Three Fairmont State University students were among those who received scholarships from the Contractors Association of West Virginia (CAWV) Scholarship Foundation.

Kathleen McDiffit, Ben Costello and Michael Daetwyler, students in FSU’s College of Science and Technology, received scholarships during the CAWV’s State Meeting, held March 22, during the West Virginia Construction and Design EXPO in Charleston.

The CAWV distributed $15,500 this year to state college students pursuing an education and career in construction or engineering. Recipients were selected on the basis of their academic performance, extracurricular activities, work experience, financial need and an interest in a construction industry career. Eligible schools include West Virginia University, West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Marshall University, Fairmont State University and Bluefield State College.

Daniel Craigo, a civil engineering student from Marshall University, was selected as this year’s top scholarship recipient and awarded $6,000. Other students receiving scholarship awards were: Dakota Smith, WVU Institute of Technology; Joshua Workman, WVU Institute of Technology; Caleb Mitchell, Marshall University; Brett Settles, Bluefield State College; and Eric Starliper, West Virginia University.

“Once again, the CAWV Scholarship Foundation had a great group of applicants this year,” said Scholarship Foundation Chairman and CAWV Past President Gene Thompson.  “All of the students we interviewed have impressive transcripts and leadership skills, with some already having work experience within the industry. They have committed themselves to educational excellence and each one of them will bring a unique benefit to West Virginia’s construction industry in the years to come.”

The CAWV, the state’s largest full service construction association, represents over 425 firms in the building, highway and utility construction industry throughout West Virginia.

Two nationally known authors and education scholars will spend Monday, April 17, on Fairmont State University’s campus as part of the institution’s “What Matters Most” initiative.

Peter Felten and Charles Schroeder, most recently co-authors (along with John Gardner, Leo Lambert and Besty Barefoot) of The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most (2016), will meet with groups of faculty, staff, students and administrators throughout the day.

At 9 a.m., a session will focus on the importance of staff to the undergraduate experience. At 10 a.m., a session will be held for faculty and staff involved in efforts to improve student retention. At 11 a.m., a session geared toward faculty will be held. These sessions are all open to the public and will be held in 217 Turley Student Services Center.

At 3 p.m., a panel discussion preceded by brief presentations by Felten and Schroeder and followed by questions and answers will be held in the Falcon Center conference rooms. A reception and book signing will follow, also open to the public.

“The What Matters Most initiative has engaged a cross-section of campus constituents in a series of meaningful, thoughtful conversations to help prepare the institution for a strategic planning process this fall. The Undergraduate Experience has provided an effective framework for these conversations, by offering a positive tone and providing encouraging examples of success and excellence in higher education in spite of challenging funding and enrollment trends,” said Dr. Tim Oxley, Interim Vice President for Student Services at Fairmont State.  

Throughout the spring semester, about 130 faculty, staff and students have participated in more than 20 facilitated discussion groups focused on the six core themes—learning, relationships, expectations, alignment, improvement, and leadership—detailed in The Undergraduate Experience.

“Welcoming these two authors to our campus will be an exciting conclusion to our semester-long focus on the things that matter most to the undergraduate experience,” said Dr. Robynn Shannon, Director of Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness at Fairmont State.   “Having met them both, I know that they have so much to contribute to our goal of being the very best we can be as an institution.”

Felten is the assistant provost for teaching and learning, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and professor of history at Elon University (US).

Schroeder served as the chief student affairs officer at Mercer University, Saint Louis University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). Following his retirement from MU, he became a senior executive at Noel-Levitz, a national higher education consulting firm. He currently serves as a consultant for Ruffalo-Noellevitz specializing in retention and student success strategies and interventions.

Felten and Schroeder were recently interviewed by About Campus Executive Editor Frank Shushok, Jr. The interview can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/abc.21278/full.

Additional information about the What Matters Most initiative at FSU, including discussion group participants’ survey results, can be found on the What Matters Most web page: http://www.fairmontstate.edu/assessment-effectiveness/what-matters-most.

With Commencement fast approaching, 10 Fairmont State University Art students will showcase their senior exhibitions in Wallman Hall throughout April and May for their Capstone Experience, taught by Jennifer Yerdon LeJeune, Professor of Fine Arts and Studio Art.

Jessica DeBerry, “Refraction”

On April 10-14, Jessica DeBerry’s exhibit “Refraction” will be held in the J.D. Brooks Gallery located on the fourth floor of Wallman Hall. She is an Art Education major with a minor in Psychology and is from Grafton.

“Refraction shows a combination of gemstones abstracted to create an atmosphere that evokes the feeling it is titled after. Each painting is an exploration of the act of painting itself showing my hand and movement,” DeBerry said of her exhibition.

Tiffany Richards, “Something About Life”

On April 10-14, Tiffany Richards’ exhibit “Something About Life” will be held in the Tower Gallery in Wallman Hall. Her reception will be April 12 at 6 p.m. Richards is an Art Education major with a minor in Psychology and is from Preston County.

“My show is about various aspects of life that many individuals deal with every day, but go unnoticed by others because of the hustle and bustle routine of many Americans who are focusing on their own lives,” Richards said of her exhibition.

Lila Rocovich, “Wearing Your Emotions” 

On April 17-21, Lila Rocovich’s exhibit “Wearing Your Emotions” will be held in the J.D. Brooks Gallery. Her reception will be April 21 at 4 p.m. Rocovich is a Studio Art major concentrating in 2D Painting and is from Morgantown.

Rocovich’s exhibition will feature paintings and sculptural dresses that she has described as representing women with mental illnesses. Some of the pieces are self-portraits while others feature mental conditions from four of Rocovich’s friends. These include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dissociative identity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and gender dysphoria.

Erinn Thorn, “Dichotomy” 

On April 17-21, Erinn Thorn’s exhibit “Dichotomy” will be held in the Tower Gallery. Her reception will be April 17 at 6 p.m. Thorn is a Studio Art major concentrating in 2D Painting.

“The nature of my senior show is the duality of women. Most stereotypes of women are one extreme or the other, they are either meek or domineering. This project shows how the dichotomy of women exists in every woman, but particularly within a bathroom setting,” Thorn said of her exhibition.

Alex Henderson, “Allure Music” 

On April 24-28, Alex Henderson’s exhibit “Allure Music” will be held in the J.D. Brooks Gallery. He is a Studio Art major concentrating in Cross Media and is from Grafton.

“I don’t want to give too much away. Allure Music aims to get the viewer to chuckle a bit and take a deeper look at our celebrity obsessed culture to see that many of today’s celebrities are manufactured characters,” Henderson said of his exhibition. “What I will say is that it’s an exploration of identity through the creation of alternate personas.”

Martin Guerrero, “Good Kids, Mad City” 

On April 24-28, Martin Guerrero’s exhibit “Good Kids, Mad City” will be held in the Tower Gallery. His reception will be April 25 at 6 p.m. Guerrero is a Studio Art major concentrating 2D Painting and printmaking. He grew up in Mexico and has spent the last 8 years in Fairmont.

