West Liberty University

10/14/2026

One of our favorite Homecoming traditions on the Hilltop is Tent Day! The quad comes alive with school spirit, food, and the excitement of celebrating what makes our campus community so incredible.

10/12/2026

West Liberty University Students Selected as NASA West Virginia Space Grant Ambassadors

Two West Liberty University seniors have been selected to serve as NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium Student Ambassadors for the 2026–27 academic year.

Gwyneth Horzempa, a senior Data Science major, and Elizabeth Ivanac, a senior Mathematics Education major, will represent West Liberty while promoting STEM education, NASA-related opportunities, and West Virginia Space Grant Consortium programs to students and communities.

Read more:

Read more about West Liberty University Students Selected as NASA West Virginia Space Grant Ambassadors from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

10/09/2026

West Liberty University Students and Faculty Present Research at 11th International Conference on Tularemia

West Liberty University students and faculty presented their research alongside scientists from around the world at the 11th International Conference on Tularemia, held Sept. 27–30 at the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, California.

Representing WLU were Joseph Horzempa, Interim Dean of the College of Sciences; Stuart Cantlay, Associate Professor of Biology; graduate students Audrey Blust and Jaden Bender; and undergraduate students Maggie Gunter and Abigale Riggle.

The international conference brought together researchers to share new findings and discuss future directions in the study of Francisella tularensis, the bacterium that causes tularemia.

“The research being conducted at West Liberty provides amazing opportunities for our students through experiential learning,” Horzempa said. “Perhaps more importantly, the research generated at the Hilltop Center for Biomedical Research produces impactful discoveries that allow the scientific community to better understand the world around us.”

Read more:

Read more about West Liberty University Students and Faculty Present Research at 11th International Conference on Tularemia from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

10/08/2026

West Liberty University Announces Homecoming 2026 Celebration

West Liberty University will welcome alumni, students, families, and friends back to the Hilltop for Homecoming 2026, featuring a luau-themed week of traditions, reunions, athletics, performances, and alumni events leading into Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 16–17.

Homecoming activities begin Sunday, Oct. 11, with the Homecoming Kickoff at the Hogue Quadrangle. Events throughout the week include Serenades, Homecoming candidate activities, soccer matches, a pep rally, hula dance instruction, and performances of the Hilltop Players’ The Cripple of Inishmaan.

Read more:

Read more about West Liberty University Announces Homecoming 2026 Celebration from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

10/07/2026

West Liberty University’s Nutting Gallery to Present “Interlaced” Appalachian Craft Exhibition

West Liberty University’s Nutting Gallery will present “Interlaced: Making, Material, Process in Appalachia,” a group exhibition featuring the work of West Virginia-based craft artists, from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5.

An opening reception will be held tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Nutting Gallery, located in the Fine Arts Building on the West Liberty University campus. A discussion with the artists is scheduled for 6 p.m. The campus community and the public are invited to attend. Admission is free.

Participating artists are Susan Feller, Jessie McClanahan, Suzan Ann Morgan, Griffin Nordstrom, Ali Printz, Domenica Queen, Mary Roy, Louise Silk, and Nevada Tribble. The exhibition is curated by Feller and Nordstrom.

Read more:

Read more about West Liberty University’s Nutting Gallery to Present “Interlaced” Appalachian Craft Exhibition from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

10/05/2026

West Liberty University Theatre Announces 2026–27 Season

West Liberty University Theatre invites audiences to join the Hilltop Players for a 2026–2027 season featuring a dark comedy, a world-premiere adaptation, an iconic rock musical, a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, and a special Theatre for Young Audiences presentation. The season offers audiences a diverse range of theatrical experiences while giving West Liberty students opportunities to perform, design, create, and collaborate at a professional level.

Read about the season at the link below:

Read more about West Liberty University Theatre Announces 2026–27 Season from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

10/02/2026

West Liberty University Student Wins International Award at Turtle Conservation Symposium

West Liberty University senior Brandon Mawhinney earned international recognition after winning the Best Poster Award at the 24th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Mawhinney, an Applied Conservation senior and member of West Liberty University’s Applied Herpetoculture and Herpetology Laboratory, received the award for his research, “Long-term Patterns on Growth and Demography of an Iowan Terrapene ornata ornata Population in a Naturalistic Environment.”

Read more:

Read more about West Liberty University Student Wins International Award at Turtle Conservation Symposium from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

10/01/2026

Marty and Patti Adams Make Transformational $250,000 Gift to Support West Liberty University Students

The West Liberty University Foundation proudly announces a generous $250,000 commitment from alumni Marty and Patti Adams to support student scholarships and expand internship opportunities for Hilltoppers.

The Adamses’ gift will create a meaningful impact on WLU students by investing in both academic access and career readiness. A portion of the gift, $150,000, will be directed toward the existing Marty and Patti Adams Scholarship, an endowed fund that supports four-year scholarships.

The remainder of the gift will be used to support student internships, enabling students to gain valuable work experience with nonprofits and other employers who are not able to provide paid internships.

Read more about Marty and Patti Adams Make Transformational $250,000 Gift to Support West Liberty University Students from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

09/30/2026

West Liberty University to Host Fall 2026 Nonprofit Opportunity Fair

West Liberty University will host its Fall 2026 Nonprofit Opportunity Fair on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Elbin Library.

This event gives West Liberty University students the opportunity to connect with local nonprofit organizations and explore employment, internship, service, class project, and other community engagement opportunities.

The fair features nonprofit organizations that seek both short-term and long-term student participation and includes a variety of fields such as accounting, social work, social media, marketing, computer information systems, communication, and more.

Nonprofits interested in registering for the fair can contact [email protected].

Read more:

Read more about West Liberty University to Host Fall 2026 Nonprofit Opportunity Fair from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!

09/29/2026

West Liberty University Alumni Wall of Honor Inductees Have Lasting Impact on Ohio Valley

West Liberty University announced today its Alumni Wall of Honor inductees for 2026. The four individuals have had a significant impact on communities throughout the Ohio Valley through their professional achievements. They include:

David Bridgeman ’77, a dentist from New Martinsville, West Virginia

Todd Cover ’98, President and Chief Executive Officer of Belmont Savings Bank in Bellaire, Ohio

Joyce Jingle ’78, a longtime choral educator in Ohio County schools

Richard L. Morgan ’01, an arts educator and nonprofit leader throughout the Ohio Valley

Read more about their achievements:

https://westliberty.edu/news/news/west-liberty-university-alumni-wall-of-honor-inductees-have-lasting-impact-on-ohio-valley/

This year’s Alumni Wall of Honor honorees will be formally inducted on Friday, October 16, at the President’s Recognition Dinner, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The event is part of the annual Homecoming celebration. Tickets for the dinner and information about the week’s events are available at westliberty.edu/homecoming.

Read more about West Liberty University Alumni Wall of Honor Inductees Have Lasting Impact on Ohio Valley from the News & Media Relations Department at West Liberty University. Call 304.336.8203!