Marshall Magazine Autumn 2022

A Preview of Thundering Herd Basketball

ENROLLMENT STUDENT EXPERIENCE VISION AND STRATEGY Marshall charts its course for the future DIGITALMARKETING PRICING

See page 39 for ALUMNI NEWS and more

Autumn 2022 | www.marshall.edu

T h e o f f i c i a l m a g a z i n e o f M a r s h a l l U n i v e r s i t y M arshall

President Brad D. Smith Executive Editor Susan Tams Director of Communications Leah Payne Publisher Jack Houvouras Office Manager Dana Keaton Art Director Suzanna Stephens Senior Graphic Designer Katie Sigler Contributing Photographers Rick Lee, Morgan Napier, Austin O’Connor, Marilyn Testerman-Haye Contributing Writers James E. Casto, Amy Deal, Amanda Larch, Keith Morehouse, Lalena Price, Katherine Pyles, Taylor Stuck Editorial Advisory Board Michelle Biggs, William “Tootie” Carter, Larry Crum, Karen McComas, Chuck McGill, Sheanna Spence, Susan Tams Marshall Magazine is distributed three times a year by: Marshall University One John Marshall Drive Huntington, WV 25755 ADVERTISERS’ CONTACT: HQ Publishing Co. P.O. Box 384 Huntington, WV 25708 304-529-6158 mail@marshallmagazine.com For subscription information contact: MU Office of Alumni Relations at 304-696-3134 Comments or suggestions

m a g a z i n e

Autumn 2022

Contents

4 COVER STORY : President Brad D. Smith’s listening tour laid the groundwork for the future direction of the university. 12 DIVISION OF AVIATION : The Aviation Maintenance Technology program is poised to fill some of the most in-demand jobs in the world. 16 RESEARCH : After 25 years of hard work by faculty and students alike, Marshall is one of the leading research universities in the nation. 22 AUTISM TRAINING CENTER : The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall is a national leader in the field of autism. 26 SPORTS : Coach D’Antoni and his Thundering Herd basketball team hope to shine in the Sun Belt Conference. 30 IN BRIEF : Read an update on Marshall’s baseball stadium and the university’s new home for the College of Business. 34 ACCREDITATION : Marshall begins a three-year Quality Initiative to make both the university and the community more inclusive.

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39 Letter from Mikala Shremshock, MUAA President 40 Spotlight 42 Financial Aid 44 Maier Foundation Scholarship

should be addressed to: magazine@marshall.edu

Designed & Published by:

46 Homecoming 48 Class Notes 50 In Memoriam 52 Letter From MUAA

HQ Publishing Co. P.O. Box 384 Huntington, W.Va. 304-529-6158 www.hqpublishing.com

on the cover

University President Brad D. Smith has a vision for Marshall’s future that focuses on five key areas addressed in our cover story.

© 2022 by Marshall University

c o v e r s t o r y

LEADING

LISTENING

by

President Brad D. Smith’s listening tour laid the groundwork for the future direction of the university.

By Katherine Pyles

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Brad D. Smith began his presidency with a Listening Tour. The 1,200+ responses he received were referenced when addressing the “Big Five” key areas of concern for the university’s future.

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G rowing up, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith was often reminded, “You were born with two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.” “It was one of my mom’s favorite sayings,” Smith said. Smith carried those words with him as one of Silicon Valley’s preeminent CEOs, and they remained at the top of his mind as he stepped into the role of Marshall president. “Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that you should first seek to understand before seeking to be un derstood,” he said. It’s fitting, then, that Smith’s first presidential under taking was, simply, to listen. “I thought it would be best to begin by listening,” Smith said. “I recognize that even though I was born in this area and I’m a Son of Marshall, I’ve been gone for 36 years. I didn’t want to assume that I knew the things that were most important to focus on.” To gain insight into what matters most to the Marshall

community, Smith kicked off his presidency with a 100 day listening tour, meeting with students, alumni, fac ulty, staff, community leaders and others in 38 separate listening sessions. More than 1,000 people participated in the sessions, garnering more than 1,200 suggestions for the university. Board of Governors Chairman Patrick Farrell said Smith’s tour, which also included visits to other cam puses and conversations with 18 college and university presidents, was inspiring to witness. “President Smith has an extraordinary ability to listen and empathize with people so they really feel understood,” Farrell said. An outside firm analyzed the data from the listening tour. The suggestions were organized by theme, and the most frequently referenced themes were identified as key areas. Smith labeled these areas “The Big Five.” “It was surprising to see how aligned our campus com munity is about what our priorities should be,” Farrell said. Marshall’s annual Week of Welcome (WOW) included a full schedule of activities in August to welcome the Class of 2026. Shown is the Freshman Walk held on Fourth Avenue between campus and the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington.

The 2022 Alumni Award recipients Jeff McKay (Distinguished Young Alumnus), Alys Smith (Distinguished Service to Marshall University), Brad Smith (Distinguished Alumnus) and Cathy Burns (Outstanding Community Achievement) were honored April 9.

