Marshall University, on behalf of its School of Journalism & Mass Communications (SOJMC), and West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership that will establish a collaborative environment for media education and content production. This partnership will see the opening of an official WVPB news bureau within the SOJMC building on Marshall University’s Huntington campus.
This new collaboration will provide WVPB with office space, technical support and access to the school’s state-of-the-art recording studios, allowing for the production of high-quality broadcast content directly from the university campus.
“This partnership with WVPB is a significant step forward for our School of Journalism & Mass Communications,” said SOJMC Director Dr. Rob Quicke. “Not only does it provide our students with unparalleled opportunities to engage with professional media production, but it also strengthens our connection to the community and the state by contributing to the vital work of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.”
As part of the agreement, WVPB will include SOJMC in the “West Virginia Morning” credit line, recognizing the school as a supporting institution. Additionally, SOJMC students will have the opportunity to submit news stories and content for consideration, further integrating academic learning with professional practice.… Read More
Marshall University’s Department of Theatre and Dance has announced its 2024-25 production schedule. The two main shows for the fall semester include “A Doll’s House” and “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!).” Shows planned for the spring semester are “Sylvia” and “The SpongeBob Musical.”
“We’re thrilled to offer a season that offers our patrons an eclectic mix of productions that cater to a wide range of tastes and interests by offering classics, comedy, holiday cheer, and fun for the whole family,” said Sam Kincaid, project coordinator for the Department of Theatre and Dance. “Please join us.”
“A Doll’s House” was groundbreaking in 1879 when written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It tells of a housewife daring to pursue her own views amidst the time of women’s suffrage and fight for equality. It will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16-19 in the Francis-Booth Experimental Theatre in the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.
“Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!), by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, and John K. Alvarez is a comedic mash-up of favorite Christmas stories, featuring familiar cameos from the Grinch, Rudolph, Frosty, Charles Dickens and more. It will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4-7, also in the Francis-Booth Experimental Theatre.
This fall, there also will be a Fall Dance Concert on Oct. 5, and a performance of “Radium Girls” by the group Theatre ETC! on Nov. 24, with the times yet to be determined.… Read More
A team of Marshall University researchers has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant totaling $338,647. This grant will fund the acquisition of a state-of-the-art X-ray diffractometer, significantly enhancing the university’s research capabilities in materials analysis.
The successful grant proposal was led by researchers from the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences (CECS) and the College of Science (COS.) They are:
· Principal Investigator – Dr. Iyad Hijazi (CECS)
· Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Rosalynn Quinones-Fernandez (COS)
· Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Nasim Nosoudi (CECS)
· Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Mohammed Ferdjallah (CECS)
· Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Kim Kunkler (COS)
Dr. Wesley Stites, dean of the College of Science, says the new instrument will make a dramatic difference.
“This cutting-edge instrument replaces a workhorse X-ray powder diffraction instrument that was used in the college of science in the 1970’s,” Stites said. “Imagine looking at the pattern of light on the floor after coming through a set of blinds and using that pattern and the angle of the floor and sun to figure out what the blinds look like. This instrument does that with X-rays and the tiny, repeating patterns inside a material.”
Stites said their collaborative efforts, along with contributions from other dedicated team members, have secured this vital funding for research capabilities at the university.… Read More
Two Marshall University innovators, Brad Profitt, DC, DPT, DScPT, and M’Hamed Turki, M.D., have been selected to participate in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded IDeA Regional Entrepreneurship Development (I-RED) Program, facilitated by the XLerator Network.
The NIH’s competitive I-RED program supports the creation of educational products to promote entrepreneurship in academic institutions. XLerator Health, a health care accelerator based in Louisville, Kentucky, assists startup founders like Profitt and Turki in commercializing their businesses and attracting funding.
Profitt is a co-founder of Ortho-HAB, LLC and an associate professor at the Marshall University School of Physical Therapy. He has developedKneeXT, a groundbreaking medical device designed to aid in the recovery of knee extension and flexion post trauma, injury or surgery. This innovative technology is designed to restore functional range of motion, enhancing patient outcomes and rehabilitation by complementing the work of the physical therapist in the clinic and empowering patients to take an active role in their recovery at home. As part of his I-RED project, Profitt aims to leverage the expertise of seasoned professionals to bring the device to market, ultimately placing it in the hands of patients. … Read More
Award-winning podcaster Trey Kay is bringing his program “Us & Them” to Marshall University again next month for a discussion with Marshall students and other young voters about their thoughts and feelings regarding the upcoming election.
