The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that the Division of Public Administration, in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University, has won a $90,000 grant under its Community Development Work Study Program.

WVU is one of 29 grant recipients under this nationwide program.

The grant will fund three graduate students for their course of study in the Master of Public Administration degree program.

While pursuing course work, students will have field placement experiences with public and nonprofit community development agencies and organizations in Charleston and throughout north-central West Virginia. Grant funds will be applied to the students’tuition, books, stipends and travel costs related to their studies.

The HUD Community Development Work Study Program is primarily aimed at providing learning opportunities for economically disadvantaged and minority graduate students. Grants are awarded for a two-year cycle. The award for the 2004-2006 cycle is the third received by WVU ’s Division of Public Administration. The division previously received grants in 2000 and 2002.

This HUD program has provided valuable academic and practical experience for our students,said Dr. Christopher Plein, chair of the Division of Public Administration.We’ve had past student participants go on to exciting positions in community development in West Virginia and beyond.”

Plein said the community development program is valuable to WVU s public administration students because it enhances partnerships with local government and community development organizations across the Mountain State.

The program, he said, increases awareness of the ever-important role that community development plays in public administration.

For more information, contact Plein at 304-293-2614�3157; or the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development online atwww.oup.org.