Letter from Gregory Dunaway
Dear Eberly alumni and friends,
As I write, I am looking out the windows in Woodburn Hall onto a glorious fall afternoon in Morgantown. In one direction, I see splendid foliage buffering the Monongahela River. In another, I see the progress being made on a major renovation of Hodges Hall. Both views remind me that change is all around, whether it’s seasonal transition or the progress of enhancing our campus infrastructure. I am also reminded how much our world has changed since the beginning of this year.
One subtle form of change is our language. We have come to learn new abbreviations, such as PPE and R0; utter phrases like “new normal” and “social distancing”; and more frequently use terms considered jargon, such as pandemic and intubation. One such word that I hear more and more on campus is resilience. I had never thought much about this word until this year, when I have truly come to understand its meaning by observing our incredible students, faculty and staff. It makes me feel more privileged than ever to serve as dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University.
Resilience has rightfully been a watchword in 2020, as our society has faced adversity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice and economic insecurity. To be resilient during long periods of uncertainty and stress, we must individually develop and strengthen our inner resources—and as Mountaineers, we also bolster our friends and neighbors.
The challenges our students have faced since March are staggering. A recent national poll of college students by Active Minds found that nearly 90 percent had experienced stress or anxiety as a result of the pandemic. The most common reasons? Feeling disconnected and uncertain. Additionally, we know many WVU students have faced financial emergencies, both related to paying for school and day-to-day expenses, due to unemployment, illness and other consequences of COVID-19.
“To be resilient during long periods of uncertainty and stress, we must individually develop and strengthen our inner resources—and as Mountaineers, we also bolster our friends and neighbors.”
With alumni at the helm, the WVU community has stepped up to help our students make it through this year. Donors helped establish a new emergency fund for students at the WVU Foundation, and many Eberly College students have benefited from our alumni’s generosity to this fund and others (including Vera Abankwa and Brenden Honaker). Faculty and staff in tandem have worked diligently to make classes, research opportunities, social events and health resources accessible to students, whether offered on-campus or remotely. They have put 3-D rock samples online for geology labs and built traveling museum exhibits. Researchers have overcome significant obstacles to continue their academic pursuits, including many new projects undertaken in response to this unprecedented year to support children and families, arts and culture, communities in Appalachia and worldwide (including Moorefield, West Virginia) and more. Finally, students themselves have exhibited incredible grit and perseverance, supporting one another and giving back to West Virginia.
That’s why this issue of Eberly Magazine spotlights the incredible persistence, creativity and accomplishments of our students and alumni. A geography student is applying her lived experience and her doctoral studies to strengthening online communities—an especially timely task. Those who graduated in spring 2020, who went without an in-person commencement and said farewell to their campus and friends through a screen, have nevertheless discovered resilience within themselves. Our young alumni have been inspired to travel the world, from a future dentist’s Fulbright in Malaysia to an exploration of how the Appalachian and Arab worlds are connected.
“Resilience has always been and always will be a hallmark of the Mountaineer spirit.”
I believe that one building block in our students’ resilience is their collegiate experience, including the skills we work to instill in them. Both our liberal arts and sciences educational approach and commitment to our land grant mission instills our student with intellectual curiosity, critical thinking skills, creativity, problem-solving tools and compassion. In the context of West Virginia University, those skills are honed with purpose and conviction to give back to the state and the world.
Resilience has always been and always will be a hallmark of the Mountaineer spirit. During these challenging times we can take comfort in our ability to face adversity with confidence, optimism and grace. In this way we support each other, this great institution and the state of West Virginia, and we serve as an inspiration to our nation and world.
Thank you for being part of this most resilient community and thank you for supporting us during all times. We are ever grateful. Please be safe and well and…
Let’s Go!
Gregory Dunaway
Dean, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
West Virginia University