OCT 27, 2021 - Brad D. Smith

JAN 3, 2022 - On Smith’s first day as president, he receives a green jacket from the Board of Governors

named president of Marshall University

NOV 12, 2021 - Smith initiates his 100-day Listening Tour

FEB 21, 2022 - Christian Spears is named MU’s new athletic director

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“It’s normally hard to get large groups to agree on almost anything, but it’s clear from the listening tour feedback that there’s widespread agreement among our stakeholders

“And what I love is that we’re already taking action. We’ve made pricing decisions to hold our tuition relatively flat even in an inflationary market, and we just expanded our

about where we should focus our resources.” The Big Five are: 1)

metro discounts to a total of 59 counties in Ohio and Kentucky. That’s a 100-mile ra dius that can get tu ition rates lower than the in-state rates in Ohio and Kentucky.” The administra tion has also hit the ground running in bolstering Marshall’s marketing strategy, with digital market ing campaigns and stor ytelling ef forts that align with the university’s mission and vision. “One thing that really bubbled to the top during the listen ing tour was that we need to be aligned as a university commu

“ Over the years , I ’ ve come to appreciate that you should first seek to understand before seeking to be understood . ”

increasing enrollment, using an “end-to-end” approach that begins when a student first learns about Marshall and ends with lifelong alumni engagement; 2) improv ing the student experience, with targeted efforts for commuters, on line learners and other nontraditional stu dents; 3) investing in staff and faculty with an emphasis on com pensation, resources and professional de velopment; 4) increas ing efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion; and 5) advancing the university’s marketing strategy to better tell the Marshall story. Efforts are already underway in each area. Smith said that seeing the level at which certain topics resonated among the different groups was eye-opening. For example, increasing enrollment by making Marshall more affordable, particularly for metro residents, was a leading issue brought up in multiple sessions. “That was top of mind for many people,” Smith said.

— President Brad D. Smith Marshall University

nity on what our vision is — who we are, who we aspire to be — and then build a concrete strategy as we move forward,” Smith said. “For a long time there were ques tions of, ‘Do we want to be a high-research university?’ ‘Do we want to be another WVU?’ What we want to be is a great Marshall University. The question now is, ‘What does that look like?’” The university has partnered withMcKinsey Consulting

APR 9, 2022 - Avinandan Mukherjee is named new Provost

APR 9, 2022 - Brad and Alys Smith are honored at the Alumni Awards Banquet with the Distinguished Alumnus and Distinguished Service to Marshall University awards, respectively

JUN 9, 2022 - Bruce Felder is named inaugural Chief Talent and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

APR 19-20, 2022 - Inaugural Student Research Creativity Symposium is held

APR 12, 2022 - Intercultural Center opens

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to help build that narrative and increase awareness of Marshall throughout the nation and world. Smith can hardly contain his excitement for what they’ve come up with. “As we wrap up the work with McKinsey, I’ll just put a teaser out there: ‘Marshall for all. Marshall forever,’” Smith said with a smile. “And we’ll explain more soon.” Decisive action is taking place in the other areas as well. A comprehensive compensation analysis is being conducted to identify potential inequities due to gender, race or other factors. Through a partnership with consult ing firm InfoTech, the university is working to modernize its IT platforms and processes. Marshall is adopting a Responsibility Center Management (RCM) philosophy, an approach that gives academic administrators more control over resource decisions. The university’s Strategic Enrollment Management plan will work to increase en rollment, expand recruitment initiatives and improve

working on the major decisions that affect the university. To be clear, there are primary decision-makers in certain areas — the faculty is the primary decision-maker on the academic side of things, and there are areas where the administration is the primary decision-maker. But all the groups have a voice.” The ad hoc committee is conducting a study of other universities that utilize shared governance in order to put their best practices in place at Marshall. “They are studying the best practices of universities that not only have strong shared governance but also move at the speed of life, because one thing we all recognize is that we can’t measure the world by semesters when things are changing by day,” Smith said. Tackling the Big Five and moving Marshall forward takes everyone, Smith said. And it was in that spirit of collaboration that Marshall held its inaugural Community Cares Week, a series of service projects that gave the

retention rates. And key leadership positions in diversity, equity and inclusion have been filled in order to better facilitate the university’s diversity and equity work. Complementing all these efforts is a shared governance ad hoc committee focused on promot ing transparency, accountability, inclusivity and collaboration. Smith said the concept of shared governance is vital to Marshall’s future success. “All strong cultures and great decisions are made better by diversity: diversity of thought, diversity of experience and demographic diversity like gender, race and sexual orientation,” Smith explained. “And that’s really the foundation of shared governance. Shared governance means that all the powers that be — students, faculty, staff, the Board of Governors, the administra tion — are coming together and collectively

President Brad D. Smith’s first press conference recapped his first 100 days in office including a summary of the issues brought to his attention during his extensive listening tour.