“My current series of paintings reflects the current situation of our society, focusing on the individuals participating in the protest against social injustices. I feel that is important to inform people of what is happening in our society,” Guerrero said of his exhibition. “Also, it’s my way to protest, my art can be more powerful than my words and can impact more people if it contains the right message.”

Hannah Lenhart, “Hannah’s Tea Party” 

On May 1-5, Hannah Lenhart’s exhibit “Hannah’s Tea Party” will be held in the J.D. Brooks Gallery. Her reception will be May 1 at 6 p.m. Lenhart is double majoring in Studio Art with a concentration in 3D Ceramics and Business Administration concentrating in General Business.

“As the name of the exhibit suggests, my show will be based around a tea party theme. It will consist of 10 whimsical handmade ceramic tea sets, with each including a teapot, centerpiece, four tea cups, four saucers, a sugar container and a creamer. There will also be a freestanding 5 foot sculpture made of teapots,” Lenhart said of her exhibit.

Gabi Cooper, “Assimilation” 

On May 1-5, Gabi Cooper’s exhibit “Assimilation” will be held in the Tower Gallery. Her reception will be May 3 at 6:30 p.m. Cooper is an Art Education major and is from Wetzel County.

Cooper describes her artistic evolution as being influenced by the heritage, customs and folklore of the central Appalachian region where she grew up. Key components of her work include topography, industry, traditions, heirlooms, folklore and family history.

“This has led me to intentionally explore the concrete visuals of locations, but also to reexamine the memories of my family from those places, and further explore the extended history and relationship that my family has with West Virginia,” Cooper said of her exhibition.

Raye Sullivan-Trippett, “Memoriam”

On May 8-12, Raye Sullivan-Trippett’s exhibit “Memoriam” will be held in the J.D. Brooks Gallery. Her reception will be May 11 at 6:30 p.m. Sullivan-Trippett is a Studio Art major with a concentration in Cross Media and is from Fairmont.

“My digital exhibition is split into four sections (Childhood, Hong Kong, New York City and Now), each depicting a time in my life that has shaped me. We all have memories we wish we could revisit and they leave a mark that I can only describe as nostalgia,” Sullivan-Trippett said of her exhibition. “Memoriam is a look at the past - an exploration of self and a journey of acceptance.”

Loraine Smith, “Avatar” 

On May 8-12, Loraine Smith’s exhibit “Avatar” will be held in the Tower Gallery. Her reception will be May 11 at 8:30 p.m. Smith is a Studio Art major concentrating in Cross Media.

Four Fairmont State Math Department faculty members, along with eight FSU pre-service mathematics teachers, attended the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference on March 17-18 at the Stonewall Jackson Resort during spring break. The two-day conference focused on learning from other mathematics teachers in West Virginia about ways to improve mathematics instruction.

Three of the FSU math faculty members in attendance presented at the conference:

• Stephanie Jones co-presented with Dr. Matthew Campbell a session about “Tell Us About It! Making Student Reasoning Central to Class Discussion.”   
• Dennine LaRue presented “Logarithms – Ideas to Improve Pedagogy and Retention of Concepts.”   
• Lindsey Walck presented “Redesigning Developmental Math and Taking it to Scale in a College Setting.”

Dr. Brian Blackwood also attended. The eight pre-service mathematics teachers in attendance were Kaitlyn Ault, Carolyn Golden-Burrows, Alex Keefover and Kingsley, Jamie Knight, Kirsten Minger, Janalee Poe, Faith Stout and Tyler Wilt,

Dennine LaRue, WVCTM College Vice President, facilitated a session for WV Higher Education Math faculty to discuss current issues in West Virginia mathematics. Topics included the MAA Common Vision and MAA recommendations for undergraduate math programs, State Math Taskforce work on course descriptions, a possible statewide partnership concerning teacher preparation, new version of the SAT test and concordance, upcoming HEPC workshop, co-requisite math classes, a discussion about online resources used with textbooks, factoring, geometry apps for tablets.

The keynote speaker was Kate Nowak from Illustrative Mathematics who spoke about “Curriculum Adoption: Advice from the Other Side.”

About the photo:

A subset of the Fairmont State group is pictured in front of the WVCTM conference banner in the Stonewall Jackson Resort lobby.  Those photographed from left to right are Faith Stout, Kaitlyn Ault, Jamie Knight, Carolyn Golden-Burrows, Alex Keefover and Kingsley, Kirsten Minger, Dennine LaRue, Lindsey Walck, Stephanie Jones and Tyler Wilt.

Aviation students at Fairmont State University are preparing to launch a high-altitude balloon to the edge of space this month as part of their activities for their Aviation Physics course. Working with StratoStar, a STEM education company, students will design their own experiment and send it soaring into the stratosphere. Funding for the project is through the Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant.

The helium-filled weather balloon carries a box containing a satellite link, plus several payload boxes that contain cameras, sensors, GPS tracking device and possibly several experiments. The balloon typically rises to 100,000 feet, at which point the expanded balloon bursts, and follows a parachute-assisted descent to a landing site where it will be recovered.

The focus of the entire project is on developing 21st century skills through project-based learning. The launch involves several phases: organizing and scheduling the launch; designing experiments that measure environmental conditions at high altitudes, and the effects of such conditions on items of interest; assembling the experiments into several payload boxes; predicting and tracking the balloon’s flight; launching the balloon and collecting the data; recovering the balloon and payload boxes; and downloading and analyzing the collected data.

The tethered launch was held at the Fairmont Municipal Airport during the Alpha Eta Rho and FSU Flying Falcons Fly-In Breakfast at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 15. The students conducted the tethered launch with a smaller balloon to test the payload experiments, the satellite link, and all the other equipment to be used in the main launch. This mission may be followed with this link: Falcon Mission 1: https://tracking.stratostar.net/mission/0124.

The main launch is scheduled for Thursday, April 27, at 10 a.m. at FSU’s Duvall-Rosier Field. (The rain date will be 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29.) The launch of the large balloon may be followed with this link: Falcon Mission 2: https://tracking.stratostar.net/mission/0125.

The high-altitude weather balloon project is designed to get students out of the classroom and into a real-life mission. Because they are involved in every aspect of the project, students will be developing skills in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

StratoStar is a STEM education company that travels across the country to start project-based learning programs in schools to place a greater emphasis on STEM education initiatives. Using high-altitude weather balloons, easy-to-use software, and a specific teaching plan, StratoStar takes students away from textbooks and puts them into real life missions. For more information on StratoStar and how you can launch your own weather balloon, visit: www.stratostar.net.

Fairmont State University’s Department of Music presents a full performance of the FSU African Drum and Dance Ensemble on campus Wednesday, April 26. Students will showcase traditional West African music and dance learned throughout the spring semester.

The performance begins at 8 p.m. April 26 in the Falcon Center third floor conference rooms. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public.

This performance will focus on the music and dance of the West African country Ghana, as well as the neighboring countries of Togo and Burkina Faso. Three distinct cultural groups will be represented: Dagara, Dagomba and Ewe. Attendees will be exposed to many different traditional instruments unique to each culture, as well as the movements characteristic of each piece.

