The HLC Review Team said we knew our mission and we put it into action. That speaks volumes as a community college, as a community partner and as a community leader; we are able to bring life-changing educational experiences to our students,” said WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Torie Jackson.

Jackson said WVU Parkersburg is planning for strategic growth moving forward. She highlighted the expansion of the Riverhawk Farm, updating the Jackson County Center to include an Applied Technical Center and the WVUP Incubator and Technology Center.

The next Board of Governors meeting will take place on April 23, 2024.

West Virginia University Parkersburg’s Board of Governors will meet Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The meeting will take place at 3:15 p.m. in the Francis and Nina Phares Board Room (Room 1300A) on the main campus.

Visit the Board of Governors agenda page to view the complete agenda.