JUN 24, 2022 - New baseball stadium site chosen

JUN 20-24, 2022 - Community Cares Week

JUN 20, 2022 - 100 Days press conference

JUL 22, 2022 - Former Thomson Reuters CEO James C. “Jim” Smith appointed to BOG

AUG 9, 2022 - An evening with Dolly Parton

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them on one of the benches,” Smith recalled. “I did, and I handed her phone back to her. As I was walking away, I overheard her say, ‘I want to have this picture so that one day when my daughter comes to Marshall, she’ll see the bench that her mother built.’” He said tears ran down his cheeks as he walked back to his office. “This was a 17-year-old girl, who had just finished doing very hard work, with people she’d never met before, on a campus she wasn’t officially a part of yet — but she’s already envisioned herself having a daughter who will follow in her footsteps at Marshall and sit on “I’ve always felt that the most important word in ‘We are … Marshall’ is the word ‘we,’” he said. “This is the community’s university. This is Appalachia’s university. And quite frankly, it’s the world’s university. Everywhere I’ve traveled, if I say, ‘We are …’ someone will call out, ‘Marshall!’ They’ve seen the movie. They know our story. We have a part to play in a bigger picture.” In a sense, bringing that bigger picture to life was the goal of the listening tour. While the tour has ended and 100 days in office have turned into 200, and soon 300, that doesn’t mean things are slowing down for Smith. He’s just getting started. “People sometimes ask me if being the president of a university is very different frombeing the CEOof a Fortune 500 company,” he said. “My answer is that the hours really aren’t that different. What’s different is that not a day that I’ve been here has felt like work. It feels like purpose.” the bench her mother built,” Smith said. That’s the power of “we,” he asserted.

Marshall family an opportunity to give back to the insti tution through sweat equity last June. “We thought we’d have 50 people show up,” Smith said. “Then we said, ‘Let’s dream big. Maybe we’ll have 250.’ Well, we had 451 people show up. And I have not walked out of my office a day since and not seen someone I worked with that week.” Smith, whose jobs included power washing, painting, planting trees and scrubbing the floors of Corbly Hall, said one moment in particular stood out to him. He was assigned to a shift with a group of incoming B.S./M.D. students, high school seniors preparing to earn both their Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine at Marshall in an accelerated program. Their task that day was to put together park benches, securing new wood to stone frames throughout campus. “I was working with two young women, and when we were finished one of them asked if I’d take a picture of Brad D. Smith assisted with housekeeping in residence halls during International Housekeepers and Environmental Services Week which honors the “unsung heroes” of the housekeeping, grounds crew and sustainability staff.

Katherine Pyles is a freelance writer living in Huntington, West Virginia. She is a 2009 graduate of the Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

AUG 29, 2022 - MU alum and Hubspot CMO Kipp Bodnar appointed to the BOG

AUG 22, 2022 - Global education technology leader Ginny T. Lee appointed to BOG

SEP 16, 2022 - Investiture: Brad D. Smith announces the goal of ending student debt at MU in 10 years

AUG 25, 2022 - Aviation maintenance program ribbon cutting AUG 25, 2022 - Pedestrian safety initiatives launched

SEP 2, 2022 - MU to partner on multiple projects in $63 million federal award

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Student Body President Isabella Griffiths is leading several mental health initiatives for students who are facing any challenges.

IMPROVING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE When it comes to improving the student experience, one size doesn’t FIT ALL. Improving the student experience for all. By Katherine Pyles

O ne of the Big Five focus areas is improving the student experience, and students themselves are leading several initiatives to effect change in that area. It starts with recognizing that one size doesn’t fit all, said Marshall President Brad D. Smith. “Part of our Strategic Enrollment Plan is recognizing that we’re not just enrolling recent high school graduates,” Smith explained. “A nontraditional student expects a different college experience than a student coming straight out of a local high school. A veteran expects something different than a working parent with a child at home.” Seeing the need for better inclusion of diverse, nontraditional and commuter students, as well as for expanded mental health services, Marshall’s student leaders are working to promote campus connections. “We want every student to feel like they’re being heard and have a role in the Marshall community,” explained Student Body President Isabella Griffiths. “No voice is bigger or smaller than another. Everyone can contribute.” The Intercultural Center, which opened last spring, houses the LGBTQ+ Office, Office of Student Success, Center for African American Students, Center for International Student Affairs and English Language Institute. It also houses a lounge area where students can relax and connect, Griffiths said. “It’s a space where you can learn about different sexualities, ethnicities, gender identifications, religions — all the things that make you unique,” she said. “It’s a space to share your story and learn from others’ stories.” The Intercultural Center is one of several small lounge areas on campus that students can take advantage of, said Student Body Vice President Walker Tatum. Some of the lounge areas, like a space located in the Women’s and Gender Center, can even be reserved for individual use. “You can sign in, dim the lights and just take a breather,” Tatum said, adding that the smaller lounge areas are especially beneficial to commuter students who don’t have a dorm where