The African Drum and Dance Ensemble is an experiential ensemble that focuses on traditional music of African origin. The repertoire, taught primarily through the oral tradition, allows the members to learn within the traditional structure without the use of written notation. While music is at the core of the ensemble, the cultural contexts of the repertoire are also studied, supplying a more holistic and deeper understanding of traditional African music.

“The ensemble was very fortunate to receive a number of new drums including a gung-gong, lunga, kagan, kidi and sogo this semester courtesy of the Department of Music,” said Logan Seidler, instructor of the African Music and Dance Ensemble. “This will allow the ensemble to expand its repertoire using authentic instruments handcrafted in West Africa.”

For more information, please contact Logan Seidler at tseidler@fairmontstate.edu.

Fairmont State University’s American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter continues its tradition of excellence and for the 14th consecutive year will represent the region at the National Concrete Canoe Competition. This victory and its subsequent invitation to the national competition will tie the national record for the most consecutive national appearances.

FSU’s ASCE Student Chapter won first place in the Concrete Canoe Competition at the 2016 Virginias Conference, hosted by Old Dominion University March 31-April 1. The FSU team won first place in final product, first place in technical paper, first place for oral presentation and second place overall in the races.

Team members participating in the weekend competition were Team Captain Katie Kelly, Co-Captains Jonathan Decker and Jeffrey Hartley, along with Brandon Howdershelt, Ashely Kiser, Quentin Knight, Hailey Rogers, Ian Chrobak, Chris Pritt, Daniel Pritt, Caleb Landis, James Pheasant, Sammy Jesmer, Ben Costello, Charles Morrow, Hannah Workman, Jared Neehouse, Zach Hawkins, Ryan Menendez, Austin Kozul and Jonathan Wright.
Assistant Professor Tabitha Lafferre serves as ASCE faculty advisor with assistance from Senior Mentor, Professor Tia Como, P.E.

“Fairmont State University’s Civil Engineering Technology students are very proud to represent both the state of West Virginia as well as the Virginia’s Conference at the National Concrete Canoe Competition this year,” Lafferre said. “The team has a large number of younger members and they worked extremely hard to create a mix design that would adhere to rule specifications and float on the water while yielding the desired consistency. I am very proud of the chapter and all of the students that have worked so hard this year.”

The conference brings together 14 schools from West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and provides students a chance to gain valuable hands-on experience by competing in many engineering-related competitions. Of the 14 participating colleges and universities this year, only eight produced concrete canoes for the competition. The students must follow strict rules that dictate the contents of the concrete matrix in building the canoe and, of course, the vessel must float, to be eligible to compete in the races. Fairmont State won the first of its regional titles in 2004.

Upon the team’s homecoming from the 2016 NCCC in Tyler, Texas, West Virginia suffered a tragic 1,000-year flood on June 23, 2016. The widespread tragedy throughout our state displayed a great show of resiliency and strength, bonding the small mountainous communities together. While not every member of our state was impacted, the emotional toll brought about the creation of the term “West Virginia Strong.” It is this notion that motivates every West Virginian to continue, regardless of the challenges ahead. The 2017 FSU Concrete Canoe Team is proud to represent our great state with the theme, Country Roads, and dedicates its concrete canoe “Mountain Mama” to the families that lost their homes and the 26 residents of this state who lost their lives.

“Mountain Mama” is 19 ½ feet long, with a max width of 28 inches, depth of 14 inches and ¾ inch thickness. The unit weight of the concrete is an average of 57 pcf and the overall weight is 320 pounds. With sustainability in mind, the team used the casting tables and portable humidification chamber constructed last year. The team also constructed their own form for the first time since 2010. Material donations from local supplies allowed the team to keep the cost of this to a minimum. To allow more space for paddlers, Mountain Mama was slightly lengthened and included capped noses to assist with flotation during races.

The 30th Annual ASCE National Concrete Canoe Competition will be June 17-19, 2017, at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo. As part of the buildup to the national competition, the team will host a benefit dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Muriale’s Italian Restaurant, 1742 Fairmont Ave., Fairmont.

This benefit dinner will act as the main fundraiser as the team begins planning their trek to Colorado. This trip will be more costly than in past years due to the distance to be traveled. To purchase tickets or for more information about the dinner, contact Tabitha Lafferre via e-mail at tabitha.lafferre@fairmontstate.edu by Tuesday, April 25. Individual sponsorships are $100 at the Platinum level, $50 at the Regular level and $25 for students; children ages 5 and younger are admitted for free. Corporate sponsorships also are available.

The event will begin with a meet and greet and cash bar with music provided by team member Brandon Howdershelt and his band. The dinner buffet will begin at 7 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Lisa Allen, Field Engineer for Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc. Allen is a former FSU Concrete Canoe Captain, and her team holds the FSU personal record for final product with a fourth place finish.

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 137,500 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide, and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE’s vision is to position engineers as global leaders building a better quality of life. Visit www.concretecanoe.org and asce.org.

FSU ASCE will host a Summer Technical Conference for professionals and technicians to earn six professional development hours. The event with the theme “Engineering Strong” will take place on the main FSU campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 1, in Room 305 of the Engineering Technology Building. Sponsored by the WV DOH, qualifying WV DOH employees can attend the conference for free. For more information, contact tabitha.lafferre@fairmontstate.edu.

About the photo:

Pictured in the front row from left to right: Jeffrey Hartley, Katie Kelly, Jonathan Decker, Sammy Jesmer, and Charles Morrow. Top row from left to right: Hailey Rogers, Jared Neehouse, Brandon Howdershelt, Ashley Kiser, Rosetta Kolar (Advisor), Ben Costello, Hannah Workman, Chris Pritt, James Pheasant, Quentin Knight, Austin Kozul, Ryan Menendez, Zach Hawkins, Caleb Landis, Jonathan Wright, Ian Chrobak, Daniel Pritt, Tabitha Lafferre (Advisor).

Three Fairmont State University students spent the week of spring break in March interning with the West Virginia Legislature in Charleston.         

Emily Markham, Alex Vance and Larry Ross were selected to participate in the Frasure-Singleton Internship program. Dr. William Harrison, Assistant Professor of Political Science, is the current faculty contact on campus for the program. There were 51 positions available to undergraduate students.

The internship is sponsored through the West Virginia Legislature. During the regular 60-day session, participants spent a week with an assigned legislator, attended committee meetings and accompanied them on the senate floor during daily sessions. They also aided their legislator with issue research, constituent requests and other legislative tasks.

Since coming to Fairmont State in 2013, Harrison has worked with students, identifying those who participate in class discussions, speak well on their feet and work well with others. Students can either be recommended by a professor or approach Harrison themselves to find out more about the internship.

Emily Markham, a sophomore majoring in National Security and Intelligence, Political Science, History and Criminal Justice with a minor in French, had the opportunity to shadow Delegate Mike Caputo.

“Because I want to get into politics, it really benefited me personally because I got to be able to see how everything works throughout the day instead of just knowing how bills become laws. I got to actually experience it,” Markham said of her time at the Legislature. “I was able to make a lot of friends and network and make awesome connections with people. Whether they were on the Republican side or Democrat side, it didn’t matter, you were still able to come together and make decisions.”

