Building on an initiative that has seen success in several West Virginia counties, Marshall University and Mason County Schools today marked the kickoff of the Marshall Direct Admit program for high school students.
The program’s launch was announced during an event at Pt. Pleasant High School with Marshall officials in attendance.
“We are pleased to expand this program to Mason County.” said Jerry Ross, vice president for enrollment management at Marshall. “Marshall’s goal is to provide seamless access to students in our growing list of partner districts by eliminating barriers such as applications, fees and test scores.”
The direct admit program is a unique partnership that guarantees automatic admission to Marshall University for any graduating student from Point Pleasant High School, Wahama High School and Hannan High School who has a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Hundreds of Mason County students qualify for the direct admission program, which aligns with Marshall University’s mission to increase access to higher education across West Virginia. To date, Marshall has partnered with five county school districts including Cabell, Kanawha, Putnam, Wayne and now Mason.
“Mason County Schools is proud to begin this important partnership with Marshall University,” said Mason County Schools Superintendent Melissa Farmer. “Removing barriers to education is essential for students, particularly first-generation students, and Marshall’s commitment opens a clear and direct pathway for our students to pursue higher education, personal development and lifelong success. Mason County Schools is committed and working diligently to provide outstanding opportunities for our students.”… Read More
Marshall University’s cyber programs are projecting a significant enrollment increase this fall.
The Bachelor of Science in cyber forensics and security program has seen a more than 100 student enrollment increase since the fall 2020 semester.
“The growth in our cybersecurity program shows that students recognize both the opportunity and responsibility of this field,” said Alexandria Donathan, executive director of the Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security. “Marshall University is proud to be preparing the next generation of cyber defenders.”
The undergraduate program is the only program of its kind in West Virginia and is validated by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.
The master’s in cybersecurity program has seen a more than 40 student enrollment increase since the fall 2019 semester and is now available fully online.
Students in the master’s program can pursue one of three concentration areas: Network Security, Application Security or Security Management.
Both programs have grown steadily, proving a great start for foundation for the building the Institute for Cyber Security.
“Our students don’t just learn theory — they engage in real-world challenges that build the skills employers need right now,” said John Sammons, professor and associate director, Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security. “It’s an exciting time to be part of cybersecurity at Marshall.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an information security analyst in 2024 was $124,910.… Read More
Marshall University student Brooklyn Johnson has achieved national recognition as the youngest Certified Prevention Specialist in the United States, officially credentialed by the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction & Prevention Professionals (WVCBAPP).
Johnson, a 21-year-old Huntington native and first-year medical student at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, has been a student trainee with the Prevention Empowerment Partnership (PEP) for several years. PEP is a program of the Center of Excellence for Recovery within the Marshall University Research Corporation. Through her work with PEP and its Workforce Development Trainee Program, Johnson gained the training and experience needed to meet the rigorous requirements for prevention certification in West Virginia.
“Prevention has been dear to my heart since eighth grade,” Johnson said. “I wanted to break the trend of generational substance use disorders and create the resources I wish I would have had when I was younger. Becoming a Certified Prevention Specialist isn’t just about my passion for prevention — it’s about carrying that knowledge and lifestyle with me through medical school and my future career as a pediatrician.”
She credits PEP for making this accomplishment possible.
“Without PEP I would not have been able to obtain my certification,” Johnson said. “They provided me with experiences and trainings I wouldn’t have had otherwise. They believed I could do it, even though I am so young, and for that I am eternally grateful.”
Angela Saunders, director of PEP, praised Johnson’s achievement.… Read More
Marshall University is reminding students and drivers to stay alert on and around campus with its Heads Up, Herd pedestrian safety campaign, running Monday, Sept. 8, through Friday, Sept. 12.
Marshall University Police Department officers will be on hand to speak with students from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on the Memorial Student Center Plaza. Joining them from 1:30-3 p.m. will be Beau Evans, traffic safety director for the city of Huntington, who will demonstrate a distracted driving simulator. The simulator highlights the risks drivers face behind the wheel and reinforces the shared responsibility of both drivers and pedestrians in preventing accidents.
The campaign, called Heads Up, Herd, reminds pedestrians to keep their heads up and their eyes off cell phones, to cross streets at designated crosswalks, to always look left, right and left again before crossing, and to make sure they are visible to oncoming drivers.
Throughout the week, pedestrian safety reminders will be displayed across campus, including yard signs, sidewalk messages and flyers placed on every residence hall floor. Informational handouts will be available during tabling events at the student center.
