Dr. Daniel Bradley
President, Fairmont State University

Dan Bradley came to Fairmont State as President in February of 2001. He was born in Portage La Prairie Manitoba, Canada, immigrating with his parents to California when he was seven years old. He attended the University of California at Berkeley for several years, then entered the US Army. After his honorable discharge from the Army, he attended Lansing Community College for one year. He then transferred to Michigan State University where he graduated in 1973 with a BS degree in Biochemistry and in 1978 with a PhD in Physical Chemistry. During graduate studies he spent two years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory performing his research. After graduate school he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley in the Chemistry Department. He joined the faculty at Montana Tech in Butte, Montana in 1979 as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. 

While teaching, he became interested in Petroleum Engineering and obtained a BS in1982 from Montana Tech and went on to obtain an MS at the University of Tulsa in 1983. Returning to Montana Tech he held a number of administrative and teaching positions (Interim Dean of Students, Director of International Programs, Department Head, Dean) culminating with his appointment as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research in 1998. His research interests center on flow in porous media and the thermodynamics of high temperature salt solutions, and have resulted in a number of publications in scientific and engineering journals. A significant part of his efforts have been devoted to outreach activities to K-12 students and teachers (Upward Bound and NSF Young Scholars), which are an indication of the importance he attaches to helping students reach their education goals and potential. 

He lives on campus in the President's Home with his wife Cheri. Their three sons all graduated from Montana Tech in the spring of 2001. Clayton, the youngest, will enter graduate school in Chemistry. John (the oldest) and Joe plan to start careers in Computer Science and Technical Communications. Dan spends his free time reading, riding his mountain bike, hiking and hunting. He also enjoys plays and other live performances and the excitement and education of travel.

Office: 222 Hardway Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4151
E-Mail:  danbradley@fairmontstate.edu

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Blair Montgomery
President, Pierpont Community and Technical College

Blair Montgomery has been a member of the Fairmont State University community since 1974, when he came to the college as a Student Affairs Counselor from the Preston County public school system. He has bachelors and masters degrees from West Virginia University and is A.B.D. in Higher Education Administration. Blair has served as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and in 1984 was named Director of FSU's Clarksburg Center. As Director, he worked to establish the Gaston Caperton Center in Clarksburg, which opened in 1999. Blair returned to the main campus in 2001 as Provost of Fairmont State Community and Technical College (now Pierpont Community & Technical College). He was named the first president of FSC&TC on April 7, 2004.

Blair is married to Sue Somerville Montgomery, the guidance counselor at Anna Jarvis Elementary in Grafton. They have two children: Michael, who lives in Atlanta with his wife Paige; and Kate, who lives in West Yellowstone, Montana with her husband Mike and their son Kerrigan. Blair is an avid bridge player, gardener, and reader.

      President Montgomery's Trip to China

Office: 225 Hardway Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4692
E-Mail:  bmontgomery@fairmontstate.edu

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K. Jean Ahwesh
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Executive Director, Fairmont State Foundation, Inc.

K. Jean Ahwesh joined the Fairmont State community in October 2004. As Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc., she works closely with the alumni and friends of Fairmont State to continue and further financial support of the institution. Ms. Ahwesh has brought extensive experience in the philanthropic world to the development efforts at the Foundation. She was President of the Margaret H.W. Watson Foundation and the Vice President for External Affairs at D.T. Watson Hospital in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and the Vice President for Development and Philanthropy at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Her other community experience and involvement include a position on the Board of Trustees at Waynesburg College, a position on the Board of Trustees at Sherwood Oaks, a position on the Board of Directors at Try Again Homes and membership on the Alumni Council at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Throughout her career, Ms. Ahwesh has developed and maintained a record of success, leadership and community involvement.

Ms. Ahwesh earned her B.A. in sociology from West Virginia Wesleyan College and has served on the institution’s President’s Council since 1998. She also received her MBA in marketing management from Waynesburg College and attended the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie-Mellon University. Ms. Ahwesh is also a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, XIII.

Ms. Ahwesh is married to Larry Kuremsky, a Pittsburgh attorney. Ms. Ahwesh and her husband have two sons: Connor, who is an accomplished young diver with the Pittsburgh Aquatic Club and Andrew, who is a budding entrepreneur and the President of Andrew’s Lawn Care Services.

Office: Erickson Center - Telephone: 304-367-4164
E-Mail:  jahwesh@fairmontstate.edu

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Michael Belmear
Vice President for Student Services

Michael Belmear came to Fairmont State as a Student Affairs counselor in August 1979. In this position, he served as a counselor and recruiter. His duties were later expanded to include advisor to the Student Government and Student Activities programs. He has been director for 21 years of the New Student orientation program and he also created and directs the annual state-wide Fairmont State Leadership Conference. In 1993, he was appointed Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and currently serves as Vice President for Student Services. His responsibilities include housing, student health service, counseling, student activities and development, career services, and managing the Turley Center. 

Michael is a native of Fairmont and earned his B.A. degree in Public Relations and M.A. in counseling and guidance from West Virginia University. He has taught undergraduate classes in Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Race, Class and Gender, and Empowering Leadership. 

Michael and his wife Robin live in Morgantown and have two sons, Michael and Andrew. He enjoys golf and is an avid reader.

Office: 309A Colebank Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4215
E-Mail:  mbelmear@fairmontstate.edu

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Michael Bestul
Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Mike Bestul joined Fairmont State as the Chief Information Officer in April 2005.  He provides leadership and direction for all the technology projects at Fairmont State which include networks/security management, telecommunications/voice, distance learning, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.  Prior to coming to Fairmont State, Mike was the Director of Information Technology at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, the Chief Information Officer of University of Wisconsin – Learning Innovations, and the Executive Director of the Florida Community College Software Consortium.  In these previous positions Mike developed a track record for implementing high quality / high availability information systems on time and within budget.  He began his career as an IT professional at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI after graduation from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 1982.