Only one participant during the week was voted by fellow interns to deliver a speech on the Senate floor. That honor went to Fairmont State participant Alex Vance, a Sociology major and the newly elected president of the FSU Student Government Association. He shadowed Sen. Mark Maynard.

“The program was an excellent learning experience as to the inner workings of the legislative process,” Vance said of his experience. “It gave me an opportunity to meet a lot of important people in our state's government and advocate for higher education as well as our University.”

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (WVSO) is taking its spring symphonic concert on the road to Fairmont State University on April 27.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Colebank Hall at FSU and is made possible through generous support from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, National Endowment for the Arts, Bernard H. & Blanche E. Jacobson Foundation, Daywood Foundation, First Energy Foundation and Herscher Foundation.

Ticket prices are: reserved seating $30, general admission $20 and student tickets $5. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the FSU box office on the 4th floor of Wallman Hall, by calling (304) 367-4240 or at Colebank Hall the night of the performance beginning at 6 p.m. 

Under the direction of Maestro Grant Cooper, the WVSO will perform Ravel’s “Ma mère l'Oye” (Mother Goose Suite), which is Ravel’s musical depiction of some of the most beloved fairy tales, including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Tom Thumb.” The music will take a light-hearted turn with Stravinsky’s suite from the ballet “Pulcinella,” which was inspired by music attributed to 18^th century Italian composer Giovanni Pergolesi. The concert will conclude with Mozart’s “Symphony No. 36 in C major ‘Linz,’” a charming symphony that Mozart wrote in four days while staying in the city of Linz, halfway between his birthplace of Salzburg and Vienna.

“We are proud to once again bring great music to Mountain State communities,” said WVSO President Joe Tackett. “The WSVO truly is West Virginia’s state orchestra.”

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is West Virginia’s premier performing arts organization, presenting classical, pops, and chamber-music concerts annually throughout the Mountain State. Currently in its 78th season, the WVSO is a proud member of the community and enriches the region by providing affordable, high-quality concerts, collaborations with West Virginia arts organizations and a nationally award-winning education program.

The Alkemie Early Music Ensemble will perform “Love to My Liking: Refrains of Desire in Gothic France,” a concert of 13th century French songs on Friday, April 21, at First Presbyterian Church, 301 Jackson St., Fairmont.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the church and are free for students and $10 for the general public. The FSU Box Office can be reached at (304) 367-4240.

Alkemie was named the 2016-2017 Artists-In-Residence by the Fairmont State University School of Fine Arts. The concert will be the culmination of a week’s worth of activities on the Fairmont State campus, including lessons with students, public lectures and masterclasses on medieval improvisation and Renaissance dance. The April concert will also feature students from the Fairmont State University Chamber Choir.

In an age long before iTunes, medieval French poet-composers—known as trouvères—penned the music they wanted to hear and share. Their songs of public and private adoration wove together allusions both sacred and secular, creating mystical and risqué meditations on love and longing. Reconstructed directly from medieval manuscripts, this concert program showcases some of the most captivating vocal music of the 13th-century.

“This concert is not to be missed,” says Fairmont State Prof. Brian F. Wright, “Not only is this music rarely performed, but Alkemie’s passion and attention to historical musical practices make their performances joyful and engaging.”

Founded in 2013, the Alkemie Early Music Ensemble is comprised of Tracy Cowert (mezzo-soprano), Elena Mullins (soprano), Sian Ricketts (soprano, recorders), Niccolo Seligmann (vielle, lute) and David McCormick (vielle). They specialize in the music of medieval Europe, and they especially enjoy the porous boundaries between the "high" and "low" music of this period—traversed repeatedly from clerics penning bawdy Latin poems in manuscript margins to courtly lovers evoking the mystical sublime.

Students from Fairmont State University’s Community Health Education Program will travel to Richwood, W.Va., to continue their work helping residents who were affected by the June 2016 flood. Students previously visited Richwood in October and December 2016 and identified health and safety needs of Richwood residents.

Students will travel to Richwood on Thursday, April 27, 2017. The public is invited to the food pantry located at 44 East Main St. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to learn more about a variety of health topics. Nutrition, respiratory health, heart health, physical activity and mental health will be just a few of the topics discussed.

“I chose to focus on the mental health of mothers in Richwood specifically those with younger children. The overall goal is to assist mothers in becoming advocates for their mental health, as well as the mental health of those around them,” said Candice Travis, Community Health Education student.

Other student projects on April 27 will include service activities, such as cleaning up debris along streams, yard cleanup and other beautification projects. One student’s project is focused on discussing opportunities for community garden projects in Richwood.

The Fairmont State community has contributed donations in support of Richwood including non-perishable food and household items.  These will be distributed at the food pantry from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Students participating on April 27 include: Ahmed Alsheri, Brianna Blake, Nikki Bland, Sabrina Buhagiar, Madeline Hamilton, Claire Shook, Candice Travis and Amber Trickett. Fairmont State employees assisting with the students’ projects include Dr. Amy Sidwell and Dr. Janie Leary.

For more information on the FSU Community Health Education program, visit http://www.fairmontstate.edu/schoolofeducation/community-health-education.

The Fairmont State University School of Fine Arts will host a concert to benefit the Clarksburg Chapter of Guitars for Vets on Saturday, May 13, in the Wallman Hall Auditorium.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or in advance through Billy Trivett (G4VClarksburg@hotmail.com). All proceeds from ticket sales and raffles will go to the Clarksburg Chapter of G4V. The organization also accepts both financial donations and donated musical instruments.

The concert will feature Pantasia, the Preston High Jazz Band and Stepping Stone, as well as performances by the Clarksburg and Salem, Va., chapters of Guitars for Vets. Guitars for Vets (G4V) is a national 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that offers guitar lessons to veterans struggling with physical injuries, PTSD and other emotional distress. G4V pursues its mission to share the healing power of music by providing veterans free guitar instruction, a new acoustic guitar and a guitar accessory kit. Weekly guitar lessons are individualized and designed to help students learn at their own pace, and the program is staffed entirely by volunteers.

The Clarksburg Chapter of G4V is the only chapter in West Virginia. Billy Trivett, the Chapter Coordinator, has recently expanded the program to include weekly lessons in Fairmont, Clarksburg, Morgantown and Shinnston. In Fairmont, the program is sponsored by Fairmont State University and is run by Prof. Brian F. Wright and students from the Department of Music. Wright’s Tuesday night class was recently featured in the University’s “From the School of the Fine Arts” video series (https://vimeo.com/212640811).

The choirs of Fairmont State University will present “Music of America” at the First Presbyterian Church, 301 Jackson St., Fairmont, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28. The concert will feature the FSU Collegiate Singers, Chamber Choir and Community Chorus. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public.

The program will showcase music by American composers from the colonial era to the present day. It includes selections by such well-known composers as Aaron Copland, Morten Lauridsen and William Billings. The concert will also feature well-known folk songs and spirituals, such as “Shenandoah,” “Nelly Bly” and “Elijah Rock.” The evening will close with two songs from West Virginia: “John Henry” and “My Home Among the Hills.”

