West Virginia University is a fiercely land-grant university, a driving force for good, for change and for opportunity.
We are also West Virginia’s only Research 1 institution, holding the highest possible research ranking from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
For universities, R1 status is a pinnacle achievement, reflecting exceptional research activity and we celebrated that transformative, groundbreaking and lifesaving work during WVU Research Week April 7-11.
As I reflect on my tenure as president, the past decade’s research advances are breathtaking.
In fiscal year 2024, the University secured $275 million in external funding for research and other sponsored programs — a record — and an 82% increase from five years prior.
But numbers alone are not as important as the way we have targeted our research to state needs.
Because West Virginia has high rates of heart disease, we have recruited top cardiac experts to the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute.
In 2016, Dr. Vinay Badhwar became the first physician in the state to implant a new minimally invasive device for treatment of a leaking mitral valve. In 2019, West Virginia’s first heart transplant program launched at the Institute.
In a state with an aging population, we welcomed Dr. Ali Rezai in 2018 to lead the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. Since then, his team has been elevating West Virginia University’s research stature and demonstrating our land-grant commitment to improving lives. We lead the world in Alzheimer’s research, which was celebrated last year on “60 Minutes.”
Dr. Rezai’s team also earned national attention for its first-in-the-U.S. clinical trial using deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant opioid use disorder.
Like heart disease and opioid use disorder, cancer takes a heavy toll on West Virginians.
Last year, our efforts to reimagine and expand cancer care received a $50 million investment from the state.
This funding will help us attain National Cancer Institute Designation — a first for West Virginia. Our goal is to place the WVU Cancer Institute in the top 2% of cancer centers nationwide.
University researchers are also innovating on areas vital to our economy.
Our scholars — led by Paul Ziemkiewicz — have developed a novel method that extracts rare earth elements and critical minerals from acid mine drainage while producing clean water. Rare earth elements are needed for everything from smartphones to the nation’s missile guidance systems. Domestic production of rare earths could serve as a game changer for the environment and the domestic economy.
Our state has also become one of seven regional hydrogen hubs. This project will receive nearly $1 billion in federal funding thanks to the work of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen team, which was driven by members from our University. This investment will have a significant economic impact on communities in our region and our state, creating thousands of new jobs.
Earlier this month, the University announcement an innovative partnership with RAND Corporation that will turn world-class research into results for today’s evolving job markets.
Working with RAND, our faculty and student researchers will be able to develop and implement policy recommendations that enhance state and national workforce strategies with potential benefits across the Mountain State and around the world, positioning our University and our state as a national leader.
With these accomplishments, it is no surprise the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities named us an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University last year.
Students also benefit from our research excellence because it ensures that faculty are engaged at the forefront of their disciplines. By offering experiential learning opportunities and one-on-one mentorships, they help their students develop a passion for problem-solving.
For example, Hannah McMillen, of Charles County, Maryland, knew she wanted to be a forensic scientist as early as elementary school. After researching forensics programs across the country, she realized West Virginia University leads the field.
Hannah has earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree here and is currently a doctoral forensic science student under the tutelage of Glen Jackson, a world-renowned forensic scientist who’s appeared on “Forensic Files” and provided expertise that helped free a man wrongfully imprisoned for a fire that killed a doctor.
With Dr. Jackson’s guidance, she is helping to develop more reliable and objective ways for fire investigators to determine how blazes begin.
Faculty mentorship has also made the West Virginia University Mine Rescue Team the best in the world.
Named the winner of the 2025 Intercollegiate Mine Emergency Rescue Development competition, the team of Statler College experts and eight students from multiple disciplines now boasts three consecutive international victories along with four national wins.
Other hands-on learning opportunities for students include conducting fundamental neuroscience research, studying the use and ethics of artificial intelligence, or utilizing the Green Bank Telescope for astrophysics.
Two physics and astronomy faculty members have reached the tops of their fields.
Duncan Lorimer, the Eberly Distinguished Chair for Academic Excellence, was selected as a 2024 Fellow of the Royal Society of London for his contributions to pulsar astrophysics and his role in the discovery of fast radio bursts while, in a first for the University, Maura McLaughlin was elected to the elite National Academy of Sciences.
Our efforts to connect undergraduate students with research opportunities and faculty mentors, like Duncan and Maura, have earned national recognition from the Council on Undergraduate Research.
West Virginia University’s elevation to Research 1 standing remains one of the proudest moments of my presidency. If federal and state investment in innovation continues, the University’s ability to improve lives will only grow stronger in the years ahead.
Through research, we fulfill our land-grant purpose: Solving West Virginia’s — and the world’s — most pressing challenges.