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Jody L. Crosno, the Joseph E. Antonini Chair and professor in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics’ Department of Marketing

Marina Galvez-Peralta, teaching assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Distinguished by high standards for academics and a passion for discovery and to serve their state and others, five rising freshmen have been named to the 2021-22 cohort of West Virginia University Foundation Scholars, the highest academic scholarship the University awards.

West Virginia University School of Dentistry Alumni Association members recently contributed $300,000 to ensure that the next generation of dentists and dental hygienists are trained in state-of-the-art facilities that mirror the excellent education and quality patient care provided at WVU.

School of Dentistry Alumni Association Board of Governors members donated $125,000 to support Transforming Oral Health: The Campaign for Facilities, a $15 million fundraising effort to support multiphase facility upgrades at the School. Members Michael George, DDS, and Loring Ross, DDS, made individual donations – $25,000 and $150,000, respectively – to ensure the Alumni Association would be recognized for its contributions to the new facilities. The patient reception and waiting area at the School’s Urgent Care Clinic will be named in honor of the School of Dentistry Alumni Association’s generosity.

It’s been 10 years since former West Virginia University Emergency Medicine resident Greg Seftick died in an avalanche at Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. 

Foundation Scholar Jessica Hogbin came to WVU with high ambitions, but she’ll be graduating with even more – three degrees that include history, Italian studies and religious studies. In addition to her three majors, she also completed a minor in medieval and renaissance studies and learned three new languages. She served as president for the Italian Studies Club, the History Club, WVU’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, Helvetia and Chimes.

Four years as a Foundation Scholar allowed graduating senior Breellen Fleming to realize she can pursue multiple dreams simultaneously. As an intermedia major with minors in art history and religious studies, she was able to incorporate a sense of historical continuity into the artistic works she created. In addition to her studies, she also explored new areas of curiosity like Arabic and kickboxing.

While at WVU, Foundation scholar Miriam Demasi was drawn to the idea of intersecting technology and humanity. As a computer and electrical engineering major, she was a sister in Alpha Omega Epsilon, a professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences. 

A life of global travel and service sparked the interest of Foundation Scholar Adam Craig, who spent four years of undergraduate school diving deep into the culture, language and history of Africa and the Middle East. Craig will graduate in May with a degree in international studies, while also completing two minors in economics and political science. They also rigorously studied Arabic and Spanish as languages and hopes to use that knowledge for a future in international development.

Applications are now being accepted for the seventh round of grants through an enrichment fund established by Women of WVU.