“There are so many different genres and styles in the musical heritage of our country,” said Dr. Sam Spears, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at FSU. “I love that we are singing such a colorful variety of music on a program that is all American. One of my favorite pieces on the program is the ‘Song of Democracy’ by Howard Hanson. It is a dramatic and expressive setting of poetry by Walt Whitman. The text speaks very optimistically about America’s role as an example to the world of democracy in action.”

For more information, contact Dr. Sam Spears at (304) 367-4118.

Along with industry partners in education, Civil Engineering Technology seniors at Fairmont State University are studying a real-life engineering issue--the earth movement along U.S. Route 250 between Mary Lou Retton Drive and Holbert Road in Fairmont.

As part of the specialized accreditation curriculum requirements set forth by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission, a division of the Accrediting Board for Engineers and Technologists, students are exposed to a semester-long project in the Transportation and Highway Design senior capstone course each year bringing together topics they learned throughout their tenure at FSU. Given the nature of the selected course, a local transportation issue is studied in depth and used as a tool to help the students address the broad versatility of the CET curriculum.

“Bringing practical experience into the classroom is so important for the young engineers of our future, and this year’s Civil Engineering Technology capstone experience is a great example of hands-on learning,” said Tia Como, P.E., Professor of Civil Engineering Technology at FSU. “This year’s project studying U.S. Route 250 is truly an exciting and challenging one for our CET students.”

Key consultants from the West Virginia Division of Highways, Donald (Donny) Williams, P.E., P.S., and Michael Pumphrey, P.E, of research and special studies, have shared their knowledge and expertise throughout the years and have helped to guide the students toward their successful end product. The class is charged with presenting their findings to a group of local professional members from the American Society of Highway Engineers North Central WV Chapter who further critique their work and enhance the intellectual intensity.

Professor Como designed and created this project after continuous improvements of a former planning project and after annotations of the ABET team to further the design component. Upon curriculum revisions, coinciding with the mandated 120 hours of instruction, the CET faculty agreed to launch the capstone with dedicated industrial partners and concurrently place the writing intensive liberal studies requirement within this technical content. The end product is a class written report, technical drawings and an oral presentation. 

In addition to the earth movements witnessed by the general population along U.S. Route 250 that have caused safety concerns and some traffic delays over the past few months, other not so visible issues complicate the situation.

The students are faced with a limited right-of-way (ROW) owned and operated by the West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH). Even though the problem is inherently viewed as a WV DOH issue, the ROW only extends 30 feet in each direction from the center line of the road.  Viable options are being researched in addition to addressing the drainage issues and available detour routes. The students are also cataloging the daily traffic, affected businesses and local concerns. This minor arterial highway alignment has obvious limitations as it is situated along a river bank and next to very steep layers of shale bedrock with little overburden and surrounded by vegetation. Being located in the flood plain adds another unique twist to available options in addition to potential disturbance from an abandoned mine site.

Como opted to begin with a current problem facing the WV DOH District #4.

“We wanted to address something that the state could benefit from and so District #4 Manager, Mr. Ray Urse, suggested this site for this year’s study. At the time this communication took place, none of us thought the problem would evolve as it has today,” Como said.  To date six earth movement events have taken place in the U.S. Route 250 area between Mary Lou Retton Drive and Holbert Road since December 2016.

Over the past few years collaboration with the West Virginia Local Technical Assistance Program has afforded the students with the opportunity to collect real-time continuous traffic data via radar recorders. Andrew Morgan, P.E., Program Coordinator, trains the students on using the recorders that provide pertinent data on the number of vehicles, size and speed, permitting Average Daily Traffic values and design vehicle considerations. Kim Carr, Program Coordinator, delivers training on effective presentations. The WV LTAP is housed at West Virginia University and is part of a national organization with a network of 58 centers throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and regional centers serving tribal governments. 

Another stimulating aspect of this year’s project is the inclusion of a Terrestrial Scanning for Mapping by the WVDOH, Engineering Division’s Statewide Survey Crew, headed up by Travis Long and Jesse Bennett, Field Operations Chief. The students were exposed to Terrestrial Scanning technology and techniques for data collection, data analysis and a relatively new CADD science termed Edge Modeling. This process works with the scanning point cloud to produce a three dimensional survey enabling the production of ground cross sections and the study of large topographic footprints not safely assessable via conventional surveying. The Lidar survey is cutting edge and integral to furthering their knowledge on survey techniques that are cost prohibitive for academia.

Also noteworthy are the alliances with other specialized personnel from the WV DOH who share their expertise with the students. Dennis LeRoy covers the states requirements for drawing submissions and this year, given the nature of the problem area. Douglas W. Kirk, P.E., CFM, Hydraulic and Drainage Unit, introduced the class to issues of highways in the floodplain and available tools and mapping to help solve them.

 “Transportation is one facet of Civil Engineering Technology, a dynamic field that’s sure to keep you on your toes because no two projects are alike. I am so pleased to have this opportunity to work with the WV DOH, ASHE NCWV, WV LTAP, industry professionals and the general public, to provide a thought-provoking and incredibly real capstone experience affecting the Fairmont community,” Como said.

The students will present their assessment and design ideas on Tuesday, May 2, at the Bridgeport Conference Center. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and the presentation following dinner. Those who plan to attend should RSVP by Friday, April 28, ($20 dinner cost) to Brandon LeRoy, ASHE NCWV President, via e-mail:  Brandon.LeRoy@aecom.com

Fairmont State University’s Model United Nations team recently placed second as a Distinguished Delegation at the National Model United Nations Conference.

The Model UN team was first established on campus three years ago with the help of current advisor Dr. William Harrison, Assistant Professor of Political Science. This was the third year the team attended the national conference in New York City. Last year, the team placed third as an Honorable Mention Delegation.

Vice President of Model UN Emily Markham describes the accomplishments as rare for a team so young, as most schools take years to accomplish the same. This year, the conference held in April was attended by about 150 other schools. Fairmont State represented the South American Dutch country, Suriname.

The purpose of Model United Nations is to represent a country as a faux delegation and attend one of the many conferences around the country. During the conference, the team’s goal is to come up with resolutions to handle mock issues presented on committee agendas. These issues are based on real problems the United Nations faces.

“It’s a great experience. The students learn negotiation skills; they make great contacts for the future; and Fairmont State gets its name out on a global level,” Dr. Harrison said of the event.

In order for the team to prepare, the students wrote position papers for possible issues their team will have to handle, conduct a mock Model UN competition among themselves and hold bake sales to raise funds for their trip.

“Model United Nations was a really amazing opportunity. We were able to act as though we were really a part of the UN, got to know individuals from all over the world and learn more about real issues in today’s world,” said Daphne Ryan, a Political Science and National Security and Intelligence major graduating in May. This was her first year participating in Model UN.

All those who attended the event were MUN President Julian Pecora, Vice President Emily Markham, Amber Basnett, Bryson Butcher, Brittany Cameron, Yi Ting Lin, Brian Miller, Larry Ross, Daphne Ryan, Sarah Sakaguchi and Dr. William Harrison.

