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The Hall

The Hall

The West Virginia Business Hall of Fame posthumously honored coal industry billionaire and philanthropist Chris Cline and three other state business leaders who have led widespread growth.

The 2019 class includes Bill Bayless (pictured right), CEO of American Campus Communities Inc.; Judy K. Sheppard (left), CEO of Professional Services of America, Inc.; and Leo A. Vecellio, Jr. (center), chairman, president and CEO of Vecellio Group, Inc.

“Bill, Judy, Leo and Chris have made substantial impacts in their own respective business sectors, each getting their first involvement in business right here in West Virginia,” said W. Marston “Marty” Becker, chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee.

They were honored in August at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. go.wvu.edu/2019bizhall

No Dessert - or Dinner

One of seven West Virginians don't know where or when they’ll get their next meal. Food deserts are defined by the USDA as areas that lack fresh and healthful foods, and these are found throughout the state in impoverished areas lacking grocery stores, farmers’ markets and healthy food providers. John Saldanha, Sears chair in global supply chain management, is addressing this West Virginia problem head-on with his supply chain technology students. Read more in an upcoming edition of our magazine.

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Bank on it

The Center for Financial Literacy and Education, in conjunction with the Finance Department, received an Executive Training Program Gift for $38,000. Finance Faculty Brant Hammer, Frank DeGeorge and David Fragale will teach a 15-week program to a group of burgeoning portfolio managers from United Bank. This partnership was initiated through the 2019 Bank Summit and cultivated further due to a long-standing relationship with finance Professor Paul Speaker.

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Cap it Off

Just like the COVID-19 vaccine protects against contracting the contagious virus, the collective elements of self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resiliency - otherwise known as “PsyCap” - helps inoculate employees from the negative effects of working through a pandemic, according to Jeffery Houghton, management professor. Houghton and two of his Ph.D. students, Richard Oxarart and Luke Langlinais, found that those lagging in PsyCap characteristics drifted to maladaptive behaviors and exhibited a high perception of stress. Read more at WVUToday.

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Something in the Air

A paper coauthored by Economics Professors Brad Humphreys and Jane Ruseski has been chosen by its journal of publication, Sports Economic Review, as its best paper of the year. Their research suggests that cities with professional sports teams bear increased flu mortality rates. Read the paper on Sports Economic Review.

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Greeting Every Opportunity with Open Arms

After growing up in her parents’ business, Emmy Severs was inspired to start her own business halfway through her college career. As an entrepreneurship major, she leaned on her passions and creative skills, and launched a stationary company called Lemon Milk Paper Co

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