they can go to relax. “Sometimes you don’t want to be in a popu lated area like the student center or the plaza. Having these little spaces tucked away is really important.” Mental health initiatives and services are also key to a more inclusive student experience, he said. “College isn’t easy, and Bella and I are the first to say, ‘It’s OK not to be OK,’” Tatum said. “But Marshall has so many resources that students can use. We want students to know that there are things they can take advantage of whenever they feel the need to.” He said therapy dogs through the MU PAWS program are becoming increasingly popular, and the Counseling Center re cently hired additional counselors to improve access to counsel ing services. For students who’d prefer to reach out to a peer for support, the Green Bandana Initiative offers peer-level mental health assistance. Students who join the Green Bandana Initiative go through mental health first aid training and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training, then receive green bandanas that they display on their backpacks or elsewhere to show that they’re a safe person to turn to for help. “So many people have participated in the trainings,” Tatum said. “It’s nice to see the green bandanas all around campus.” As Griffiths and Tatum work to spread awareness about the initiative and other mental health resources, Griffiths said she hopes students also know that they can always come to her. “We’re always here for the students,” she said. “They’ve put their faith in us to represent them, and our doors are always open to them.” She said one of her priorities as president is to facilitate op portunities for students to be heard, with events like “Popsicles with the President” and “Mochas with the Mayor” designed to promote civic engagement. She’s also working to reinstate the Marshall University House of Delegates to encourage collabora tion among Marshall’s clubs, organizations and athletic teams. “We want students to feel connected not only on campus but also out in the community,” sh e said . “We want them to make their voices heard.”

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d i v i s i o n o f a v i a t i o n

Ground Support

The opening of the Aviation Maintenance Technology program in Huntington has Marshall poised to fill some of the most in-demand jobs in the world.

By Lalena Price

Students are being trained in the critical field of aviation maintenance technology through a partnership with Mountwest Community and Technical College.

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The first students of the Aviation Maintenance Technology A.A.S. program at Marshall University are joined by James Smith, program director, and Nancy Ritter, director of the Bill Noe Flight School.

B ill Noe says Marshall University is perfectly poised to bolster the aviation industry for decades to come. “If you’ve ever watched somebody surf, you see them sitting out there waiting for the perfect wave to ride,” said Noe, the university’s new chief aviation officer and the man for whom its flight school in Charleston is named. “At Marshall we see this perfect wave starting to come our way, and we’re starting to paddle hard to catch it because we know we will be able to ride it for the next 30-plus years.”

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to get it up and r u n n i n g i n time for classes that began in August. Years of work cul - minated in a f lurry of activ ity prior to the start of the fall semester. FAA certification was granted in late June. An open house was held in early July. Twenty quali f ied students were recruited and admitted to the program, be ginning classes even before the

Noe, an ac c o mp l i s h e d pilot and the former presi - dent and chief operations of ficer for NetJets, the largest pri vate jet f leet in the world, has served as a trusted adviser to Marshal l ’s aviat ion pro gram since its incept ion in 2017. He was tapped to lead it in late August 2022, and i t seems the sky’s the limit for his vision.

From left, AMT Program Director Jim Smith; Stephen M. Friedrich, CCO, Embraer Executive Jets; William Smith, Director, Learning and Development, Delta Air Lines; MU President Brad D. Smith; Sen. Shelley Moore Capito; MU Chief Aviation Officer Bill Noe; and Mountwest Community and Technical College President Joshua Baker cut the ribbon on the new Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program’s facility at Huntington Tri-State Airport Aug. 25.

School and administrators from the aviationmanagement program in the Lewis College of Business. And now, students are being trained in the critical field of aviation maintenance technology through a partnership with Mountwest Community and Technical College, which became the nation’s newest FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician school and the first of its kind in the region. There’s no doubt aviation is gaining speed at Marshall. Noe’s intention is to feed the program well and watch it get stronger and stronger, he said. “I’m asked, ‘Bill, can you train your students this way, or that way,’ and it makes me think of the scene in the movie Jaws where someone says, ‘We’re gonna need a bigger boat.’ Once we get up to full throttle with Marshall aviation, we may need a bigger school,” Noe laughed. James Smith directs the Aviation Maintenance Technology program and said many stars had to align

ribbon was cut on the state-of-the art training facility at Huntington Tri-State Airport. Certainly, Smith’s program will fill a void in the aviation industry; but he said he also sees potential for it to serve as an economic driver for the region, producing a workforce withmalleable skills that also directly answers industry needs. “One-quarter of students who graduate from these programs will go to work in oil and gas, maritime and automotive industries,” Smith said. “So, the Aviation Maintenance Technology program is a blessing for all the industries in the region.” Students will earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) through an 18-month, year-round program. Graduates will be qualified to take the FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant certification exams, which are good for life and can be used in any state without restriction. The average U.S. annual salary for an aviation technician? Over $55,000. Industry need for AMTs? 132,000 technicians

“Right now, the aviation indus try is so open that you can pick and choose pretty much what you want to do once you get your certifications and qualifications,” Noe said. “We have aircraft manufacturers right now telling us they want to hire people coming out of our program. We have them wanting to support our program financially and donate equipment to help us train people they can hire. They — all the major players — are donating engines, wings, propellers and more to help expose our students to everything they need to know.” In Noe’s eyes, Marshall’s Division of Aviation, which operates two programs through agreements with West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston and Tri-State Airport in Huntington, is perfectly positioned for the future. He said he envisions the aviation division evolving into an industry leader that produces capable, adaptable, industry-savvy professionals, includ ing pilots from the Bill Noe Flight

