As Tafara Ushendibaba reflects on his journey of becoming the CEO and founder of his company, it doesn’t start in a classroom or boardroom; it begins on a farm.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Ushendibaba grew up raising pigs and chickens on a small-scale farm. He experienced firsthand the difficulties that farmers all over the world still face today.
A Seed Planted: The Start of JarHead Farms
Natasha Zoe started JarHead Farms LLC as part of Sprouting Farm’s incubator program, which supports the growth of farm-based businesses. She and her father, Stan, noticed that there was a gap in their local market not just for produce, but specifically for fruit. What began as an effort to meet that need quickly gained momentum. As their business grew, they expanded their vision and established JarHead Kitchen Inc., allowing them to share their fruit-based products with a wider market.
Congratulating alumni and celebrating our Corporate Partner of the Year, the 2026 Chambers College Honors Induction Ceremony recognized many while introducing two new awards — the Lifetime Achievement Award and Chambers College Impact Award.
With two new additions for 2026, the ceremony featured five award categories:
In a resounding reaffirmation of his visionary leadership, Joshua Hall has been reappointed to the position of Milan Puskar Dean of the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics for a second five-year term.
The reappointment follows an extensive review during the Spring 2026 semester.
Overall, Dean Hall received positive ratings for performance and leadership. He was also commended for his “tireless work ethic” and “solution-oriented focus,” and was praised as an “authentic, ethical and pragmatic” leader.
Businesses and non-profits sought fresh marketing ideas. Students craved real-world experience. One program rose to meet both needs.
In 2024, Dr. Annie Cui, chair of the Chambers College marketing department, recognized the growing need for a student organization that could operate beyond traditional semester timelines.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In its inaugural year, the State Journal’s WV Business Leadership Award for chief operating officer of a medium-sized business goes to Joshua Hall, dean of the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics. Hall has been the dean of the John Chambers College since August 2021. But he’s been with the university for 16 years, including three as a student. Prior to becoming dean, Hall attended Ohio University. He was initially hopeful to teach social studies to high school students. But all that changed when he took his first economics class.
“I wanted to be a hockey coach, and I wanted to teach high school social studies. And then I thought, ‘Oh, this is really what I want to do. I want to teach the college level,’” he said. Economics, Hall said, “seemed natural” to him, saying “it’s the way I think about the world.” “I love the fact that it’s one foot in social sciences and one foot in business,” he said, noting the science of understanding the economy as a system can also help individuals with their own decision-making.
When Logan Cuvo, founder and CEO of Best Dam Tape, stepped away from competitive hockey, a lot changed. He wasn’t just leaving a sport; he was leaving behind a piece of his identity that he’d been building for years. But instead of walking away from hockey completely, he found new ways to stay connected, this time as an entrepreneur.
Now a senior entrepreneur student at West Virginia University, Cuvo has spent the last few years as both a student and entrepreneur, building a fast-growing sports tape company and balancing the demands of college life.
For West Virginia University students, the end of a calendar year is special for more than winter break: it marks the Commencement of another class of Mountaineers.
On December 20, the John Chambers College of Business and Economics celebrated the class of winter 2025 at the Hope Coliseum in Morgantown. Crossing the stage, students met President Michael T. Benson, who was conducting his first WVU Commencement.
Robert Leary wants to know how the world works. He’s interested in big questions: why do people do what they do? What motivates them? What empowers and disadvantages them?
His goal is to become a lawyer. Thanks to his time studying economics at West Virginia University, he’s already on his way there.
For senior marketing major and Indiana native Grace Bowersox, social media isn’t just a hobby: it’s a career.
Bowersox started creating public content in high school after some encouragement from her friends.
