The West Virginia University chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society was recognized for its outstanding community and academic projects during a regional convention last month in New York.

WVU ’s chapter was the only club to claim two awards: the prestigious Best Community Service Project and Best Academic Service Project.

The WVU chapter won the Best Community Service Project for helping with the student United Way campaign and”Rocking on the Riverfront”concert. The concert was staged in October during Homecoming Week and raised almost $3,000 for United Way agencies.

The Best Academic Service Project recognized the WVU chapter for organizing Graduate and Professional School Informational Month in February. The chapter scheduled Kaplan test drives for students to take practice graduate entry exams. The event also included a graduate and professional school forum that included admission representatives from WVU ’s College of Law, School of Medicine School, School of Pharmacy, School of Dentistry and College of Business and Economics’master of business administration program.

Both of these projects will now be considered for international awards at the international convention this summer in Chicago.

Robert L. Kent, the director of WVU Career Services Center and primary adviser for WVU Golden Key, was also honored as the Eastern Regional Adviser of the Year. Kent competed against 25 other advisers for the honor. He now has the opportunity to be selected as the International Advisor of the Year.

The Eastern Regional Convention, held March 28-30 at Queens College in New York City, brought together 25 different chapters throughout the East Coast. Other nearby schools included University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania State University.

Besides amassing awards of its own, Golden Key is also preparing to present its Golden Apple award to four outstanding WVU teachers and two advisers. Unique on the WVU campus, the Golden Apple is the only award given solely by students for teaching and advising.

This year’s Golden Apple winners for teaching are:
John Kuhlman, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering

• Joseph Shaeiwitz, associate professor of chemical engineering

• Robert DiClerico, professor of political science

• Jeff Petersen, professor of chemistry

Award recipients for advising are:

• Richard Turton, chemical engineering

• Migri Prucz, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

The Golden Apple awards ceremony will be 9 a.m. Saturday, April 12, in the Mountainlair Rhododendron Room.