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aviation. It’s ultimately about jobs for students — whether they oper ate, build or maintain aircraft or manage those who do. Curating a specialized workforce takes time. As Noe says, “You do have to crawl before you walk.” Noe’s most meaningful involve ment in the program begins as students are preparing to leave it. He wants his students to have jobs before they graduate, he said. “That’s when I go to work creat ing paths to guaranteed employment, guaranteed opportunity, guaranteed fulfillment for our students just about anywhere they want to go. That’s what we are starting to see happen already with these aviation companies,” Noe said.

Overall, Marshall’s aviation program has received a number of gifts from the likes of Delta Airlines TechOps and the Embraer Foundation, among others, in sup port of its nascent program; and at least one company, Thoroughbred Av i a t i on , ha s e xpanded t o Huntington Tri-State Airport in part due to Marshall’s program. Monica Newman McCluney, head of the Embraer Foundation, said, “Aviation is a robust, high-growth industry; and the incoming students at Marshall University have the op portunity to greatly contribute to the future of flight. We celebrate the university, as well as the stu dents, and are proud to be part of this journey.” There’s no need for instruments to gauge what those kinds of strong industry investments mean for Marshall’s climb in the world of

before 2041. Current licensed AMTs? Not enough to fill every job. Coming attrition? 30% of the existing AMT workforce will retire, creating thou sands of positions for new techni cians. These are not great statistics for the industry, but they are great for students. Smith is seeking perfect candidates for 2023 to fill 30 spaces for the spring semester and 50 for the fall semester. The FAA sets the ratio of instructors to students at 25:1 to ensure quality instruction. “The aviation industry is hurting for technicians; and if you look at the way a lot of companies invest in their infrastructure, they tend to invest in facilities where they have a direct pipeline of workforce,” Smith said. “My goal for the Aviation Maintenance Technology program is to inspire companies to come to Huntington that can employ our students and help grow our airport.”

Lalena Price is a freelance writer living in Kenna, West Virginia.

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r e s e a r c h

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esearch

eady R

Faculty and students have worked hard over the last 25 years to transformMarshall into one of the leading research universities in the nation.

By Amanda Larch

Dr. Derrick Kolling explains a chemical reaction to a student. Kolling is a professor and the chair of the Department of Chemistry.

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D r. John Maher, vice president for research at Marshall, says the university’s prestigious reputation for research is a success story 25 years in the making. Having achieved Carnegie Classification R2 High Research Activity status in 2018, Marshall is now among the top 6% of research universities in the country. “If you name a direction of research, our faculty are involved in it,” Maher said. “When you look at Marshall research, it’s impactful.” Many factors at Marshall foster research and have laid the groundwork for this success, such as the accreditation of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, as well as the construction of the Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center in 2006 and the Arthur Weisberg Family Applied Engineering Complex in 2015. This past fiscal year, Marshall was awarded approximately $63 million in grants for research — an all-time record for the university. “Those are elements that have been built brick by brick by Marshall faculty, and we’ve been come a long way in the last 25 years,” Maher said. Maher said the research experience at Marshall prepares students, no matter their area of study, for the real world.

Dr. John Maher is executive director of the Marshall University Research Corporation and vice president for research at Marshall.

“That training builds resilience, self confidence, and collaborative and team skills,” he explained. “We see that across the board, whether somebody’s doing an undergraduate research project in fine arts or doing an undergraduate research project in biomedical engineering.” One focus of research at Marshall is dis covering new pathways for treating obesity, spearheaded by Dr. Umapathy Sundaram, vice dean for research and chairman of the Department of Clinical and Translational Science at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “Obesity is an epidemic inWest Virginia and central Appalachia,” said Sundaram. “The many complications of obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver dis ease, cardiovascular disease, etc., are more common in West Virginia than most any other state.” To focus the research at Marshall in this important area, the Appalachian Center for Cellular Transport in Obesity Related

Dr. Umapathy Sundaram has practiced gastroenterology at Marshall and WVU for almost 20 years and is discovering new pathways for treating obesity.

