Latest news with #FairmontStateUniversity
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
State grants helps Fairmont State University plant more trees on campus
FAIRMONT — The number of native trees on the campus of Fairmont State University recently increased with help from a grant from the West Virginia Division of Forestry. In April, students and staff planted American holly, Blackhaw viburnum, common witch hazel and eastern redbud trees with the goal of boosting biodiversity on campus. Dubbed the Community EquiTree grant program, which originates on the federal level, helped plant alongside Campus Drive East, which is adjacent to Fairmont State's residence halls and outdoor recreation areas, which "will allow more students and local community members to experience the trees and their benefits," according to a press release. "As a public institution, Fairmont State University is committed to fostering a beautiful, welcoming campus where students, faculty, staff, and community members feel a true sense of belonging," the press release continued. Fairmont State's Creative Sustainability Council, a group of students, faculty and staff members, spearheaded the initiative. Assistant Construction Manager Devin Carpenter, Associate Professor of English Nathaniel Myers, and Councilmember and architecture major Ryan Williams collaborated on the grant. 'The trees themselves are a great project, helping to develop this underused space on campus into something that is both a beautiful showcase of West Virginia trees and helps to mitigate local issues like soil erosion or larger ones like global warming," Williams said. "But even more than that, I hope projects like this inspire more students to get involved. The more people are engaged with their community and campus, the more we can improve and better serve the present and the future.' The WVDOF Urban and Community Forestry program cooperates with communities to promote the long-term care of trees in cities and communities throughout the state. The program also establishes guidelines for planting, caring for and protecting trees throughout West Virginia. Fairmont State's project meets the goals of this program by providing an opportunity for students to get involved with community sustainability projects, for faculty to improve their instruction by helping others understand the importance of trees and nature, and for everyone to better understand and engage with their local environment during and after the planting. "As the trees grow, their benefits will as well. The canopies will help shade the area, especially nearby asphalt parking lots and roads, which can store heat. The roots of the trees will grow into the hillside, stabilizing the soil and preventing erosion. Additionally, their fall foliage will create a beautiful scene familiar to many West Virginians," states the press release. 'The planting of these native species not only aids in beautifying our campus but also offers back to nature a piece of what urban development once removed," Carpenter said. In the coming months, the Creative Sustainability Council will measure the success of the tree planting program using surveys to be administered in the local community and among students. A ceremonial tree planting was held on April 25, 2025 to mark the beginning of the project, which is expected to be completed this month. 'We are all very proud of Ryan and his hard work on this project,' Myers said. 'Hopefully this will inspire future projects that will contribute to sustainability on our beautiful campus.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aerial Drone Competition Northeast Regional Championship begins at Fairmont State University
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — The Aerial Drone Competition Northeast Regional Championship kicked off Thursday at Fairmont State University, bringing teams from several states to the Mountain State to compete. The event is hosted by the West Virginia Robotics Alliance, which is managed by the NASA IV&V Facility Education Resource Center. Program Manager Todd Ensign told 12 News that the education resource center at the NASA facility in Fairmont strives to prepare students for career paths oriented in the areas of STEM. Ensign added that this competition is one of the many ways that the center is able to engage the students and inspire them to consider careers in things like aerospace engineering, computer programming and engineering. According to Ensign, there were 56 teams at the event that represented schools from Vermont down to Kentucky as part of the northeast region. He added that similar events are taking place in different regions all over the United States, but this event is the largest. The middle school championship will take place Thursday through Friday and the high school regional championships will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Upon arrival, teams will be working with another one to participate in a teamwork challenge, where they must fly their drone through arches and hoops and also move wiffle balls down tracks. Morgantown to implement alternative sentencing program for camping ban The students must communicate cooperatively, and they will share whatever scores they receive. After completing this challenge, the students will move on to the skills field, which tasks them with flying their drones one at a time through a course autonomously. The awards are given out based on an interview that each team gives to the judges, as well as the teams' flight books. According to Ensign, these flight books are where the teams track all of their flights from the entire season, including wins and losses, strategies that they have, as well as data that they've collected about their drone. Every fall, around August, a new game challenge is released, which allows the students to begin preparing their drones for the challenges. Ensign told 12 News that this year's theme was called Gravity, focusing on moving, flying, knocking bean bags off of platforms and moving wiffle balls down tracks. However, Ensign stated that his team at the NASA IV&V Facility Education Resource Center has been preparing for this regional championship over the past year. They've worked with both Fairmont State University and NASA to ensure that they have the appropriate resources available, including the Falcon Center as a venue for the various events. 'We are so fortunate to have not only this venue and the cooperation from Fairmont State, but also to have the support of the president and the administration here at Fairmont State [University],' said Ensign. Ensign stated that NASA underrides a lot of costs to help make this program possible. The regional championship also relies heavily on numerous sponsors, with Aurora Flight Sciences being the key sponsor to present this year's event. 'They're right down the road in Bridgeport, they're building the next generation of aircraft,' Ensign said, regarding Aurora Flight Sciences. 'They have a vested interest in seeing kids learn about this field to prepare themselves for you know, work in the area of advanced air mobility.' All of the events that are taking place within the Aerial Drone Competition Northeast Regional Championship are being livestreamed online via Twitch. You can read more about the West Virginia Robotics Alliance and all of the different robotics programs it has available across the state on its website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Dominion Post
18-05-2025
- General
- Dominion Post
Troy Lee Taylor
