About Gov. Relations & External Affairs
Driving Innovation, Service and Statewide Impact
Marshall University is one of the nation’s fastest-growing R2 research institutions, with more than $73 million in research funding and 291 active projects. While not a land-grant university by designation, Marshall is deeply committed to serving West Virginia through a focused mission of economic development and public impact. The Government Relations team is at the forefront of this important work.
Our collective work is anchored in six strategic pillars:
These sectors were identified as key growth opportunities in the 2018 West Virginia Forward Summary of Findings—and they guide our vision for a stronger, more resilient West Virginia.
Connect with one of our pillars
If you would like to connect to one of our strategic pillars, please complete this form and we can help facilitate connections to the right Marshall team members.
Government Relations: Connecting Policy to Progress
At Marshall, our Department of Government Relations & External Affairs builds strong partnerships that connect our academic expertise with the needs of government, communities, and industries. We:
- Strengthen relationships with local, state, and federal leaders
- Educate for policies that support higher education and innovation
- Expand opportunities for students, faculty, and the communities we serve
A Coordinated Ecosystem for Real-World Solutions
Marshall is growing because we are intentionally linking our research, technical, and grant development capacities across the institution. By aligning internal talent and external partnerships, we’ve created a coordinated ecosystem that delivers practical, scalable solutions in:
- Providing accessible, quality education and customized training for all
- Driving workforce solutions to support local supply chains and strengthen our state’s economy
- Innovating rural health and healthcare systems to better serve Appalachia
- Securing our nation’s critical infrastructure and data systems
- Creating Jobs through entrepreneurship and innovation
- Working with communities/eligible applicants’ project proposals are comprehensive and competitive
We’re also maximizing Marshall’s Impact by forging strategic partnerships across government, industry, nonprofit, and education sectors—working together to unlock opportunities and address the most pressing challenges facing our state and region.
Meet the Team
Our Vision
Inspiring excellence as the premiere government relations team; fostering harmonious collaboration between our university and government entities; empowering positive change through informed advocacy, strategic partnerships, and impactful outcomes in education, research, student engagement and economic development.
Our Guiding Principles
- Team – We believe in the power of collaboration. Our team-first approach values diverse perspectives, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. By working together across roles and disciplines, we build stronger solutions and a culture of collective success.
- Trust – Trust is the foundation of everything we do. We earn it through consistency, reliability, and accountability—both internally and with our partners. We strive to create an environment where individuals feel valued, supported, and confident in one another’s commitments.
- Integrity – We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult or unseen. We act with honesty, honor our commitments, and stand by our values in every decision and action.
- Strategic Excellence – We are committed to thoughtful planning, informed decision-making, and high-impact outcomes. Strategic excellence means aligning our work with long-term goals, measuring what matters, and continuously improving to drive meaningful results.
- Transparency – We lead with openness and clarity. Transparency fosters trust, strengthens accountability, and encourages inclusive participation. We communicate our intentions, decisions, and results clearly—within our team and to the communities we serve.
- Communications – Clear, timely, and respectful communication is essential to our effectiveness. We listen actively, share information responsibly, and engage with our stakeholders in ways that build understanding, connection, and momentum for shared goals.
Marshall Specialized Units
These units include:
| Specialized Collaborative Marshall Unit |
Focus Areas/ Applied Research |
| The Appalachian Transportation Institution (ATI) | Transportation, infrastructure, geospatial sciences, traffic flow of people, goods and services |
| Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) | Market studies, business surveys, economic impact studies |
| WV Grant Resource Centers | Grant writing, project development, customized trainings, business plans, survey development, funding program development, topic research |
| Center for Excellence in Recovery | Training professions and educators, foster care/transitional youth, recovery research |
| Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC) | Supply chains, manufacturing, quality, industry training and support |
| CORE | Reentry, workforce, surveys, recovery research |
| WV Brownfields Center | Site development, environmental |
| CEGAS | GIS mapping, site development, environmental |
| iCenter | Entrepreneurship, design thinking, surveys, business support |
| Center for Professional Development | Trainings for educators, continuing education, surveys |
| Technology Transfer Center | Product development, testing, training, mentorship |
| Appalachian Resiliency Center | Flooding, disaster mitigation and recovery planning, sustainability |
| Forensic Science Center | Digital forensics, DNA analysis, forensic chemistry, crime scene investigation |
| Toxicology | Drug testing, specimen collection, compliance, quality, consultation |
| Office of Research Integrity | Research protocols, training, guidance, compliance |
| June Harless Center for Rural Education Research and Development | Educational training for educators, STEM education, research, surveys, programming |
| Presidential Taskforce on AI | Integration of new technologies, research |
WV Grant Resource Centers
The West Virginia Grant Resource Centers serve businesses, government entities, nonprofits and educational institutions in all 55 counties. The Centers offer free proposal development and grant writing and project development training.