The Department of Humanities at Fairmont State University has awarded Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships to Alexis Gray of Newell, WV and Kaden Lhotsky of Bridgeport, WV.
Fairmont State University is proud to announce its latest lifetime inductees into Gamma Sigma Theta, the National Honor Society for Geospatial Technology, in West Virginia. This prestigious honor recognizes both students and faculty for excellence in geospatial technology and applied geographic research.
The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) and the Ruth Ann Musick Library at Fairmont State University today announced that Fairmont State has joined the PALCI consortium as its 82nd member institution, with membership effective July 1, 2026. The PALCI Board of Directors formally approved the membership on April 30, following a review by the PALCI Membership Committee and a comment period open to all PALCI voting representatives.
Fairmont State University’s Director of Global Engagement, Dr. Rosemarie Igbo, will receive the Honorary Woman of the Year Award for the 47th Annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival. Each year, the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival is held on the streets of downtown Clarksburg, WV, to celebrate its rich Italian culture and the Italian-Americans in the state. Dr. Igbo will receive the award at the annual Honorees Award Ceremony held on Thursday, September 3, 2026, with the festival to follow on the weekend of September 4-6, 2026.
Over 1,000 Fairmont State University baccalaureate students have been honored for their academic achievements throughout the Spring 2026 semester.
Fairmont State University’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter represented the university and state of West Virginia at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference in Louisville, KY. DECA is a student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in business disciplines like marketing, finance, management, and hospitality. The Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference is an opportunity for DECA members to come together and engage in competitions, professional development, networking, and more.
Fairmont State University is proud to announce that Dr. Joseph Riesen, professor of mathematics, has been awarded the College Teacher of the Year Award at the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. The annual conference recognizes mathematics educators at the elementary, middle school, high school and college levels. Each year, the WVCTM College Teacher of the Year Award honors a professor who has made outstanding contributions to mathematics education.
Fairmont State University shined at the annual West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM) conference at Stonewall Resort. The conference recognizes educators in mathematics at all academic levels – elementary, middle school, high school, and college. Fairmont State University students received grants to attend the conference, and many of our faculty members presented their research and work throughout.
Dr. Deborah “Deb” Struth has been appointed Dean of Fairmont State University’s College of Nursing. She has served as interim dean since April 2024 and will now assume the role on a permanent basis.
Fairmont State University continues to strengthen its academic enterprise by welcoming a new Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs. Dr. Abbey Zink, a West Virginia native, will officially join the University on April 13, 2026, bringing nearly 15 years of senior academic leadership experience and a demonstrated commitment to advancing faculty success—an essential component of institutional excellence and student achievement. Currently, Dr. Tim Oxley serves as both the Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Business and Aviation. He will be assisting with Dr. Zink’s transition into the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs position prior to his planned retirement in June.
Fairmont State University’s premier Aviation program continues to advance, strengthened by new leadership and significant investments that position it for lasting growth, expanded enrollment, and an even greater impact on West Virginia’s aviation workforce.
West Virginia’s bedrock regional institution, Fairmont State University, has been awarded more than $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funds for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, thanks to Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Senator Jim Justice. The University received $643,000 for campus police resource upgrades and $1,650,000 for aviation equipment. The CDS process allows members of Congress to allocate federal funds to specific projects in their states or districts. CDS supports local initiatives and community development, ensuring projects that benefit West Virginia are properly funded.
Dr. Rebecca Giorcelli, Chair of Marketing and Management Studies and faculty member teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Business and Aviation (CoBA) at Fairmont State University, has been named a top five finalist for the 2025 West Virginia Professor of the Year Award. The West Virginia Professor of the Year Award, presented by the Faculty Merit Foundation, recognizes innovation, creativity, and excellence among faculty at West Virginia’s public and private higher education institutions.
Fairmont State University continues to demonstrate its dedication to serving West Virginia through its Middle College and RISE (Resilience, Independence, Support, Empowerment) programs. Both initiatives provide vital social support and raise awareness for one of the state’s most vulnerable populations: youth currently in foster care and those who have previously experienced it. The programs have started 2026 with strong momentum and are poised to build on that success throughout the spring semester.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Fairmont State University has been named one of the Top 3 MBA Programs in West Virginia by MBAschools.org, a national higher education resource that publishes state-by-state business school comparisons.
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