“What Is (or Isn’t) Motivating Young Voters in 2024?” is scheduled for 4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept.4, in Marshall’s Drinko Library Atrium. Kay will host two members of Marshall’s political science faculty, Dr. Marybeth Beller and Dr. Shawn Schulenberg, for a discussion before opening the conversation to the audience.
Kay says although the “Us & Them” team hopes to gain insight from Beller and Schulenberg, he wants to hear from students about this election season. What’s on the minds of Marshall University students, and perhaps high school students, during the runup to the election? How much do they think their views and perspectives matter at this crucial time in the history of our nation? How do they put into context the dramatic developments that we’ve recently experienced — the assassination attempt on former President Trump and President Biden dropping out of the race?
This event is free and open to the public and the discussion and following Q&A segment will be taped for use in a future episode of the podcast.
The event is co-sponsored by Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the West Virginia Humanities Council, and West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the broadcasting home of “Us & Them.” Read More
Marshall University’s Amicus Curiae Lecture Series on Constitutional Democracy will kick off the 2024-2025 academic year with a lecture by award-winning historian, author and educator Elisabeth Griffith titled “A Constitutional Quandary: Where Are the Women?”
The event, which is free and open to the public, is set for 7 p.m., Aug. 29 at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.
A graduate of Wellesley College with a doctorate in history from American University, Griffith has worked with the National Women’s Political Caucus to expand women’s rights, elect women candidates and ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. She has been teaching women’s history for 40 years. Her 22-year tenure as head of The Madeira School, a girls’ boarding and day school in McLean, Virginia, earned the Washington Post’s Distinguished Educational Leadership Award. A member of the Society of American Historians and Veteran Feminists of America, she has been a Kennedy Fellow at Harvard and a Klingenstein Fellow at Columbia.
She is the author of “FORMIDABLE: American Women and the Fight For Equality, 1920-2020,” which has been lauded by The New York Times as an “engaging, relevant, sweeping chronicle” and “a multiracial, inclusive timeline of the struggles and triumphs of both Black and white women. A profoundly illuminating tour de force.” Her biography of suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, “In Her Own Right,” was hailed by both Oprah and the Wall Street Journal as “one of the five best books on women’s history,” and was the basis of Ken Burns’ documentary “Not… Read More
Marshall University and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito welcomed Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to its new National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure/Institute for Cyber Security to see the work being done to boost cyber security and train the next generation of cyber experts.
The day-long series of meetings included officials with Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, West Virginia Air National Guard and CISA, among other educational and government partners.
Easterly, who leads CISA’s efforts to reduce risk to the nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure, is retired from the U.S. Army and has served at the White House in two different administrations.
“This center is emblematic of the innovation we need to inspire our next generation of cyber professionals and advance the cutting-edge research necessary to keep our nation secure and resilient,” Easterly said.
Marshall University President Brad D. Smith said West Virginians have always answered the call to serve the nation, and fighting to keep our nation’s cyber systems free of invasion is no different.
“We understand the importance of this mission,” Smith said. “We are proud that we have the opportunity to be designated a center of academic access for cybersecurity. We’ve been designated to protect the East Coast of the United State, and we are doing that in partnership with our local community, as well as our education and federal partners.” Read More
As the fall semester gets under way, Marshall Libraries has issued a call for submissions for its 2025 art exhibit, which will be displayed in Drinko Library on the Marshall campus throughout the Spring 2025 semester.
The theme for the upcoming art exhibition is “Appalachian Innovation: Crafting the Future,” and members of the Marshall community and surrounding Appalachian community are invited to participate and express their visions of the future through art, poetry and craftsmanship.
“This exhibition serves as a platform for showcasing forward-thinking ideas and creative solutions that redefine Appalachia’s story as we move toward the future,” said Kacy Lovelace, an assistant professor and research and student success librarian at Marshall. “We encourage submissions that explore new perspectives, challenge conventions, and reimagine what is possible in our region.”
