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Faculty are invited to participate in the 2008 West Virginia Country Roads Scholars Tour, May 13-15, 2008. As in past years (comment from previous participants), fine dining, lively conversation, and unique insights into West Virginia's people and communities are on this year's agenda.
The tour will be hosted by Provost Gerald Lang and Associate Provost for Extension and Public Service Dave Miller. This faculty development program is designed to help faculty learn about WVU's role in the state; the history, culture, and economy of West Virginia; and educational and health care systems.
This year we will explore Lewis, Braxton, Gilmer, and Calhoun counties with an emphasis on economic development programs in this little-known region of the state.
The tour will begin with a visit to WVU's Jackson’s Mill where we will learn about WVU Extension Service’s outreach programs at the new fire academy, watch the past come alive in the historic area, and have lunch with regional economic and political leaders.
Our afternoon visit to the Mountaineer Food Bank in Braxton County will showcase the efforts of hundreds of volunteers to alleviate hunger by distributing resources to shelters and food pantries across the state. Another organization that works to enhance West Virginia's food supply by connecting local producers of fresh, healthful, high-end ingredients with chefs and consumers is the Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia. During our delicious dinner at Café Cimino, Chef Tim Urbanic and other members of the Collaborative will discuss the origins of the collaborative, its benefits to local food producers and consumers, and its impact on regional tourism.
Although many small farms remain throughout the state, few farmers are able to rely fully on income from their farms. Today, many people in rural parts of the state are employed in healthcare and education, and economic development agents are working to attract employers such as manufacturing plants and correctional facilities. As we travel northwest through into Gilmer and Calhoun Counties, the Country Roads Scholars will have the opportunity to see firsthand this blend of traditional and modern economic development activities.
The tour resumes after breakfast with a visit to GTR Labs, a company becoming known in the region and with worldwide clients, which manufactures compact x-ray equipment at its Gassaway facility. Later in the morning, student guides from Braxton County High School will help faculty members understand the experiences and perspectives of first-year university students. While at the school, we will visit the Braxton County Center for Pierpont Community and Technical College of Fairmont State University, where some high school students are eligible to take classes and earn college credit.
Billy and Marge Burke, who have been active in state politics and the economic development of Gilmer County, continue to raise award-winning breeder cattle at Titan Farm. During our tour of the medium security Federal Correctional Institution Gilmer, we will learn about the institution's impact on regional employment. (An alternative activity may be arranged for those not wishing to visit this facility. A background check is required to tour federal correctional facilities.) The Minnie Hamilton Health Systems, centered in Grantsville, is one of the largest employers in Calhoun County and provides an impressive variety of high-quality health care services at its rural hospital and satellite centers. After a chance to interact with students from Glenville State College, we'll end the evening by sharing dinner and conversation with colleagues from Glenville's faculty and administration.
During the final day of the 2008 Country Roads Scholars Tour, we'll have the opportunity to tour FCI Gilmer, a medium security federal correctional institution. While there, we will visit an machinery refurbishing shop, where inmates are employed.
Before returning to Morgantown, we'll finish our trip with a tasty lunch at Stonewall Resort in Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park. While there, we'll learn about the resort's unique public-private partnership and the continuing debates about the its effects on tourism, the local economy, and the environment.
*Tour stops and activities subject to change.
The Country Roads Scholars Tour is open to a maximum of 25 full-time faculty. All participants must be WVU employees. Preference is given to newer faculty (within the first three years of employment) and first-time participants who register by March 16. There is no charge to participate in the tour, and all transportation, meal, and lodging expenses are covered by WVU Extension Service and the Office of the Provost.
The priority registration deadline is March 16th. The deadline to register is April 6th.
For more information, contact Jessika Thomas (293-4813) and check out what past tour participants say.
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We had a terrific tour last spring in Lewis, Doddridge, Ritchie, and Wood counties.
Thanks so much to all of our hosts, extension agents, and coordinators who helped make last year's tour a success!
Photo of Doddridge County courthouse in West Union, courtesy of Greg Fowler, 2007. |
Country Roads Scholars participants
- gain an appreciation of West Virginia, its needs, and its people, with an emphasis on tourism, agriculture/forestry, healthcare, and industry;
- see how WVU serves the state;
- consider state needs in individual faculty teaching, research, and service activities; and
- meet other faculty, administrators, and regional leaders.
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