A West Virginia University associate professor of Extension has been named director of the Universitys Office of Service Learning Programs.

Jill Kriesky began her appointment July 1, with duties that include administering the W.K. Kellogg-WVU Community Partnership Program, said Rosemary Haggett, WVU associate provost for Academic Programs.

“I am very pleased that Ms.Kriesky has accepted this important appointment,”Dr. Haggett said.”Her abilities and experience will be of tremendous benefit to WVU s Office of Service-Learning Programs.”

In addition to administering the Kellogg program, Dr. Kriesky will oversee the Office of Service Learning and its staff. She will be University liaison to other higher education and service learning programs including the WV Campus Compact and Campus Compact at the national level. She also will coordinate fund-raising activities for service learning efforts.

Kriesky has been with Extension since 1996, beginning in the Economic and Workforce Development Centers Institute for Labor Studies and Research.

Since 1998, she has worked as a half-time extension coordinator for the W.K.Kellogg-WVU Expanding Community Partnerships, a four-year, $1.25 million service learning grant awarded to WVU .

From July 1999-July 2001, Kriesky also has worked half-time as the Extension Research Program Director. She has been acting director of Service Learning since February 2001.

Prior to coming to WVU , Kriesky worked as a labor education faculty at the University of Oregon from 1993-96 and the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1987-1993.

She holds a bachelors of arts in economics and political science from Grinnell College in 1978; a masters in economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1980; and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of New Hampshire in 1987.

Kriesky has conducted research and published on the topics of pulp and paper industry labor relations, neutrality agreements in union organizing and the role of multi-union organizations in communities.