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Beckley, West Virginia – Since 1966, West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) has received federal grant funds for the Upward Bound program. WVU Tech must reapply for these funds every five years, and this year’s grant renewal marks the longest-running continuous Upward Bound grant in the state.

This year, WVU Tech served 90 high school students from Fayette and Raleigh counties. These students are those who would be first-generation college students and who have a desire to go to college. Students spend five weeks on campus taking classes.

In recent years, the Upward Bound grant has been expanded at WVU Tech to serve both Fayette and Raleigh county students. Historically, only Fayette county students were accepted. However, Scott Robertson, Assistant Dean of Students, hopes to continue to expand services in the coming years.

“There is a huge need,” Robertson says.

The program provides first-generation and limited-income students with academic and financial support to put them in a better position to not only go to college, but to complete their post-secondary education and succeed in the workforce. Students in the program get a small stipend during the summer and the school year to help offset costs.

Each summer for five weeks, students stay on WVU Tech’s campus. Their schedules are designed as if they are college students, taking core classes like math, speech, English and science and electives like disc golf and chess.

“We look for students who have a desire to go to college and help them navigate that process. Upward Bound students are more likely to finish high school and complete higher levels of education,” says Robertson.

In addition to living in a residence hall and taking courses, students can travel and have cultural experiences they might not have otherwise.

The theme of the summer was music. Students got to write and record their own songs with a professional from Atlanta, Georgia, and learn the science behind music and production. Students also traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to explore, experience the city and tour colleges.

“Upward Bound has helped me in many ways. I’ve traveled to places I’ve never thought I’d see in a million years. I’ve toured colleges, which was one of my original reasons for joining the program and I’ve made so many new friends. Upward Bound means so much to me and has for the past four years of my life,” says one participant.

Robertson was an Upward Bound participant and says he would not have gone to college had it not been for his Upward Bound experiences.

“I went to Upward Bound at Marshall and I would not be where I am today had I not had that opportunity. It’s all about changing trajectories,” he says.

“It’s also all about finding passions and helping students grow in those areas. We see such a big change in students from the beginning of the program to the end,” he remarks.

Robertson says Upward Bound is accepting new students in Fayette and Raleigh counties for the upcoming year. Students and parents interested in signing up for the Upward Bound program can contact their individual school counselors or call the WVU Tech Upward Bound office at 304-929-1290.

For more information about Upward Bound at WVU Tech, visit techupwardbound.wvutech.edu.

     Richard Thomas, P.E.

West Virginia University is sharing updated COVID-19 health and safety guidance as campuses across the WVU System prepare for the start of the 2022-23 academic year and the first day of fall semester classes Aug. 17.

When I was in high school, I took medical assistant classes and loved them. When I came to school, I wanted to be a doctor. I shadowed a doctor and wanted to study biology, but I did not enjoy it. I realized nurses have patient interaction and I really wanted that. There are so many options within nursing — I knew that I could make this choice and enjoy it for the rest of my life.

My grandfather went blind a couple years ago. He's been a farmer for his entire life and never let others help him, but he would let me do things for him. I would sit with him, feed him, and talk to him. Being in the nursing home, I realized I could take care of people and it would make me happy to do that.

Adventure Recreation Management Alumni Spotlight: Melanie Seiler

Melanie Seiler was raised in Fayetteville, West Virginia – the heart of what is now the New River Gorge National Park and Reserve. Growing up around abundant outdoor recreation opportunities, Seiler worked for her family business, Songer Whitewater. She worked as a river manager and began river guiding in 1997 when she was 18, among other duties. When Songer merged with Adventures on the Gorge in 2011, she continued to work in the industry and still guides part-time. When the opportunity came to join Active Southern West Virginia (Active SWV), she combined her love of the outdoors, industry experience and degree in Adventure Recreation Management from WVU Tech to increase the quality of life for local residents through physical activity.

In a joint effort with researchers and the United States military, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities and Development Command (DEVCOM) and the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) awarded the West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) a seed project within the Pathfinder Program. As an initial use-case, WVU Tech will conduct knowledge and discovery tasks critical to building a queryable skillset application concentrating primarily on the novel skills, education, experience, and certifications necessary to complete cybersecurity missions given to the West Virginia Army National Guard (WVARNG). 

Designed to help the Army integrate innovative solutions to real problems into the total force, the Pathfinder program executed by DEVCOM aims to harness the creativity and technical skills of academic and government researchers. WVU Tech is the second West Virginia-based academic institution to receive a subcontract as a part of the Pathfinder program. 

Luke Keaton 

West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) has released its Spring 2022 Dean’s and President’s lists.

A total of 285 students earned honors during the spring semester.

In all, 160 students were named to the Dean’s list, having earned a 3.5 GPA or higher. The University’s President’s list included 125 students who earned a 4.0 GPA.

The President’s and Dean’s list for both the Leonard C. Nelson School of Engineering and Sciences and the College of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences can be found here.

Students majoring in nursing or pre-nursing will be listed under the College of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences lists.