This year, the Health Sciences and Technology Academy Science Symposium is being held at Fairmont State University on Saturday, May 6^th. The expected turnout will bring around 400 students grades 9-12 from the central and north-eastern part of the state for a total of approximately 600 visitors when including HSTA faculty, staff and families. This event is a first of what both organizations expect to be a long and successful partnership and provides a great opportunity for FSU to introduce their school to future potential students. The event is open to the public.

HSTA students will spend half of the day presenting the community research projects. They are excited to present their research findings they have worked on throughout the school year and share their knowledge on issues that impact all of us here in West Virginia. The second half of the day will involve breakout sessions where professors will host activities that showcase a few of the many the great opportunities and majors offered at FSU.  Students will have the opportunity to meet future professors and make connections.

HSTA works within the state of West Virginia to promote the growth of underrepresented groups of students who pursue degrees in STEM majors to advocate for the underserved communities. HSTA’s goal is to increase the number of high school students pursuing degrees in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and health sciences.

HSTA students have a 92% college graduation rate but even more impressive is that 86% of them remain in the state after graduation. These statistic, along with many others, are a wonderful benefit for the state and its communities. The students, who are a part of HSTA, use their newfound talent and expertise to give back to their communities throughout the state. It is an exceptional program that prepares students in high school for college and the workforce in WV.

For additional information or to learn more about HSTA visit their website. wv-hsta.org

The Fairmont State University Wind Ensemble will present “Every Song Tells a Story” on Wednesday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wallman Hall Theatre. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public.

The program contains traditional and contemporary wind literature that has been inspired by religious text, folksongs and poetry. Selections composed by James Curnow, Larry Daehn, Frank Ticheli, Gustav Holst and John Philip Sousa will be featured in the concert.

“The music for our final Wind Ensemble concert of the semester covers a wide span of music history,” said Robert Hickey, Director of Bands at FSU. “The first piece, a fanfare, is based on music by 17th century composer Mar-Antoine Charpentier. Another piece on the program and quite possibly one of my favorite pieces for band, Holst’s Second Suite in F was composed in 1911 and contains British folksongs. It has been very excited to expose the students to all the stories that are contained in the text. While some of the texts have happy endings, others talk of the perils of love and death.”

For more information, contact Robert Hickey at (304) 367-4206.

More than 400 students will participate in the 148th Commencement for Fairmont State University at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in the Feaster Center.

Dr. Maria C. Rose, FSU President, will present special remarks for the ceremony, which will mark her last as president; she will retire when her contract ends on June 30.  Julian Pecora of Clarksburg will be the student speaker representing the Class of 2017.

For those who would like to view the May 13 ceremony from home, video will be streamed live at www.fairmontstate.edu/livegraduation. A screen also will be set up in the second floor Main Street area of the Falcon Center to allow guests to watch the ceremony live from that location. A reception in Gym 1 of the Falcon Center with light refreshments will immediately follow the ceremony.

FSU’s School of Nursing and Allied Health Administration Spring Commencement and Pinning Ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 11, in the Feaster Center. The pinning ceremony is a long-held tradition that is a symbolic welcoming of newly graduated nurses into the profession of nursing. The graduate nurse is presented with the nursing pin by the faculty of the nursing program. Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Associate of Science in Nursing graduates may participate in the May 13 ceremony.

“As a graduate of Fairmont State myself, I know firsthand the life-changing power of a higher education degree. Our graduates are equipped to enter the workforce as highly-qualified and well-prepared employees,” Rose said. “Our faculty and staff take pride in watching students walk across the stage during the ceremony.”

To keep traffic flowing smoothly on campus on May 13, the Department of Public Safety will re-route the loop around campus to become one way. Officers and other attendants will be on hand to direct traffic and answer parking questions. General parking will stay in the right line upon entering campus. The left lane will be for shuttles and handicapped parking only. Shuttle pick up and drop offs will be indicated on the map with a star and a color that will correspond with the shuttle route. 

Some parking changes also will be in effect. Students participating in Commencement should park in the tennis courts area for rehearsal. A temporary parking lot with 245 spaces is available and is located adjacent to the Tennis Courts. Faculty and staff are encouraged to park in the parking garage to allow graduates and guests access to the parking spaces closest to the Feaster Center.

All handicapped accessible parking will be located in the Pence Hall parking lot. Handicapped accessible seating is available on the second floor of the Joe Retton Arena, so those with mobility issues should enter the Feaster Center from the second floor entrance.

The best advice for those attending Commencement is to arrive early for the event and to carpool as much as possible. Thank you in advance for your attention to these changes and for your patience. 

Sign language interpreting services will be provided during the ceremony. The Office of Disability Services will provide Commencement programs in Braille at the Feaster Center. For more information, call the Office of Disability Services at (304) 367-4686 or the Department of Public Safety at (304) 367-4157.

Dr. Maria C. Bennett Rose, FSU President

After being part of the Fairmont State family for more than 25 years, Dr. Maria C. Bennett Rose became the University’s president on May 3, 2012. Prior to her appointment, she served as Interim President, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and as a faculty member. 

Dr. Rose taught developmental writing, developmental reading and study skills and has coordinated the campus-wide peer tutoring program. She served as Director of Retention and Vice President of Academic Services. Working with the FSU School of Education’s Professional Development Schools initiative, she has served as the liaison for White Hall Elementary School.

She was a member of the Governor’s Council on Literacy during the administrations of Gaston Caperton, Cecil Underwood and Bob Wise. As a member of the Council, she served as Chair of Public Outreach and worked on many family literacy projects. Rose authored and served as the Principal Investigator for the Fairmont State Title III Strengthening Institutions grant. She received national recognition as Outstanding First Year Student Advocate, which was presented by the National Resource Center for First Year Experience and Students in Transition. Dr. Rose served on a task force for the Higher Education Policy Commission Adult Learner initiative and is currently serving on the Commission’s College Completion Task Force.

Chancellor Paul Hill of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission named Dr. Rose to the Compensation, Planning and Review Committee maintained in SB439 as part of the human resources directive (Old 330). Also during her tenure as president, she has served as chair of the Conduct Committee for the Mountain East Conference and Presidential Coordinator for the West Virginia Association of Regional Colleges and Universities.

Dr. Rose has remained active in the Fairmont community, serving on the boards of directors for the United Way of Marion County and the Marion County Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Rose received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Fairmont State College and a Master of Arts degree in Reading from West Virginia University. From WVU, she also earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on family and community literacy issues as they relate to higher education. In addition, she earned a Developmental Educator Certification through the Kellogg Institute of Appalachian State University.

“I am grateful for the relationships built and lives changed by this University, which has made a great impact on my life.  My role in the story of Fairmont State is changing but not ending. Tom, our family and I will always be proud to be part of the Falcon family,” Dr. Rose said.

 Julian Pecora

Julian Parker Pecora is a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Clarksburg. He is the son of Andrea Pecora and William Pecora. He is the stepson of Rocco Fucillo and Connie Pecora. Julian followed his stepfather Rocco Fucillo and his uncle Jeremy Pecora as a member of the Falcon Family.  