At the start of the fall 2025 semester, Marshall instructors were also provided with a short pedestrian safety PowerPoint to share with students, reinforcing safety messages in the classroom.… Read More
9/11 Days of Service Official Schedule
Thursday, September 11, 2025
7:00 AM – 8:45 AM: 9/11 Memorial Stair Challenge
Location: Joan C. Edwards Football Stadium
What to Expect: Join us as we climb 2,200 steps in the football stadium, symbolizing the heroic journey of first responders who climbed the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Hero’s Breakfast
Location: Don Morris Room, Second Floor of the Memorial Student Center
What to Expect: Join us as we honor our local first responders and veterans with a pancake and bacon breakfast. Additional programming, including guest speakers, will be included.
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Tribute Walk and Dr. Paul Ambrose Memorial Plaque and Bench Unveiling
Location: Begins at the Memorial Student Center
What to Expect: Join us as we honor the life and legacy of Marshall University alumnus Dr. Paul Ambrose with the unveiling of a memorial plaque and bench. Dr. Paul Ambrose, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77, lost his life in the September 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.
Friday, September 12, 2025
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Campus Memorial Cleanup
Location: Marshall University Campus
What to Expect: Join us as we volunteer across Marshall University’s campus to repair and beautify our existing memorials.
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Emergency Preparedness Fair and CPR Training
Location: Flex Space, First Floor of the Memorial Student Center Read More
Marshall University will host the West Virginia premiere of “The Nuclear Frontier”, a new documentary feature about the movement to expand nuclear power in the United States to meet growing energy demand.
Directed by award-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Evan Mascagni, the film follows young advocates and business leaders in their push to expand nuclear power in America, where energy demand is surging due to factors including the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The added demand has raised questions about the reliability of America’s existing electric grid to support such increases. Advocates must overcome the controversial past of nuclear power as they tackle policy and financial challenges to unlock its transformative potential as a clean energy source.
The public is invited to attend the free screening Sept. 18 in the Encova Auditorium of Marshall’s Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation in Huntington.
Events will begin at 4 p.m. with a reception, followed by a screening of the film at 4:30 p.m. The event will conclude with a panel discussion by industry experts, Marshall faculty members, state officials and business leaders about the future of nuclear power and how it safely can meet the growing energy demand. The event is free, but attendees are asked to register for the event at www.mfg.marshall.edu/nuclear.… Read More
Marshall University School of Pharmacy today announced it has received a new $19,400 grant from Walgreens to expand the “Wellness by Walgreens” program for the 2025-2026 academic year. This new funding enhances a successful partnership, launched in 2023, dedicated to promoting the physical, mental and financial health of student pharmacists, while increasing preventive health education in underserved West Virginia communities.
The collaboration addresses the dual challenges of rising student pharmacist burnout and significant regional health disparities. The expanded program will empower students to deliver critical health education in areas where diabetes and hypertension rates are 23% higher than national averages.
“This comprehensive program, generously sponsored by Walgreens, underscores our commitment to educate and ensure the well-being of the next generation of pharmacists,” said Dr. Eric Blough, dean of the Marshall University School of Pharmacy.
The new grant will directly fund several key student-led initiatives, including:
· Community health fairs: Student-organized events in underserved neighborhoods offering free BMI screenings, medication reviews and healthy cooking demonstrations.
· Campus-wide wellness challenges: An eight – week fitness challenge using step-tracking technology, with Walgreens-sponsored rewards to encourage physical activity.
· Peer-led workshops: Monthly sessions on critical topics like nutrition, stress management and mental health.
· Professional development: Sponsorship of key events like the White Coat Ceremony and a culminating Wellness Week Symposium.… Read More
Marshall University has partnered with CGE, an international board game company, to create a Marshall University edition of the award-winning party game Codenames. This partnership marks the first of its kind for CGE, blending the fun of a globally beloved game with the purpose-driven mission of Marshall University.
“This partnership is about more than creating a fun Marshall collectible,” said Dave Traube, chief marketing officer at Marshall University. “It’s about celebrating the connections and special moments that define the college experience. We’ve been referring to this initiative as a game with purpose – we hope it serves as a bridge for people to build meaningful connections with each other.”
Founded in 2007, CGE has produced award-winning titles such as Codenames, Galaxy Trucker and Lost Ruins of Arnak. With a design philosophy that combines elegant, thoughtful mechanics with high-quality production at an accessible price point, the company views the partnership as a new way to do what it does best – bringing people together.… Read More
Marshall University’s School of Music will present a faculty recital entitled “Happy 150th Birthday Maurice Ravel” both on and off campus.
The concert will feature Dr. Kamerhan Turan on piano. He is a Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Visiting Professor at Marshall and currently teaches piano and also works as the director of the School of Music at Baskent University in Ankara, Turkey. Also performing will be Şölen Dikener on cello and Alexander Malaimare on violin.
