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Residents of Parkersburg, Katchur and his wife, Karen, are giving back to the College in the form of a $100,000 gift to help support the new B&E building complex project on Morgantown’s waterfront, as well as and other projects and programs at the business school.

“Our donation is a way of saying thank you to WVU and the College of Business and Economics for the role it played in my life, and I hope each can play a similar role in the lives of others. I am really excited about the idea of a new business school, and I look forward to seeing it built and occupied with future business students,” said Katchur, a 1978 B&E business administration graduate and Morgantown native. “I believe most alumni share a common goal of making the University a better place, a better school. To do so, you make the pieces better. My goal is help make the Business and Economics piece better, and this is our way of helping to do that.”

West Virginia University faculty and staff can invest in the University through the WVU Foundation’s Gold Blue & You Campus Campaign which kicks off Tuesday, April 3.

Through the Campus Campaign, WVU employees can give to programs or funds across the University they feel passionately about, including scholarship funds, specific departments/units, academic programs and special faculty/student support initiatives.

Rider Pharmacy, Inc. of Fairmont, West Virginia has made an in-kind donation to the Cancer Institute at West Virginia University benefiting the Betty Puskar Breast Care Enhancement Fund.

The donated items include mastectomy bras, mastectomy forms and drainage garments which will be given to patients recovering from surgery. The estimated fair market value of the gift is more than $17,000.

When Harold M. Forbes retired from West Virginia University as curator of Rare Books in 2013, bookseller Jim Presgraves wanted to pay a proper tribute to his colleague’s long career.

Rather than sending a card, Presgraves, approaching retirement himself, donated a large portion of his inventory at Bookworm and Silverfish Books in Rural Retreat, Virginia, to WVU Libraries in honor of the former Rare Books Curator. Library staff calculate the gift at more than 10,000 books, pamphlets, archives, maps and other materials with a value more than $500,000.

Asking John and Betty Ray Loyd why they support WVU Extension Service 4-H programming is like asking why the sun shines — it is second nature.

The largest private fundraising campaign in West Virginia University history saw more than 90,000 donors contribute just over $1.2 billion to the University.

Alumni and friends of WVU contributed $1,218,886,505 to the “State of Minds” campaign which ended Dec. 31, WVU President Gordon Gee announced Tuesday (Feb. 27) during his State of the University Address at Erickson Alumni Center. That amount is more than $200 million over the campaign’s $1 billion goal. 

Don Hoylman attributes the success of his three children to the education and opportunities they received as students at West Virginia University.  He also credits WVU with being a positive driver for his vision and success in creating and growing his businesses.  

The Harrison County native and longtime Marion County resident, who has enjoyed a very successful career in the mining, gas and oil business, is now giving back to WVU with a transformational leadership donation through his trust. Amount of the gift is not being made public at this time at the donor’s request. The substantial gift will be split evenly between the College of Business and Economics and the WVU Cancer Institute.

A West Virginia University School of Medicine alumnus has established a scholarship honoring Rashida Khakoo, MD, professor and infectious disease section chief within the School of Medicine.

John Holloway, MD, a 1979 graduate of the School of Medicine, said Khakoo left a tremendous impact on him and his medical career.

A $100,000 endowment has been established by Richard Swanson and his wife Kathryn Skitarelic Swanson, MD, to support students enrolled in the histotechnology program within the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

The Mildred C. Swanson Scholarship in Histotechnology was endowed to honor Richard’s mother Mildred Swanson who worked as a histologist at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital for 18 years until her retirement in 1976.

A $20,000 scholarship has been established to support a medical student at the West Virginia University School of Medicine Charleston Campus.

The Dr. Brittain and Judith H. McJunkin Mountaineer Medical Scholar has been established by Brittain McJunkin, MD, and his wife, Judy, to support a student throughout his or her time with the School of Medicine Charleston Campus.