Having many options to pursue his higher education, Julian chose Fairmont State University because of the family-type atmosphere that permeates the campus. Fairmont State University is a place where the student body, faculty, staff, and the administration want students to succeed.

Julian has stated, “Attending Fairmont State University was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have competed on the state, national, and international level in high school and in college and I can genuinely say that Fairmont State University students and professors are on par with the best in the world.”

Fairmont State is a place where students can be involved and have opportunities across the world. Pecora is an alumnus of the prestigious American Legion Boys Nation and the United States Senate Youth Program, where he obtained the honor of being a William Randolph Hearst Scholar. Pecora has been featured on CSPAN, had two meetings with President Barack Obama in the White House, and has addressed the West Virginia House of Delegates while appearing on the Public Broadcast Station.

While at Fairmont State, Julian was named to the President’s List every semester. He was the captain of the Speech and Debate Team and a William White Scholar. He was a nine-time state finalist at the State Higher Education Forensics Tournament. Pecora has competed in international debate tournaments through Afghans for Progressive Thinking. APT is an organization that works with university students to promote a culture of tolerance, openness and respect by providing opportunities to engage on contemporary issues.

He is a founding member and the current president of the Model United Nations team. He has helped lead the team to second- and third-place finishes at the International Model United Nations Conference at the UN in NYC. Pecora and his teammates competed against over 200 schools and foundations across the world to become award winners. Pecora represented the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Society in its national award-winning competition, and he finished as a National Quiz Bowl semifinalist.

Pecora is a member of the Criminal Justice, Political Science and Social Sciences Honor Societies. He was the parliamentarian for the Student Government Association and was a Frasure-Singleton Intern with the West Virginia Legislature. During his internship, he was one of two selected of 30 students to address the Youth of West Virginia on statewide television. Pecora is also a member of the Society of Collegiate Democrats and represented Fairmont State University at the 2017 Presidential Inauguration.

Pecora was handpicked by the Social Sciences Department to be Fairmont State’s first Student Ambassador for Political Science. He has worked as a political consultant and treasurer on a successful political campaign and was named the Forensic Student of the Year for his outstanding leadership in debate and speech. Pecora was awarded the Political Science Achievement award for his career at Fairmont State.

Pecora will be attending West Virginia University College of Law. He hopes to have a career in politics and represent the state of West Virginia on the state and national level. Julian Pecora’s story of achievement shows that Fairmont State University is truly a place where you can be first.   

The Fairmont State University School of Education, Health and Human Performance honored students at the Academic Awards Ceremony at the end of the spring 2017 semester.

FSU Provost Dr. Christina Lavorata; Dr. Carolyn Crislip-Tacy, Dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Performance; and RJ Gimbl, Director of the Fairmont State Foundation, greeted students. Awards were presented by Dean Crislip-Tacy and Dr. Paul Reneau, Associate Dean.

• The A and L Hawkins Graduate Student in English Award was presented to Tina Nichols.
• The Anna Louise DeVaul Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Miranda Oliverio.
• The Carol Diane Cook Elder Memorial Education Scholarship was awarded to Julianna Butcher.
• The following students were awarded scholarships through the Crystal Miller Morris Scholarship Endowment Fund: Johnna Akers, Rachel Bugaj, Lacey Cale, Anna Coffin, Karly Cooper, Hannah Jones, Cheyanne Parks, Brooke Shambaugh, Kayla Simpson and Haley Terango.
• The Dorothea Poling Brand Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Haley Hefner.
• The Dr. Bob and Susan Hawkins Endowed Scholarship was awarded to William Hays.
• The Dr. Ronald G. Helms NCSS Scholarship was awarded to Rachel Bugaj.
• The Duke Pride Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Sabrina Buhagiar.
• The Eddie and Betty Barrett Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Candice Travis.
• The Glenn and Elsie Toothman Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Amelia Nelson
• The following students were awarded the Haddon and Nettie Morgan Rhodes Scholarship: Taylor House, Melissa Layfield, Ashton Meyers, Jasmine Moore, Krista Sands and Faith Stout.
• The Helen Romano Viggiano Elementary Education Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Sara Davis.
• The International Education Award was presented to Ahmed Alshehri.
• The Margaret MacLuckie Scholarship was awarded to Hope Vasicek and Jamie Knight.
• The Marjorie R. Hoult Lough Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Amber Layne.
• The following students were awarded the Martha Flesher Endowed Scholarship: Latasha Martin, Brooke Quinn, Haley Shanholtz, Noah Sutton, Samantha Withrow, Elizabeth Wolfe and Kimberly Woods.
• The Nancy Marie Duling Memorial Teacher Education Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Corinne Murdoch.
• The Outstanding Student in Community Health Education award was received by Candice Travis.
• The Outstanding Student in Exercise Science award was received by Nicole Uccello.
• The Sharon Weaver Messmore Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Ashley Keefover.
• The Shirley A. Fleming Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Destinee Harris.
• The Stark A. Wilmoth Outstanding Student Teacher award was received by Hannah Vasicek.
• The T.J. and Madge Herndon Pearse Memorial Endowed Scholarship was awarded to William Hays.
• The Victor and Mary Carr Racinger Scholarship was awarded to Miranda Folmsbee and Jessica Kincaid.
• The Wendell G. Hardway Award for Excellence in Teacher Education was received by Ruby Morris.
• The Will Bridges Memorial Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Corinne Murdoch.
• The William Knox Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Andrew Raleigh.
• The following students were awarded the William White Scholarship: Madison Beekler, Holly Bogdanich, Sabrina Buhagiar, Naomi Clark, Angel Forren, Stephanie Gillespie, Destinee Harris, William Hays, Erica Lawrence, Kameron Moran, Rebecca Rose, Alexis Rowe, Jessica Siders and Theodore Sova.

During a ceremony on Thursday, April 27, Fairmont State University awarded Maestro Grant Cooper, Conductor and Artistic Director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra since 2001, an honorary Doctor of Letters degree, the University’s highest honor.

Preceding the second half of the orchestra’s concert at Fairmont State’s Colebank Hall, Dr. Maria Rose, the University’s president, conferred upon Maestro Cooper the honorary doctorate given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the educational mission of the institution. Normally honorary doctorates are conferred at Commencement, but scheduling did not allow that in this case so a special ceremony was planned in Cooper’s honor.

The WVSO, led by Maestro Cooper, has played two concerts per year at Fairmont State since 2003. Over the years, Cooper has been a regular lecturer in the Department of Music. He has taught classes for majors, met with Music Appreciation students for informal discussions and delivered special humanities lectures for the University and Fairmont community. His original music for Young People’s Concerts is studied in classes for Elementary Education majors, and the repertoire for the WVSO’s on-campus concerts is central in Music Appreciation classes. His piece for solo flute was featured in the inaugural season of the Department’s West Fork Festival of New Music.

 Dr. Anne Patterson, Coordinator of the Department of Music, nominated Cooper for the special honor.

