September 2011 Volume 2 Issue 7

What’s InsidePage 2 ~ Technology in the Classroom

Page 3 ~ Donor and Scholarship Recipient Profiles

Page 4 ~ Campus Projects include many summer updates

September 2011 ~ Page 2

Now seeking donations of items of value to be auctioned during a fall online auction.

Help us reach our goal of 50 items in celebration of 50 years of being your community’s college!

All Proceeds benefit the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation

Our Fall Fundraiser - Online Auction Please help the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation Go Green.

To sign up for our e-newsletter, email your name and email address to Foundation@wvup.edu

WVU Parkersburg Utilizes Technology in Classroom

Technology in the Classroom - From Kindles to iPads, technology in the classroom is becom-ing a rule of thumb at WVU Parkersburg.

With volleyball season in full swing, the 2011 Riverhawks Volleyball team is working hard to improve their skills on the court. This is the second year for the River-hawks volleyball team, and faculty advisor Phil McClung is very excited. “Last year the team got better and better, but this year

they have an advantage. All of the players have experience and some are really good players from local schools.” Last year the team won eight games of 19, and improved over the course of the season and finished well. McClung was proud of the team that only had four expe-rienced players. “The team got stronger as the players developed and got better, and this year they will win many more games.” McClung spent a lot of time this past year recruiting players from area high schools and had much success. At the middle of August the team already had 15 players, and more were expected to join af-ter the first few weeks of classes. The team will have nine players on their traveling team with the rest on the club team. Some changes were made to the pro-gram for the team’s second year. The team has a new coach, Markie Eli, and has

scheduled practice times. In the past it was difficult for all of the players to meet for practice all of the time, however this year the coach is expecting a 90 percent par-ticipation rate during practice to be on the team. Eli assisted McClung last year with practices, and when the opportunity arose, applied to be coach. She has high expecta-tions for the team this year. “I think that we are going to do well. They are really upbeat and positive, and that helps with their execution.” The volleyball team will have a Border Battle Tournament at the end of its season. Much like the basketball team’s Border Battle, the tournament will include two teams from West Virginia and two teams from Ohio. Don’t miss all of the excite-ment of Riverhawk’s volleyball this fall!

Riverhawks Volleyball Kicks Off Its Second Season

Now that textbooks are available on de-vices the size of cell phones and electronic tab-lets can give students instant feedback, West Virginia University Parkersburg decided to take technology to the classroom. In summer 2011, Associate Dean for Aca-demic Affairs Cynthia Kelley, Ph.D., visited Seton Hill University. Seton Hill began a tech-nology initiative called the Griffin Technology Advantage. In 2010, Seton Hill gave its entire faculty and all full-time students iPads. The university saw this as a way to better help their students become prepared for careers in this time of mobile technology. Dr. Kelley was very inspired and brought her information back to WVU Parkersburg. She met with Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rhonda Tracy, and together they came up with an iPad project. Dr. Tracy and Dr. Kelley coordinated the project in which each division chair chose two faculty members to re-ceive an iPad. This group of faculty is working as a user group to research the possibilities and practicality of using mobile technology in the classroom. The user group will meet monthly and share what they have learned with each other. Members of the iPad user group will also share their experiences with members of their respective academic divisions. During faculty development week, three representatives from Apple came to the college to speak about mobile technology and various

uses of iPads in the classroom. These represen-tatives sat down with the user group to answer one on one questions that they had about the new iPads. Later that afternoon, the represen-tatives spoke to the entire faculty on a wider range of what mobile technology and iPads can do for instructors and students. The goal of the iPad project at WVU Park-ersburg is to research firsthand the uses of mo-bile technology for teaching and learning. Cur-rently, the college is looking into the use of this technology as a teaching tool. The next step is to look into it as a learning tool. This user group is not the only group at WVU Parkersburg to be utilizing technology. The Business Division received an entrepre-neurship grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to give all of their faculty members iPads. This group is looking into the specific ways that mobile technology can help business students. They were able to have a session with the Apple representatives as well, to discuss the use of their devices. At the beginning of August, Dr. Tracy had the opportunity to present on technology for education, focusing on the use of iPads in the classroom. WVU Parkersburg is a member of the Southeastern Association for Community College Research (SACCR) Dr. Tracy deliv-ered a presentation at its annual conference in August. Dr. Tracy is excited to be a part of the or-

ganization and was very happy to present on the topic. “Community colleges don’t often do research. They are more concerned with teach-ing. That is why we are so proud to be a part of this organization, because it is important to do research.” WVU Parkersburg’s technological ad-vances do not stop with iPads however. Some students taking the first year experience course have the opportunity to work with Kindle e-readers. In one section of the course, students each have been assigned a Kindle to use that is already loaded with the text for the class. At the end of the course the group will be surveyed on the use of Kindles in the classroom. WVU Parkersburg is working hard to in-corporate technology in the classroom and to prepare its students for their futures in this world of mobile technology.

WVU at Parkersburg Riverhawks Volleyball Team 2010.

