West Virginia Executive Summer 2016 | Page 93

Sanjaya hopes the research will ultimately attract industry and academic partners to the region, enhancing economic development and work force opportunities. College Foundation of West Virginia Sees Promising Results in College Counseling Through Text Messaging During a recent meeting of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, state officials announced that a pilot project to provide college counseling through text messaging is yielding encouraging results. The project, which is part of the commission’s statewide College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV) outreach initiative, provides students with a series of text message reminders to help them succeed in college. Students can text back any time to receive free assistance from a counselor. “The text messaging project is showing great promise as an innovative and low-cost method for boosting course enrollment and college retention rates,” says Dr. Paul Hill, chancellor of the commission. “As we strive to meet our goal of doubling the number of degrees we produce by 2025, we will look to creative strategies like this to ensure that more of our students graduate on time.” This October, CFWV will begin its fourth text messaging campaign. Funding for the service is provided through a grant from the Kresge Foundation, a private philanthropic organization headquartered in Michigan. Bluefield State College, Concord University, Fairmont State University, Marshall University, Shepherd University, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, West Virginia Northern Community College and West Virginia State University are partners in the project. Messages guide students through the processes of applying for financial aid, registering and preparing for college and connecting with resources and advisors once they arrive on campus. Any student who is planning to attend college for the first time in the fall of 2017 can sign up to receive the alerts by visiting the state’s free college-planning resource, www.cfwv.com. Clio Wins Campus Technology National Award Marshall University’s Clio, a website and mobile application that connects users with the history and culture that surround them, has been named an Education Futurist by Campus Technology. The project is one of only 11 selected in six categories to represent the magazine’s 2016 Innovator Awards. Rhea Kelly, executive editor of Campus Technology, says the Education Futurist category recognizes “projects that are forward-looking in some way—sometimes it’s the use of cutting-edge technology, sometimes innovative pedagogy or outof-the-box thinking.” Dr. David Trowbridge, an associate professor of history at Marshall, created Clio in 2012, and since then it has grown into a national resource with more than 20,000 users a month and 10,000 curated entries. Trowbridge was recently named a Whiting Public Engagement Fellow, for which he received $50,000 and a six-month leave to devote toward developing Clio. “Ultimately, I hope this recognition helps us share the word that this technology is available for anyone to use,” says Trowbridge. Named after the mythological muse of history, Clio is free and has a growing database that includes museums, art galleries, monuments, sculptures and historical sites. For more information about Clio, visit www.theclio.com.  The The Help You Need, Experience You Deserve AUTO ACCIDENTS WRONGFUL DEATH SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURIES Mark A. Hunt & Associates, one of West Virginia’s best known car wreck injury firms, has represented more than 6,000 people. Our primary focus is personal injury law with an emphasis on auto accidents and wrongful death in both state and federal courts. In addition, we are also active in representing individuals in civil litigation. We are proud of our reputation in the legal community for providing our clients with very professional and reliable service. We can handle all of your legal needs. Give us a call today. 405 Capitol St., Penthouse Suite 1100, Charleston, WV 91 25301 www.wvexecutive.com summer 2016