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Disorders (ACCORD) at Marshall University was founded several years ago. Through the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program of the National Institutes of Health, Sundaram and his team were awarded a nearly $11 million grant to investigate obesity. “This program will allow us to not only perform research in obesity and its complications, but also provide funding to train the next generation of biomedical researchers and establish important infrastructures to perform state-of-the-art research at Marshall,” said Sundaram, principal investigator of the grant. NIH has also awarded grants to fund other entities, including the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) in part nership with West Virginia University, led by Dr. Gary Rankin, chair of the JCESOM Department of Pharmacology. “INBRE uses the research experience at WVU and Marshall to foster student and faculty research activity at primarily undergraduate institutions in the state, and it creates a statewide network of people who are trained and going into careers in biomedical research,” Maher explained. “It has a “ If people were not doing research , we wouldn ’ t have transistors , iPhones or cholesterol drugs . All of that comes from people asking basic questions and training students to be curious . ” — Dr. John Maher vice president for research

profound impact on research competitiveness and on the lives and the careers of the students who are now leaving the undergraduate institutions to go on to graduate or medical studies.” Sundaram, who has been at Marshall for nine years and has practiced gastroenterology at Marshall andWVU for almost 20 years, said a priority among university researchers is to “concentrate our efforts on research that is relevant to our patients.” Because many West Virginians face difficulty in traveling to receive the latest and most advanced care, the Marshall Clinical Research Center (MCRC) was established to bring advancements in treatment and medicine to the area. It supports and grants patients access to clinical trial programs and pro motes clinical and translational research to provide advanced care that otherwise is not available for patients in the region. “The goal with the MCRC is to bring the latest treatment available by the government and pharma ceutical companies to our locale so patients don’t have to travel too far,” Sundaram said. Recently, Sundaram and his team completed a clinical trial with a new medication that specifically treats patients with liver complications of obesity.

Dr. Gary Rankin is the principal investigator of the NIH-funded West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.

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Ref lecting the success of this collaboration between the VA and Marshall, Sundaram was recently awarded the prestigious Senior Clinician Scientist Investigator VA Merit Award by the Department of Veterans Affairs to study inflam matory bowel disease, a common condition in veterans as well as West Virginians. The Marshall University College

of Science has a large research con centration in water resources and environmental science. Researchers in the College of Science are part nering with the U.S. Army to under stand how army bases are impacting wildlife — and how to minimize that impact. Members of the college are also studying river systems, trying to understand how to control, detect and prevent harmful algae blooms. The university’s Forensic Science Graduate Program, one of the foremost forensics master’s degree programs in the country, is conducting cutting-edge research in DNA analysis. “There’s a real advancement taking place in forensics for law enforcement, and our forensic center is at the forefront,” Maher said.

Dr. Lynn O’Connell and Amy Saunders (center) are both involved in behavioral and public health research and program development.

“We participated in a multicenter trial, and it certainly shows significance in terms of potentially reversing this problem,” Sundaram said. The Department of Clinical and Translational Science has another goal: to train the next genera tion of researchers. Dr. Sundaram and his fellow researchers work with students to study the landscape of health care disparities inWest Virginia and central Appalachia. They then focus on solving those inequi

ties through research. Sundaram said getting medical and graduate students involved in research that is important for the state of West Virginia adds to the level of care they provide. The goal is to get those students interested in the health care issues facing West Virginia so they can start to prepare mindful paths to solve those problems. Sundaram also noted that West Virginia and central Appalachia are home to a large number of veterans, and the Huntington VA Medical Center has the largest research facility in the region. “In the last several years we have made a concerted effort to collabora tively enhance research between the VA and Marshall,” said Sundaram, who takes care of patients as well as conducts research at the VA.

Dr. Maria Serrat is associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences where she heads research on childhood obesity.

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development where we have real strengths to ensure we are having the maximum im pact possible o n t h e r e - gion’s growth,” Maher said. Smith, who

Marshall has been awarded grants focusing on addiction and recovery through the Center for Recovery Excellence, headed by Dr. LynnO’Connell, associate director of Addiction Sciences, and Amy Saunders, managing director of the center. They apply state-of-the-art techniques to provide services to people in recovery to maximize their chances of finding success and re-entering the workforce. This involves partnerships between state and federal organizations such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Marshall’s Psychology Department and the Department of Family Medicine at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “We work a lot on the most profound problems that address the state, and we hope that we’re hav ing an impact,” Maher said. “These folks are work ing to make this state a better place, either from an economic development perspective or from a health perspective.” Under Marshall President Brad D. Smith’s leadership, the university is reorganizing and even more sharply focusing its research strategy. “We’re also going to emphasize areas of economic

continues the tradi t ion of encouraging research, said the growth of the research enterprise at the university has been noth ing short of incredible the past few decades. “Under the direction of my predecessors, and with the commitment of our dynamic faculty, staff and students, Marshall has transformed into a Carnegie Classification R2 institution, a designa tion that gives us a standing in the research world,” Smith said. “Research is a two-pronged operation in higher education: it drives novel concepts and prepares the next generation of investigators.” Research is a priority at Marshall, Maher said, because it’s fundamentally important to science while also having a positive economic impact on society. “If people were not doing research, we wouldn’t have transistors, iPhones or cholesterol drugs,” Maher said. “All of that comes from people asking basic questions and training students to be curi ous. The economic impact of the research itself is that we hire people and we conduct research, and it creates a vibrant university community. “The most gratifying aspect is that the students and faculty are working hard not only to come up with innovative solutions, but to make them a real ity as well,” he continued. “Everybody in the com munity should recognize all the good work being done at Marshall and take pride in its commitment to research.” Dr. Barbara Becker-Cottrill is senior research associate at the WV Autism Training Center at Marshall University.

