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Photo of Zach Ribas with his lifeguard team

Lifesaver

Lifesaver

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Not all heroes wear capes – some wear whistles. 

Take Chambers College student Zachary Ribas. This past June, while working as a pool manager at Krepps Park in Morgantown, Ribas and his colleagues saved the life of an 11-year-old boy who had an unexpected seizure and nearly drowned.  

“June 8th was one of the most eye-opening moments I have ever had,” Ribas said. “It showed me how precious life is." 

Ribas and his team credited the pool’s emergency action plan with helping them quickly and calmly react. In recognition of their bravery and quick thinking, the City of Morgantown recognized the lifeguards for their lifesaving efforts. 

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Breaking the Mold

MBA graduate Kristin Morvik is using her business education to educate the world.  

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Ignite!

The Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship continues to empower budding entrepreneurs across the Mountain State with the tools needed to flourish. The Encova Center is launching IgniteWV, thanks to $200,000 in grant funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

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Front of the House

Frank DeMarco, teaching associate professor of hospitality and tourism, recently received the Excellence in Tourism Education Award from the West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association. 

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Fans Arrive Like Butterflies

Large, one-off events such as music concerts can create economic impacts not seen from professional sports, suggests rockin’ research by Joshua Hall, chair and professor of economics. Hall and Justin Parker, a 2020 Ph.D. economics graduate, found that Pearl Jam’s Seattle “Home Shows” in August 2018 generated $58 million in additional hotel revenue and $9 million in hotel tax revenue. That dwarfs Seattle Mariners baseball games ($140,000 in additional hotel revenue on game days). Their research was published in the Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights.

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I Scream, You Scream

Move over cones and milkshakes, there is a new way to enjoy ice cream – rolled! Marketing student and Morgantown native Tyler Lalka is bringing rolled ice cream to the hills of Morgantown and nearby cities with his business Rolling Hills Ice Cream. Lalka originally saw the concept being done in larger cities and thought to himself, “Mountaineers need this,” and opened his ice cream truck in April 2021. Not only is the ice cream mixed with toppings on top of a negative-five degree plate and rolled into pieces, but his truck also allows him to roll to birthday parties, weddings, farmer’s markets, fairs, office gatherings and more. “It was a dream of mine to bring this to Morgantown and I decided to go mobile because it would give me the opportunity to meet my customers where they are,” he said. The signature menu (which ice cream lovers can get any time) includes salted caramel pretzel, Oreo, peanut butter cup, s'mores and Nutella banana. On top of those flavors, individuals can add other sweet or savory ingredients. Lalka will graduate with a degree in marketing in December 2022. 

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