They will play at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, in Smith Recital Hall and again at noon on Thursday, Sept. 4, at First Presbyterian Church of Huntington, located at 1015 Fifth Ave., with a slightly different program. The second performance is the first event of the School of Music’s Chamber Music Concert Series, which continues each month during the fall and spring semesters at First Presbyterian Church.
The musicians will be performing Claude Debussy’s “Cello Sonata” and Ravel’s “Oiseaux Tristes & Alborada del Gracioso” for solo piano, as well as a movement from his “Sonata for Violin and Cello” and “Piano Trio.”
“In 2025, many classical music organizations and educational institutions around the world are celebrating the musical genius of this French composer on the 150th anniversary of his birth,” Dikener said.
Ravel was an integral part of Impressionism in music and the modern movement, Dikener said.… Read More
Faculty from the Marshall University School of Pharmacy (MUSOP) recently presented research and led initiatives at the 2025 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Pharmacy Education Conference, a major national gathering of pharmacy educators, which was held July 19–22 in Chicago.
MUSOP faculty contributed to five poster presentations, highlighting cross-departmental research collaborations that reflect the school’s commitment to advancing pharmacy education. Most faculty authors represented the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Administration, and Research, with additional contributions from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Poster presentations included:
· “Future Advocates in Action: Expanding Practice and Elevating Student Voices” – Brittany Riley, Pharm.D.; Mary Catherine Platz, Pharm.D.; Craig Kimble, Pharm.D., M.B.A., M.S.; Nandini Manne, Ph.D.; Gayle Brazeau, Ph.D.
· “Medication Adherence as a Mechanism of A1C Reduction Following CGM Initiation: A Mixed Methods Study” – Thomas Pile, Pharm.D., CDCES; Angel Kimble, Pharm.D., BSPS; Mary Catherine Platz, Pharm.D.; Elizabeth Booth, CPhT
· “From Pass to Plunge: How the 2021 NABP Competency Revisions Reshaped NAPLEX Outcomes” – Angel Kimble, Pharm.D., RPh, BSPS; Tiffany Davis, Pharm.D., RPh, TTS; Michael Hambuchen, Pharm.D., Ph.D., RPh; Hasan Koc, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Taylor, Pharm.D., RPh, BCCCP
· “Perceptions of Pharmacy Faculty Workload Allocation” – Mary Catherine Platz, Pharm.D.; Brittany L. Riley, Pharm.D., M.S., BSPS; Mia Pino, Pharm.D. Candidate – DPPAR
· “Pharmacy Law: From Oh No! to Oh Yeah – An MJPE Intervention Story” – Tiffany Davis, Pharm.D., RPh, TTS; Michael Hambuchen, Pharm.D., Ph.D., RPh; Angel Kimble, Pharm.D., RPh, BCPS… Read More
Dr. Wendell Dobbs of Marshall University’s School of Music will present a faculty flute recital, “Flute Music Mostly by Flutists,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, in the Jomie Jazz Forum, adjacent to the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. With the exception of one, all the pieces to be performed were composed as well as performed by flutists.
He will be joined by pianist Sara Lee and fellow flutists Lauren Dunsmore and Mitchell Proper interpreting works composed by flutists.
Featured on the program will be works by Paris Conservatory flute professors Jean-Louis Tulou, Philippe Gaubert and Paul Taffanel.
Dunsmore and Proper also will collaborate with Dobbs in performing a trio by one of Tulou’s students, Eugène Walckiers. The program will conclude with a work by Benjamin Godard, who was not a flutist, but whose “Suite de Trois Morceaux” is a favorite among flutists.
“Though not to the extent of pianists/composers, the flute possesses a rich repertoire of works created by gifted flutists, and it’s intriguing to monitor the evolution of musical expression on the flute through these skillfully crafted pieces,” Dobbs said.
The program is free and open to the public.… Read More
The A.E. Stringer Visiting Writers Series at Marshall University will host writers Daniel O’Malley and Dalton Monk at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, in the Drinko Library Atrium on Marshall’s Huntington campus.
O’Malley, who joined the Marshall faculty in 2012, has published fiction in Best American Short Stories, Granta, The Atlantic, Subtropics, the Kenyon Review and other outlets. His work has also been featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts.
Monk, a member of the Marshall faculty who lives in Huntington with his wife, daughter and son is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee whose writing has appeared in New York Tyrant, Joyland, Meridian, XRAY and other publications. He is the interviews editor at Zona Motel and founder and host of the local reading series Ham’s House.
The event is presented by Marshall University with support from the Department of English and is free and open to the public.… Read More