“Aside from his exquisite musicianship, the thing I appreciate most about Maestro Cooper is that he makes no cultural assumptions about which music will speak to certain populations. Working together, we have shown year after year that students with no previous experience with orchestral masterworks are enthralled by live performance. Some have even said that studying this music has changed their lives. That’s powerful,” Patterson said.

Earlier in his career, Cooper taught at the State University of New York for 11 years before taking a position as director of orchestras at Ithaca College, where he served for a further 10 years. He resigned his full professorship at Ithaca College in order to take his position with the WVSO, but he has remained a committed teacher as exemplified by his multi-year close involvement with classes taught at Fairmont State’s Music Department. By linking the classes he has taught at FSU with concerts given by the WVSO, Cooper has been able to address an extremely wide range of topics, driven by the cultural and historical context of the orchestra’s repertoire and its profound connection to language and sociological trends.

“The core meaning of the word ‘maestro’ is teacher. I am both honored and thrilled to have been recognized by Fairmont State University for my efforts in education on behalf of the WVSO. I've always felt a strong affinity for teaching, having spent the first 21 years of my adult career as a university professor. It seemed only natural that I would continue this work while serving as artistic director of the WVSO,” Cooper said.

“The West Virginia Symphony is thrilled that Fairmont State University has chosen to honor Maestro Cooper with this special recognition. His work at Fairmont serves as an example of the work he has done throughout the state of West Virginia, making music more accessible to audiences of all ages. His commitment to education is the crowning achievement of his tenure with the orchestra, and Fairmont State has chosen well to honor his work,” said Joe Tackett, President of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

Grant Cooper, Artistic Director and Conductor of the WVSO, was named to the position in March 2001, and officially began his duties as the ninth conductor in the WVSO’s history on July 1, 2001. From 1997-2007, Cooper served as Resident Conductor of the Syracuse Symphony, appearing to critical acclaim on all the major series. In November 2016, Cooper gave his 750th performance with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. During the summer, Cooper is Artistic Director of the Bach and Beyond Festival in Fredonia, N.Y., and serves as a resident conductor at the Eastern Music Festival.

Cooper was born in Wellington, New Zealand; his mother was a soloist with the New Zealand Opera Company. He sang and acted in his first opera at age 4, and he studied piano and music theory prior to college. After completing his degree in Pure Mathematics at the University of Auckland, his performing career took him to many of the major concert halls of the world from Beijing to London. Following a performance at the Henry A. Wood Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall under conductor Claudio Abbado, Cooper was invited by Maestro Abbado to join the orchestra of La Scala as solo trumpet. Instead, Cooper accepted a fellowship from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council for study with Bernard Adelstein and Gerard Schwarz in the United States. This, in turn, led to performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall and at Tanglewood under Arthur Fiedler, where he also performed as principal trumpet under conductors Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, and Sir Neville Marriner, among others.

Cooper was conductor of the XIVth Commonwealth Games closing ceremonies, appearing with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as soloist. In Europe, his engagement as guest conductor for the Mozart Wochen of the Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele prompted high critical praise. His appearances with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra have generated considerable enthusiasm and acclaim across the whole gamut of programs, showing his deep affinity for repertoire of enormous stylistic range. Cooper’s collaborations with artists such as Hilary Hahn, Midori, Elmar Oliviera and Deborah Voigt have, similarly, prompted critical praise for his skills as an accompanist.

In past seasons, Cooper has appeared regularly as guest conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestras of Buffalo and Rochester. In recent years he has made his debuts with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Spokane Symphony, the New Mexico Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, as well as with the Stamford (Conn.), Modesto and Pasadena (Calif.), and Youngstown (Ohio) Symphony Orchestras. He returned to New Zealand to conduct the millennium celebrations there with the Auckland Philharmonica. He appeared as guest conductor of Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings for many seasons and conducted several engagements with Syracuse Opera, including Così fan Tutte, The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. With the WVSO, Cooper’s operatic repertoire has also included Tosca, Carmen and La Bohème.

In 2008, Cooper made successful debut appearances with the Jacksonville (Fla.), Elgin (Ill.), and Wichita (Kansas) Symphony Orchestras. In the summer of that year, he conducted two evenings of ballet at New York’s Chautauqua Institution featuring North Carolina Dance Theatre’s recreations of George Balanchine’s choreography, as well as making his debut with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra on its symphonic season. He has returned to Chautauqua as a guest conductor in each subsequent season. In 2010, Cooper conducted the premiere of his ballet, On the Appalachian Trail at Chautauqua, featuring the North Carolina Dance Theater and original choreography by Mark Diamond.

In the calendar year 2013, Cooper traveled to New Zealand on four occasions to conduct the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in a national tour of a newly commissioned work by composer Gareth Farr for orchestra and theater ensemble, titled Sky Dancer. Also in 2013, Cooper made his debut conducting the Kennedy Center Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

In their March 2009 Pops concerts, the WVSO premiered Cooper’s original scores for two Charlie Chaplin films: The Immigrant and Easy Street. Cooper’s original concert work for soprano and orchestra entitled A Song of Longing, Though…, with poetry by Tom Beal, was premiered by the orchestra in April 2007 and was performed by the Chautauqua Symphony in 2010. Cooper was awarded the National Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Commission following competitive adjudication as part of the 2010 American Residency program of the NSO. His new work, Octagons, was premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in May 2012 and was included in the following season’s concerts by the Montclaire String Quartet.

Cooper is especially passionate about creating original music designed to introduce young audiences to the orchestra, including works such as Rumpelstiltzkin for narrator and orchestra, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Boyz in the Wood, for coloratura soprano and rap singer, and Song of the Wolf, for folk singer, fiddler, vocal soloists, and orchestra. His educational music is an eclectic blend of modern and established styles with interactive participation of the audience, a compositional style that reflects his belief that orchestral music is a living, vital, and relevant part of our society, able to be appreciated by all.

Cooper’s first arrangement for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Take Me Home, Country Roads, was premiered at Symphony Sunday in June 2002, and has found a permanent place in the orchestra’s repertoire. Further arrangements celebrating our Appalachian heritage and the WVSO’s role in honoring our shared cultural values include West Virginia’s Home to Me and The West Virginia Hills. Many of these works are featured on an audio CD released in the spring of 2011 titled Tales from the West Virginia Hills. The WVSO also released a CD, Home for the Holidays, in December 2008 which features the orchestra’s performance of Cooper’s original and arranged music composed for the holiday season.

Cooper has recorded for Delos International, Atoll, Ode, Mark and Kiwi Pacific recordings. As a conductor, a CD devoted to the premier recordings of the string music of New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn has been enthusiastically received. Cooper has also released Points in a Changing Circle, featuring his work as a trumpet soloist in works by New Zealand composers as well as a CD featuring three of his own compositions recorded with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra on a disc titled Boyz in the Wood. With this, Cooper has reached the milestone of having CD recordings of him as conductor, performer and composer, all currently available in the catalog.

In the spring of 2012, Cooper was honored by West Virginia’s Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin as the recipient of a Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts.

Cooper resides in Elmira, N.Y., with his wife, Margie.

About the photo: Pictured from left to right are FSU President Maria Rose, Maestro Grant Cooper and FSU Provost Christina Lavorata.