Student Profiles
Old painkiller, new tricks
By interacting with different parts of the nervous system, pain relievers treat some pains better than others. Shane is investigating whether an anti-itch medication that targets a specific part of our nerve cells can make morphine — which targets a different part — more effective. His findings suggest it can.
More About Shane
Determined to Go First
Dylan has taken the “Go First” mantra to heart. He was the first in his family to go to college, to travel abroad and even get on a plane.
Now he’s one step closer to his dream of becoming a Foreign Service Officer by becoming the first WVU student to receive the highly competitive Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship from the U.S. State Department.
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A summer study with NIST
Oriana found her love for research after being part of WVU’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program. Because of her research in chemistry and forensic science, Oriana has been awarded a summer research fellowship with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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Cultivating inclusive spaces
Kassandra’s commitment to improving cultural representation in the classroom helped her become WVU’s 24th Truman Scholar, the nation’s top graduate fellowship award for aspiring public service leaders.
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Discovering a New Path
Krystal always wanted to go to medical school, but as she finished her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, she found another calling — epidemiology.
More About Krystal 2019 Health Sciences Grad Profiles
Examining Ink
Henry is studying graphene-based inks and their use in chemical and gas sensors. His research could provide low-cost solutions in sensing methane leaks and could also monitor negative environmental changes.
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Chemistry vs. Crime
A Forensic Science and Chemistry major, Samantha presented her research on a new algorithm for drug identification at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Science in Baltimore Maryland. In the future, she hopes to pursue a doctorate in analytical chemistry — and work as crime lab director.
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Bridging cultures
Laura is WVU’s 26th Boren Scholar. She will be studying in Tanzania next year. "The experience of living abroad will be invaluable to me because one day I hope to partner with local organizations to promote human rights."
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Critical Experience
Taima’s goal is to become a consular fellow in the U.S. State Department and the United Nations Population Fund, so her proficiency in world languages — and her summer in Morocco — will serve her well. She’s majoring in French and Spanish with a minor in Arabic Studies.
More About 2019 Critical Language Scholars
Mentoring Future College Students
David created Mountaineer Mentors, a group of top scholarship students at WVU who want to connect with students at their high schools to help them seek a college education. His mentoring efforts helped him earn a Newman Civic Fellowship.
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Finding a niche in research
A summer research experience with Dr. Kimberly Meigh at the Speech Motor Control Lab helped Jake find his niche. He plans to pursue a master’s degree and possibly a PhD, with the goal of working in either academia or a research laboratory.
Watch a Video About Jake’s Experience More 2019 Graduate Profiles
From the Lab to Capitol Hill
Jessi and her research partner, Caroline Leadmon, were among 60 students selected nationally by the Council on Undergraduate Research to present their research findings to members of Congress.
More About Jessi and Caroline’s Research
Prepared for Success
“Most people can be taught how to take a blood pressure and how to put in an IV, but the WVU School of Nursing teaches you the why and the how. The experience gained from this program will set you up for tremendous success as you begin your journey into the workforce.”
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Stopping the spread of fake news
As a 2019 Facebook Emerging Scholar, Claudia will work with Facebook Research for two years to help them improve their technological interventions to limit the spread of false information.
Video: WVU Fights Fake News More About Claudia
From ‘Warrior Culture’ to ‘Campus Culture’
The transition to college from Army Ranger hasn’t been an easy one for Ed. As president of the Veterans of WVU student club, he’s lending a hand to other student-veterans on campus who might need an E-5 sergeant in their college life.
Q&A with Ed
Finishing with a Fulbright
Jana plans to attend dental school, but first she’ll spend a year teaching English in Malaysia as a Fulbright scholar — an experience she thinks will make her a better healthcare provider.
More About 2019 Fulbright Scholars
Advocating for Agriculture
“Agriculture is a misunderstood industry with a communication problem. As an agriculture teacher I am excited for my ability to educate the next generation of consumers. Empowering students to become advocates for agriculture will create a ripple effect of education which will lessen the severity of our communication problem.”
More About Hannah 2019 Graduate Profiles
Growing a Business
Demitrus hopes to learn more about the global and Chinese markets — with an eye to strengthening the brand of clothing he has developed — while studying at Hong Kong Baptist University on a Gilman Scholarship.
More About Demitrus
Incredible Opportunities
"I’ve traveled to Spain, worked with BrandJRNY and the community of Pineville, helped organize campuswide events and was the in-house photographer for Arts and Entertainment. I’ve even had the chance to train a service dog. Never in a million years did I think that I would ever get the chance to do any of that."
Read Graeson’s Graduation Blog Post 2019 Graduate Profiles