HSCommunity: Nurture Your Growth

Ramadan Mubarak, Chag Pesach Sameach and Happy Easter! Also, let’s not forget the greatest season for growth – Happy Spring! We have all weathered West Virginia’s cold, wet and sometimes icy winter. We have also almost made it through the spring semester. I want you to know that I am proud of YOU!

As the semester pushes forward, I encourage you to intentionally take the time to nurture yourself. When I say nurture yourself, I do not mean physical health. While this is important, there are so many more people on this campus who can speak better on this (cue to me sipping a Dr. Pepper). What I mean is – nurture your spirit. Nurture your connection with who you are, who you want to be and the journey that has brought you to this point. Many times, we forget about the practices of our culture and those in our life who provide that nourishment. Take a moment each day to reflect on WHO YOU ARE, and how that impacts how you move through the world. Aristotle said it best, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

/ Courtney Lanham, MSW
They/Them
Director of Diversity, WVU Health Sciences
Chancellor and Executive Dean’s Office

/ Share Your Thoughts

All students, faculty and staff are invited to share their opinions and suggestions for diversity, equity and inclusion at WVU Health Sciences. Your participation will help develop strategic initiatives and plan future efforts.

Fill out the online survey.

/ Upcoming Events

Support Groups
Every semester the Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services offers a variety of groups, including TRANScend, Qmmunity, and ADHD Support Group. Groups give you contact with peers as well as a therapist in a safe and confidential environment. The groups meet one time a week and vary in time. Learn more.

"3000 Nights" Movie Screening
Join the World Languages Department Arabic program for a screening of “3000 Nights” on Tuesday, April 4, at 3 p.m. in Hodges Hall room 106.

Honoring Diversity - Histories of Pride & LGBTQ Publics in West Virginia
PhD Candidate Jacob Kopcienski will discuss the history of LGBTQ and feminist movements in West Virginia focusing on music and performance on Tuesday, April 4, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Learn more.

Brucella Jordan: Reflections on West Virginia Poet Norman Jordan
Sponsored by the West Virginia & Regional History Center and the WVU Humanities Center, hear Eric Jordan, son of Norman Jordan, read two of his father’s poems, “One-Eyed Critics” and “Appalachian Ghosts,” on Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. in the Downtown Library Milano Room. Learn more.

What Were You Wearing? Exhibit
What Were You Wearing? is an art exhibit based on student-survivor descriptions of the clothes they were wearing during their sexual assault. Stories will be displayed April 10-12 in the Mountainlair Vandalia Lounge. Learn more.

Chinese Pronunciation Table
Practice pronunciation with the World Languages Chinese program April 11 and April 25 from 3-4 p.m. in Hodges Hall room 330.

Italian Card Night: Scala 40!
Join the Italian Club to learn to play the Italian card game 'Scala Quaranta' on Tuesday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair.

Honoring Diversity - LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Prevention and Intervention
Bridget Bailey will discuss youth suicide prevention and intervention within the LGBTQ+ community on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Learn more.

Spanish Conversation Tables
Learn about different topics of the Spanish-speaking world on April 11 from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Mountainlair Laurel Room.

Inclusive Portrait Project Unveiling
Join WVU LIbraries for the second annual Inclusive Portrait Unveiling on Thursday, April 13, at 4 p.m. in the Downtown Library Robinson Reading Room. Sponsored by the WVU Fund for Women.

Trans in Trumpland Movie Night Series
Organized in collaboration with the Honors College LGBTQ+ & Allies Affinity Group and the WVU LGBTQ+ Center to explore the topic of transgender people's experiences from a personal profile perspective. Watch and discuss the “Idaho” episode on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. in the Honors College Media Annex. Learn more.

Faculty Justice Network Talk
Stephanie House-Niamke will present “How Black Protestant Christian women and men interpret the White Jesus Phenomenon” on Friday, April 14, at 11:45 a.m. on Zoom. Learn more.

Family Field Day
The WVU Council for Gender Equity invites the families of faculty, staff and students along with members of the Morgantown community to attend Family Field Day from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, April 16, at the Rec Center fields. Learn more.

Multicultural Graduation Celebration
This year’s WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ceremony will be held Monday, April 17, 6 p.m. at the Mountainlair Gluck Theatre. Reception to follow. Register to participate.

Lavender Graduation
The WVU LGBTQ+ Center invites you to join us in a ceremony honoring the achievements of graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other gender and sexual minorities. The 10th Annual Lavender Graduation will be held Sunday, April 23, from 3-5 p.m. at the Art Museum of WVU in the Museum Education Center. Register online.

advoCHAT
Join the DDEI team's prevention education specialist for a weekly AdvoCHAT each Monday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Zoom to improve your advocacy skills or find out how to get involved on campus. This is a safe space to learn about consent, healthy relationships and prevention on campus? Learn more.

Queer Book Club
Join the LGBTQ+ Center Queer Book Club at Maple House every third Tuesday of the month to discuss this semester’s pick, “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo. Register in advance.

Shabbat Dinner
Chabad at WVU welcomes all Jewish Mountaineers for Shabbat dinner every Friday at 7:15 p.m. The intimate and elegant setting allows students to meet new friends from every niche of the WVU Jewish community while feasting on a gourmet home-cooked meal.

Indigenous Appalachia Exhibit
Through visuals and educational content, the Indigenous Appalachia exhibit will explore themes of people, lands and waters, and will provide significant opportunity for campus and community involvement, and encourage informed, enhanced perspectives. On display in the WVU Downtown Library through the Spring 2023 semester.

Silent Witness Exhibit
The WVU Women’s Resource Center Silent Witness exhibit honors West Virginians killed in acts of domestic violence. The collection of life-sized silhouettes is on display at the WVU Downtown Library through the Spring 2023 semester.

/ News

Honoring Judy Heumann
Judith “Judy” Heumann—widely regarded as “the mother” of the disability rights movement—passed away in Washington, D.C. on the afternoon of March 4, 2023. Judy was at the forefront of major disability rights demonstrations, helped spearhead the passage of disability rights legislation, founded national and international disability advocacy organizations, held senior federal government positions, co-authored her memoir, and was featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary film, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.

Multi-organization partnership works to improve access to nurse-led care in rural Mingo County
Through a partnership between the WVU School of Nursing, the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington and local churches, access to nurse-led care is being established in rural Mingo County.

WVU, University of Puerto Rico industrial hygiene students collaborate to expand knowledge and cultural connections
Supported by funding through the CDC NIOSH Training Project Grants, the WVU School of Public Health hosted industrial hygiene students from the University of Puerto Rico for a multi-day collaborative learning experience.

WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities receives grant from Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to expand biking opportunities to West Virginians with disabilities
WVU will offer adapted mountain and trail bike access to people at no charge with new grant funding from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center.

Nursing students, faculty support free health clinics for community members
WVU School of Nursing undergraduate students, led by clinical instructor Derrick Conner, are supporting the health and well-being of the Morgantown community by offering free local health screenings.

New podcast series highlights disability-related stories and experiences
The WVU Center for Excellence Disabilities has launched a new podcast series, “Adjusting the Sails,” that will allow a glimpse into the stories, experiences and challenges of living with a disability in West Virginia.