Amanda Larch is a freelance writer living in Hurricane, West Virginia.

Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Wendy Trzyna focuses her investigation on cellular activity.

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a u t i s m t r a i n i n g c e n t e r

Autism EXPERTISE

Over the past 38 years, Marshall has become a national leader in the field of autism.

By Amy Deal Photos by Rick Lee

P eople in the Huntington re gion might be surprised to learn that Marshall University is the home of a national leader in the field of autism. Born from the passion and dedication of autism pioneer Dr. Ruth Sullivan, the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall has been serving the needs of individuals with autism since be ing established by the West Virginia Legislature in 1984. Their mission: “To support individuals diagnosed with autism as they pursue a life of quality.” The oldest program at the cen ter, now called Direct Services, has provided free multitiered support to both families and educators state wide. The services are designed to meet the needs of all West Virginians with autism and the people who

programs with local businesses and hosting a panel of business lead ers who help soon-to-be graduates understand what managers expect from employees. According to Dr. Marc Ellison, executive director of the center, the businesses involved also learn about the benefits of hiring people with autism. “A lot of companies are looking for the skills that people with au tism have; they just don’t know it,” Ellison said. “As employees they are extremely reliable, having stellar at tendance rates. What’s more, many are hyperfocused about their work.” Matt Kaiser is a 2015 graduate of Marshall and one of the students who benefited from the program. He said that the mentors were a huge part of his success, working with him to

support them. A community-based program, its services include behav ior and needs assessments as well as training parents and caregivers in positive behavior support techniques. School-based paraprofessionals who receive training become credentialed as “autism mentors.” In 2002 the College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder was created, becoming the first of its kind in the nation. The only program offered that isn’t free, the fee-based initiative serves 60 -70 students each year. Around 60% of those students are from out of state, which brings revenue to the university for housing, meal plans and other services. In addition, it also teaches students how to transi tion into employment after college. Examples include summer workshop

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Staff of the West Virginia Autism Training Center provide support to individuals with autism spectrum disorder as they pursue a life of quality.

“ A lot of companies are looking for the skills that people with autism have ; they just don ’ t know it. As employees they are extremely reliable , having stellar attendance rates. What ’ s more, many are hyperfocused about their work .”

— Executive Director Dr. Mark Ellison WV Autism Training Center at Marshall

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The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall offers a variety of services including behavior and needs assessments as well as training parents and caregivers in positive behavior support techniques. It also teaches students how to transition into employment after college.

plan his schedule and assisting him with any projects he might have had difficulty navigating. In August the center announced a partnership withCAI Neurodiverse Solutions to work with its end-to-end employment program. The program provides work experience and employ ment opportunities in the technology field to Marshall graduates. While not all graduates have an interest in the tech field, Ellison said he believes it’s important to give those who do a chance to succeed. The Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center sup ports educators by teaching positive behavior support and interventions. It also oversees a statewide Mental Health First Aid initiative. The center

with a base knowledge of how autism spectrum disorder affects a person and why they may not act or react the same way as a neurotypical person. West Virginia is now one of only a handful of states that require this training. Ellison worked with Lt. K.G. Murray, deputy director of training at the West Virginia State Police Academy, to get the bill passed. Murray has two sons with autism. “The bottom line is this training is vital to ensure those people withASD will be safer when they may have an encounter with the police,” Murray said. “What’s more, police officers will be safer when they encounter a person with ASD.” The Autism Training Center

was established as a response to a re quest for support from teachers with issues related to student behavior and mental health needs. The services supported by the center are based upon national models and research related to multitiered systems of sup port (MTSS) and interconnected systems framework (ISF). Ellison has followed in Sullivan’s footsteps by working to get legislation passed that further benefits West Virginia citizens who have autism. In 2021 Gov. Jim Justice signed into law Senate Bill 634, which requires law enforcement and correctional officers to be trained on the best ways to interact with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The training focuses on providing officers

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currently employs 44 staff members and has offices not only onMarshall’s Huntington campus, but also in Fairmont and Parkersburg. In addition, autism specialists are stationed in regions across the state and work from their homes. “How we understand au tism is constantly evolving,” Ellison noted. “For example, new research shows that many females exhibit autism traits dif ferently than men. Not being aware of this fact clearly led to the misdiagnoses of thousands of women over the decades.” A five-year plan calls for the number of students served by the college program to dou ble. A major part of this plan will involve moving from the

current location in Old Main to a building on Sixth Avenue that formerly housed Tri State MRI. Ellison said the program will need to raise $5 million to renovate the building. “We believe that doubling the size of the program and moving into a new location will enable us to develop a center of excellence for the employment of people with autism,” Ellison said. “This is meaningful work that benefits not only those with ASD, but their families, friends and the community as well.”

The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall was born from the passion and dedication of autism pioneer Dr. Ruth Sullivan, having been established by the West Virginia Legislature in 1984.

Amy Deal is a freelance writer living in Barboursville, West Virginia.

