News

The West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design is pleased to welcome three new faculty members – Sophan “Steve” Chhin, Debanjan Das and Christopher Lituma – to its School of Natural Resources and School of Design and Community Development.

Steve Chhin, assistant professor in forest resources management in the School of Natural Resources, specializes in quantitative forest management. His research focuses on the sustainable management of forest resources by utilizing quantitative tools that lead to a better understanding of how forest management practices and environmental factors influence above-ground forest productivity and forest regeneration. Ensuring that forests are resilient to climate change and changes in forest disturbance agents, including fire, insects and fungal pathogens, is of particular interest to Chhin.

West Virginia University  Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design alumna Yasmeen Juma was recently awarded 2nd prize in the Graduate Student Design Category at the 7th “Yuan Ye” International Competition, an annual design competition for landscape architecture students and professionals.

The competition is hosted by the Asian Landscape Architecture Society, Worldscape Magazine and China Landscape Architecture.

With more than 7 billion microorganisms in the soil, it’s no surprise we still have a lot to learn about  them and their impact on the environment. A  West Virginia University  researcher is uncovering critical information about these tiny organisms under our feet, which although small, can have a huge impact on the environment.

Ember Morrissey, assistant professor of  environmental microbiology in the  Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, received a $150,000 grant from National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology’s Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research program, known as EAGER, to increase understanding of the behavior of microorganisms in the soil to provide descriptions of microbial function that currently aren’t available.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University alumnus Ralph Glover, Jr., believes in “paying it forward” when it comes to helping WVU students. To this end, he has established the Ralph Glover Forestry Scholarship, an endowed fund that will support undergraduate students enrolled in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources.

As a first-generation college student, Glover recalls what a privilege it was to not only attend WVU, but to have most of his college expenses covered by his parents.

West Virginia University’s equine therapy program is helping change the lives of people with disabilities, providing the training for nuanced care for both physical and mental impairments.

“Horse therapy is not only for people with physical disabilities; it also supports mental health and overall stability,” said Carol Petitto, an adjunct instructor in the  Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design, said. “Those who benefit include people with autism, visual impairment, emotional disabilities and brain injuries. We have found it is beneficial for at-risk students and even veterans.”

Donald J. Horvath, longtime professor of animal and veterinary sciences at   West Virginia University, passed away in 2011, but left behind a legacy of inspired learning that his family will honor through the establishment of the Dr. Donald J. Horvath Memorial Scholarship.

Horvath’s immediate family members — his wife, Jaqueline; daughter, Shelly Poston; and sons, Christopher, Jeremy and David— recently made a $25,000 gift to support the  WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, establishing an endowed fund that will benefit undergraduate students majoring in  animal and nutritional sciences or graduate students in  animal physiology. First preference will be given to graduate students who wish to teach at the university level.