Mike holds a B. S. degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, and a M. S. degree in Human Relations & Business from Amberton University – Garland, TX.  He has also attended numerous executive education seminars in leadership, technology management, and strategic planning.

Mike lives in the Fairmont area with his wife, Susan (an accomplished professional cellist, currently on the community music programs at Fairmont State and West Virginia University / Artist Faculty).  Mike and Susan Bestul have three children – Matthew, Jeremy, and Jill.

Office: 129 Colebank Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4131
E-Mail:  mbestul@fairmontstate.edu

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Sarah Hensley
Assistant to the President
and Director of Communications

Sarah Hensley is a native West Virginian who joined the Fairmont State staff in 1999 as Director of Public Relations. Prior to that she worked for more than a decade in public radio news with West Virginia Public Radio, Radio Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany, and WCBE-FM in Columbus, Ohio.

 A graduate of Keyser High School, she holds a B.A. in International Studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a M.A. in German from Middlebury College.     She is a 1998 graduate of Leadership West Virginia, and lives in Fairmont with her husband, Mike, and their son, Sam.

Office: 222 Hardway Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4247
E-Mail:  shensley@fairmontstate.edu

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Dr. Phillip Mason
Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies

Phil Mason joined the School of Science and Mathematics at Fairmont State as a Professor of Biology and its Chair in 1998. He served in this capacity until 2003 when he became the Dean of the College of Science and Technology until 2005. Prior to coming to Fairmont State, he was the Chair of the Department of Biology at Elon University in North Carolina. He taught at Unity College in Maine, where he was the Chair of the Division of Environmental Studies, and was also on the faculty at Berry College in Georgia.  

Dr. Mason has taught a wide variety of courses and most enjoys vertebrate biology courses including mammalogy, ornithology, and comparative vertebrate physiology. He has extensive experience in travel-abroad field courses, having taught tropical ecology in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Belize. His research interests have focused on the physiological and morphological adaptations of birds, especially the American Woodcock.

In the past several years, however, he has been drawn to the challenges presented by the development and teaching of non-majors science courses that have increased relevance to students’ lives and enhance their scientific literacy and civic engagement. He has supported the efforts of a number of faculty members in the College of Science & Technology who are committed to creating new learner-centered science courses for the university’s Liberal Studies Program. He has successful experience in grant writing with an emphasis on curriculum development, including awards from the National Science Foundation, NASA and the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement.

Dr. Mason received his Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife biology from the University of Massachusetts and earned his Master of Science in wildlife biology and his Ph.D. in vertebrate biology from Auburn University.
Phil lives in Morgantown with his wife Elaine, who is the Director of Rural Recruitment and Retention at the WVU Office of Rural Health. They have one son Grover and three grandchildren, Kaylyne, Joey and Sophia.

Office: 224B Hardway Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4720
E-Mail:  pmason@fairmontstate.edu

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Enrico Porto
Vice President for Administration & Fiscal Affairs<

Rick Porto, Vice President for Administration and Fiscal Affairs, came to Fairmont State in 1995 as Assistant Vice President for Administration and Finance, acting as Chief Accounting Officer for the institution's annual operating budget of more than $65 million. Current oversight includes bond construction funds of $64 million. He has helped to implement a complete overhaul of the College's payroll and payroll budgeting systems including Direct Deposit of payroll checks. He has overseen a complete change in the way procurement of goods and services is accomplished and automation of student services provided by the student accounts office, as well as the installation of the Banner Finance Systems and Banner Accounts Receivable. He also has helped make budgets a stronger management tool and has helped strengthen benefits service and benefits accounting. 

Rick was employed by West Virginia University for nearly 18 years, serving as an Accountant I/Assistant to the Controller, Bursar, Assistant Controller and Associate Controller-Systems and Production. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. 

Rick is married to Janice Marie Porto, full-time homemaker and caregiver. They have three children: Christina Marie, who is working on a second degree at WVU, Averial Madonna, who is a sophomore at WVU, and Saturno Joseph, who attends Morgantown High School.

Office: 203 Hardway Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4111
E-Mail:  eporto@fairmontstate.edu

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Dr. Maria Rose
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Maria Rose has been a part of the Fairmont State faculty for more than twenty years. She has taught developmental writing, developmental reading and study skills, and has coordinated the campus-wide peer tutoring program. In addition, she has been coordinator of reading and writing for the Academic Development Center; she has served as Interim Chair of Academic Studies for Pierpont Community & Technical College. She received her BA in Education from Fairmont State College and an MA in Reading from West Virginia University. Also from WVU, Maria earned an Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on family and community literacy issues as they relate to higher education. In addition, she has earned a Developmental Educator Certification through the Kellogg Institute of Appalachian State University. 

Appointed by former Governor Gaston Caperton to the Governor's Council on Literacy, Maria has continued to serve on the Council under Governor Underwood and still serves on the Council during Governor Wise's administration. As a member of the Governor's Council, Maria assists the Council in attempting to meet literacy needs in the state by providing grants and scholarships; she serves as Chair of Public Outreach committee and has worked on many family literacy projects. 

Maria lives in Fairmont with her husband, Tom. She has one adult son, Alex. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, traveling, and gardening.

Office: 200 Hardway Hall - Telephone: 304-367-4867
E-Mail:  mrose@fairmontstate.edu