Governor Patrick Morrisey has appointed three alumni with deep connections to Fairmont State to serve on the University’s Board of Governors. Timothy “Craig” Jennings and Jonathan Board were newly appointed to the Board, while Jason Henderson, a current member, has been reappointed.
Fairmont State University will sponsor an upcoming charity pickleball tournament hosted by Leadership Marion Class 43. Leadership Marion is a program through the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, which aims to identify, develop, and sustain community leaders. The program develops and enhances participants’ leadership skills, provides them with knowledge of Marion County, and cultivates their involvement across the county.
Fairmont State University’s Spring 2026 Presidential Speaker Series is concluding on a high note with Chelsea Ruby, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism, serving as the final presenter of the semester. This year’s lineup has highlighted leaders whose work influences communities across the region and beyond. Ruby’s upcoming Speaker Series presentation, “Tourism: An Economic Engine for West Virginia,” will take place on April 28 at 6 p.m. in Wallman Hall Theater. This event is free and open to the public.
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.
Fairmont State alumna Kim Toothman and her husband, Don, have made a generous gift to the Fairmont State Foundation to establish the Kimberly Lannan Toothman Endowed Nursing Scholarship. Rooted in gratitude, service, and a deep connection to West Virginia, the scholarship reflects a lifetime shaped by nursing, education, and community. This scholarship will provide support for nursing students at Fairmont State University for generations to come.
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.
Fairmont State University’s Colebank Gym was filled on March 16 as the Gabby Petito Foundation hosted an educational evening focused on recognizing the signs of domestic violence and understanding how to support victims. The event was coordinated through Fairmont State’s Title IX Office.
The West Virginia Storytelling Guild ushers in spring at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center with five tellers for their spring concert on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m. Featured tellers include Ilene Evans, Linda Durrett, Larry Jent, Jo Ann Dadisman, and Francene Kirk. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
The Fairmont State University Debate Team will host a public debate, “Work, Rights, and Power: A Public Debate on Labor Policy,” on March 23 at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. Students, faculty, and community members are invited to discuss key labor issues such as worker protections, collective bargaining, wages, and the role of government in the workplace.
Fairmont State University will welcome the 2025-2026 Artist-in-Residence, Annick Odom, to campus on April 7 at 6 p.m. in the Falcon Center Conference Rooms as part of the Spring 2026 Presidential Speaker Series. The series brings influential voices from across politics, business, education, the arts, and other fields to encourage meaningful dialogue and intellectual engagement. Events are free and open to the public.
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.
Alumnus John Norton Anderson has made a lasting investment in future generations of students through a $25,000 gift to establish the John Norton Anderson (Class of 1959) Endowed Scholarship at Fairmont State University.
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