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Timothy Holt, a WV native residing in Atlanta, Georgia, received his nursing degree from Auburn University and his nurse practitioner doctorate from the University of Tennessee, but he wanted to continue his education through our Chambers College Healthcare MBA (HMBA) program.

“I read that the HMBA program was a new initiative and I wanted to be part of an initial cohort,” said Holt. “The Chambers College has a reputation of being student-friendly and I was looking for a professional program who treated their students more as peer professionals and embraced adult education versus a traditional student. 

Chambers College MBA graduate and West Virginia native Selena Hayes also received her undergraduate degree in psychology from WVU.

“My employer of nearly 15 years closed their Morgantown facility in 2021, providing me with the perfect opportunity to further my education,” said Hayes. “I wanted a degree that would broaden my horizons and increase the availability of future career opportunities. The WVU MBA program checked all of those boxes while offering the convenience and flexibility of online coursework.

On Saturday, December 17, the Chambers College welcomed 248 business graduates into our alumni family.

All of our graduates – 177 undergraduate students and 71 graduate students – joined together in the WVU Coliseum with family and friends at 2:00 p.m. to hear inspiring words from West Virginia University’s President E. Gordon Gee, as well as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed.

It was a milestone year that set the bar high for the future of business education as we brought our experiential learning mission to life in our new spaces, explored new research pursuits to solve global problems, and experienced increases in enrollment and student placement.

Here are a few of our most proudest moments:

Reynolds Hall is not just a new brick-and-mortar building: it creates new opportunities to evolve the way we work, learn, interact, collaborate and teach on campus.

These new dynamics will play out as we explore this advanced learning complex and take advantage of our new labs, building technologies and experiential learning spaces to achieve strategic outcomes. Our move came on the heels of the pandemic, which required us to deeply leverage technology to deliver courses remotely and interact and collaborate with students completely online. 

Emmy Severs may be an entrepreneurship senior at the Chambers College, but when she arrived at West Virginia University she had a different career path in mind. However, relying on her passions and creative skills, she continues to show others what you can do when life gives you lemons. 

"The pandemic gave people the opportunity to reevaluate their passions and find something they connected with," she said. "For me, that was connecting back to my old love of illustrating greeting cards, this time with my iPad instead of crayons and colored pencils. I have always been a very creative person and love to paint, draw, or any outlet that allows me to be artistic." 

West Virginia is ready to honor a new class of business success stories.  

Nominations for the 2023 West Virginia Business Hall of Fame are being accepted through Jan. 2, 2023. Now in its 22nd year, the Hall of Fame recognizes business leaders who, throughout their careers, have demonstrated extraordinary influence and impact in their fields. Nominations are open to individuals who have built their careers in West Virginia, been educated in West Virginia, or are native to West Virginia.  

Ascend West Virginia, the nation’s premier talent attraction and retention program, announced its addition of the Greater Elkins community to the program. Founded by West Virginia native Brad D. Smith and his wife Alys, Ascend WV will welcome a new group of adventurers to the state’s Potomac Highlands, offering them more than $20,000 in incentives — and a path to making “Almost Heaven” home. Greater Elkins joins a lineup of other communities that have welcomed nearly 150 new West Virginians while maintaining a 98% retention rate.

Givers frequently struggle when it comes to choosing presents recipients really want, according to Julian Givi, a West Virginia University expert on gifting. 

West Virginia University alumnus William “Bill” Sheedy has been elected chairman of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors. A 1988 finance graduate, he has served as vice chair of the Board since June and an active member since 2016.