For the last ten years, I have gone
on county tours to visit our state’s 55 counties. I believe our campus
stretches beyond the physical borders of Morgantown, Beckley or Keyser. Our
campus encompasses the entire state, and nothing excites me more than to visit
the communities that are proud to call us their flagship university. Alongside
graduation and beating Pitt: it is one of those events that never gets old.
These visits allow me to listen and learn from my fellow West Virginians – and to eat lots of great ice cream (it is no secret that is one of my favorite treats). During these tours, West Virginians welcome us into their living rooms, offices, neighborhoods, and daily lives. While I take great pride in the work we are doing at West Virginia University, I never forget that we are in the business of ideas. And thankfully, the people of West Virginia keep their ideas coming.
To be candid, those I met on my first tour of the state were kind and welcoming. However, I could tell they were not yet convinced this quirky man in a bowtie was worthy of their trust. But we kept showing up. And over time, people began to realize their flagship University was not just passing by, we were planting our flag as partners in creating a better Mountain State.
I have had some wonderful moments from the road – both big and small. I vividly recall in 2014 during my first county tour stop in McDowell County, I asked the question, “What can the University do for you?” And their only request was to bring the “The Pride of West Virginia” WVU Marching Band to their hometown. I am proud to say we delivered on that request. And I was so moved by the “Let’s go, Mountaineers” chants as the band performed to an overflowing crowd at the River View High School football stadium.
I have never missed the opportunity to enjoy a towering ice cream cone from Dairy Creme Corner in Fairmont or a stop at The Custard Stand in Flatwoods. I checked off a selfie bucket list item with the iconic Mothman statue in Point Pleasant, walked the brick streets with local leaders in historic Shepherdstown and fondly recall talking with students at Wheeling Park High School about their passion for robotics.
I have also experienced first-hand the resiliency of Mountain State communities and our University’s land-grant mission in action in Clay County in the aftermath of the devastating floods in 2016. Students, faculty, staff and alumni quickly rallied from near and far to help our neighbors.
As I have traveled the state, I follow the advice I give to each freshman when they join our university: listen and learn from others. Through my visits, I have learned about our communities’ education systems, economies, traditions and history. These learnings have been invaluable in my role.
And I have taken what I have learned and paired it with our university’s four pillars: education, healthcare, prosperity and purpose. Each pillar stands to serve every West Virginian.
For thirty years, WVU Extension has brought Energy Express to dozens of communities helping children statewide increase or maintain their reading levels through the summer. Teachers Ascend, a first-of-its-kind national program based at West Virginia University, is designed to attract teachers to the Mountain State. The West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, another West Virginia University-based initiative, hosts Remake Learning Days to spark curiosity and inspire creativity in young learners and their families. And the College of Applied Human Sciences is partnering with the Kanawha County Schools to address the critical need for literacy education in the state.
I see the impact WVU Medicine is having in local communities where world-class health care is now minutes – not hours – away. With state and private support, our goal is to place the WVU Cancer Institute in the top 2% of cancer centers nationwide which will improve the health of the people in our state by reducing cancer occurrence rates and increasing cancer survival. Today, a West Virginia University-led effort is extending its reach to 11 counties, providing low-income pregnant women and families with children more access to health care and life skills through the West Virginia Healthy Start/Helping Appalachian Parents and Infants — HAPI — project.
The people I have met in our Ascend WV communities reflect my own journey to make a home among the hills and underscores the commitment I share with the University to help West Virginia thrive. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities designated West Virginia University as an “Innovation and Economic Prosperity University,” one of just more than 80 across the country. This designation strengthens our long-term strategy to bring innovation and economic prosperity across West Virginia and beyond.
And last, our commitment to purpose has produced tangible results. Long-standing student success programs are customizing academic resources to fit each student’s interests, passions and goals. The Purpose Center is integrating purpose work into units that help some of the University’s most vulnerable student populations. Recent data shows that more first-generation and male students are returning after their freshmen years to pursue their degrees. This signals the potential to change the very fabric of our state to be more dynamic and prosperous.
I share all of this to emphasize the point I made at the beginning: our state is our campus. And in collaboration with our unique communities and individuals, we are creating something memorable and life-changing. For the past decade, I have had the privilege of visiting our hometowns, meeting the incredible people and learning about their stories, their hopes and their challenges. It has been an even greater privilege to lead West Virginia University in creating the partnerships and projects that have made – and will continue to make – a positive difference in the lives of West Virginians. Let us continue to find ways to come together to lift our beloved University, our people and our state.