Newly hired and recently tenured West Virginia University faculty enjoyed a special, informal outdoor gathering Tuesday evening (Sept. 18) at Blaney House, hosted by WVU President Mike Garrison.

I want to welcome each and every one of our newly hired faculty and congratulate those who are newly tenured,Garrison said, while also thanking the deans and department chairs in attendance.I appreciate your sharing your strengths and talents at WVU , and I look forward to working with you.

New faculty enjoyed sharing stories with each other and expressed enthusiasm about the University and the Morgantown area.

WVU is a great fit,said Tami Gurley-Calvez, an assistant professor who works in the Bureau of Business and Economic Research.I like the Morgantown area. Im from a rural area, so its nice to be back in a place with a good community feel, to wake up in the morning to birds and fresh air.

Gurley-Calvez came to WVU from the Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C.

She has a doctorate in economics and is teaching a graduate class in state and local public finance. Her research involves examining the issue of education finance in secondary schools, particularly the growing north-central and Eastern Panhandle regions. She also conducts research on women entrepreneurs.

I enjoy research and also being in the classroom,Gurley-Calvez said.At WVU , I can be more directly involved in policy issues. The academic atmosphere is invigorating, and the opportunities are limitless. Not only can I help make a difference in policy, but I can also conduct high-end academic research.

Research was also what attracted Vazhaikkurichi Rajendran to WVU .

WVU is excellent because of its status as a growing institution,said Rajendran, who works in the Section of Digestive Diseases in the School of Medicine.The University is recruiting more and more researchers. Research here is definitely increasing.

Rajendran, who has a doctorate in biochemistry with a specialty in molecular physiology, came to WVU after 22 years at Yale University. He hopes to find a cure for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which refers to two chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the intestinesulcerative colitis and Crohns disease. Medical research hasnt determined yet what causes IBD .

Rajendranis is conducting research on controlling electrolyte imbalance in the digestive system, funded by a five-year National Institute of Health grant. He also teaches graduate-level microbiology courses.

There is hope for people with inflammatory bowel disease,he said.Its possible with proper medication there will be a cure for it within 10 years.

For other new faculty, coming to WVU was an opportunity to work withthe best of the best.

Joe Prudhomme, an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the School of Medicine, has a great deal of respect for his colleagues.

I work with nine other orthopedic surgeons,he said.They are all excellent. Every one is a very good doctor whom I trust completely.

Prudhomme earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He spent more than 11 years in private practice and then completed additional training at Texas Medical Center in Houston. He specializes in surgery of the shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands.

In addition to research and a good working environment, new faculty noted Morgantown area is a good place to raise a family.

We like the Morgantown area a lot,said Michael Sherwin, who attended the barbecue with his wife, Heidi, and 10-month-old daughter, Susannah.The community is wonderful. Its a good place for kids. We love downtown. Everyone I work with at WVU is really great.

Both parents have advanced degrees from the University of Oregon. Michael Sherwin has a masters of fine arts degree in photography and is a new tenure track assistant professor in the Division of Art. His specialty is photography and digital imaging.

Heidi Sherwin has a masters in arts administration with a focus on nonprofits and is interested in working with the Community Arts Program. They came to WVU from Central Washington University in Washington state.

The new Dual Career Program, one of Garrisons recent initiatives, is making WVU more attractive than ever before, noted Rosemary Hathaway and Thomas Bredehoft, a married couple that teaches in the Department of English.

Both of us being able to work at WVU definitely factored into our decision to come here,Hathaway said.We were very happy for the opportunity.

Hathaway is an assistant professor of English education, and Bredehoft is a senior lecturer who specializes in medieval literature. Both taught at the University of Northern Colorado before coming to WVU .We could have stayed where we were and continued what we were doing, but WVU offered us the chance for continued growth as educators and scholars,Bredehoft said.Were very excited to be here.