Various forms of art are encouraged — from painting to sculpture to fibers to poetry and more — to express Appalachian identity and inspire dialogue about innovation and its role in shaping the region’s collective future. Read More
The carts are rolling, the unpacking has begun and first-year students at Marshall University are getting their first glimpse of college life today as Move-In 2024 is under way.
Approximately 2,100 students are expected to live in Marshall’s residence halls this year, with nearly 600 moving in today. Tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 14, is another move-in day for first-year students with upper-class students scheduled to move-in later this week. Today also begins the annual Week of Welcome, full of activities geared toward helping students ease into college life. A list of WOW events is available here.
Classes for the fall term begin Monday, Aug. 19.
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Nicolas Karagosian, MBA, CFRE, former president and CEO of the Ohio University Foundation and vice president of university advancement, has been named president and CEO of the Marshall University Foundation Inc., and senior vice president for development for Marshall University.
Nancy E. Campbell, chair of the foundation’s board of directors, said she is thrilled to announce the appointment of Karagosian, who officially assumes the role on August 19.
“Following an extensive national search, the foundation’s board of directors is confident that Karagosian is the ideal candidate to lead the organization,” Campbell said. “With his impressive background and commitment to philanthropy, we believe he will drive the foundation’s mission forward. I am excited to work alongside Nico. His expertise and vision will undoubtedly enhance our efforts to support Marshall University and its students.”
Karagosian replaces Dr. Ronald G. Area, who has served as CEO since July 2007.
“I am so pleased that Nico has agreed to join the Marshall family,” Area said. “His skill set, experiences and abilities will lead the foundation to new heights.”
Karagosian’s transition will be facilitated by Area, who has been instrumental in the foundation’s success. Together, they aim to ensure a seamless and positive experience for all stakeholders.
Marshall President Brad D. Smith said he was thrilled to welcome Karagosian and his family to Marshall University and the Huntington community.… Read More
Marshall University’s annual Week of Welcome (WOW) is set to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 13 ,with events and activities to welcome students before the fall semester gets underway.
This year, more than 1,500 students are registered for Week of Welcome events. The activities are focused on making students feel at home and a part of the #MarshallUFamily. Several new learning sessions will also be offered, aimed at enhancing the student experience.
“We now offer workshops on essential topics such as online safety, Design Thinking and tips for securing on-campus jobs,” said Marcie Simms, vice president of intercultural and student affairs. “We’re also incorporating local events like the Huntington Art Walk, to encourage students to explore downtown Huntington and discover the vital connection between our campus and the community.”
WOW check in and residence hall move-in for freshmen begins on Tuesday, Aug. 13 and continues through Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Activities kick off on Tuesday evening with breakfast and bingo in the Memorial Student Center from 7-9 p.m. On Wednesday, activities include learning about the university’s online platform for classes, brunch, an ROTC obstacle course, campus tours to help locate classrooms, a Marshall for All open house and sessions on online safety and Design Thinking. The day’s events conclude with a block party at Marshall’s Recreation Center from 7-9 p.m.… Read More
Marshall University is pleased to announce the hiring of Erik Legg as the new assistant general counsel.
A lifelong West Virginian and a proud son of Marshall, Legg brings with him an extensive background in civil litigation and a deep commitment to the Marshall University community.
“We are thrilled to welcome Erik Legg to our legal team at Marshall, ” said Toney Stroud, chief legal officer and vice president for strategic initiatives and corporate relations. “His extensive experience in civil litigation and his ties to the Marshall community make him an invaluable asset. Erik’s expertise and commitment to excellence will undoubtedly enhance our legal services and support our mission.”
Legg’s professional journey spans 26 years of distinguished experience in private practice, with a focus on civil litigation in the state and federal courts of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. His professional accolades, including an AV Martindale Hubbell rating and his inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA publications, underscore his commitment to excellence. He has also served as the past president of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia.
In addition to his legal practice, Legg has been an active member of the Marshall community, serving as an adjunct professor for the School of Pharmacy and the Lewis College of Business. He has also delivered numerous professional and educational presentations to various audiences, including lawyers, healthcare providers and students.… Read More