Troy Lee Taylor, 40, of Morgantown, died Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, following the sudden onset of a serious was born May 23, 1984, in Morgantown, a son of Robert L. Taylor and Sally M. TaylorTroy graduated from University High School in Morgantown, and then attended West Virginia University and Fairmont State University, where he studied later worked as a specialist in computer technology and sales, where he enjoyed his coworkers and solving both simple and complex problems for his customer base. He later made a career in Magic the Gathering, the collectable card game, by trading and selling cards. He routinely participated in and won tournaments both himself and through customers for whom he built their competitive decks. He enjoyed the challenge of mastering new approaches to the game and was routinely successful in applying is survived by his parents, Robert L. Taylor and Sally M. Taylor; his brother Robert M. Taylor of Rockville, Md.; and spouse, Moira E. Goff-Taylor, also of Rockville; two nephews, Benjamin M. and Finley R. Taylor; and two uncles, Thomas G. Chambers of Tampa, Fla., and Charles E. Taylor of Scranton, Pa. As an avid animal lover, he is also survived by his two furry felines, Bambu will be remembered for his incredibly sharp wit, steel-trap memory, and jovial spirit. He and his family also loved the outdoors, especially the West Virginia Botanic Garden. Therefore, Troy requested any memorial donations be made to the West Virginia Botanic Garden at 714 Venture Drive, PMB #121, Morgantown, WV 26508-7306, or at honoring Troy's wishes, cremation will be handled by the McCulla Funeral Home, with a small private ceremony for family and close friends at a future date. Condolences may be sent to the family at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Every West Virginia monster festival in 2025
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — Cryptid festivals are a staple in West Virginia and are some of the most well-attended events throughout the year; if you have a favorite West Virginia monster, it probably has its own special day. If you want to get a taste of West Virginia's mysterious side in 2025, here's a list of all the biggest cryptid festivals in West Virginia this year: The Grafton Monster Festival will be holding its second-ever event this year to celebrate West Virginia's most amorphous cryptid. In its first year, the festival had numerous vendors, a cryptid cosplay contest and a Grafton Monster calling contest. The festival begins on Friday, June 13 at 5 p.m. in downtown Grafton, and you can find the latest details and announcements on the festival on the official Grafton Monster Festival Facebook page. Another new addition to the West Virginia cryptid festival circuit is Veggie Man Day, held at the Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University. Though smaller than most other cryptid festivals in the state, attendees will be able to peruse several different cryptid and paranormal-oriented artists and listen to different guest lectures throughout the day. The event will be held on Saturday, July 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but if you've never even heard of Veggie Man, you can read all about its legend here. What is the Vegetable Man of West Virginia? The West Virginia Bigfoot Festival is one of the largest cryptid festivals in West Virginia and is organized each year by the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum. The three-day event will have plenty of food trucks, vendors and live music, and is a great time to check out the Bigfoot museum if you haven't already. This year's festival will be held at Holly-Gray Park between Flatwoods and Sutton in Braxton County. You can find the most recent updates to festival plans at the official event page on Facebook. Although not technically a cryptid, Lurch Fest is a celebration of Addams Family actor and Philippi native Ted Cassidy, who plays Lurch in the 1960s sitcom. The festival has been previously attended by Cassidy's son Sean, as well as Christofer Cook, a Ted Cassidy biographer. The event will be held outside the Barbour County Historical Museum from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2. The Flatwoods Monster Convention will be returning to Braxton County on Sept. 13. at the Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Flatwoods. This year's convention will have a costume contest, a Flatwoods Monster photo op and guest speakers. Admission for the convention is $10 and will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. VIP tickets to the event on Sept. 12 are also available. The 3 most famous artworks inspired by West Virginia's Mothman cryptid The West Virginia cryptid calendar will end in a bang with its largest event, the annual Mothman Festival held in Point Pleasant. The event is attended by thousands of people each year who visit the town from across the country. Besides checking out the Mothman Museum, visitors can look forward to dozens of vendors, guest speakers, bus tours of the nearby TNT plant, live music and more. Mothman is easily the state's most popular cryptid, being the subject of two different movies (one of which was never released), a museum, a brick set, a variety of potato chips, a minigolf course and an escape room, along with much more. This year's Mothman Festival will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 in downtown Point Pleasant. You can find more information at the festival's event page here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center receives statewide honor
FAIRMONT — A statewide organization has bestowed its highest honor on the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University. The West Virginia Association of Museums recently named the local folklife center Institution of the Year. The award recognizes the center for its contributions to preserving and celebrating Appalachian culture and heritage and also comes with a $500 prize to support the Center's various programs. The award comes on the heels of the Center's director, Lydia Warren, being honored by the City of Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission for leadership in the arts. The award honors Warren for advocacy for the arts and her efforts to expand cultural programming and deepen community engagement in the region. 'It is an honor to receive both of these awards and be recognized by WVAM and the Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission,' Warren said. 'A large part of my goal is to be a good steward of the Folklife Center, which was founded by Dr. Judy Byers. To me, that means ensuring support for local and regional folk traditions, artists, and musicians while providing learning and entertainment opportunities for the community. These awards show that we're on the right track, and I couldn't be more honored!' Since serving as director of the Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center since 2022, Warren has fostered the University's connection to local and regional arts by hosting events by and for community members, including jams, dances, concerts, and grant-funded arts exhibitions. Her goal is to create free opportunities for the community to participate in the arts while ensuring that local artists are featured and paid fairly. Warren also serves as a member of the Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors and the West Virginia Humanities Council. She has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Warren has a doctorate in critical and comparative music studies from the University of Virginia, a bachelor of arts in music from Smith College, and a Five College Consortium Certificate in ethnomusicology. She also has an associate of science in music from Middlesex Community College. Housed in a restored historic barn on the Fairmont State University campus, the Folklife Center is home to notable collections, including the Ruth Ann Musick folklore archives, the Phyllis W. Moore West Virginia Authors archives, and the Patty Looman collection. These resources support scholarly research and student exploration in folklore and museum studies, two of the undergraduate programs housed within the Center as part of the University's College of Liberal Arts.
