In celebration of those who have relocated to West Virginia, embraced our beloved state and now help us work toward a brighter future, Talent Transplant recognizes those who have adopted our Mountain Mama as their own.
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Dr. Jerome Gilbert
Photo by Rick Haye / Marshall University.
SAMANTHA CART
In celebration of those who have relocated to West Virginia, embraced our beloved state and now help us work toward a brighter future, Talent Transplant recognizes those who have adopted our Mountain Mama as their own.
For Dr. Jerome Gilbert, a 1973 trip to Bartow, WV, set the wheels in motion for his journey from curious Mississippi high school student to president of Marshall University. After being chosen as a delegate to the National Youth Science Camp in West Virginia during his senior year, the Jackson, MS, native spent a month immersed in the mountains of Almost Heaven.
“ The state made a big impression on me,” says Gilbert.“ After that experience, I felt tied to West Virginia, and I always felt that someday there would be an opportunity to come back. I just didn’ t know when it might be.”
The opportunity finally arose in 2015 when Gilbert was contacted by a search firm seeking applicants for the presidency at Marshall. At the time, he was serving as provost of his alma mater, Mississippi State University, where he held a variety of positions between 1988 and 2015. Although more than 40 years had passed since his first encounter with the Mountain State, Gilbert knew this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
“ I felt strongly about coming here,” he says.“ I consider West Virginia my adopted state, and I am committed to it. I want to help raise the economic stature and educational opportunities for our students and young people, and I think when you’ re in an economically challenged state like Mississippi or West Virginia, you can have a bigger impact.”
Gilbert attending the National Youth Science Camp in Bartow, WV, in 1973.
Setting the Bar Higher
Gilbert, who holds a bachelor’ s degree in biological engineering and a Ph. D. in biomedical engineering, didn’ t waste any time turning his words into actions. Immediately after assuming the presidency in January 2016, he announced a list of goals for his administration, including growing enrollment, enhancing the university’ s national image, encouraging research and promoting economic development. Then he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
“ Since I set those goals, we’ ve become even more aggressive in terms of reaching out to students,” he says.“ Last fall, I decided to take a high school tour I called‘ The Rest of Your Life Begins at Marshall University.’ I went to more than 40 West Virginia high schools in 15 counties and talked to approximately 5,000 juniors and seniors about coming to Marshall. I wanted them to hear directly from the president that I wanted them as students at Marshall University.”
Gilbert has also worked closely with Marshall’ s Office of University Communications on digital recruitment, geofencing and advertising and crafting a message to send out to other universities around the country.
“ We created a database of around 300 universities, and we send out information about Marshall to all of them,” he says.“ One of the things we have to do as a university is get what we’ re doing in front of other administrators, which will allow us to be recognized nationally.”
Addressing Economic Development
Gilbert is also committed to the economic development of Huntington and West Virginia as a whole.
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