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s p o r t s

ThunderingHerd B asketball Preview

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M arshall basketball coach Dan D’Antoni unwittingly snagged his best recruit in the offseason without so much as picking up the phone or leaving his office. When senior guard Taevion Kinsey decided to return for his senior season, D’Antoni had his prize puzzle piece for the 2022-23 season. “I hope people appreciate his loyalty to Marshall,” said D’Antoni of his leading scorer. “He comes out every day to get better. He’s an unselfish player and an unselfish person. He’s been a pleasure to coach.” The 6-foot-5-inch guard could have tested the NBA draft waters the last two years — or he could have even hit the transfer portal. Ultimately, he said there were things to improve upon in his repertoire so he’s bringing his 19 points per game to the Henderson Center to run it back one more time. “I think I’m just more loyal to who’s more loyal to me,” said Kinsey. “Coach Dan, Marshall, my teammates and the community have been very loyal tome. It was a no brainer.” There is also a bad taste in his mouth that needs to be expunged for him and the team. Marshall finished 12-21 and 4-14 in its final year in Conference USA. “It was a hurtful season,” agreed junior guard Andrew Taylor. “I don’t think many people around here have been through a losing season and experienced that. It’s

With the return of star guard Taevion Kinsey and a bevy of new talent, Herd hoops hope to shine in the Sun Belt Conference.

By Keith Morehouse

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motivation like I never had because I’ve never been through a losing season.” Kinsey and Taylor (14 points per game last year) return with a familiar cast from last year. Six-foot, 9-inch sopho more Obinna Anochili-Killen (12 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game) is back and Coach D’Antoni is eager to get him back to “blocking shots, rebounding, setting picks and playing the pick and roll.” The Herd struggled from distance last year and the staff hopes that will be rectified by the addition of VMI transfer Kamdyn Curfman. He was second in the nation in 3-point field goals made last year with 117 and shot nearly 40% from behind the arc. He also averaged nearly 16 points per game. Marshall’s fast-paced, freewheeling offense is tailor-made for an outside shooter. He thinks that will fit well in the Sun Belt Conference. “For us the Sun Belt is kind of a grittier, more athletic league,” said Curfman. “We can match up well with those teams, but I think we can provide more scoring than a lot of those teams so they’re going to have a matchup problem on a nightly basis.”

Goran Miladinovic, a junior, is one of two 7-footers on the Thundering Herd’s basketball roster for the 2022-23 season.

“We can already tell in pickup games that things run a lot more smoothly, Taylor said of Curfman. “Our flow offense is just smooth. We don’t have to worry about him knocking down his shot.” Herd fans shouldn’t forget 7-foot junior Goran Miladinovich, who played plenty of minutes last year, or junior swing man Marco Sarenac, who gives the Herd another shooter from distance. There are plenty of other position players for D’Antoni to pluck off the bench. Returning 6-foot, 9-inch sophomores Aymeric Toussaint and Chase McKey will help inside. The Herd has added 7-foot, 1-inch Micah Handlogten, who runs the floor quite well for a big man. There’s 6-foot, 8-inch freshman Wyatt Fricks who sat out last year with an injury, but D’Antoni is high on his potential. Freshman Jacob Conner also brings height and range to the perim eter, while sophomore guards David Early and Kyle Braun will provide depth at the guard positions. For Kinsey and the Herd, this will be a year to get better. “Me being more mature now I think it’s time the game slowed down a little bit more for me,” Kinsey said. “So, I’m able to make better reads and get this guy the ball or that guy the ball when they’re open. Then, we just need to make the shots.” The Henderson Center also will get a mini-makeover this fall with new playing surfaces for basketball and

Head Coach Dan D’Antoni is thrilled that guard Taevion Kinsey chose to return for his senior season instead of heading to the NBA.

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“ I think I ’ m just more loyal to who ’ s more loyal to me. Coach Dan , Marshall , my teammates and the community have been very loyal to me .”

— Taevion Kinsey

Junior guard Andrew Taylor started all 22 games last season, averaged 14 points and 5.8 rebounds. He also had 33 steals.

Obinna Anochili-Killen averaged 12 points and 6.6 rebounds last season as a freshman. Coach D’Antoni is eager to get him back to blocking shots, rebounding and playing the pick and roll.

volleyball. Also on Dan D’Antoni’s wish list since he became head coach was to make Gullickson Hall into a more suitable practice facility. The plans are in place to make improvements by adding more baskets and upgrad ing the HVAC system. “Christian Spears is moving a lot of things forward,” D’Antoni said of Marshall’s new athletic director. “There was a 20-year period where we didn’t keep up with the competition. He’s going to have Gullickson ready where we can practice with multiple hoops.” It all points to Nov. 7, 2002, when Marshall opens at home against Queens College. Public address an nouncer Mike Kirtner will intone, “Starting tonight for the Thundering Herd, 6-foot, 5-inch senior guard Taevion Kinsey.” Dan D’Antoni won’t hold his smile back. Herd Hoops has that effect on him.

Keith Morehouse is a freelance writer and the sports director at WSAZ NewsChannel 3 in Huntington, West Virginia.

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