September 2011 ~ Page 3

The Blackburns Donate Much to the Community

Adoption Scholarship Assists Students

Ray and Kim Blackburn are the owners of 17 local Wendy’s Franchises. Last year, the Blackburns established a scholarship with the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation. The Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship was founded to further the mission of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. It is available to children who were adopted or who went through the foster care system. Employed by Wendy’s for 32 years, Ray started out with the company at the age of 16. After high school, Ray went into man-agement and has stayed with Wendy’s ever since. Ray’s connection with the college began a few years ago. On a flight to Parkersburg from Washington D.C., he met West Virginia University at Parkersburg President Marie Foster Gnage. They talked and exchanged cards and kept in contact. Appearing at the college to speak to classes and events such as the Coldwater Creek Lecture Series, Ray discussed such topics as leadership and entrepreneurship. But the Blackburns’ support of the college did not end there, as establishing this schol-arship was very important to them. Ray was very adamant about assisting adopted and foster children after they lose the support of the system at age 18. He felt education was a great way to do so. “An education is something that can make a real difference in the quality of a person’s life. We are happy we can provide this opportu-nity to local foster and adopted children that may not have had the resources to realize the dream of a college education otherwise.” The Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship is unique in many ways. It is the only schol-arship that is funded by cause marketing. About a year ago, the Blackburns began sell-ing Frosty Key Fobs at local Wendy’s loca-

tions to start the scholarship. They raised $17,000 the first year. Customers can still purchase these Frosty key fobs today for three dollars. They can then present the key fob to receive a free Frosty with each purchase. All of the pro-ceeds go to further the Adoption scholarship. Another way that the Scholarship is unique, aside from being the only adoption scholarship offered by the WVU at Parkers-burg Foundation, is that it is the only schol-arship in the Wendy’s system. The Black-burns do not expect this to last long however. Many other franchisees have approached them about how to set up similar programs in their areas. Now that the scholarship is established, the Blackburns are focusing on getting the

word out to area foster children between the ages of 16 and 18 about the availability of the scholarship. They want to raise aware-ness with these children to let them know that there is support for them to attend a great college right here in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Supporting these young people is very important to the Blackburns as well as their Wendy’s family. Kim feels that the Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship can help those who may have had difficult pasts have better fu-tures. “Our heart goes out to the children who have been through the foster care sys-tem. They have lost their parents and the sup-port they provide. We hope this scholarship gives them a hand up in life and provides a solid foundation in which to build the rest of their lives.”

Furthering the Endowment - On July 20 the Blackburns presented WVU at Parkersburg with a check in the amount of $11,000 to further the endowment for the Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship.

Derek Terlaje is the 2011 recipient of the Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship. Derek was born in the Philippines, where both of his parents were stationed in the military. They moved to the United States when he was three and moved around a lot after that. His parents divorced, and when he was nine his mom moved the family to Parkersburg to be near his maternal grandparents. The quality of his home life drastically decreased after Derek’s mom remarried. He went into the foster care system around age 16 and has been there ever since. Derek is very grateful to receive the Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship. He lives with his grand-parents, who have health issues. He is happy that his education does not have to be a burden to them. “I don’t have to pay for my education out of pocket, which makes it easier on my grandpar-ents. I don’t want them to have to worry about my schooling.” An education major, Derek would like to go on and specialize in special education. He has always helped those with special needs and finds that he can communicate well with them. His friends have encouraged him in this pursuit and feel that this would be a good fit for him. Just this past year Derek graduated from Parkersburg High School and is nervous to start his college career. He recently got a car and spends his time, when not in class, hanging out with friends and is currently looking for a job. Even with his nerves, Derek is excited about the future. He is very thankful for the support that he has received both from the Blackburns and the foster care system.

Derek Terlaje - The 2011 recipient of the Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship.

September 2011 ~ Page 4

September 2011Volume 2 Issue 7

Calendar of Events: September

September 12-17 ~ Founders Week ~ WVU Parkersburg

Online Auction ~ November 2011

Kim Jones ~ Executive Director

Molly Floding ~ Office Administrator

Katie Thaxton ~ Communications Assistant

WVU at Parkersburg Foundation304-424-8340

www.wvup.edu/foundation

300 Campus Drive, Parkersburg, WV 26104

Campus Summer Developments WVU Parkersburg saw many improve-ments to its facilities and grounds this past summer. From the theatre renovation to the Downtown Center, improvements can be seen around campus and beyond. Those visiting the campus this fall can take notice of the east, or upper, parking lot, which was repaved and striped this summer with funding from student parking fees. Other improvements recently made from this budget include the addition of two more emergency call boxes. One is located in the lot behind the Caperton Center for Applied Technology and the other at the Jackson County Center. Complete on August 20, the college theatre features many improvements as well. The renovation included house light-ing, supporting system for stage lighting, reupholstered seating, and flooring. It also received a new roof, as the previous roof was 27 years old and in need of repair. The college has a new naming oppor-tunity for those who are interested in fine arts and theatre, with all of the proceeds go-ing toward the renovation. For a donation of $250 toward the project, a plaque can be placed on the back of a chair in the theatre

to feature the donor or a loved one’s name. Another project that is well under way is the Downtown Center. The main electri-cal system was completed at the end of July. One hundred percent of the interior demoli-tion was completed at the start of August. The facade and new roof were completed only a few weeks later. The college is tak-ing bids from architectural/engineering firms for the renovation of the building’s interior. Preparation for WVU Parkersburg’s new energy lab took place this summer as well. The college re-ceived a low bid from Wolf Creek Con-struction for the foundation of the build-ing. The foun-dation, which will consist of half basement and half crawl space, was com-

pleted the second week of September. The modular home style structure is being built by students at the Wood County Techni-cal Center who are majoring in Building Construction. When completed, it will be moved to the campus and placed behind the Caperton Center on the new foundation. The college may have seen many im-provements this summer, but more are to come. WVU Parkersburg will continue to improve as an exceptional place to learn, work, and support.

WV Tax credits are now

available! Minimum

donation $500. Hurry, they will

not last!

A growing campus - With the exterior completed in August, the WVU Parkers-burg Downtown Center is prepared to take bids for the renovation of its interior.