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A community development manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and nationally known policy expert on rural development strategies has been named the first woman president of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. Jennifer Giovannitti, a Pennsylvania native who has worked extensively in West Virginia, will succeed William P. “Pat” Getty in mid-October. She is a member of the steering committees for West Virginia Forward, a statewide initiative to advance the state’s economy.

An op-ed by BrooksMcCabe: For West Virginia to reach its potential, it needs an expanded focus on small businesses, low income workers and minority populations. Only through a comprehensive effort concentrating on parallel paths will the state recover from multigenerational poverty which has directly contributed to West Virginia having the lowest rate of workforce participation in the country, high levels of opioid addition, an undereducated workforce and a low rate of small business formation. WV Forward has done an admirable job in documenting these problems. It has also provided a menu of important opportunities and initiatives that need prompt action.

An op-ed by WVU President Gordon Gee: West Virginia University’s campus is full of talent and knowledge that can help re-weave the fabric of the state. We are using the extensive knowledge and data that lives on campus to support West Virginia Forward and engineer a successful economic future for our citizens. We want to turn the strengths of this state into opportunity.

Donna Hoylman Peduto, the Executive Director of the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, talked with host Eric Minor about serving students K through College across the state, and how it is prepping them for the technology workforce.

With the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation, West Virginia University is forming a new initiative to remedy the shortage of math teachers in the state. This initiative is called the Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers. The funding is being used to bring together a group of stakeholders who will determine how to create a solution that's right for West Virginia.

West Virginia University’s College of Education and Human Services and Center for Excellence in STEM Education are set to implement a project that will promote the support and development of mathematics teachers in West Virginia. The one-year project, “Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers: A Networked Improvement Community Building Capacity for Mathematics Teacher Leadership in West Virginia,” will be funded by a $75,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program.

West Virginia tourism officials reported on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 that recent initiatives implemented by the Tourism Office are showing good progress. Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby said, “We are starting to turn the corner. We are seeing really positive metrics. Our hotel stays are up 10.7 percent. Our travel guide requests are up 36 percent. Our website page views are up 91 percent and our unique visitors are up 58 percent.”

From the editors: Universities teach and research, but what impact do they – and should they – have on their local communities? We asked the leaders of Rutgers University - Newark and West Virginia University to explain their take on this issue given the considerable challenges each of their surrounding communities face.

Tackling four areas of concern for girls and young women in West Virginia—diversity/inclusion, health, STEM and education— West Virginia University and the Girl Scouts of the Black Diamond Council hosted “State of the Girl,” an event centered around the landmark study of the same name conducted by the Girl Scouts of the USA. The event aligned with the mission of West Virginia Forward, a collaborative initiative between WVU, Marshall University, and the West Virginia Department of Commerce.

Increasing salaries paid to public school teachers in West Virginia was a step toward improving the state’s economy. The action, taken earlier this year by legislators, should make it easier to attract and retain educators. But, as West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee pointed out last week, the process of gaining those pay raises sidetracked other important initiatives.